Founded in 1732 as a port city at the head of the Wicomico River, Salisbury today is the largest city on the Eastern Shore and the second largest port in the state. A significant part of the city’s economic sustenance still is derived from the port - major chicken processor headquartered in Salisbury, for example, not only provides jobs in the area but also imports feed grain through the port.

While the population of the city and county is approximately 80,000, a population of several hundred thousand in the greater Salisbury/Wicomico area looks to the city for retail, professional, medical, and cultural services. Salisbury is the home of Salisbury State University and the Peninsula Regional Medical Center, which serves the peninsula southward to Cape Charles, Virginia.

Salisbury Park, located in the heart of the city, was developed as a work project during the Great Depression. Adjacent to the park is the Salisbury Zoological Park, which is recognized as one of the best small zoos in America.

Salisbury’s greatest resource is its people, who have a strong tradition of community service and volunteerism. For example, the Jackson family (prominent in the lumber business) has produced a congressman, a senator, and a governor.

A cataclysmic flood in the first decade of the 20th century was transformed from disaster to opportunity by innovative rebuilding of a major part of the downtown area. At the end of that century, efforts were focused on casting the city as a popular destination for residents of the area and tourists. Development along the riverfront was combined with projects aimed at showcasing the city’s architectural treasury of well preserved Victorian and early twentieth-century buildings.