Ocean City best: Excellent
Long boardwalk, amusements and a wide beach.
Very popular seaside resort city on a barrier island, with loads of restaurants and night clubs
Vitamin D in Maryland: best months for sun and a travel guide
The best months for vitamin D in Maryland are May to September. In June, a full dose of about 1,000 IU takes around 7 minutes at midday for skin type III at age 30, with 9.0 usable sun hours a day. For a beach stay it is too cool from October to April.
Maryland month by month
Maryland is rated at its median coastal place, for skin type III at age 30. Click a month for the details.
| Month | Rating | Sun window | Peak UV | Full dose, age 30 | Full dose, age 65 | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Too cold | 1.5 h | 2.3 | – | – | 7°C | 9/30 |
| February | Too cold | 3.9 h | 3.6 | 15 min | 28 min | 10°C | 3/30 |
| March | Too cold | 5.2 h | 4.6 | 12 min | 22 min | 15°C | 11/30 |
| April | Too cold | 6.2 h | 5.8 | 9 min | 17 min | 20°C | 4/30 |
| May | Good | 6.6 h | 6.1 | 9 min | 16 min | 25°C | 9/30 |
| June | Excellent | 9.0 h | 7.6 | 7 min | 13 min | 30°C | 3/30 |
| July | Excellent | 8.5 h | 7.3 | 7 min | 14 min | 31°C | 5/30 |
| August | Excellent | 7.9 h | 7.0 | 8 min | 14 min | 30°C | 8/30 |
| September | Good | 5.8 h | 5.3 | 10 min | 19 min | 26°C | 7/30 |
| October | Too cold | 5.7 h | 4.6 | 12 min | 22 min | 22°C | 1/30 |
| November | Too cold | 3.0 h | 3.2 | 17 min | 31 min | 16°C | 5/30 |
| December | Too cold | 1.3 h | 2.4 | – | – | 8°C | 6/30 |
Sun window is the number of hours a day with UV Index 2.5 or higher. Full dose is the minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, for skin type III. Rainy days are days with at least 1 mm out of 30.
Travel guide: why go to Maryland
Why go
Maryland's Ocean City is a classic mid-Atlantic boardwalk beach, with calmer sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Best for
Families and sailors.
What to expect
A beach season from June to September, a cool sea early in summer and busy weekends. Crab feasts are a local tradition.
Places in Maryland
Each place has its own climate, so its best months can differ from the country as a whole.
Annapolis best: Excellent
Naval academy and sailing capital.
The quaint state (and one-time national) capital, with strong maritime, naval, and seafood traditions
Assateague Island best: Excellent
Wild horses on a quiet beach.
A beautiful national park of a barrier island, populated by wild ponies
Baltimore best: Excellent
Harbour city of museums and crab cakes.
Maryland's largest city, right on the Chesapeake, home to the Inner Harbor, a magnificent Aquarium, Camden Yards, Johns Hopkins…
St. Michaels best: Excellent
Waterside town on the Chesapeake with maritime history.
Some short descriptions come from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Questions about vitamin D in Maryland
When is the best time to visit Maryland for vitamin D?
The best months for vitamin D in Maryland are May to September. In June, a full dose of about 1,000 IU takes around 7 minutes at midday for skin type III at age 30, with 9.0 usable sun hours a day.
Can you get vitamin D from the sun in Maryland in December?
Not really. In December the sun in Maryland is too low or too weak to make useful vitamin D, and afternoons are cool. Plan your sun for other months.
How long do I need in the sun in Maryland?
In June, the best month, about 7 minutes at midday with a quarter of the body bare, for skin type III at age 30; about 13 minutes at age 65. Darker skin needs longer and fair skin burns sooner, so keep sessions short. This is an estimate for planning, not medical advice.
Which months should I avoid in Maryland?
For a beach stay, avoid the months when it is too cool from October to April.
What is the best place in Maryland for vitamin D?
In June the strongest sun of the places we rate is around Ocean City. Each place has its own rating, so open the place list to compare them.
Plan by month
- Jan Too cold
- Feb Too cold
- Mar Too cold
- Apr Too cold
- May Good
- Jun Excellent
- Jul Excellent
- Aug Excellent
- Sep Good
- Oct Too cold
- Nov Too cold
- Dec Too cold