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The name Chesapeake comes from the Algonquin Indian word "Chesepiooc", which means "great shellfish bay".

 The Chesapeake Bay is the largest bay in the United States.

(2500 square miles!)

Fifteen varieties of Bay grasses are commonly found in the Chesapeake Bay.

At its widest point, the Bay is more than 30 miles wide!

(from Smith Point Virginia to Virginia's Eastern shore)

The Susquehanna River provides 50% of the fresh water coming into the Bay.

"The Hole" at Bloody Point near Annapolis, Maryland is the Bay's deepest point.

(174 ft deep)

The Chesapeake Bay holds more than 18 trillion gallons of water!

The Bay has 11,600 miles of shoreline, including tidal wetlands and islands. That's more than the entire West Coast!

The narrowest point, near Aberdeen, Maryland, is 3.5 miles across. The Bay Bridge near Annapolis is 4 miles.

The majority of the Bay is less than 6ft deep. The average depth, including tributaries, is 21 ft.

There are over 150 major rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Watershed.

There 2,700 different plants and animals that live in and around the Bay.