Trip from Lewes, DE to Middletown, DE

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 28m

Distance

64.1 mi

103 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min

4 AM

1h 21m ★

6 AM

1h 28m

8 AM

1h 42m

10 AM

1h 33m

12 PM

1h 31m

3 PM

1h 33m

5 PM

1h 41m

8 PM

1h 24m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

Download GPX

Trip Overview

This 64.2-mile journey from Lewes, DE, to Middletown, DE, is estimated to take about 1 hour and 10 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll navigate primarily via Savannah Road and Coastal Highway, with the Milford Bypass also part of the main roads. With no highway driving and a fuel cost estimated at $11, this route offers a straightforward local experience. Since it's a relatively short drive, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. This trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within Delaware.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 64.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (6%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 1-hour, 10-minute trip. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets and local roads for the entire 64.2 miles. There isn't a specific "longest stretch" noted, implying frequent intersections and changes in direction. This road profile means you'll likely experience a steady pace with opportunities to observe the local landscape as you transition from Savannah Road to Coastal Highway and then incorporate the Milford Bypass.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.

There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Coastal Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 17.9 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 9 BUS / Savannah Road.

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 1h 28m drive. You will face about 6 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 9 BUS / Savannah Road): Navigation decision point; at 41.5 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 54.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 6 key points

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

4

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 9 BUS / Savannah Road

Turn right onto US 9 BUS / Savannah Road

Navigation decision point

4

41.5 mi into trip | ~58m in | DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

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

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5

54.3 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Take the exit toward US 13: North Smyrna, Townsend

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 13: North Smyrna, Townsend

5

54.6 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

4

64.1 mi into trip | ~1h 27m in | DE 299 / East Main Street

Turn right onto DE 299 / East Main Street

Navigation decision point

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 Lewes, DE to Middletown, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Townsend along the way.

Townsend

54.3 mi in | ~1h 13m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Coastal Highway	17.9 mi	24m
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway	17.3 mi	19m
Bay Road	14.5 mi	19m
Summit Bridge Road	4.8 mi	7m
South Dupont Parkway	3.7 mi	5m
Savannah Road	2.6 mi	6m
Milford Bypass	2.1 mi	2m
South Broad Street	0.9 mi	1m

Longest stretch: Coastal Highway — 17.9 mi, about 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lewes, DE and Middletown, DE.

1

Start on West 3rd Street

92 ft · 11 sec · West 3rd Street

2

Turn right onto US 9 BUS

2.6 mi · 6 min · Savannah Road

3

Turn right onto DE 1

18 mi · 24 min · Coastal Highway

4

Continue on DE 1

2.1 mi · 2 min · Milford Bypass

5

Continue on DE 1

14 mi · 19 min · Bay Road

6

Continue on DE 1 Toll

4.4 mi · 5 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Toward DE 1 Toll North: Wilmington

7

Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1 Toll

13 mi · 14 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec

Toward US 13: North Smyrna, Townsend

9

Keep slight left at fork

131 ft · 5 sec

10

Turn left onto US 13

3.7 mi · 5 min · South Dupont Parkway

11

Take the exit onto DE 71

4.8 mi · 7 min · Summit Bridge Road

12

Continue on DE 71

0.9 mi · 1 min · South Broad Street

13

Turn right onto DE 299

99 ft · 3 sec · East Main Street

14

Arrive at destination

DE 299

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 32 mi from Lewes, DE · 46m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Camden, DE

32 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

Milton, DE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Riverview, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 32 miles from Lewes, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Middletown, DE

The final approach into Middletown, 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

$10.63 one way

$21.25 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 22 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.61	$11.64	$23.28
premium	$4.93	$12.43	$24.86
diesel	$5.61	$14.15	$28.30

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 22.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	19.2	$6.73	$3.08
Efficient EV	16	$5.61	$2.56
EV Truck/SUV	25.6	$8.97	$4.10

Gas CO2

22 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (68% 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

Lewes, DE

Late night in Lewes on Friday

Local time

5:29 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Middletown, DE

Late night in Middletown on Friday

Local time

5:29 AM

EDT

Current temp

59°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Camden, DE

32 mi in

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

4 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

1h 28m 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 Lewes, DE to Middletown, DE covers 64.1 miles and takes about 1h 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Coastal Highway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Bay Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 32 miles from Lewes, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.63 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 1h 28m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 9 BUS / Savannah Road): Navigation decision point; at 41.5 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 54.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

On the drive from Lewes, DE to Middletown, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Townsend along the way.

Yes. Nearby national parks include First State National Historical Park.

How this page is built

Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Middletown, DE

Ocean View, DE 80 mi · 1h 56m Delmar, DE 76.3 mi · 1h 41m Frankford, DE 74.6 mi · 1h 43m Millsboro, DE 69.2 mi · 1h 36m

More trips to Middletown, DE

Delmar, DE 75.9 mi Frankford, DE 74.6 mi Long Neck, DE 72.4 mi Seaford, DE 62.6 mi New Castle, DE 20.9 mi Delaware City, DE 16.3 mi

Weekend drives from Lewes, DE Scenic drives in DE

Explore more options from Lewes, DE or browse trips ending in Middletown, DE.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse DE road trips.