Origin
Pike Creek Valley, DE
Late night in Pike Creek Valley on Saturday
Local time
3:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pike Creek Valley, DE to Clayton, DE
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
37 mi
60 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pike Creek Valley, DE
Tom Fisk
Clayton, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Pike Creek Valley, DE to Clayton, DE covers 37 miles and takes about 50m 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, Limestone Road, Stanton Christiana Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.9 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 37 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m 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 50m drive with frequent turns across 37 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 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 26.9 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
240 ft
29 ft
Total Climb
136 ft
Total Descent
330 ft
Highest Point
240 ft
Elevation Range
211 ft
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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
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 37 miles you will encounter 8 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Foxcroft Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (Skyline Drive): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Foxcroft Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Foxcroft Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Skyline Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Skyline Drive
Navigation decision point
6
17.2 mi into trip
|
~25m 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.
4
17.5 mi into trip
|
~25m 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
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 26.9 mi | 31m |
| Limestone Road | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| Stanton Christiana Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| South Dupont Parkway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Glenwood Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Skyline Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Smyrna Clayton Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
— 26.9 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pike Creek Valley, DE and Clayton, DE.
1
Start on this road
37 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
334 ft
·
26 sec
3
At end of road, turn right onto Foxcroft Drive
0.2 mi
·
55 sec
·
Foxcroft Drive
4
At end of road, turn left onto Skyline Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Skyline Drive
5
Turn right onto DE 7
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Limestone Road
6
Continue on DE 7
348 ft
·
8 sec
·
Limestone Road
7
Continue on DE 7; DE 4
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Main Street
8
Continue on DE 7; DE 4
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Stanton Christiana Road
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on DE 1; DE 7
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10
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.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 13: Rest Area
13
Turn left onto US 13
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Dupont Parkway
14
Continue on US 13
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
North Dupont Boulevard
15
Turn right onto DE 300
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
East Glenwood Avenue
16
Turn slight right onto DE 6
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Smyrna Clayton Boulevard
17
Continue on DE 6
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
18
Turn right onto Clayton Avenue
22 ft
·
0 sec
·
Clayton Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Clayton Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.5 mi from Pike Creek Valley, DE · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.5 miles from Pike Creek Valley, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clayton, DE
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Clayton, 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
$6.13 one way
$12.27 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.72 | $13.44 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.18 | $14.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.17 | $16.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
| Efficient EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.24 | $1.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.18 | $2.37 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Clayton, DE
Late night in Clayton on Saturday
Local time
3:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
13 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
50m 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 Pike Creek Valley, DE to Clayton, DE covers 37 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Limestone Road, Stanton Christiana Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.5 miles from Pike Creek Valley, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.13 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 37 miles you will encounter 8 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: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Foxcroft Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.3 miles (Skyline Drive): Navigation decision point.
The route from Pike Creek Valley, DE to Clayton, DE does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 29 ft to 240 ft elevation with about 136 ft of total climbing.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More from Pike Creek Valley, DE
More trips to Clayton, DE
Explore more options from Pike Creek Valley, DE or browse trips ending in Clayton, DE.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse DE road trips.