Origin
Elsmere, DE
Afternoon in Elsmere on Friday
Local time
4:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elsmere, DE to Clayton, DE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
37.5 mi
60 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elsmere, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Clayton, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Elsmere, DE to Clayton, DE covers 37.5 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Delaware Turnpike, South Dupont Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.2 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.22 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 37.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 50m drive with frequent turns across 37.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 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 26.2 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 2.9 miles in near North James Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 37.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles (North James Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
North James Street
Turn left onto North James Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward DE 141 South: New Castle
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward DE 141 South: New Castle
8
3.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Newark, Baltimore
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 3B
Toward I 95 South: Newark, Baltimore
8
6.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches
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 4A
Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover...
6
6.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Elsmere, DE and Clayton, DE, road signs point toward Baltimore, Dover and Beaches.
Baltimore
3.5 mi in
|
~6m
Dover
6.3 mi in
|
~10m
Beaches
6.3 mi in
|
~10m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 26.2 mi | 30m |
| Delaware Turnpike | 2 mi | 2m |
| South Dupont Parkway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Glenwood Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Dupont Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Newport Pike | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Maryland Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Robert Kirkwood Highway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
— 26.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elsmere, DE and Clayton, DE.
1
Start on DE 2
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Robert Kirkwood Highway
2
Turn right onto DE 100
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
South Dupont Road
3
Turn right onto DE 4
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Maryland Avenue
4
Continue on DE 4
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
East Newport Pike
5
Continue on DE 4
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Justis Street
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto North James Street
338 ft
·
13 sec
·
North James Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
Turn left onto DE 4
94 ft
·
1 sec
·
East Market Street
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward DE 141 South: New Castle
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto DE 141
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
DE 141
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 3B
Toward I 95 South: Newark, Baltimore
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 95
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Delaware Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
12
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 4A
Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
58 sec
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
14
Merge onto DE 1
10 mi
·
12 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
15
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.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 13: Rest Area
18
Turn left onto US 13
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Dupont Parkway
19
Continue on US 13
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Dupont Boulevard
20
Turn right onto DE 300
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
East Glenwood Avenue
21
Turn slight right onto DE 6
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Smyrna Clayton Boulevard
22
Continue on DE 6
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
23
Turn right onto Clayton Avenue
22 ft
·
0 sec
·
Clayton Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
Clayton Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.8 mi from Elsmere, DE · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 37.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.8 miles from Elsmere, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clayton, DE
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Clayton, DE if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.22 one way
$12.43 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.81 | $13.62 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.27 | $14.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.28 | $16.56 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.14
Delaware Turnpike
(2 mi)
$0.14
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$0
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.94 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.25 | $2.40 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Clayton, DE
Afternoon in Clayton on Friday
Local time
4:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
50m 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 Elsmere, DE to Clayton, DE covers 37.5 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Delaware Turnpike, South Dupont Parkway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.8 miles from Elsmere, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.22 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 short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 37.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles (North James Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Elsmere, DE and Clayton, DE, road signs point toward Baltimore, Dover and Beaches.
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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