Skip to main content

Trip from New Castle, DE to Camden, DE

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

59m

Distance

47.5 mi

77 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

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

New Castle, DE

Wikimedia Commons

town in Delaware, United States

Camden, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from New Castle, DE to Camden, DE covers 47.5 miles and takes about 59m 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, South Dupont Highway, Puncheon Run Connector for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 31.1 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.87 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 47.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m 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 59m drive with frequent turns across 47.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 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 31.1 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 0.1 miles in near East 5th Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 47.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Delaware Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (US 13; US 40; DE 9 Truck / North Dupont Highway): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

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

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | East 5th Street

Turn right onto East 5th Street

Navigation decision point

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Delaware Street

Turn right onto Delaware Street

Navigation decision point

5
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 13; US 40; DE 9 Truck / North Dupont Highway

Turn left onto US 13; US 40; DE 9 Truck / North Dupont Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
12.4 mi into trip | ~17m 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.
7
43.5 mi into trip | ~53m 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

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between New Castle, DE and Camden, DE, road signs point toward Salisbury and Norfolk.

Salisbury

43.5 mi in | ~53m | via Puncheon Run Connector

Norfolk

43.5 mi in | ~53m | via Puncheon Run Connector

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 31.1 mi 35m
South Dupont Highway 11 mi 14m
Puncheon Run Connector 2.1 mi 2m
Frenchtown Road 1.4 mi 2m
North Dupont Highway 0.9 mi 1m
Delaware Street 0.8 mi 1m
East Camden Wyoming Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Cherry Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway — 31.1 mi, about 35m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between New Castle, DE and Camden, DE.

1

Start on Cherry Street

296 ft · 14 sec · Cherry Street
2

Turn right onto East 5th Street

184 ft · 12 sec · East 5th Street
3

Turn right onto Delaware Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Delaware Street
4

Continue on DE 9; DE 273

0.6 mi · 53 sec · Delaware Street
Use the left lane.
5

Continue on DE 273; DE 9 Truck

1.4 mi · 2 min · Frenchtown Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
6

Turn left onto US 13; US 40; DE 9 Truck

0.9 mi · 1 min · North Dupont Highway
Use the left lane.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto US 13; DE 9 Truck

9.3 mi · 11 min · South Dupont Highway
8

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.
9

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

28 mi · 32 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

3.0 mi · 3 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
11

Keep slight right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector

2.1 mi · 2 min · Puncheon Run Connector
Exit 97 Toward Salisbury, Norfolk
12

Turn left onto US 13

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Dupont Highway
13

Turn right onto DE 10

0.2 mi · 42 sec · East Camden Wyoming Avenue
14

Arrive at destination

DE 10

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 23.8 mi from New Castle, DE · 30m into the drive

town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Middletown, DE

24 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.

Popular next leg

Middletown, DE to Camden, DE

29.3 mi · 39m

Pacing Suggestions

Bear, DE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Middletown, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.8 miles from New Castle, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Camden, DE

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Camden, 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

$7.87 one way

$15.75 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.62 $17.25
premium $4.93 $9.21 $18.42
diesel $5.61 $10.49 $20.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.3 0 $4.99 $2.28
Efficient EV 11.9 0 $4.16 $1.90
EV Truck/SUV 19 0 $6.65 $3.04

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 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

New Castle, DE

Evening in New Castle on Thursday

Local time

6:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Camden, DE

Evening in Camden on Thursday

Local time

6:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

59°F

Middletown, DE

24 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

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

59m 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 New Castle, DE to Camden, DE covers 47.5 miles and takes about 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, South Dupont Highway, Puncheon Run Connector. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 23.8 miles from New Castle, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.87 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 11 decision points packed into just 47.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (East 5th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Delaware Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.2 miles (US 13; US 40; DE 9 Truck / North Dupont Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Between New Castle, DE and Camden, DE, road signs point toward Salisbury and Norfolk.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from New Castle, DE or browse trips ending in Camden, DE.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse DE road trips.

Explore maps for New Castle, DE or Camden, DE on MapSof.net.