Origin
Seaford, DE
Late night in Seaford on Saturday
Local time
12:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Seaford, 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
1h 9m
Distance
52.2 mi
84 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 4m
★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 14m
5 PM
1h 20m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Seaford, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Clayton, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Seaford, DE to Clayton, DE covers 52.2 miles and takes about 1h 9m 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, Sussex Highway, 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 21.1 miles on South Dupont Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.65 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 9m. Total distance: 52.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 9m drive with frequent turns across 52.2 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.
South Dupont Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 21.1 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
62 ft
24 ft
Total Climb
56 ft
Total Descent
35 ft
Highest Point
62 ft
~22.4 mi in
Elevation Range
38 ft
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 High 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 1h 9m drive. You will face about 8 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 (High Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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
|
High Street
Turn right onto High Street
Navigation decision point
5
35.2 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward Wilmington, Delaware Memorial Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Wilmington, Delaware Memorial Bridge
4
40 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
48.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward US 13: South Smyrna
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 13: South Smyrna
4
52.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
|
Clayton Avenue
Turn right onto Clayton Avenue
Navigation decision point
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 Seaford, DE to Clayton, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Wilmington along the way.
Wilmington
35.2 mi in
|
~45m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Dupont Highway | 21.1 mi | 25m |
| Sussex Highway | 13 mi | 17m |
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| Puncheon Run Connector | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| South Dupont Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Smyrna Clayton Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Middleford Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
South Dupont Highway
— 21.1 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Seaford, DE and Clayton, DE.
1
Start on South Pine Street
49 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Pine Street
2
Turn right onto High Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
High Street
3
Continue on Middleford Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Middleford Road
4
Turn left onto US 13; DE 20
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Sussex Highway
5
Continue on US 13
21 mi
·
25 min
·
South Dupont Highway
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
Toward Wilmington, Delaware Memorial Bridge
7
Continue on Puncheon Run Connector
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Puncheon Run Connector
8
Merge onto DE 1 Toll
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1 Toll
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 13: South Smyrna
11
Turn right onto US 13
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
South Dupont Boulevard
12
Turn left onto South Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
13
Turn left onto DE 6
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
West Commerce Street
14
Continue on DE 6
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Smyrna Clayton Boulevard
15
Continue on DE 6
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
16
Turn right onto Clayton Avenue
22 ft
·
0 sec
·
Clayton Avenue
17
Arrive at destination
Clayton Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.1 mi from Seaford, DE · 34m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.1 miles from Seaford, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clayton, DE
The final approach into Clayton, 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
$8.65 one way
$17.31 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.48 | $18.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.12 | $20.25 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.53 | $23.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.48 | $2.51 |
| Efficient EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.57 | $2.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.9 | 0 | $7.31 | $3.34 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% 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
12:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
89°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 5 to 10 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
64°F
Felton, DE
26 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
25 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 9m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Seaford, DE to Clayton, DE covers 52.2 miles and takes about 1h 9m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Dupont Highway, Sussex Highway, 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 26.1 miles from Seaford, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.65 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 1h 9m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (High Street): Navigation decision point; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
On the drive from Seaford, DE to Clayton, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Wilmington along the way.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 24 ft to 62 ft elevation with about 56 ft of total climbing.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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