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Trip from Wilmington, DE to Camden, DE

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

53.9 mi

87 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

seat of New Castle County, and largest city in Delaware, United States

Wilmington, DE

Wikimedia Commons

town in Delaware, United States

Camden, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Wilmington, DE to Camden, DE covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 7m 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, Wilmington Expressway, Puncheon Run Connector for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 41.2 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.94 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 53.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m 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 1h 7m drive with frequent turns across 53.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 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 41.2 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 1.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.9 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

7
1.1 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South: Baltimore

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
8
7.3 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4A Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover...
6
7.9 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight left at fork toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
6
18.8 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.
7
49.9 mi into trip | ~1h 1m 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 Wilmington, DE and Camden, DE, road signs point toward Dover, Beaches, Salisbury and Norfolk.

Dover

7.3 mi in | ~11m

Beaches

7.3 mi in | ~11m

Salisbury

49.9 mi in | ~1h 1m | via Puncheon Run Connector

Norfolk

49.9 mi in | ~1h 1m | via Puncheon Run Connector

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 41.2 mi 47m
Wilmington Expressway 3.8 mi 4m
Puncheon Run Connector 2.1 mi 2m
Delaware Turnpike 2 mi 2m
South Dupont Highway 1.7 mi 3m
North King Street 0.6 mi 1m
Martin Luther King Boulevard 0.3 mi 1m
East Camden Wyoming Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway — 41.2 mi, about 47m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on US 13 Business

0.6 mi · 1 min · North King Street
2

Turn straight onto US 13 Business

0.3 mi · 1 min · Martin Luther King Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
3

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 19 sec
4

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 58 sec
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore Use the slight left lane.
5

Merge onto I 95; US 202

3.8 mi · 4 min · Wilmington Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6

Continue on I 95

2.0 mi · 2 min · Delaware Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 40 sec
Exit 4A Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 58 sec
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
9

Merge onto DE 1

10 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

28 mi · 32 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
12

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

3.0 mi · 3 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
13

Keep slight right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector

2.1 mi · 2 min · Puncheon Run Connector
Exit 97 Toward Salisbury, Norfolk
14

Turn left onto US 13

1.7 mi · 3 min · South Dupont Highway
15

Turn right onto DE 10

0.2 mi · 42 sec · East Camden Wyoming Avenue
16

Arrive at destination

DE 10

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 27 mi from Wilmington, DE · 34m into the drive

town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Middletown, DE

27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Middletown, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27 miles from Wilmington, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Camden, DE

The final approach into Camden, 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

$8.94 one way

$17.87 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.79 $19.57
premium $4.93 $10.45 $20.91
diesel $5.61 $11.90 $23.80

Estimated Tolls: $0.14

Delaware Turnpike (2 mi) $0.14

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$0

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.2 0 $5.66 $2.59
Efficient EV 13.5 0 $4.72 $2.16
EV Truck/SUV 21.6 0 $7.55 $3.45

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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

Wilmington, DE

Evening in Wilmington on Friday

Local time

8:58 PM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Camden, DE

Evening in Camden on Friday

Local time

8:58 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

59°F

Middletown, DE

27 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

1 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 7m 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 Wilmington, DE to Camden, DE covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 7m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Wilmington Expressway, Puncheon Run Connector. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 27 miles from Wilmington, DE. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.94 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 53.9 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 1.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Wilmington, DE and Camden, DE, road signs point toward Dover, Beaches, Salisbury and Norfolk.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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