Norfolk by the Bay: Ocean View and the Chesapeake Shoreline

7.3 Miles of Free Bay Beach

Norfolk's northern edge faces the Chesapeake Bay, and the city keeps 7.3 miles of free, publicly accessible shoreline in Ocean View. Bay water is generally calmer than the ocean side, and the beach is minutes from downtown.

The three beach parks

• Ocean View Beach Park, 100 W. Ocean View Avenue: band shell, boardwalk, summer concerts, access ramps and walkways. Grilling is not allowed here.
• Sarah Constant Beach Park, 300 W. Ocean View Avenue: parking, restrooms and shade; no lifeguards.
• Community Beach Park, 700 E. Ocean View Avenue: access ramps and walkways, and grilling on the grass is allowed.

All three have parking, restrooms, benches and shade trees. Twelve more public access points have limited on-street parking but no restrooms or lifeguards.

Seasonal rules

• Lifeguards staff Community and Ocean View Beach Parks daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from late May through Labor Day.
• Alcohol, glass containers and open fires are prohibited on city beaches.
• Dogs must be leashed and are allowed outside the daytime summer window.

The bayfront neighborhoods here include Willoughby Spit, Central Ocean View, the Cottage Line, East Ocean View and East Beach. The Ocean View Fishing Pier on W. Ocean View Avenue is privately run, with a restaurant and rentals. Beach details as of the 2026 season.

Buying on the Bayfront

Dunes and shoreline are regulated

• Virginia's Coastal Primary Sand Dune law bars altering or building on a dune in ways that impair its natural function, change its contour or destroy its vegetation, unless the local wetlands board or the Virginia Marine Resources Commission finds no significant harm or a clear public interest.
• Dune, wetland and bottomland permits all go through one joint application, reviewed together by Norfolk's Wetlands Board, VMRC, DEQ and the Army Corps.
• If a listing advertises future shoreline work, ask whether permits are in hand before you count on it.

Coastal storm projects

• The Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management project, authorized in 2020, includes storm surge barriers, levees, floodwalls and pump stations, plus a nonstructural program of home elevations and floodproofing.
• Phase 2 covers the Pretty Lake area in Ocean View; later phases cover the Lafayette River watershed and Broad Creek.
• The city has also carried out beach nourishment at East Beach and Bay Point.

Bayfront property carries added tidal and wind-driven flood risk, so pair this page with the flood-zone checks in our waterfront guide before you make an offer.

Ask About Bayfront Homes