Cumberland (Maryland)



Cumberland is a city in Western Maryland. It is on the banks of the North Branch Potomac River and Wills Creek in Allegany County.

Understand

 * Visitor information

By car
The easiest and most accessible way to travel to and around Cumberland is by car. Main thoroughfares coming into Cumberland are US 220, US 40, Interstate 68, MD 36, and WV 28.

By bicycle
Many travellers to Cumberland arrive as part of a long-distance bike trip. Cumberland connects the 184-mile C&O Canal towpath, which follows the Potomac River all the way to Washington, D.C., and the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage to Pittsburgh. Cumberland is an (approximate) midpoint in this 334-mile, all-off-road bicycle tour through the Appalachians, or an origin/destination to travellers only doing one of the two trails.

By train

 * Routes stopping at Cumberland:
 * Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville. Eastbound trains towards Washington, D.C. leave Cumberland mid-morning while westbound trains to Chicago depart Cumberland early evening.
 * Capitol Limited operates daily between Chicago and Washington, D.C. including stops in South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Alliance, Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and Rockville. Eastbound trains towards Washington, D.C. leave Cumberland mid-morning while westbound trains to Chicago depart Cumberland early evening.

By plane
Greater Cumberland Regional Airport has not had any scheduled commercial service since 2003, but its airport terminal has a 40%-scale replica of the Wright Brothers' 1903 Wright Flyer airplane.

Get around
Walking is not only the best method, but also the only method for exploring the downtown area. The Baltimore Street commercial district is closed to traffic and is a pedestrian-only mall. Within a few blocks of this area, one can easily walk to the Canal Place Heritage Area, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, the Washington Street Historic District, as well as a variety of other shops and restaurants. It is important to note that while it is possible to walk from the train station to the only downtown hotel, the Holiday Inn, one has to cross a high-traffic section of railroad tracks to access the hotel as well as the rest of the downtown area.

In order to explore the rest of the city and region, however, having a car is advised. Be aware that in the downtown area, parking can sometimes be difficult to find. One public parking garage is available: the Center City Garage on the corner of Pershing and George Streets. There is also a small parking lot accessible from Liberty Street, but the parking garage at this location is now by permit only. There is visitor parking at the Western Maryland Station on Mechanic Street, and metered parking under the Crosstown Bridge (I-68), and along many side streets.

By bus
Allegany County Transit  provides bus service in and around Cumberland. Their phone number is: +1 301-722-6360, hours are M-F 8AM-noon and 1PM-4PM. Fare is $2. A pass is available for $27.50 that is good for $30-worth of rides. Buy passes at the transit office at 1000 LaFayette Avenue. The main transfer station is Roses in the Cumberland Shopping Center. The blue line buses and the red line buses serve Cumberland and run M-F, 7:30AM and 4PM. Other routes are primarily for commuters traveling to and from Cumberland and the other cities and towns.

See
Washington Street Historic District is an approximately 35-acre (140,000 m2) residential area to the west of downtown Cumberland and contains large-scale 19th- and 20th-century houses.

Buy

 * The Country Club Mall is the only indoor shopping mall in at least a 70-mile radius of Cumberland. It is in suburban La Vale, which is about 5 minutes driving time from downtown.  Anchor stores include JC Penney, Sears, The Bon-Ton, and Walmart Supercenter.

Eat
Most dining in the city itself is in the downtown area. Ethnic restaurants (Chinese) and American cuisine are widely available. Be aware that most restaurants on the downtown mall can be pricey, especially for dinner. For the more budget-conscious traveler, five fast food establishments are also located close to downtown, and the Culinary Cafe, a unique educational restaurant for students at Allegany College of Maryland, is also not costly, and is on the downtown mall. Many other common chain restaurants are located in LaVale.



Drink
Many pubs and bars are located downtown and throughout the city. For those who prefer non-alcoholic beverages, try Mark's Daily Grind or the Queen City Creamery for coffee.





Sleep
As stated above, the only downtown hotel is the Cumberland Holiday Inn. All other hotels are located in the surrounding area. Best Western, Comfort Inn, Super 8, Slumberland Motel, and the Red Roof Inn all offer great accommodations in LaVale, about five minutes driving time from downtown. Days Inn and Hampton Inn are located in Frostburg, about 15 minutes away. In addition, the Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort in Flintstone offers luxury accommodations.



Go next

 * Rocky Gap State Park 12500 Pleasant Valley Rd. +1 301-722-1480 is just seven miles east of the city on I-68, and offers a couple nice 4-5 mile hikes. Fishing is another great activity here, on Lake Habeeb.
 * Cumberland Narrows. The narrows are a tight pass through the Wills Mountains, just to the west of Cumberland on US-40. Great views over Cumberland and the surrounding countryside from the overlook there.