6 Little-Known Towns in Delaware

Home to just 1,044,320, Delaware is one of the smallest states by area but also one of the fastest growing. Maybe the secret is finally out that small towns are surrounded by tantalizing beauty, perfect for crowdless pursuits in nature. Discover Bethany Beach on a quiet seaside escape you've been dreaming of, or stop by Delmar, not a beach town, but definitely "Too Big for One State." Seaford boasts lighthearted, engaging pursuits along the beautiful Nanticoke River, while Arden feels frozen in time with hip attractions. The many rivers add a lace of charm, plus there is an "ocean" of pursuits on the water along the state's idyllic beach slice of the Atlantic. Discover little-known towns in The Small Wonder State of Delaware.

Arden

Founded upon 19th-century communal land and anti-industrialization ideas, the village still lives like it was in the 1800s. The area with fairytale homes is full of creatives living amid lush surroundings just north of the vast Delaware River. Home to unique outdoor attractions like Labyrinth of the Ardens and the Original Arden Swimming Hole, Lockerman Estate features meticulously maintained gardens with mourning doves, fountains, and eclectic landscape designs. When you get hungry for entertainment or just plain hungry, spot the big red barn on the outskirts; the Candlelight Theatre hosts buffet dinners and live performances under a veil of rustic glamour.

A morning creekside stroll through Arden Woods can take you next door to Sunnyside Nature Preserve, or aspire to an easy jolt up Stairway to Heaven. You'll ravish breakfast options at Hill Donut Co. & Pancake House in Wilmington. Then, it is just a hop southwest to Bellevue State Park, Rockwood Park & Museum, plus the Delaware Art Museum and Hagley Museum. You can even cross the river to New Jersey or into Pennsylvania just north for the all-time favorite Booths Corner Farmers Market. But no visit is complete without a stop at the local Marini Produce & Christmas and the town's "Oddporium," an antique store with really "out there" offerings.

Bethany Beach

Looking for a new, quieter beach vacation? Bethany Beach may be what you crave. Packed with experiences for every taste, the small-town vibes draw visitors from the cities to its serene South Bethany Beach, highly regarded by families for being clean, quiet, and safe, with lifeguards in the summer. Convenient parking and a scenic boardwalk maximize the pleasures, while amenities and a nature center diversify pursuits in between soaking up the sun and ocean views. Book a boat tour, play mini golf, or go indoor rock climbing. And when a small beach town offers tax-free shopping, it's an ultimate win-win for the local economy and your real retail therapy. From art galleries and souvenirs, browse markets for fresh produce and local crafts, just a hop from the waterfront or a town green.

Still largely undiscovered, Bethany Beach truly is one of Delaware’s best-hidden gems. Dozens of restaurants serve fresh seafood, like Bluecoast Seafood Grill & Raw Bar, alongside Bethany Blues BBQ, pizza places, and staple beachside snacks that will keep the whole family full and happy. After breakfast at Cottage Cafe, you'll be trailing around the pretty Salt Pond, the trails through Delaware Seashore—Fresh Pond, and the bayfront James Farm Ecological Preserve with your pet. Find the 3Rs Fishing Beach further north, and onwards sprawls the unreplicable Delaware Seashore State Park, with a beachfront campground, playground, trails, and a historic residence. Just three miles west of town, Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club welcomes drop-ins to a Rick Jacobson-designed golf course on coastal terrain and abundant sand dunes.

Delmar

Straddling the Maryland state line is how this small town got its name. As "The Little Town Too Big for One State," Delmar prefers to think of it as a unique charm, embracing both states’ traditions and cultures. Its high school football team, the Delmar High School Wildcats, has loyal fans throughout the region, and with weekend games in town, you, too, are welcome to join. The town's rich railroad history roots back to a key stop for the railroads between the two states, so it is no wonder the locals live in a dual reality. Jen's Attic is a sizable antique store with everything you didn't know you needed.

The dads greatly enjoy the top-rated Loakal Branch Brewing Company for local craft on tap, plus the next-door Bryan & Brittingham Inc., a hardware store, which is like a mancave after one too many. Find yourself returning for dinner at Delmar Pizza & Pasta, an iconic place to try something new every day in a down-to-earth setting for every group, serving hearty pasta, sandwiches, beer, and wine. Just west, Old Mill Crab House has what you crave, which is so hard to find outside of beach towns. Seemingly across the state line, Altitude Trampoline Park still belongs to Delmar, where the whole family can have a great time staying active, plus food and drinks, while Leonards Mill Park is a Maryland gem a few minutes south.

New Castle

This town was born with a flair: its New Castle Court House, the state's first capital building and meeting place for the colonial and first state assemblies. As the site of significant events, including slavery trials, abolition involving Thomas Garrett and John Hunn, and the Underground Railroad, it was designated a National Historic Underground Railroad Site in 2003. The State of Delaware was born soon after the resolution passed by national legislation on June 15, 1776, to separate from Pennsylvania and Great Britain. Today, locals and visitors flock around the iconic New Castle Court House, where Delaware declared its independence, during Separation Day in mid-June, for a lively celebration of parades, fireworks, and historical reenactments.

So welcome to New Castle; vibe: colonial chic. Its rich history along a scenic slice of the beautiful Delaware River attracts nature lovers and antique hunters to the historic riverbanks, with significance still in the air, and Battery Park, a favorite spot for picnics and riverside walks. Stop by anytime for a stroll back in time along its cobblestone streets and preserved colonial buildings, like the must-see Read House & Gardens. The First State National Historical Park offers green space for public gatherings, plus a courthouse museum. The next-door Jessop's Tavern is a casual pub in a circa 1724 building with Colonial fare and servers in period costumes. Take a stroll along the Broad Dyke Canal and New Castle Farmers Market for more goodies and local sights.

Seaford

Find this small Sussex County town in the southwest of the state near the Maryland border. The surrounding flat, rural, and largely agricultural area inspires a nature-centric escape from the city, with sights easy on the eyes and outdoor pursuits, like golf, a canoe launch, town greens, and riverside strolls. There is a ton of culture to peruse in Seaford, "the Nylon Capital of the World," due to its past connection to DuPont’s nylon production. The beautiful Nanticoke River, which runs through the southern portion of town, is great for sport fishing and boating enthusiasts.

Stop by Seaford Museum, a beautiful brick building on High Street, surrounded by notable restaurants. Abundant in historic sites, Governor Ross Mansion is a beautifully restored estate with tours and events that feels like stepping into a Charles Dickens novel, with era-relics, decor, and period furniture. Enjoy some lighthearted exercise on a hike or a bike ride in the surrounding landscape. Just south, the Chapel Branch Nature Trail features a scenic boardwalk for easy strolls and nature photography. The annual Riverfest brings the whole community and visitors together in the summer along the riverfront, with live music, vendors, and a raft race.

Slaughter Beach

Despite a barbaric name, this overlooked town of roughly 250 boasts an idyllic, long beach strip on the Atlantic Ocean. With waters coursing through, the nature is lush and bountiful. Many come for a relaxing weekend full of beachcombing against forever views and iconic sunsets. Step out of your beachfront rental to meet the sunrise by the ocean before a creekside stroll, like along Slaughter Creek downtown, in search of goodies. Just across from a beautiful slice of beach, the peaceful Marvel Salt Marsh Preserve offers a lovely boardwalk through the salt marsh and an observation deck to spot the area's diverse wildlife, like red-winged blackbirds and ospreys, for birders' delight.

Slaughter Beach is a sanctuary for horseshoe crabs, Delaware's state marine animals. Having attracted scores of these alien-looking creatures every spring for mass spawning, many crabs would fall victim to weather and predators, thus "slaughtered" on the beach. Discover other theories regarding the menacing moniker, so notorious that in 2018, PETA petitioned to change the name to "Sanctuary Beach." The locals graciously refused, while the mayor publicized an alternative version that Slaughter was the family name of the town's original postman. The third plausible etymology is "slohtre," an Old English for "muddy place."

Away from the bustling cities, the small towns offer a quiet slice of the state. Interestingly enough—as diverse as they come—despite close-bounded quarters, in between Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, and the Atlantic, dwarfing the "First State" further. The first of the 13 original colonies, Delaware, predates every other with deep history and vibrant festivals celebrating its rich heritage.

Particularly warming is the Separation Day in New Castle, a great little quarter in the state that bares roots in a colonial chic vibe. The newborn state's unique curved northern border adhered to the 12-mile circular boundary around the Court House cupola in New Castle, designated in 1732 prior to separation. On your next trip through the state, don't forget to tour these little-known towns in Delaware.