9 Top-Rated Small Towns In Delaware
As the first state to ratify the US Constitution and join the Union on Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware should certainly be among the first spots to pay a visit. With Delaware’s ancestral log cabins built by Swedish and Finnish immigrants since the 1600s, nature thrives and endures in the top-rated small towns of the state. Delaware is a prime location for many visitors, especially horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, who have lived in the area since prehistoric times. So come down to beachside abodes like Lewes and Bethany Beach and modest towns like Odessa and Delaware City. There are plenty of humble and simple things to enjoy in Delaware.
Clayton
From the 1850s through the 1950s, the town of Clayton was a major rail transportation hub on the Delmarva Peninsula, strengthening trade with Dover, Newark, and Wilmington. Today, visitors can tour the lovingly restored, red-brick Clayton Station, once known as Smyrna Station, with the logo of the late Pennsylvania Railroad on it. Or you can learn more about Clayton’s railroad history at Smyrna Museum. In the neighboring town of Smyrna, enjoy the home of the Duck Creek Historical Society, where artifacts from Smyrna and Clayton are displayed.
One might also enjoy a leisurely trip through the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, an eight-mile stretch along Delaware Bay, or an inland trek through Blackbird State Forest and Blackiston Wildlife Area. Although Clayton itself does not have many lodgings to offer, the joint town of Smyrna provides places of respite like the Holly Hill Estates.
Odessa
Founded in 1660 by Dutch settlers along the Appoquinimink River, Odessa is a town steeped in history. Only about 18 minutes from Delaware City, travel back in time as you marvel at the 18th to 19th-century architecture of Odessa, especially the Historic Houses of Odessa. Among these Historic Houses are the Fieldstone Stable, Cantwell's Tavern, and the Corbit-Sharp House, a National Historic Landmark and a Network to Freedom site on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad. In addition, stroll through the floral beauty of Corbit-Sharp House’s Colonial Revival Garden or the Odessa Memorial Park.
Perhaps get a chance to see a fancy peach pie contest at the Middletown Old Tyme Peach Festival, held every August. Last but not least, find accommodations at Miller-Dunham House Bed & Breakfast.
Milton
Milton is an opulent town on the Broadkill River and only seven miles from Delaware Bay, where the largest population of horseshoe crabs reside. The town got its name from the English poet John Milton. With its proximity to major waterways, Milton, "the Head of the Broadkill," prospered as a shipping and shipbuilding town since the 18th century. Visitors can reminisce about those bygone times while walking through Milton Memorial Park.
Milton was also dubbed the "Holly Capital of the World" because the town once produced more Christmas and holiday holly wreaths and decorations than any other location. Consider trekking through the Edward H. McCabe Preserve for sights of riverside wildlife. Then rest easy at the Charleston of Milton Inn LLC or the Governor’s Bed and Breakfast.
Laurel
The town of Laurel sits at the terminus of Broad Creek, a tributary of the great Nanticoke River. As a result, the town promotes many waterside attractions, as seen in Janosik Park and the Roger C. Fisher Laurel River Park. Aside from these natural amenities, Laurel boasts historical appeal, which the Cook House Museum and Laurel Heritage Museum provide, the latter honoring Delaware soldiers who went off to World War II.
You might also be interested in visiting Rosemont, the oldest building in Laurel, dating well back to 1769. Seasonal and annual events like Yuletide are usually held in Rosemont. Most importantly, remember to book rooms at the Lakeside Motel.
Lewes
Get ready for a seaside adventure in the humble town of Lewes. Situated where the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean unite at Cape Henlopen, Lewes is the gateway to the wondrous Cape Henlopen State Park, where Delaware’s famous "walking" sand dunes rest. Among the many grand beaches near Lewes are the Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve and Savannah Beach, the perfect places to get some sand, sun, and the sea.
Elsewhere over the towering bluffs and cliffsides stands the Fort Miles Historic Area, an old fort to defend Delaware Bay from any attacks from the Atlantic during WWII. And jutting out into the clear-water bay is the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse that has shepherded many a ship to shore. As a seaside town, it is not short of having many accommodations, and Red Mill Inn, Hotel Rodney, and The Inn at Canal Square are among many fine lodgings to breathe in the fresh salty breeze.
Bethany Beach
Only about 30 minutes from Lewes, the coastal town of Bethany Beach is a commendable rival of Lewes as it promises many seaside wonders. Between Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach to the north are miles of unspoiled and unimaginably grand attractions like the Delaware Seashore State Park and James Farm Ecological Preserve.
Meanwhile, south of Bethany Beach is the Fenwick Island State Park. A 24-foot statue called Chief Little Owl stands at the entrance to the town, paying homage to the Nanticoke tribe who inhabited Delaware for three centuries. In the town itself, live performances occur every Thursday night in the summer and Fridays and Saturday nights in September and October at the Bandstand. Settle down in the Addy Sea Historic Oceanfront Inn, Bethany Beach Ocean Suites Residence Inn, and Hotel Bethany Beach.
New Castle
Overlooking the Delaware River, the historic town of New Castle is the oldest town in the Delaware Valley. Only 10 minutes from Wilmington, New Castle has been the epicenter of trade and commerce between many early settlements in the area. Even today, New Castle is closely linked to the opposite coastline of New Jersey through the Delaware Memorial Bridge. It has also been a town of differing names, from Santhoeck or Fort Casimir in 1651 to New Amstel and, finally, New Castle.
Among the many continuously preserved historic structures in the town are the Immanuel Episcopal Church, the Amstel House Museum, the Old Dutch House, and the New Castle Court House. Find good lodgings at the Terry House Bed & Breakfast.
Delaware City
As a riverfront town with access to the Delaware River, Delaware City is a gateway to numerous natural and historical amenities. Come tour the foreboding grounds of Fort Delaware, a Union fortress dating back to 1859 that once housed Confederate prisoners of war. Gallivant through Dragon Run Park, a panoramic landscape of verdant forests and scenic routes surrounding a photo-worthy dragon sculpture. Attend the annual Canal Fest in September at the Delaware City Riverfront Park.
Finally, explore the Delaware Marina, the focal point of the town’s historic seaport located at the confluence of the Delaware River and the original eastern terminus of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.
Wyoming
Do not be confused with the state of Wyoming. In Delaware, there is a town also called Wyoming whose citizens renamed the town from “West Camden” to Wyoming to honor the late Reverend John J. Pierce, who originally lived in the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania. About eight minutes from Dover, the town of Wyoming is considered "the best little town in Delaware." Furthermore, it is also called the "Peach Center" or "Peach State" of Delaware.
To this day, Fifer Orchards exports its seasonal produce of peaches around the world. Additionally, Wyoming celebrates the traditional value of peaches during the annual Peach Festival, held on the first Saturday in August. Visitors can also venture into Wyoming Park, situated on the banks of the Wyoming Pond.
Delaware, a fantastic and humble state in itself, shares the leaf-edged Delmarva Peninsula with Maryland and Virginia on the Eastern Shore. Many come to this state for its seaside attractions and its promising escape from the hustle and bustle of New York City and other major cities on the East Coast. But many more linger long in the top-rated small towns that the First State has to offer. Enjoy the salty sea air of Lewes and Bethany Beach, the unique culture of Wyoming and New Castle, and the historic simplicity of Odessa and Laurel. Perhaps you can be brave and excited enough to see horseshoe crabs at Delaware Bay, living fossils of an ancient and stranger time, who continue to enjoy the simple life in Delaware.
