The Oldest Continuously Operating Fish Market In America Is Tucked Away In Washington DC

When the fish market on Maine Avenue, located between the Potomac River and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., first opened, Thomas Jefferson had just begun his second term as U.S. president. The District was barely built. The federal government had only arrived five years earlier to set up in its new home that had been designated by Congress in 1790. It was 1805, and local fishing boats had begun selling seafood to the public along the docks in Southwest Washington, nearly 20 years before New York City's Fulton Fish Market opened. Through numerous changes over time, the D.C. exchange has managed to survive, making it the oldest continuously operated open-air fish market in America.

Known by several names, including the Maine Avenue Fish Market and the Fish Wharf, it's now officially called the Municipal Fish Market. On any given day, you'll find both locals and tourists queuing up at the floating barges, where you can get a myriad of both fresh and cooked seafood. And you should add it to your dining itinerary if you have 24 hours in D.C. While the Chesapeake Bay's catch is abundantly represented by oysters, blue crab, and shrimp, the market offers everything from fresh baby octopus to red snapper and regional favorites like crab cakes. 

The Municipal Fish Market, centered at 1100 Maine Avenue, maintains a scrappy, old-school feel, with vendors selling their wares off of floating barges even as the neighborhood around it has undergone startling changes in the last few years. After a multi-billion-dollar renovation that concluded at the end of 2022, District Wharf — or simply "the Wharf," as it has been dubbed — includes sleek luxury hotels, a slew of new restaurants (some of which get seafood from the market), apartment buildings, and office space. 

The fish market also saw some changes. The developers added a promenade along the river, plazas for outdoor eating, and new retail spaces, but they left the heart of the fish market intact. Rappahannock Oyster Bar, which mainly sources its seafood locally, moved into a renovated oyster shack that had been part of the market since about 1912. Jessie Taylor Seafood, which has been at the fish market since 1939, remains an anchor, offering both fresh and cooked seafood from its barges. 

But not all the vendors were happy with the changes. Longtime seafood purveyor Captain White Seafood City left the fish market, towing its barges down the Potomac in late 2021 after a dispute with the developers. The business decamped to Oxon Hill. Maryland. Still, today, the Municipal Fish Market continues its 220-year history serving hungry residents, area restaurants, and tourists looking for the perfect steamed blue crabs doused in Old Bay seasoning, with its 18 different herbs and spices.