Origin
Middletown, DE
Evening in Middletown on Friday
Local time
6:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Middletown, DE to Blades, DE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
63.1 mi
102 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Middletown, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Blades, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Middletown, DE to Blades, DE covers 63.1 miles and takes about 1h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Dupont Highway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Sussex Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.2 miles on South Dupont Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.46 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 63.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m 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 1h 23m drive with frequent turns across 63.1 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Dupont Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 21.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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 DE 71 / South Broad Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 63.1 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 (DE 71 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.3 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
DE 71 / South Broad Street
Turn left onto DE 71 / South Broad Street
Navigation decision point
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Turn left toward DE 1 Toll South: Dover, Beaches
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward DE 1 Toll South: Dover, Beaches
4
22.3 mi into trip
|
~29m 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
7
25.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Puncheon Run Connector
Keep slight right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector toward Salisbury, Norfolk
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 97
Toward Salisbury, Norfolk
4
63.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
South Market Street
Turn left onto South Market 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.
Between Middletown, DE and Blades, DE, road signs point toward Beaches, Salisbury and Norfolk.
Beaches
10.3 mi in
|
~15m
Salisbury
25.2 mi in
|
~33m
|
via Puncheon Run Connector
Norfolk
25.2 mi in
|
~33m
|
via Puncheon Run Connector
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Dupont Highway | 21.2 mi | 26m |
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 14.6 mi | 16m |
| Sussex Highway | 13.6 mi | 18m |
| Summit Bridge Road | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| South Dupont Parkway | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| Puncheon Run Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| South Broad Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East High Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Dupont Highway
— 21.2 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Middletown, DE and Blades, DE.
1
Start on DE 299
99 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Main Street
2
Turn left onto DE 71
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Broad Street
3
Continue on DE 71
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Summit Bridge Road
4
Take the ramp onto DE 71
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Summit Bridge Road
5
Merge onto US 13
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
South Dupont Parkway
6
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward DE 1 Toll South: Dover, Beaches
7
Merge onto DE 1 Toll
12 mi
·
13 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 right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Puncheon Run Connector
Exit 97
Toward Salisbury, Norfolk
10
Turn left onto US 13
21 mi
·
26 min
·
South Dupont Highway
11
Continue on US 13
14 mi
·
18 min
·
Sussex Highway
12
Turn right onto Concord Road
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Concord Road
13
Continue on East High Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East High Street
14
Turn left onto South Market Street
94 ft
·
3 sec
·
South Market Street
15
Arrive at destination
South Market Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 31.5 mi from Middletown, DE · 41m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.5 miles from Middletown, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Blades, DE
The final approach into Blades, 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
$10.46 one way
$20.92 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $11.46 | $22.91 |
| premium | $4.93 | $12.24 | $24.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.93 | $27.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.63 | $3.03 |
| Efficient EV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.83 | $4.04 |
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.
Destination
Blades, DE
Evening in Blades on Friday
Local time
6:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°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
5 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 23m 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 Middletown, DE to Blades, DE covers 63.1 miles and takes about 1h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Dupont Highway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Sussex Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.5 miles from Middletown, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.46 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 63.1 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 (DE 71 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 10.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.3 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Between Middletown, DE and Blades, DE, road signs point toward Beaches, Salisbury and Norfolk.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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