Origin
Claymont, DE
Morning in Claymont on Friday
Local time
10:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Claymont, DE to New Castle, DE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Claymont, DE
Wikimedia Commons
New Castle, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Claymont, DE to New Castle, DE covers 12.9 miles and takes about 18m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, New Castle Avenue, Wilmington Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.5 miles on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.14 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 18m drive with frequent turns across 12.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 7.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 13 / Philadelphia Pike.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 13 / Philadelphia Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles (I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 7 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 13 / Philadelphia Pike
Turn right onto US 13 / Philadelphia Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 South: Port of Wilmington, Newark, Baltimore, Delaware Memorial Bridge
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 495 South: Port of Wilmington, Newark,...
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge onto I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
8.2 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward DE 9A: Terminal Avenue, Port of Wilmington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2
Toward DE 9A: Terminal Avenue, Port of Wilmingt...
5
8.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
DE 9 / New Castle Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto DE 9 / New Castle Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Claymont, DE to New Castle, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Port Of Wilmington along the way.
Port Of Wilmington
8.2 mi in
|
~10m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| New Castle Avenue | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Wilmington Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Philadelphia Pike | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Terminal Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East 6th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Governor Printz Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cherry Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
— 7.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Claymont, DE and New Castle, DE.
1
Start on US 13
124 ft
·
4 sec
·
Governor Printz Boulevard
2
Turn right onto US 13
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Philadelphia Pike
Use the right lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 495 South: Port of Wilmington, Newark, Baltimore, Delaware Memorial Bridge
4
Merge onto I 495
7.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 2
Toward DE 9A: Terminal Avenue, Port of Wilmington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn right onto DE 9A
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Terminal Avenue
7
At end of road, turn left onto DE 9
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
New Castle Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on DE 9
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Wilmington Road
9
Continue on DE 9 Alternate
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
East 6th Street
10
Turn left onto Cherry Street
105 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cherry Street
11
Arrive at destination
Cherry Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.14 one way
$4.28 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.34 | $4.68 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
New Castle, DE
Morning in New Castle on Friday
Local time
10:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
12 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
18m 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 New Castle, DE covers 12.9 miles and takes about 18m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, New Castle Avenue, Wilmington Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 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 $2.14 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 is a straightforward 18m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 13 / Philadelphia Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles (I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Claymont, DE to New Castle, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Port Of Wilmington along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include First State National Historical Park.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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