Chesapeake House

Chesapeake House is a service area located on Interstate 95 in Cecil County, Maryland at mile marker 97. It is located in the median of I-95 and can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic.It is one of the top five busiest rest stops in the United States.OverviewChesapeake House opened in 1975. Today, Chesapeake House is run by the AreasUSA Corporation. U.S. Federal law prescribes that rest areas on public (toll-free) interstate highways be maintained by the state, however Maryland was able to obtain an exemption, allowing them to commercialise Chesapeake House and Maryland House. This exemption was granted because the service areas were constructed when the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway was a toll road. Now, Maryland is responsible for the grounds, while the commercial operators absorb the costs of operation. WTOP-FM says that the two commercialized rest-stops bring in $40 million per annum.ServicesChesapeake House includes several restaurants and a convenience store. Chesapeake House also offers two gas stations, one at each end of the plaza. Tourists to the area used to be able to access a visitor information service; however, the tourist information bureau was closed down, along with 7 others in Maryland, on January 7, 2010.