Origin
Claymont, DE
Late night in Claymont on Friday
Local time
1:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Claymont, DE to Elsmere, DE
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
19m
Distance
10.9 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Claymont, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Elsmere, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Claymont, DE to Elsmere, DE covers 10.9 miles and takes about 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Wilmington Expressway, Maryland Avenue, Harvey Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on Wilmington Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
The drive from Claymont, DE to Elsmere, DE covers 10.9 miles and takes about 19m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Wilmington Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 13 Business / Philadelphia Pike.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 13 Business / Philadelphia Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Harvey Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 13 Business / Philadelphia Pike
Turn left onto US 13 Business / Philadelphia Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Harvey Road
Turn right onto Harvey Road
Navigation decision point
4
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward I 95 South: Wilmington
Navigation decision point
Toward I 95 South: Wilmington
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 95 / Wilmington Expressway
Merge onto I 95 / Wilmington Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward DE 9: Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Fourth Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 6
Toward DE 9: Martin Luther King Junior Boulevar...
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilmington Expressway | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| Maryland Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Harvey Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Philadelphia Pike | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| South Dupont Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Robert Kirkwood Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Jackson Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Kirkwood Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilmington Expressway
— 5.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Claymont, DE and Elsmere, DE.
1
Start on US 13
124 ft
·
11 sec
·
Governor Printz Boulevard
2
Turn left onto US 13 Business
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Philadelphia Pike
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Harvey Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Harvey Road
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 95 South: Wilmington
5
Merge onto I 95
5.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Wilmington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 6
Toward DE 9: Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard, Fourth Street
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto North Jackson Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
North Jackson Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Turn slight right onto DE 4
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Maryland Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto DE 100
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
·
Race Street
10
Continue on DE 100
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Dupont Road
11
Turn left onto DE 2
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Robert Kirkwood Highway
12
Continue on DE 2
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Kirkwood Highway
13
Continue on DE 2
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Kirkwood Highway
14
Arrive at destination
DE 2
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.61 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.98 | $3.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.11 | $4.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.41 | $4.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Elsmere, DE
Late night in Elsmere on Friday
Local time
1:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
14 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
19m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Claymont, DE to Elsmere, DE covers 10.9 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Wilmington Expressway, Maryland Avenue, Harvey Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.5 miles from Claymont, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.81 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 13 Business / Philadelphia Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles (Harvey Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from Claymont, DE to Elsmere, DE does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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