Origin
Middletown, DE
Late night in Middletown on Saturday
Local time
1:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Middletown, DE to Cheswold, DE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
19 mi
31 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Middletown, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Cheswold, DE
Vladislovas Sketerskis
Trip Overview
The drive from Middletown, DE to Cheswold, DE covers 19 miles and takes about 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Summit Bridge Road, South Dupont Parkway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4.9 miles on Summit Bridge Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.15 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 19 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (23%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 28m drive with frequent turns across 19 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Summit Bridge Road is the longest continuous segment at about 4.9 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 DE 71 / South Broad Street.
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 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 (DE 71 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (US 13 / South Dupont Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 10.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
3
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 13 / South Dupont Parkway
Merge onto US 13 / South Dupont Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining
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
3
10.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge onto DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
13.7 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward US 13: South Smyrna
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 13: South Smyrna
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 Middletown, DE to Cheswold, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Beaches along the way.
Beaches
10.3 mi in
|
~15m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Summit Bridge Road | 4.9 mi | 7m |
| South Dupont Parkway | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| South Dupont Boulevard | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| North Dupont Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| South Broad Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Summit Bridge Road
— 4.9 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Middletown, DE and Cheswold, 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
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Toward US 13: South Smyrna
9
Turn left onto US 13
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
South Dupont Boulevard
10
Continue on US 13
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Dupont Highway
11
Turn right onto DE 42
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
12
Arrive at destination
DE 42
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.15 one way
$6.30 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.45 | $6.90 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.68 | $7.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.19 | $8.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.66 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Cheswold, DE
Late night in Cheswold on Saturday
Local time
1:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
4 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
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 Middletown, DE to Cheswold, DE covers 19 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Summit Bridge Road, South Dupont Parkway, Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.5 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 $3.15 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 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 (DE 71 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (US 13 / South Dupont Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 10.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Middletown, DE to Cheswold, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Beaches 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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