Top 11 Delaware Small Towns To Visit In 2025
Delaware, known as the First State due to being the first to accept the new laws ratified by the Declaration of Independence, will have many first and top choices of destinations, among them the top Delaware towns to visit in 2025. From the eastern shores of Delaware, where the largest population of horseshoe crabs gather in Delaware Bay, you will be enchanted by a handful of coastal communities Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island that entertain beachgoers with its sunny delights. Likewise, within mainland and hinterland areas are several small towns like Milton, New Castle, and Delaware City that preserve the history of Delaware and enlightening visitors on new ideas and perspectives from Delaware’s past. Once you visit each and every one of these amazing small towns, you will come to see why these are the top Delaware towns to visit in 2025.
Lewes
Travelers will not feel like leaving the small and beautiful town of Lewes. Located oinn the Cape Region of Delaware that overlooks the point where the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean meet at Cape Henlopen, Lewes has accommodated beachgoers and visitors since its founding in 1631, complete with several historic and natural attractions that will astound anyone with a variety of interests.
At the Fort Miles Historical Area, for example, visitors can admire well-preserved World War II monuments that protected Lewes from possible Axis invasions from the Atlantic Ocean.
Close at hand are the natural splendors and scenic beachside areas of both the Cape Henlopen State Park Beach and the Cape Henlopen State Park.
If you are interested in more insights into Lewes’ history, you can enter the Cannonball Maritime House, home to the Lewes Historical Society and a vast collection of maritime memorabilia from Lewes’ past.
Finally, if you wish to spend your days and nights by the seashore, you can seek out accommodations at either the Hotel Blue or Hotel Rodney.
Rehoboth Beach
A close neighbor to Lewes on Cape Henlopen, the small town of Rehoboth Beach has been hailed as the “Nation’s Summer Capital” for its impeccable beachside amenities and its preserved monuments and mementos of the past.
Between 1650 and 1675, settlers from England and the Netherlands put down roots on this eastern side of Delaware’s coast and were heavily involved in the American Revolutionary War years later. The yearbooks and vintage postcards found in the Rehoboth Beach Museum tell more of Rehoboth Beach's history.
Rehoboth Beach is all about summertime fun and excitement, you can find several exquisite restaurants, shops, hotels, and other amusements fronting the boardwalk by the beach. During the high heat and thrills of summer, you can watch lively performances and free concerts at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand.
Milton
Founded in 1675, Milton was an 18th-century lumbering mill and shipbuilding area named after poet John Milton. Historic buildings and locations like the Milton Historical Society provide more insights into its history.
For those of you more invested in exploring the lush outdoors and wilderness scenes of Delaware, you can head over to the Edward H. McCabe Preserve to go fishing or kayaking along its waters.
You might also be interested in delving into the mysterious woods of the Redden State Forest, where a historic lodge that was formerly a hunting retreat for railroad executives continues to mystify newcomers.
Finally, you can journey toward Delaware Bay and traverse the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, splendid preserve full of wetlands and beaches. Being the Head of the Broadkill, Milton serves as a good gateway to many outdoor wonders in the state of Delaware.
Smyrna
Smyrna is a superb and spectacular destination on Duck Creek and part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. Founded in 1716 prior to the American Revolution, Smyra was originally called Salisbury until the Delaware Assembly changed the name of the town to Smyrna in 1806 after a port town in the Bible. The Smyrna Museum, formerly known as the Barracks when it housed soldiers during the War of 1812 and hosted Delaware’s Civil War lottery during the American Civil War, provides many exhibits and mementos of Smyrna’s bygone days.
If you are seeking recreation and adventures, you can find plenty of open and outdoor spaces brimming with opportunities at both the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, both of which are situated adjacent to Delaware Bay.
Lastly, for those of you eager to spend a longer and more fulfilling vacation in this top Delaware town to visit in 2025, you can do so by first booking a room in one of Smyrna’s awesome lodgings like Relax Inn Smyrna.
Odessa
The historic town of Odessa is one of the best colonial-era townscapes worth visiting, notably because the entire town is part of the National Registry District and home to both a National Historic Landmark and two National Parks Service Network to Freedom sites.
When it was founded in the 1600s, Odessa’s early Dutch settlers adopted the Native American name for the area, “Apequinemy” or the Appoquinimink area. However, when a railroad was built alongside the Appoquinimink River in 1855, the town officials renamed the place from Cantwell’s Bridge to “Odessa” after a grain port located on the Black Sea in the country of Ukraine.
Destinations such as the Historic Odessa Foundation offer more insights and perspectives on these various epochs of Odessa’s foundational history. In the meantime, you can go sojourning and camping in panoramic and bucolic areas like the Augustine Wildlife Area and the Augustine Beach Access Area, which are both situated beside the Delaware River.
Roughly midway between Wilmington, the big city to the north, and Smyrna, the small town to the south, Odessa is a quaint and quiet historic retreat for those wanting to see what colonial houses and structures once looked like.
Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach attracts thousands of visitors due to its long stretch of beaches and shoreline.
To the north of Bethany Beach lies the Delaware Seashore State Park, a historic barrier island containing places like the Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum. .
To the south is the Assawoman Wildlife Area, a veritable and vivacious wetland for those enthusiastic for unique biomes and habitats in Delaware
New Castle
New Castle, located six miles south of Wilmington, serves as a key connection between Delaware and New Jersey via the twin spans of the Delaware Memorial Bridge across the Delaware River.
The original settlement, once known as Santhoeck, was founded in 1651 when Dutch administrator Peter Stuyvesant ordered the construction of Fort Casimir in the area. Today, visitors can learn more about this history at the First State National Historical Park.
From 1654 to 1655, control of Fort Casimir was briefly contested between Dutch and Sweden settlers. The Swedes seized the fort in 1654, but the Dutch reclaimed it the following year, solidifying their hold over the region.
After being renamed New Amstel, the town became the Dutch capital of southern Delaware until the British took control and renamed it New Castle.
In 1776, a convention established the state of Delaware in New Castle. The town briefly served as the state's capital until Dover assumed the role in 1777.
The Amstel House Museum offers insight into these historical transitions, preserving stories from the town’s past. Other significant landmarks include the Old Dutch House, built in the 1600s and Delaware’s oldest surviving dwelling.New Castle is home to many historic structures that hold remnants of its rich heritage, making it a worthwhile destination for those eager to explore the past.
Georgetown
Less than nine miles from Milton, the gorgeous town of Georgetown offers a quintessential and quiet experience for those longing for the simplistic and laid-back atmosphere of a small town.
Around the town's center, known affectionately as "The Circle," the entire plot is listed in the National Historic Record and is dominated by the red brick Greek revival courthouse, built in 1839.
The Treasures of the Sea Exhibit showcases artifacts from old ships and other maritime treasures worth seeing.
On the other hand, the Marvel Carriage Museum exhibits numerous carriages and other transport vehicles used for fashionable travels in the US.
Some of you might also be interested in learning about the history of Georgetown’s pivotal railway system and network at the Georgetown Train Station. In any case, you will have a thrilling and beautiful experience in the gorgeous town of Georgetown.
Delaware City
Around ten miles south of New Castle on the Delaware River, the magnificent small town of Delaware City boasts a plethora of historical and natural amenities that are worth seeing.
In history, Fort Delaware State Park has stood as a Civil War fortress on an island defending the Delaware River and the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia from all sorts of invaders. The island on which Fort Delaware is situated, Pea Patch Island, is also its own natural attraction, offering pristine and breathtaking scenes of the Delaware River and two different states on opposite sides of the river.
The Fort DuPont State Park might also interest you with its boating and fishing locations and its splendid outdoor parks and spaces. Few things will ever disappoint you in this amazing and amicable small town known as Delaware City.
Milford
Approximately 20 miles south of Dover, Milford shines as a friendly and outgoing community in the heart of Delaware.
Starting out as a shipbuilding station on the Mispillion River, Milford has thrived as a renewed center of culture and livelihood in Delaware, hosting several yearly events like the Riverwalk Freedom Festival in the fall and the Bug & Bud Festival in the early spring.
At the Milford Museum, you can appreciate numerous exhibits and artifacts from Milford’s humble citizens in the past, including a few items that reveal why Milford is so fascinated with ladybugs.
You can also tour the Vinyard Shipyard on Columbia Street, which once produced many ships and boats for the Mispillion River. There are many more attractions and sights that will astound and impress in the small town of Milford, so give this undeniably grand small town a chance to leave you satisfied and appreciative of the little things.
Fenwick Island
As one of the best coastal resort towns in Delaware, Fenwick Island prospers.
At the Discoversea Shipwreck Museum, you can admire seasonal and summertime exhibits of seashells, gold bars, and over 10,000 more maritime artifacts that will expand your knowledge and appreciation of the sea.
At Fenwick Island State Park, you can go gallivanting and wading on a long stretch of coastline that extends all the way to Bethany Beach in the north of Fenwick Island.
Visitors to this magnificent resort town should also go kayaking and boating around smaller points of interest near Fenwick Island, like Seal Island, Point of Cedars Island, and Conch Point.
In conclusion, coastal towns like Fenwick Island, Lewes, and Rehoboth Beach are where you can soak in the waves and watery wonders of both Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. At historic dwelling places like New Castle, Georgetown, and Odessa, you will gain a newfound perspective and appreciation for the many heroes and small towns that shaped Delaware. If horseshoe crabs have remained relatively unchanged since prehistoric times and are enjoying themselves in Delaware Bay, then you will also feel quite merry and enthusiastic when exploring the unchanging attractions and delights from the top Delaware towns to visit in 2025.
