A village on the western bank of the Nanticoke River in southeastern Dorchester County was known simply as “the town on the Nanticoke River” until being officially named Vienna on July 11, 1706. The town thrived as a port capable of handling large ships carrying goods from England, and then also as a trade center when a tobacco warehouse was built in 1762. Vienna was also the site of the first shipyard on the Nanticoke River. Its importance to commerce and trade was evident when it was attacked by British forces during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 —in 1776 and 1781 and in 1812, respectively.

Vienna gained its first post office in 1792, but there was no bank in the town until 1906. During the 20th century, the town continued to develop into the picturesque place that it is today. Its elementary school was recently selected as a Maryland Blue Ribbon school, and its annual Shad Festival draws nearly 1,000 visitors to share in the experience of life on the Nanticoke. Located just off U.S. Route 50 where it crosses the Nanticoke River, approximately half way between Salisbury and Cambridge, Vienna provides convenient access to the natural wonders of the close-by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Currently, Vienna is undertaking an aggressive revitalization program. Construction of a new wastewater treatment plant has been completed, and the town’s water system has been rehabilitated. New curbs, sidewalks, storm drains, and street surfaces have given the town a facelift. On the agenda are a campaign to attract new businesses and residents to the town and the creation of a riverwalk park along the Nanticoke.