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Trip from Delaware City, DE to Milford, DE

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

57.1 mi

92 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in New Castle County, Delaware, United States

Delaware City, DE

Wikimedia Commons

city in Kent and Sussex counties, Delaware, United States of America

Milford, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 57.1-mile drive from Delaware City, DE to Milford, DE will take approximately 1 hour and 13 minutes. It's a manageable single-day trip, so no overnight stays are necessary. You'll primarily be on roads like the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway and Bay Road, with a significant portion being local driving. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $9. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region. This route offers a straightforward way to travel between these two Delaware locations, making it a practical choice for a short excursion.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 57.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with only a portion on highways. You'll spend a good amount of time navigating local roads, so keep an eye on your navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 35.8 miles on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, offering a brief period of consistent travel before transitioning back to more varied road conditions. The overall feel is less about high-speed cruising and more about engaging with the local road network.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 35.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near DE 9 / 5th Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.1 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 0.5 miles (DE 9 / 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.7 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | DE 9 / 5th Street

Turn right onto DE 9 / 5th Street

Navigation decision point

4
4.3 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward DE 1 South: Dover

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward DE 1 South: Dover
6
7.7 mi into trip | ~11m in | DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
55.1 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in | US 113; DE 1 Business

Keep slight right at fork onto US 113; DE 1 Business toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Georgetown

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Ge...
5
57.1 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 35.8 mi 41m
Bay Road 14.7 mi 19m
Wrangle Hill Road 3.3 mi 5m
North Walnut Street 1.4 mi 2m
5th Street 0.5 mi <1m
Clinton Street 0.5 mi 1m
US 113 0.4 mi <1m
Southeast Front Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway — 35.8 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Delaware City, DE and Milford, DE.

1

Start on Clinton Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Clinton Street
2

Turn right onto DE 9

0.5 mi · 55 sec · 5th Street
3

Continue on DE 9

3.3 mi · 5 min · Wrangle Hill Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 43 sec
Toward DE 1 South: Dover
5

Merge onto DE 1

3.1 mi · 3 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
6

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

0.3 mi · 19 sec · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

28 mi · 32 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
8

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

3.0 mi · 3 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
9

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

1.6 mi · 1 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10

Continue on DE 1

15 mi · 19 min · Bay Road
11

Keep slight right at fork onto US 113; DE 1 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · US 113; DE 1 Business
Toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Georgetown
12

Take the exit

501 ft · 15 sec
13

Continue on DE 1 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · North Walnut Street
14

Keep slight right at fork onto North Walnut Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Walnut Street
15

Turn left onto DE 36

200 ft · 8 sec · Southeast Front Street
16

Turn left

301 ft · 22 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 28.6 mi from Delaware City, DE · 35m into the drive

city in and county seat of Kent County, Delaware, United States, and capital city of Delaware

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Dover, DE

29 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Middletown, DE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Smyrna, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.6 miles from Delaware City, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Milford, DE

The final approach into Milford, DE usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.47 one way

$18.93 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $10.37 $20.74
premium $4.93 $11.07 $22.15
diesel $5.61 $12.61 $25.21

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.1 0 $6.00 $2.74
Efficient EV 14.3 0 $5.00 $2.28
EV Truck/SUV 22.8 0 $7.99 $3.65

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Delaware City, DE

Late night in Delaware City on Friday

Local time

12:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Milford, DE

Late night in Milford on Friday

Local time

12:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

2 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

1h 13m 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 Delaware City, DE to Milford, DE covers 57.1 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Bay Road, Wrangle Hill Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28.6 miles from Delaware City, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.47 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 57.1 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 0.5 miles (DE 9 / 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 4.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 7.7 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Delaware City, DE to Milford, DE does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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