South Bethany, Delaware

South Bethany, Delaware
Homes along the water in South Bethany
Location of South Bethany in Sussex County, Delaware.
South Bethany
Location within the state of Delaware
South Bethany
South Bethany (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°30′59″N 75°03′11″W / 38.51639°N 75.05306°W / 38.51639; -75.05306
Country United States
State Delaware
CountySussex
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
 • MayorTim Saxton
Area
 • Total
0.53 sq mi (1.36 km2)
 • Land0.50 sq mi (1.30 km2)
 • Water0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
3 ft (0.91 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
451
 • Density896.7/sq mi (346.23/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
19930
Area code302
FIPS code10-67700
GNIS feature ID214675
Websitesouthbethany.delaware.gov

South Bethany is an incorporated town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. As of the 2020 census, South Bethany had a population of 451. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area.

South Bethany is popularly considered one of "The Quiet Resorts", along with its direct neighbor to the north, Bethany Beach, and its neighbor to the south, Fenwick Island. This is in contradistinction to the crowded atmosphere of the more popular Dewey Beach and the cosmopolitan bustle of nearby Rehoboth Beach. Assisting South Bethany's reputation as a "quiet" place is the presence of Delaware Seashore State Park – a six-mile-long barrier island providing a substantial buffer from Dewey Beach's noise – to the north of Bethany Beach, as well as the relative quiet provided by a large unincorporated area of private condominiums and multimillion-dollar beach homes between the park and Bethany Beach. To the south, South Bethany is insulated from busy Ocean City, Maryland, by Fenwick Island State Park and Fenwick Island itself.

Unlike Bethany Beach and neighboring Fenwick Island, South Bethany is almost exclusively residential. It refers to itself as "The Best Little Beach in Delaware."