Origin
New Castle, DE
Evening in New Castle on Thursday
Local time
5:07 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Castle, DE to Highland Acres, DE
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
59m
Distance
47.3 mi
76 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
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.
New Castle, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Highland Acres, DE
Ylanite Koppens
Trip Overview
The drive from New Castle, DE to Highland Acres, DE covers 47.3 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 $7.84 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 47.3 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 with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 59m drive with frequent turns across 47.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 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 13 decision points packed into just 47.3 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 13 key pointsThese 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 Highland Acres, 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 | 9.5 mi | 12m |
| Puncheon Run Connector | 2 mi | 2m |
| Frenchtown Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South State Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Dupont Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Delaware Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| North Old Mill Road | 0.4 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 Highland Acres, 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
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Puncheon Run Connector
Exit 97
Toward Salisbury, Norfolk
12
Turn sharp right onto US 13
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Dupont Highway
13
Take the exit
464 ft
·
13 sec
14
Turn slight right onto South State Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South State Street
15
Turn right onto North Old Mill Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
North Old Mill Road
16
Turn right onto Candlewicke Drive
478 ft
·
20 sec
·
Candlewicke Drive
17
Arrive at destination
Candlewicke Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 23.7 mi from New Castle, DE · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.7 miles from New Castle, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Highland Acres, DE
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Highland Acres, 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
$7.84 one way
$15.68 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.59 | $17.18 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.17 | $18.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.44 | $20.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.5 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 | 14.2 | 0 | $4.97 | $2.27 |
| Efficient EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.62 | $3.03 |
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.
Destination
Highland Acres, DE
Evening in Highland Acres on Thursday
Local time
5:07 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 Highland Acres, DE covers 47.3 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 23.7 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 $7.84 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 13 decision points packed into just 47.3 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 Highland Acres, DE, road signs point toward Salisbury and Norfolk.
Yes. Nearby national parks include First State National Historical Park.
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