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international Airport]] (PHL), ] (BWI) and ] (IAD) for domestic and international transit. Residents of Sussex County will also use ] (SBY), as it is located less than {{convert|10|mi|km}} from the Delaware border. ] (ACY), ] (EWR), and ] (DCA) are also within a {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} radius of New Castle County.
{{about|the State of Delaware|the indigenous people|Lenape|the bay|Delaware Bay|the river|Delaware River|other uses}}
{{pp-move-indef}}
{{short description|State in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States}}
{{coord|38.9896|-75.5050|dim:100000_region:US-DE_type:adm1st|name=State of Delaware|display=title}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = Delaware
| official_name = State of Delaware
| image_flag = Flag of Delaware.svg
| flag_link = Flag of Delaware
| image_seal = Seal of Delaware.svg
| image_map = Delaware in United States (zoom).svg
| motto = ]
| anthem = ]
| population_demonym = Delawarean
| OfficialLang= ]
| nickname = The First State; The Small Wonder;<ref>{{cite web|first=Melissa|last=Nann Burke|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/01/04/delaware-small-wonder/21270787/|title=Delaware a Small Wonder no more?|date=January 5, 2015|publisher=Delaware Online|access-date=March 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112539/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/01/04/delaware-small-wonder/21270787/|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Blue Hen State; The Diamond State
| Former = ], ], ]
| seat = ]
| LargestCity = ]
| LargestMetroArea = ]
| Governor = {{nowrap|] (])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|] (D)}}
| Legislature = ]
| Upperhouse = ]
| Lowerhouse = ]
| Judiciary = ]
| Senators = ] (D){{break}}] (D)
| Representative = ] (D)
| postal_code = DE
| TradAbbreviation = Del.
| area_rank = 49th
| area_total_km2 = {{convert|1982|sqmi|km2|disp=number}}
| area_total_sq_mi = 1,982<ref>{{cite web|url=http://delaware.gov/facts/geo.shtml|title=State of Delaware|author=The State of Delaware|website=delaware.gov|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619004622/http://www.delaware.gov/facts/geo.shtml|archive-date=June 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!--| area_land_km2 = 5,060
| area_land_sq_mi = 1,854
| area_water_km2 = 1,387
| area_water_sq_mi = 536-->
| area_water_percent = 21.7<ref>{{cite web|last1=USGS|first1=Howard Perlman|title=Area of each state that is water|url=https://water.usgs.gov/edu/wetstates.html|website=water.usgs.gov|access-date=March 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010154347/https://water.usgs.gov/edu/wetstates.html|archive-date=October 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_rank = 46th
| population_as_of = 2019
| 2010Pop = 973,764
| population_density_rank = 6th
| 2000Density = 179
| 2000DensityUS = 469
| MedianHouseholdIncome = $62,852<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|website=The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation|title=Median Annual Household Income|access-date=December 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220091007/http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/median-annual-income/?currentTimeframe=0|archive-date=December 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = 18th
| AdmittanceOrder = 1st
| AdmittanceDate = December 7, 1787

| timezone1 = ]
| utc_offset1 = −05:00
| timezone1_DST = ]
| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00

| Longitude = 75° 3′ W to 75° 47′ W
| Latitude = 38° 27′ N to 39° 50′ N
| width_km = 48
| width_mi = 30
| length_km = 154
| length_mi = 96
| elevation_max_point = Near the{{break}}]<ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=]|year=2001|access-date=October 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref><ref name=NAVD88>Elevation adjusted to ].</ref><ref name="HighestPoint">{{Cite journal|last=Schenck|first=William S|title=Highest Point in Delaware|publisher=Delaware Geological Survey|access-date=July 23, 2008|url=http://www.dgs.udel.edu/publications/pubs/factsheets/highestpoint.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020055243/http://www.dgs.udel.edu/publications/Pubs/FactSheets/HighestPoint.aspx|archive-date=October 20, 2008}}</ref>
| elevation_max_m = 136.50468
| elevation_max_ft = 447.85
| elevation_m = 20
| elevation_ft = 60
| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=USGS />
| elevation_min_m = 0
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| iso_code = US-DE
| website = https://delaware.gov
}}
{{Infobox U.S. state symbols
| Flag = Flag of Delaware.svg
| Seal = Seal of Delaware.svg
| Name = Delaware
| Bird = ]
| Butterfly = ]
| Fish = ]
| Flower = ]
| Insect = ]
| Tree = ]
| Wildlife animal = ]
| Beverage = ]
| Colors = ], buff
| Food = ], ]
| Fossil = ]
| Mineral = ]
| Slogan = ''Endless Discoveries''—<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/01/05/delawares-new-tourism-brand-endless-discoveries/21289179/|title=Delaware's new tourism brand: Endless Discoveries|author=Molly Murray|date=January 6, 2015|publisher=Delaware Online|access-date=March 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143458/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/01/05/delawares-new-tourism-brand-endless-discoveries/21289179/|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Formerly: ''It's Good Being First''
| Soil = ]
| Route Marker = Elongated circle 1.svg
| Quarter = 1999 DE Proof.png
| QuarterReleaseDate = 1999
}}
{{maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=265|frame-height=225|zoom=6|type=line|stroke-width=3|text=Interactive map showing border of Delaware (click to zoom)}}
'''Delaware''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Delaware.ogg|ˈ|d|ɛ|l|ə|w|ɛər}} {{respell|DEL|ə|wair}})<ref>'']''</ref> is a ] in the ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/|title=Mid-Atlantic Home : Mid–Atlantic Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics|website=www.bls.gov|access-date=July 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408092405/https://www.bls.gov/regions/mid-atlantic/|archive-date=April 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> region of the ],{{efn|name="WhichRegion"|While the ] designates Delaware as one of the ], it is often grouped with the ] or the ].}} bordering ] to its south and west; ] to its north; and ] and the ] to its east. The state takes its name from the nearby ] named after ], an English nobleman and ]'s first colonial governor.<ref>{{cite dictionary |title=Delaware |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Delaware |url-status=live |dictionary=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=February 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012121643/http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=Delaware |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref>

Delaware occupies the northeastern portion of the ] and some islands and territory within the Delaware River. It is the ] and ] state, but also the ]. Delaware's largest city is ], while the state capital is ], the second-largest city in the state. The state is divided into ], having the lowest number of any state; from north to south, they are ], ], and ]. While the southern two counties have historically been predominantly agricultural, New Castle is more urbanized. In a similar vein to Maryland, Delaware's geography, culture, and history combine elements of the Mid-Atlantic, ], and ] regions of the country.

Before its coastline was explored by Europeans in the 16th century, Delaware was inhabited by several groups of Native Americans, including the ] in the north and ] in the south. It was initially colonized by ] traders at ], near the present town of ], in 1631. Delaware was one of the ] participating in the ]. On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the ], and has since been known as ''The First State''.<ref>"The First to Ratify" would be more accurate, as the beginnings of the states themselves date back to the Declaration of Independence, celebrated July 4, 1776, when what was to become the State of Delaware was still the three lower counties of Pennsylvania with the governor in Philadelphia, and not establishing independence from that body until ]. According to Delaware's own website, "Delaware became a state in 1776, just two months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence." (ref- {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223143442/http://delaware.gov/facts/DelawareFactsandSymbols.pdf |date=December 23, 2016 }}) Therefore Delaware was actually the ''last'' of the thirteen colonies to establish itself as a state. Additionally, the ] is minted with this nickname, yet shows ] on horseback in commemoration of how he was the ''last'' delegate to show up to the Continental Congress for the historic vote for independence. And with regard to the original Articles of Confederation, Delaware was the ].</ref> Since the turn of the 20th century, Delaware is also a ''de facto'' onshore ], in which by virtue of ], the state is the domicile of over 50% of all ]-listed business and 60% of the ].

==Toponymy==
The state was named after the ], which in turn derived its name from ] (1577–1618) who was the ruling governor of the ] at the time Europeans first explored the river. The Delaware people, a name used by ] for ] people indigenous to the Delaware Valley, also derive their name from the same source.

The surname ''de La Warr'' comes from ] and is of ] origin.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ware DeGidio |first=Wanda |year=2011 |title=Ware Family History: Descendants from Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Kings and Queens, and Presidents of the United States |editor-first=Wanda |editor-last=Ware DeGidio |page=10 |isbn=978-1-4010-9930-5 }}</ref> It came probably from a ] ] ''La Guerre''. This ] could derive from ] '']'', from the ] '']'' or from the ] ''varectum'' (]). The toponyms Gara, Gare, Gaire (the sound ]] often mutated in ]]) also appear in old texts cited by ], where the word ''ga(i)ra'' means ]. It could also be linked with a ] from the ] '']''.

==Geography==
{{Main|Twelve-Mile Circle|Wedge (border)|Mason–Dixon Line|Transpeninsular Line}}
{{See also|#Counties|l1="Counties" section below}}
]
]
]"]]
]
]]]
]

Delaware is {{convert|96|mi|km}} long and ranges from {{convert|9|mi}} to {{convert|35|mi|km}} across, totaling {{convert |1954|sqmi|km2}}, making it the second-smallest state in the United States after ]. Delaware is bounded to the north by ]; to the east by the ], ], ] and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west and south by ]. Small portions of Delaware are also situated on the eastern side of the Delaware River sharing land boundaries with New Jersey. The state of Delaware, together with the ] and ], form the ], which stretches down the Mid-Atlantic Coast.

The definition of the northern boundary of the state is unusual. Most of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania was originally defined by an arc extending {{convert|12|mi|km|sigfig=3}} from the ] of the courthouse in the city of ].{{citation needed|reason=Need supporting reference for this claim|date=March 2016}} This boundary is often referred to as the ].{{efn|Because of surveying errors, the actual line is several compound arcs with centers at different points in New Castle.}} Although the Twelve-Mile Circle is often claimed to be the only territorial boundary in the U.S. that is a true ], the Mexican boundary with Texas includes several arcs,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/bi-51757.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410052222/http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/bi-51757.pdf |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> and many cities in the South (such as ])<ref>Frank Jacobs, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523230226/http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/655-enigma-georgia-mystery-of-the-souths-circular-towns |date=May 23, 2014}}, Strange Maps, April 30, 2014.</ref> also have circular boundaries.

This border extends all the way east to the low-tide mark on the New Jersey shore, then continues south along the shoreline until it again reaches the {{convert|12|mi|adj=on}} arc in the south; then the boundary continues in a more conventional way in the middle of the main channel (]) of the Delaware River. To the west, a portion of the arc extends past the easternmost edge of Maryland. The remaining western border runs slightly east of due south from its intersection with the arc. ] of land between the northwest part of the arc and the Maryland border was claimed by both Delaware and Pennsylvania until 1921, when Delaware's claim was confirmed.

===Topography===

Delaware is on a level plain, with the lowest mean elevation of any state in the nation.<ref name=census>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/geo.pdf|page=216|title=Extreme and Mean Elevations by State and Other Area|website=Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004–2005|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=March 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310194411/http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/04statab/geo.pdf|archive-date=March 10, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Its highest elevation, located at ], near ], is less than {{convert|450|ft}} above sea level.<ref name=census/> The northernmost part of the state is part of the ] with hills and rolling surfaces. The ] approximately follows the ] between ] and ]; south of this road is the ] with flat, sandy, and, in some parts, swampy ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dgs.udel.edu/delaware-geology/summary-geologic-history-delaware|title=A Summary of the Geologic History of Delaware|publisher=The Delaware Geological Survey|access-date=March 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312150937/http://www.dgs.udel.edu/delaware-geology/summary-geologic-history-delaware|archive-date=March 12, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> A ridge about {{convert|75|to|80|ft}} high extends along the western boundary of the state and separates the ] that feed Delaware River and Bay to the east and the ] to the west.

===Climate===

Since almost all of Delaware is a part of the ], the effects of the ocean moderate its climate. The state lies in the ] (''Cfa'') zone. Despite its small size (roughly {{convert|100|mi|km}} from its northernmost to southernmost points), there is significant variation in mean temperature and amount of snowfall between Sussex County and New Castle County. Moderated by the ] and ], the southern portion of the state has a milder climate and a longer growing season than the northern portion of the state. Delaware's all-time record high of {{convert|110|F|C}} was recorded at ] on July 21, 1930. The all-time record low of {{convert|−17|F|C}} was also recorded at Millsboro, on January 17, 1893. The ]s are 7a and 7b.

===Environment===

The transitional climate of Delaware supports a wide variety of vegetation. In the northern third of the state are found ] and mixed ] forests typical of the northeastern United States.<ref name="ecoregions">{{cite journal|author=Olson |title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=] |year=2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=933–938 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)0512.0.CO;2 |author2=D. M |author3=E. Dinerstein |display-authors=3 |issn=0006-3568 |last4=Burgess |first4=Neil D. |last5=Powell |first5=George V. N. |last6=Underwood |first6=Emma C. |last7=d'Amico |first7=Jennifer A. |last8=Itoua |first8=Illanga |last9=Strand |first9=Holly E. |doi-access=free }}</ref> In the southern two-thirds of the state are found ].<ref name="ecoregions"/> ], along with areas in other parts of Sussex County, for example, support the northernmost stands of ] trees in ].

===Environmental management===

Delaware provides ] for the ] of property "lightly contaminated" by ], the proceeds for which come from a tax on wholesale petroleum sales.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cleaning up contamination |first=Jeff |last=Montgomery |newspaper=] |date=May 14, 2011 |access-date=May 14, 2011 |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110514/NEWS02/105140360/-1/NLETTER01/Cleaning-up-contamination |location=New Castle, Delaware |at=DelawareOnline |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5ygBz8xTN?url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110514/NEWS02/105140360/-1/NLETTER01/Cleaning-up-contamination |archive-date=May 14, 2011 |url-status=live }} ''The first online page is archived; the page containing information related here is not in the archived version.''</ref>

===Adjacent states===

* ] (north)
* ] (east)
* ] (west and south)

==History==

{{Main|History of Delaware}}
{{more citations needed|section|date=December 2018}}

===Native Americans===

Before Delaware was settled by European colonists, the area was home to the Eastern ] tribes known as the Unami ], or Delaware, who lived mostly along the coast, and the ] who occupied much of the southern Delmarva Peninsula. John Smith also shows two Iroquoian tribes, the Kuskarawock and ], living north of the Nanticoke—they may have held small portions of land in the western part of the state before migrating across the Chesapeake Bay.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/maps/captain-smith-virginia-map.jpg |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320024903/http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/maps/captain-smith-virginia-map.jpg |archive-date=March 20, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Kuskarawocks were most likely the ].

The Unami Lenape in the Delaware Valley were closely related to ] Lenape tribes along the ]. They had a settled hunting and agricultural society, and they rapidly became middlemen in an increasingly frantic fur trade with their ancient enemy, the Minqua or ]. With the loss of their lands on the Delaware River and the destruction of the Minqua by the ] of the Five Nations in the 1670s, the remnants of the Lenape who wished to remain identified as such left the region and moved over the ] by the mid-18th century. Generally, those who did not relocate out of the state of Delaware were baptized, became Christian and were grouped together with other persons of color in official records and in the minds of their non-Native American neighbors.{{Citation needed|date=January 2017}}

===Colonial Delaware===

{{Main|New Netherland|New Sweden|Delaware Colony}}
]

The ] were the first Europeans to settle in present-day Delaware in the middle region by establishing a trading post at ], near the site of ] in 1631.<ref>{{cite book|author=Myers, Albert Cook|title=Narratives of Early Pennsylvania, West New Jersey and Delaware, 1630–1707, Volume 13|publisher=C. Scribner's Sons|year=1912|page=8}}</ref> Within a year all the settlers were killed in a dispute with ]. In 1638 ], a ] trading post and colony, was established at ] (now in ]) by ] at the head of a group of Swedes, ] and Dutch. The colony of New Sweden lasted 17 years. In 1651 the Dutch, reinvigorated by the leadership of ], established a fort at present-day ], and in 1655 they conquered the New Sweden colony, annexing it into the Dutch ].<ref name=hod>{{cite book|title=History of Delaware|first =John A |last = Munroe|edition = 5th, illustrated|publisher= University of Delaware Press|year=2006|isbn=978-0-87413-947-1|page=45|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vs7NcOKnlNUC&q=%22Lower+counties%22+%22on+the+delaware%22&pg=PA46 | chapter = 3. The Lower Counties on The Delaware}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |editor1-last = Scheltema |editor1-first = Gajus |editor2-last = Westerhuijs |editor2-first = Heleen |title = Exploring Historic Dutch New York |publisher = Museum of the City of New York/Dover |place = New York |year = 2011 |isbn = 978-0-486-48637-6}}</ref> Only nine years later, in 1664, the Dutch were conquered by a fleet of English ships by Sir Robert Carr under the direction of ]. Fighting off a prior claim by ], ], the Duke passed his somewhat dubious ownership on to ] in 1682. Penn strongly desired access to the sea for his ] and leased what then came to be known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware"<ref name = hod /> from the Duke.

Penn established representative government and briefly combined his two possessions under one General Assembly in 1682. However, by 1704 the Province of Pennsylvania had grown so large their representatives wanted to make decisions without the assent of the Lower Counties, and the two groups of representatives began meeting on their own, one at ], and the other at New Castle. Penn and his heirs remained proprietors of both and always appointed the same person Governor for their Province of Pennsylvania and their territory of the Lower Counties. The fact that Delaware and Pennsylvania shared the same governor was not unique. From 1703 to 1738 New York and New Jersey shared a governor.<ref>{{Citation |last = Lurie |first = Mappen M |title = Encyclopedia of New Jersey |publisher = Rutgers University Press |year = 2004 |isbn = 978-0-8135-3325-4 |page = 327}}</ref> Massachusetts and New Hampshire also shared a governor for some time.<ref>{{Citation |last = Mayo |first = LS |title = John Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire: 1767–1775 |publisher = Harvard University Press |year = 1921 |page = 5}}</ref>

Dependent in early years on indentured labor, Delaware imported more slaves as the number of English ] decreased with better economic conditions in England. The colony became a slave society and cultivated tobacco as a cash crop, although English immigrants continued to arrive.

===American Revolution===

{{Main|American Revolutionary War|Lee Resolution|United States Declaration of Independence|Philadelphia campaign|Articles of Confederation#Ratification|Treaty of Paris (1783)|Constitutional Convention (United States)|Admission to the Union|List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union}}

Like the other middle colonies, the Lower Counties on the Delaware initially showed little enthusiasm for a break with ]. The citizenry had a good relationship with the Proprietary government, and generally were allowed more independence of action in their Colonial Assembly than in other colonies. Merchants at the port of Wilmington had trading ties with the British.

So it was that New Castle lawyer ] denounced the ] in the strongest terms, and Kent County native ] became the "Penman of the Revolution." Anticipating the Declaration of Independence, ] leaders Thomas McKean and ] convinced the Colonial Assembly to declare itself separated from British and Pennsylvania rule on June 15, 1776. The person best representing Delaware's majority, ], could not bring himself to vote for a Declaration of Independence. Only the dramatic overnight ride of Caesar Rodney gave the delegation the votes needed to cast Delaware's vote for independence.

Initially led by ], Delaware provided one of the premier regiments in the ], known as the "Delaware Blues" and nicknamed the "]". In August 1777 ] led a British army through Delaware on his way to a victory at the ] and capture of the city of Philadelphia. The only real engagement on Delaware soil was the ], fought on September 3, 1777, at ] in New Castle County, although there was a ] in 1778.

Following the Battle of Brandywine, Wilmington was occupied by the British, and ] ] was taken prisoner. The British remained in control of the Delaware River for much of the rest of the war, disrupting commerce and providing encouragement to an active ] portion of the population, particularly in Sussex County. Because the British promised slaves of rebels freedom for fighting with them, escaped slaves flocked north to join their lines.<ref>{{Citation | first = Simon | last = Schama | author-link = Simon Schama | title = Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves, and the American Revolution | place = New York | publisher = Harper Collins | year = 2006| title-link = Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves, and the American Revolution }}</ref>

Following the ], statesmen from Delaware were among the leading proponents of a strong central United States with equal representation for each state.

===Slavery and race===

Many colonial settlers came to Delaware from Maryland and Virginia, where the population had been increasing rapidly. The economies of these colonies were chiefly based on labor-intensive tobacco and increasingly dependent on African ] because of a decline in working class immigrants from England. Most of the English colonists had arrived as ]s (contracted for a fixed period to pay for their passage), and in the early years the line between servant and slave was fluid.

Most of the free African-American families in Delaware before the Revolution had migrated from Maryland to find more affordable land. They were descendants chiefly of relationships or marriages between white servant women and enslaved, servant or free African or African-American men.<ref>{{citation |last=Heinegg |first=Paul |title=Free African Americans in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware |url=http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/ |url-status=dead |access-date=February 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807191511/http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/ |archive-date=August 7, 2010}}</ref> Under slavery law, children took the social status of their mothers, so children born to white women were free, regardless of their paternity, just as children born to enslaved women were born into slavery. As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in England, more slaves were imported for labor and the caste lines hardened.

By the end of the colonial period, the number of enslaved people in Delaware began to decline. Shifts in the agriculture economy from tobacco to mixed farming resulted in less need for slaves' labor. In addition local ]s and ]s encouraged slaveholders to free their slaves following the American Revolution, and many did so in a surge of individual manumissions for idealistic reasons. By 1810 three-quarters of all blacks in Delaware were free. When John Dickinson freed his slaves in 1777, he was Delaware's largest slave owner with 37 slaves. By 1860, the largest slaveholder owned 16 slaves.{{sfn|Kolchin|1994|pp=78, 81–82}}

Although attempts to abolish slavery failed by narrow margins in the legislature, in practical terms the state had mostly ended the practice. By the ] on the verge of the ], 91.7% of the black population were free;{{sfn|Kolchin|1994|pp=81–82}} 1,798 were slaves, as compared to 19,829 "free colored persons".<ref>{{citation |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/php/start.php?year=V1860 |contribution=1860 Federal Census |publisher=University of Virginia Library |access-date=November 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011024040/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/php/start.php?year=V1860 |archive-date=October 11, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

An independent black denomination was chartered in 1813 by freed slave ] as the "]". This followed the 1793 establishment in Philadelphia of the ] by ], which had ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church until 1816. Spencer built a church in Wilmington for the new denomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.udel.edu/BlackHistory/antebellum.html|first=Peter T.|last=Dalleo|title=The Growth of Delaware's Antebellum Free African Community|publisher=University of Delaware|date=June 27, 1997|access-date=June 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110905050734/http://www.udel.edu/BlackHistory/antebellum.html|archive-date=September 5, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> This was renamed as the ], more commonly known as the ]. In 1814, Spencer called for the first annual gathering, known as the ], which continues to draw members of this denomination and their descendants together in a religious and cultural festival.<!--the oldest such cultural festival in the nation {{needs citation||date=August 2018}}-->

Delaware voted against ] on January 3, 1861, and so remained in the Union. While most Delaware citizens who fought in the war served in the regiments of the state, some served in companies on the Confederate side in ] and ] Regiments. Delaware is notable for being the only slave state from which no Confederate regiments or militia groups were assembled. Delaware essentially freed the few slaves who were still in bondage shortly after the Civil War{{explain|date=June 2020}} but rejected the ], ], and ] Amendments to the Constitution; the 13th Amendment was rejected on February 8, 1865, the 14th Amendment was rejected on February 8, 1867, and the 15th Amendment was rejected on March 18, 1869. Delaware officially ratified the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments on February 12, 1901.

===Reconstruction and Industrialization===

After the Civil War, Democratic governments led by the state's Bourbon aristocracy continued to dominate the state and imposed an explicitly white supremacist regime in the state. The Democratic legislatures declared blacks second-class citizens in 1866 and restricted their voting rights despite the Fifteenth Amendment, ensuring continued Democratic success throughout most of the nineteenth century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |first1=John |title=History of Delaware |date=2001 |publisher=University of Delaware Press |location=Newark, DE |pages=146-150 |edition=4th}}</ref>

Beginning in the late nineteenth century, the Wilmington area grew into a manufacturing center. Investment in manufacturing in the city grew from $5.5 million in 1860 to $44 million in 1900.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |page=156}}</ref> The most notable manufacturer in the state was the ]. Because of Wilmington's growth, local politicians from the city and New Castle County pressured the state government to adopt a new constitution providing the north with more representation. However, the subsequent 1897 constitution did not proportionally represent the north and continued to give the southern counties disproportionate influence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |title=History of Delaware |date=2001 |pages=165-169}}</ref>

As manufacturing expanded, businesses became major players in state affairs and funders of politicians through families such as the Du Ponts. Republican ] attempted to buy a US Senate seat multiple times in a rivalry with the Du Ponts until the passage of the ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=173-180}}</ref> The allegiance of industries with the Republican party allowed them to gain control of the state's governorship throughout most of the twentieth century. The GOP ensured blacks could vote because of their general support for Republicans and thus undid restrictions on black suffrage.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |title=History of Delaware |date=2001 |pages=180-181}}</ref>

Delaware benefited greatly from World War I because of the state's large gunpowder industry. The Du Pont Company, the most dominant business in the state by WWI, produced an estimated 40% of all gunpowder used by the Allies during the war. It produced ] in the state after the war and began investments into ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=185-189}}</ref> Additionally, the company invested heavily in the expansion of public schools in the state and colleges such as the ] in the 1910s and 1920s. This included primary and secondary schools for blacks and women.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=190-205}}</ref> Delaware suffered less during the ] than other states, but the depression spurred further migration from the rural south to urban areas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=216-217}}</ref>

===World War II to present===

Like in World War I, the state enjoyed a big stimulus to its gunpowder and shipyard industries in World War II. New job opportunities during and after the war in the Wilmington area coaxed African Americans from the southern counties to move to the city. The proportion of blacks constituting the city's population rose from 15% in 1950 to over 50% by 1980.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=219-223}}</ref> The surge of black migrants to the north sparked white flight in which middle class whites moved from the city to suburban areas, leading to general segregation of Delaware's society. In the 1940s and 1950s, the state attempted to integrate its schools. The University of Delaware admitted its first black student in 1948, and local courts ruled that primary schools had to be integrated. Delaware's integration efforts partially inspired the US Supreme Court's decision in ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=225-227}}</ref>

However, integration only encouraged more white flight, and poor economic conditions for the black population led to some violence during the 1960s. Riots broke out in Wilmington in 1967 and again in ] after which the National Guard occupied the city for nine months to prevent further violence.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=228-230}}</ref>

Since WWII, the state has been generally economically prosperous and enjoyed relatively high per capita income because of its location between major cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, DC.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |page=230}}</ref> Its population grew rapidly, particularly in the suburbs in the north where New Castle county became an extension of the ].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=242}}</ref> Americans, including migrants from Puerto Rico, and immigrants from Latin America flocked to the state. By 1990, only 50% of Delaware's population consisted of natives to the state.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Munroe |date=2001 |title=History of Delaware |pages=259}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{See also|Largest municipalities in Delaware}}
]
{{US Census population
|1790= 59096
|1800= 64273
|1810= 72674
|1820= 72749
|1830= 76748
|1840= 78085
|1850= 91532
|1860= 112216
|1870= 125015
|1880= 146608
|1890= 168493
|1900= 184735
|1910= 202322
|1920= 223003
|1930= 238380
|1940= 266505
|1950= 318085
|1960= 446292
|1970= 548104
|1980= 594338
|1990= 666168
|2000= 783600
|2010= 897934
|estimate= 973764
|estyear= 2019
|align-fn=center
|footnote=Source: 1910–2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php|title=Resident Population Data|year=2010|publisher=Census|access-date=August 17, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019160532/http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/apportionment-pop-text.php|archive-date=October 19, 2013}}</ref>{{break}}2019 estimate<ref name="PopEstUS">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DE,US/PST045219|title=QuickFacts Delaware; United States |website=2019 Population Estimates|publisher=], Population Division|date=February 14, 2020|access-date=February 14, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209044515/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/DE,US/PST045219|archive-date=February 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
The ] estimates that the population of Delaware was 973,764 on July 1, 2019, an 8.4% increase since the ].<ref name="PopEstUS"/>

Delaware's history as a ] has led it to exhibit characteristics of both the ] and the ] regions of the United States. Generally, the rural Southern (or "Slower Lower") regions of Delaware below the ] embody a ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/industry/commercial-real-estate/kent-county-defies-slower-lower-nickname/|title=Kent County defies slower, lower nickname|date=November 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/2004/05/26/slower-lower-delaware/2131e835-ac4f-4790-b78c-564bb97d2ebc/ |title=Slower Lower Delaware |author=Walter Nicholls |work=] |date=May 26, 2004 |access-date=December 11, 2020}}</ref> while densely-populated Northern Delaware above the canal—particularly Wilmington, a part of the ]—has more in common with that of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/MidAtldialects.html|title=The Mid-Atlantic Dialects|work=Evolution Publishing|access-date=3 June 2013|archive-date=23 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723033309/http://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/MidAtldialects.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The U.S. Census Bureau designates Delaware as one of the ], but it is commonly associated with the ] and/or Northeastern United States by other federal agencies, the media, and some residents.<ref name="LOC">{{cite web|url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/regdef.html|title=Regions of the United States|website=American Memory|publisher=The Library of Congress|access-date=August 11, 2009}}</ref><ref name="EPA">{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/region03/index.htm|title=Region 3: The Mid-Atlantic States|website=www.epa.gov|publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=August 11, 2009}}</ref><ref name="FBI">{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm |title=Your Local FBI Office |website=www.fbi.gov |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |access-date=August 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815093807/http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="amtrak">{{cite web|url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/Page/Browse_Routes_Page&c=Page&cid=1081256321410&ssid=134|title=Routes Serving the Northeast|publisher=National Railroad Passenger Corporation|access-date=August 11, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090815025107/http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak%2FPage%2FBrowse_Routes_Page&c=Page&cid=1081256321410&ssid=134|archive-date=August 15, 2009}}</ref><ref name="princeton">{{cite web|url=http://www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx|title=Best Regional Colleges|website=www.princetonreview.com|publisher=The Princeton Review|access-date=August 11, 2009}}</ref><ref>Maryland and Delaware identify as Northeast
* {{cite web |url = http://www.csg-erc.org/about-csg/ |title = About – CSG |work = csg-erc.org |access-date = June 29, 2016 |archive-date = June 23, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160623221327/http://www.csg-erc.org/about-csg/ |url-status = dead }}
* {{cite web |url = http://www.bls.gov/regions/home.htm |title = Home : Geographic Information : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |work = bls.gov |access-date = June 29, 2016 }}
* {{cite web |url = https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/customer-support/partnerships/regional-climate-centers |title = Regional Climate Centers – National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) formerly known as National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) |work = noaa.gov |access-date = June 29, 2016 }}
* {{cite web |url = http://www.scouting.org/Home/OutdoorProgram/Properties/Region%20and%20Area%20Maps.aspx |title = Region and Area Maps |work = scouting.org |access-date = June 29, 2016 }}
* {{cite web |url = http://www.nps.gov/nhl/contact/nero.htm |title = Northeast Regional Office – National Historic Landmarks Program |work = nps.gov |access-date = June 29, 2016 }}</ref>

===Ancestry===
According to the 2010 United States Census, Delaware had a population of 897,934. The racial composition of the state was:
* 68.9% ] (65.3% ], 3.6% ])
* 21.4% ] or African American
* 0.5% ] and ]
* 3.2% ]
* 0.0% ] and other ]
* 3.4% some other race
* 2.7% ]

Ethnically, ] and Latinos of any race made up 8.2% of the population.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=U.S. Census website |publisher=] |date=October 5, 2010 |access-date=August 17, 2011 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ '''Delaware racial breakdown of population'''
|-
! Racial composition !! 1990<ref> at ] (June 22, 2013).</ref> !! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusviewer.com/city/ID|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140107210553/http://censusviewer.com/city/ID|url-status=dead|title=censusviewer.com/city/ID|date=January 7, 2014|archive-date=January 7, 2014}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html|title=2010 Census Data|author=Center for New Media and Promotions (C2PO)|website=census.gov|access-date=September 27, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| ] || 80.3% || 74.6% || 68.9%
|-
| ] || 16.9% || 19.2% || 21.4%
|-
| ] || 1.4% || 2.1% || 3.2%
|-
| ] || 0.3% || 0.4% || 0.5%
|-
| ] and{{break}}] || – || – || –
|-
| ] || 1.1% || 2.0% || 3.4%
|-
| ] || – || 1.7% || 2.7%
|}

Delaware is the sixth most densely populated state, with a population density of 442.6 people per square mile, 356.4 per square mile more than the national average, and ranking 45th in population. Delaware is one of five states (Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming) that do not have a single city with a population over 100,000 as of the 2010 census.<ref name="Census">{{Citation |url=https://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/011400.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204083625/http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/011400.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 4, 2008 |publisher=Census |place=] |type=press release |title=Voting }}</ref> The ] of Delaware is in New Castle County, in the town of ].<ref name="cenpopcenter">{{cite web |title=Population and Population Centers by State |year=2000 |publisher=] |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |format=plain text |access-date=March 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508041813/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt |archive-date=May 8, 2013 }}</ref>

{{as of|2011}}, 49.7% of Delaware's population younger than one year of age belonged to minority groups (i.e., did not have two parents of non-Hispanic white ancestry).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|title=Americans under age 1 now mostly minorities, but not in Ohio: Statistical Snapshot|last=Exner|first=Rich|date=June 3, 2012|work=]|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160714084214/http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2012/06/americas_under_age_1_populatio.html|archive-date=July 14, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2000 approximately 19% of the population were African-American and 5% of the population is Hispanic (mostly of Puerto Rican or Mexican ancestry).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.udel.edu/ccrs/pdf/Fair%20Housing/Profile%20of%20Delaware.pdf |title=Demographic, Social and Economic Profile for Delaware |access-date=June 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160428212802/http://www.udel.edu/ccrs/pdf/Fair%20Housing/Profile%20of%20Delaware.pdf |archive-date=April 28, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Birth data===

''Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.''
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother
|-
! ]
! 2013<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911162514/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf |archive-date=September 11, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214040341/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf |archive-date=February 14, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831155911/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf |archive-date=August 31, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=May 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603002249/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201210916/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2018<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| ]:
| 7,204 (66.5%)
| 7,314 (66.7%)
| 7,341 (65.7%)
| ...
| ...
| ...
|-
| > ]
| 5,942 (54.8%)
| 5,904 (53.8%)
| 5,959 (53.4%)
| 5,827 (53.0%)
| 5,309 (48.9%)
| 5,171 (48.7%)
|-
| ]
| 3,061 (28.3%)
| 2,988 (27.2%)
| 3,134 (28.1%)
| 2,832 (25.7%)
| 2,818 (26.0%)
| 2,773 (26.1%)
|-
| ]
| 541 (5.0%)
| 644 (5.9%)
| 675 (6.1%)
| 627 (5.7%)
| 646 (6.0%)
| 634 (6.0%)
|-
| ]
| 25 (0.2%)
| 26 (0.2%)
| 16 (0.1%)
| 13 (0.1%)
| 23 (0.2%)
| 10 (0.1%)
|-
| '']'' (of any race)
| ''1,348'' (12.4%)
| ''1,541'' (14.0%)
| ''1,532'' (13.7%)
| ''1,432'' (13.0%)
| ''1,748'' (16.1%)
| ''1,710'' (16.1%)
|-
| '''Total Delaware'''
| '''10,831''' (100%)
| '''10,972''' (100%)
| '''11,166''' (100%)
| '''10,992''' (100%)
| '''10,855''' (100%)
| '''10,621''' (100%)
|}
* Since 2016, data for births of ] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

===Languages===
As of 2000, 91% of Delaware residents of age{{nbs}}5 and older spoke only English at home; 5% spoke Spanish. French was the third-most spoken language at 0.7%, followed by Chinese at 0.5% and German at 0.5%.

Legislation had been proposed in both the House and the Senate in Delaware to designate English as the ].<ref>{{citation |title=SB 129 |url=http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS144.NSF/vwLegislation/SB+129?Opendocument |publisher=State of Delaware |access-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310075049/http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS144.NSF/vwLegislation/SB+129?Opendocument |archive-date=March 10, 2010 |url-status=live}}, assigned on June 13, 2007, to Senate Education Committee.</ref><ref>{{citation |title=HB 436 |url=http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS143.NSF/vwLegislation/HB+436?Opendocument |url-status=live |publisher=State of Delaware |access-date=May 9, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310075025/http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LIS143.NSF/vwLegislation/HB+436?Opendocument |archive-date=March 10, 2010}}, stricken on June 15, 2006,</ref> Neither bill was passed in the legislature.

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title = Religion in Delaware (2014)<ref name="pew2014"/>
|titlebar=#ddd |left1=Religion |right1=Percent |float=right
|bars =
{{bar percent|]|purple|46}}
{{bar percent|]|black|23}}
{{bar percent|]|dodgerblue|22}}
{{bar percent|]|blue|3}}
{{bar percent|]|Orange|2}}
{{bar percent|Other|grey|2}}
{{bar percent|]|gold|1}}
{{bar percent|]|green|1}}
{{bar percent|]|pink|1}}
}}

{{as of|2014}}, Delaware is mostly ]. Although ] account for almost half of the population,<ref name="pew2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/delaware/|title=Religious Landscape Study|date=March 20, 2019|publisher=Pew Forum|access-date=October 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171005101146/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/delaware/|archive-date=October 5, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> the ] is the largest single denomination in the state. The Association of Religion Data Archives<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/10/rcms2010_10_state_cong_2010.asp |title=The Association of Religion Data Archives &#124; State Membership Report |publisher=www.thearda.com |access-date=November 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109012907/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/10/rcms2010_10_state_cong_2010.asp |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> reported in 2010 that the three largest denominational groups in Delaware by number of adherents are the ] at 182,532 adherents, the ] with 53,656 members reported, and non-denominational ] with 22,973 adherents reported. The religious body with the largest number of congregations is the United Methodist Church (with 158 congregations) followed by non-denominational Evangelical Protestant (with 106 congregations), then the Catholic Church (with 45 congregations).

The ] and the ] oversee the parishes within their denominations. The A.U.M.P. Church, the oldest African-American denomination in the nation, was founded in Wilmington. It still has a substantial presence in the state. Reflecting new immigrant populations, an ] has been built in the ] area, and a ] in ].

Delaware is home to an ] community which resides west of ] in ], consisting of nine church districts and about 1,650 people. The Amish first settled in Kent County in 1915. In recent years, increasing development has led to the decline in the number of Amish living in the community.<ref name="Elizabethtown College_2018">{{cite web |title=Amish Population Profile, 2018|url=https://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/amish-population-profile-2018/ |url-status=dead |work=Elizabethtown College, the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies |date=August 7, 2018 |access-date=January 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190205121144/http://groups.etown.edu/amishstudies/statistics/amish-population-profile-2018/ |archive-date=February 5, 2019}}</ref><ref name=visitdoveramish>{{cite web|url=http://visitdover.com/index.php/mobile/visit_entry/amish-countryside|title=Amish Countryside|publisher=Kent County & Greater Dover, Delaware Convention and Visitors Bureau|access-date=November 22, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123053054/http://visitdover.com/index.php/mobile/visit_entry/amish-countryside|archive-date=November 23, 2016}}</ref><ref name=amishamerica>{{cite web|title=Delaware Amish|publisher=Amish America|url=http://amishamerica.com/delaware-amish/|access-date=October 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120123/http://amishamerica.com/delaware-amish/|archive-date=October 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A 2012 survey of religious attitudes in the United States found that 34% of Delaware residents considered themselves "moderately religious", 33% "very religious", and 33% as "non-religious".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thedialog.org/?p=4580|newspaper=The Dialog|title=In 'very religious' USA, Gallup sees Delaware residents as 'moderately' so—by 1 percent|last=]|date=April 3, 2012|access-date=April 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625170239/http://thedialog.org/?p=4580|archive-date=June 25, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Sexual orientation===

A 2012 Gallup poll found that Delaware's proportion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults stood at 3.4 percent of the population. This constitutes a total LGBT adult population estimate of 23,698 people. The number of same-sex couple households in 2010 stood at 2,646. This grew by 41.65% from a decade earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Inc|first=Gallup|date=2013-02-15|title=LGBT Percentage Highest in D.C., Lowest in North Dakota|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/160517/lgbt-percentage-highest-lowest-north-dakota.aspx|access-date=2020-11-18|website=Gallup.com|language=en}}</ref>{{nonspecific|date=November 2013}} On July 1, 2013, same-sex marriage was legalized, and all civil unions would be converted into marriages.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ford|first=Zack|date=May 7, 2013|title=BREAKING: Delaware To Become 11th State With Marriage Equality|newspaper=Think Progress|url=http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/05/07/1975311/breaking-delaware-to-become-11th-state-with-marriage-equality/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407083938/https://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/05/07/1975311/breaking-delaware-to-become-11th-state-with-marriage-equality/|archive-date=2014-04-17}}</ref>

==Economy==

{{See also|Economy of Delaware|Delaware locations by per capita income}}
{{For|taxes|#Government revenue}}

===Affluence===

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; margin: 10px"
|+ Average sale price for new & existing homes (in U.S. dollars)<ref name=er2011>{{cite news |title=Delaware housing: Home prices slide in all three counties; sales in NCCo, Kent down from year ago |first=Eric |last=Ruth |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110416/BUSINESS/104160310/-1/NLETTER01/Home-prices-slide-in-all-three-counties--sales-in-NCCo--Kent-down-from-year-ago |newspaper=] |location=Delaware |date=April 15, 2010 |at=Delaware Online |access-date=March 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403234128/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110416/BUSINESS/104160310/-1/NLETTER01/Home-prices-slide-in-all-three-counties--sales-in-NCCo--Kent-down-from-year-ago |archive-date=April 3, 2014 |url-status=live }}{{paywall}}</ref>
|-
!DE County!!March 2010!!March 2011
|-
|New Castle||229,000||216,000
|-
|Sussex||323,000||296,000
|-
|Kent||186,000||178,000
|}

According to a 2020 study by Kiplinger, Delaware had the seventeenth largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 6.98 percent, 0.7 percent from 2013 in ration but falling eight places in ranking. Delaware had 25,937 millionaires as of 2020. The median income for all Delaware households as of 2020 was $64,805. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Millionaires in America 2020: All 50 States Ranked|url=https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t006-s001-millionaires-america-all-50-states-ranked/index.html|access-date=2021-02-21|website=Kiplinger|language=en}}</ref> <ref name=frank2014>{{cite news |last=Frank |first=Robert |title=Top states for millionaires per capita |date=January 15, 2014 |url=https://www.cnbc.com/id/101338309 |work=] |at=CNBC.com |access-date=October 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122061516/http://www.cnbc.com/id/101338309 |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Agriculture===

]'']]

Delaware's agricultural output consists of poultry, nursery stock, ], dairy products and ].

===Industries===

{{as of|2019|October|}}, the state's unemployment rate was 3.7%.<ref name=ktdidit>{{cite web |url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.de.htm |title=Delaware Economy at a Glance |format=database report |publisher=United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date=March 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315161346/http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.de.htm |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The state's largest employers are:{{Dubious|largest employers|date=March 2012}}
* government (State of Delaware, New Castle County)
* education (], ])
* banking (], ], ], ], ])
* chemical, pharmaceutical, technology (], ], ], ])
* healthcare (] (]), ], ])
* farming, specifically chicken farming in Sussex County (], ], ])
* retail (], ], ])

====Industrial decline====

Since the mid-2000s, Delaware has seen the departure of the state's automotive manufacturing industry (] ] and ] ]), the corporate buyout of a major bank holding company (]), the departure of the state's steel industry (]), the bankruptcy of a fiber mill (National Vulcanized Fibre),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/picture-gallery/news/2015/04/22/national-vulcanized-fibre-corp-site-in-yorklyn/26175401/|access-date=December 12, 2015|title=National Vulcanized Fibre Corp. site in Yorklyn|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803220420/https://www.delawareonline.com/picture-gallery/news/2015/04/22/national-vulcanized-fibre-corp-site-in-yorklyn/26175401/|archive-date=August 3, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the diminishing presence of ] in Wilmington.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2015/11/19/astrazeneca-lays-off-workers-delaware-headquarters/76048454/|title=AstraZeneca lays off workers at Delaware headquarters|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205095218/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2015/11/19/astrazeneca-lays-off-workers-delaware-headquarters/76048454/|archive-date=February 5, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2015/02/20/delaware-officials-concerned-astrazeneca-dupont-threats/23763597/|title=Delaware officials concerned about AstraZeneca, DuPont threats|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205095218/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2015/02/20/delaware-officials-concerned-astrazeneca-dupont-threats/23763597/|archive-date=February 5, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

In late 2015, DuPont announced that 1,700 employees, nearly a third of its footprint in Delaware, would be laid off in early 2016.<ref>{{cite web|title=DuPont to cut 1,700 jobs in Delaware in January|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/DuPont-to-cut-1700-jobs-in-Delaware-this-winter.html|access-date=December 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231231119/http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/DuPont-to-cut-1700-jobs-in-Delaware-this-winter.html|archive-date=December 31, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The merger of ] and ] into ] took place on September 1, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=DuPont merger called 'catastrophic' for Delaware|url=http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/delaware/89056-dupont-merger-called-catastrophic-for-delaware|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217064717/http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/delaware/89056-dupont-merger-called-catastrophic-for-delaware|archive-date=December 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DuPont merger: A 'sad day' for Delaware|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2015/12/11/dupont-and-dow-combine-merger/77138022/|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131030704/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2015/12/11/dupont-and-dow-combine-merger/77138022/|archive-date=January 31, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=DuPont-Dow merger 'catastrophic' for Delaware|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2015/12/11/dupont-dow-merger-catastrophic-delaware-markell.html|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231231119/http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2015/12/11/dupont-dow-merger-catastrophic-delaware-markell.html|archive-date=December 31, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Chemours will lay off 400, including some in Delaware|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2015/11/30/chemours-lays-off-400-workers-including-some-delaware/76580028/|access-date=December 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203144602/http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2015/11/30/chemours-lays-off-400-workers-including-some-delaware/76580028/|archive-date=February 3, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Incorporation in Delaware===

{{Main|Delaware General Corporation Law}}

More than half of all U.S. publicly traded companies, and 63% of the ], are ] in Delaware.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://corp.delaware.gov/| title = Delaware Division of Corporations| publisher = Government of DE| access-date = June 10, 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110810011523/http://corp.delaware.gov/| archive-date = August 10, 2011| url-status = live}}</ref> The state's attractiveness as a ] is largely because of its business-friendly ]. ]es on Delaware corporations supply about a fifth of the state's revenue.<ref name="DEFiscalNotebook">{{cite web|url=http://finance.delaware.gov/publications/fiscal_notebook_07/Section02/sec2page24.pdf |title=Delaware 2007 Fiscal Notebook—State General Fund Revenues by Category (F.Y. 2002–2005) |access-date=August 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816093426/http://finance.delaware.gov/publications/fiscal_notebook_07/Section02/sec2page24.pdf |archive-date=August 16, 2011 }}</ref> Although "USA (Delaware)" ranked as the world's most opaque jurisdiction on the ]'s 2009 Financial Secrecy Index,<ref>{{Cite news |title = Financial Secrecy Index |publisher = Tax Justice Network |date = November 1, 2009 |url = http://www.financialsecrecyindex.com/Archive2009/FSI-2009/FSI%20-%20Rankings%20-%202009.pdf |access-date = June 24, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150626125234/http://www.financialsecrecyindex.com/Archive2009/FSI-2009/FSI%20-%20Rankings%20-%202009.pdf |archive-date = June 26, 2015 |url-status = dead }}</ref> the same group's 2011 Index ranks the U.S. fifth and does not specify Delaware.<ref>{{cite news|title = Financial Secrecy Index|publisher = Tax Justice Network|date = October 4, 2011|url = http://www.financialsecrecyindex.com/Archive2011/FSI-2011/FSI-Rankings.pdf|access-date = June 24, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150404031914/http://www.financialsecrecyindex.com/Archive2011/FSI-2011/FSI-Rankings.pdf|archive-date = April 4, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref> In Delaware, there are more than a million registered corporations,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://corp.delaware.gov/ |title=State of Delaware—Division of Corporations |access-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810011523/http://corp.delaware.gov/ |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> meaning there are more corporations than people.

===Food and drink===

] stipulates that alcoholic liquor be sold only in specifically licensed establishments, and only between 9:00{{nbs}}a.m. and 1:00{{nbs}}a.m.<ref name="delcode4-8">{{cite web|url=http://delcode.delaware.gov/title4/c007/ |archive-date=June 26, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130626194611/http://delcode.delaware.gov/title4/c007/|title = Chapter 7. Regulatory Provisions|access-date=September 13, 2011|website=Online Delaware Code|publisher=Delaware General Assembly}}</ref> Until 2003, Delaware was among the several states enforcing ]s and banned the sale of liquor on Sunday.<ref name=nathans2011>{{cite news |last=Aaron |first=Nathans |title=Del. package stores hope to benefit from Md. tax |newspaper=The News Journal |location=New Castle, Delaware |date=July 9, 2011 |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107100328 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/605Q8t2S3?url=http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107100328 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=July 10, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Transportation==

] design, introduced in 1959, is the longest-running one in U.S. history.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Auto tag No. 6 likely to sell for $1 million |author=Harlow, Summer |journal=The News Journal |date=January 20, 2008 |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080120/NEWS/801200351&template=printart |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213454/http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20080120%2FNEWS%2F801200351&template=printart |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 23, 2015 }}</ref>]]

The transportation system in Delaware is under the governance and supervision of the ], also known as "DelDOT".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deldot.gov/index.shtml|title=State of Delaware Department of Transportation|access-date=June 30, 2006|publisher=State of Delaware|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701234021/http://www.deldot.gov/index.shtml|archive-date=July 1, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Staff (Delaware Department of Transportation Public Relations)|year=2005|title=Delaware Transportation Facts 2005|publisher=DelDOT Division of Planning|url=http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/fact_book/pdf/2005/2005_deldot_fact_book.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080909223639/http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/fact_book/pdf/2005/2005_deldot_fact_book.pdf|archive-date=September 9, 2008}}</ref> Funding for DelDOT projects is drawn, in part, from the Delaware Transportation Trust Fund, established in 1987 to help stabilize transportation funding; the availability of the Trust led to a gradual separation of DelDOT operations from other Delaware state operations.<ref name=montgomery2012nj>{{Cite news|last=Montgomery|first=Jeff|date=January 29, 2011|title=Crisis ahead on Delaware roads|newspaper=]|at=delawareonline|access-date=January 29, 2012|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120129/NEWS/201290341/-1/NLETTER01/Crisis-ahead-on-Delaware-roads|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609105718/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120129/NEWS/201290341/-1/NLETTER01/Crisis-ahead-on-Delaware-roads|archive-date=June 9, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> DelDOT manages programs such as a Delaware ] program, major road route snow removal, traffic control infrastructure (signs and signals), toll road management, Delaware ], the Delaware Transit Corporation (branded as "]", the state government public transportation organization), among others. In 2009, DelDOT maintained 13,507 lane-miles, totaling 89 percent of the state's public roadway system, the rest being under the supervision of individual municipalities. This far exceeds the national average (20 percent) for state department of transportation maintenance responsibility.<ref name=deldotfactbook>{{cite book |title=Delaware Transportation Facts |publisher=Delaware Department of Transportation |year=2009 |url=http://www.deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/fact_book/pdf/2009/2009_fact_book.pdf |access-date=April 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511185126/http://deldot.gov/information/pubs_forms/fact_book/pdf/2009/2009_fact_book.pdf |archive-date=May 11, 2012 }}</ref>

===Roads===

{{Further|Delaware State Route System}}
] (DE{{nbs}}1) is a partial ] linking ] and ].]]

One major branch of the U.S. ], ] (I-95), crosses Delaware southwest-to-northeast across New Castle County. In addition to I-95, there are six ] that serve Delaware: ], ], ], ], ], and ]. There are also several state highways that cross the state of Delaware; a few of them include ], ], and ]. U.S.{{nbs}}13 and DE{{nbs}}1 are primary north–south highways connecting Wilmington and Pennsylvania with Maryland, with DE{{nbs}}1 serving as the main route between Wilmington and the ]. DE{{nbs}}9 is a north–south highway connecting Dover and Wilmington via a scenic route along the ]. U.S.{{nbs}}40 is a primary east–west route, connecting Maryland with New Jersey. DE{{nbs}}404 is another primary east–west highway connecting the ] in Maryland with the Delaware beaches. The state also operates three toll highways, the Delaware Turnpike, which is I-95, between Maryland and New Castle; the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, which is DE{{nbs}}1, between Wilmington and Dover; and the U.S. 301 toll road between the Maryland border and DE{{nbs}}1 in New Castle County.

A bicycle route, ], spans the north–south length of the state from the Maryland border in ] to the Pennsylvania border north of ]. It is the first of several signed bike routes planned in Delaware.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/bike_and_ped/bike_facilities/pages/regional_routes.shtml|publisher=Delaware Department of Transportation|title=Projects: Delaware Bicycle Facility Master Plan|access-date=September 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918130554/https://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/bike_and_ped/bike_facilities/pages/regional_routes.shtml|archive-date=September 18, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Delaware has about 1,450 bridges, 95 percent of which are under the supervision of DelDOT. About 30 percent of all Delaware bridges were built before 1950, and about 60 percent of the number are included in the ]. Some bridges not under DelDOT supervision includes the four bridges on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which are under the jurisdiction of the ], and the ], which is under the bi-state ].{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}

It has been noted that the ] composition of secondary roads in Sussex County makes them more prone to ] than are the ] roadways in almost the rest of the state.<ref name=nj20110417>{{cite news |location=Wilmington, Delaware |title=Anything Once: On the road, taking plenty of pot shots |author=Justin Williams |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110417/NEWS02/304170008/-1/NLETTER01/On-the-road--taking-plenty-of-pot-shots |newspaper=News Journal |date=April 17, 2011 |at=DelawareOnline |access-date=April 17, 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Among these roads, Sussex (county road) 236 is among the most problematic.<ref name=nj20110417/>

===Ferries===

]

Three ferries operate in the state of Delaware:
* ] crosses the mouth of Delaware Bay between Lewes, Delaware, and ].
* ] (a ]) crosses the ] southwest of ].
* ] connects ] with ] and ], New Jersey.

===Rail and bus===

]

] has two stations in Delaware along the ]; the relatively quiet ] in Newark, and the busier ] in Wilmington. The Northeast Corridor is also served by ]'s ] of ], which serves ], Wilmington, ], and Newark.

Two ]s, ] and ], provide freight rail service in northern New Castle County. Norfolk Southern provides freight service along the Northeast Corridor and to industrial areas in ], ], and ]. CSX's ] passes through northern New Castle County parallel to the Amtrak Northeast Corridor. Multiple ]s provide freight service in Delaware. The ] operates the most trackage of the short-line railroads, running from an interchange with Norfolk Southern in ] south through ], ], and ] to ], with another line running from Harrington to ] and branches from ] to ] and from ] to ]. The Delmarva Central Railroad connects with the ], which serves local customers in Sussex County.<ref name=dcr>{{cite web|title=Delmarva Central Railroad|publisher=Carload Express|url=http://carloadexpress.com/railroads/delmarva-central-railroad/|access-date=March 27, 2017|date=November 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524215403/http://carloadexpress.com/railroads/delmarva-central-railroad/|archive-date=May 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> CSX connects with the freight/] operation, the ], based in Wilmington and the ], which operates a line from Wilmington to ].

The last north–south passenger trains through the main part of Delaware was the ]'s local Wilmington-Delmar train in 1965.<ref>Pennsylvania Railroad local division timetable, 1965</ref><ref>Freight only: {{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 155|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=99 |issue=7 |date=December 1966}}</ref> This was a successor to the '']'' and ''Cavalier'', which had run from Philadelphia through the state's interior, to the end of the Delmarva Peninsula until the mid-1950s.<ref>{{Citation |first = Christopher T |last = Baer |title = Named Trains of The PRR Including Through Services |year = 2009 |url = http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR%20NAMED%20TRAINS.pdf |publisher = PRRTHS |access-date = July 25, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131014024426/http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR%20NAMED%20TRAINS.pdf |archive-date = October 14, 2013 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>All named trains were gone by the end of 1957 {{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 65|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=90 |issue=7 |date=December 1957}}</ref>

The ] public transportation system was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" in 2003 by the ]. Coverage of the system is broad within northern New Castle County with close association to major highways in Kent and Sussex counties. The system includes bus, subsidized passenger rail operated by Philadelphia transit agency SEPTA, and subsidized taxi and ] modes. The paratransit system, consisting of a statewide door-to-door bus service for the elderly and disabled, has been described by a Delaware state report as "the most generous paratransit system in the United States".<ref name=montgomery2012nj/> {{As of|2012}}, fees for the paratransit service have not changed since 1988.<ref name=montgomery2012nj/>

===Air===

{{See also|Aviation in Delaware}}

{{As of|2016}}, there is no scheduled air service from any Delaware airport, as has been the case in various years since 1991. Various airlines had served ], the latest departure being ] in April 2015.<ref>See ] for history and details.</ref>

Delaware is centrally situated in the ] region of cities along ]. Therefore, Delaware ] passengers most frequently use ] (PHL), ] (BWI) and ] (IAD) for domestic and international transit. Residents of Sussex County will also use ] (SBY), as it is located less than {{convert|10|mi|km}} from the Delaware border. ] (ACY), ] (EWR), and ] (DCA) are also within a {{convert|100|mi|km|adj=on}} radius of New Castle County.


Other general aviation airports in Delaware include ] near ], ] near ], and ] near ]. Other general aviation airports in Delaware include ] near ], ] near ], and ] near ].

Revision as of 21:56, 23 March 2021

international Airport]] (PHL), Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for domestic and international transit. Residents of Sussex County will also use Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY), as it is located less than 10 miles (16 km) from the Delaware border. Atlantic City International Airport (ACY), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) are also within a 100-mile (160 km) radius of New Castle County.

Other general aviation airports in Delaware include Summit Airport near Middletown, Delaware Airpark near Cheswold, and Delaware Coastal Airport near Georgetown.

Dover Air Force Base, one of the largest in the country, is home to the 436th Airlift Wing and the 512th Airlift Wing. In addition to its other responsibilities in the Air Mobility Command, it serves as the entry point and mortuary for U.S. military personnel (and some civilians) who die overseas.

Law and government

Delaware's fourth and current constitution, adopted in 1897, provides for executive, judicial and legislative branches.

Legislative branch

The Delaware General Assembly meets in the Legislative Hall in Dover.

The Delaware General Assembly consists of a House of Representatives with 41 members and a Senate with 21 members. It sits in Dover, the state capital. Representatives are elected to two-year terms, while senators are elected to four-year terms. The Senate confirms judicial and other nominees appointed by the governor.

Delaware's U.S. Senators are Tom Carper (Democrat) and Chris Coons (Democrat). Delaware's single U.S. Representative is Lisa Blunt Rochester (Democrat).

Judicial branch

The Delaware Constitution establishes a number of courts:

Minor non-constitutional courts include the Justice of the Peace Courts and Aldermen's Courts.

Significantly, Delaware has one of the few remaining Courts of Chancery in the nation, which has jurisdiction over equity cases, the vast majority of which are corporate disputes, many relating to mergers and acquisitions. The Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court have developed a worldwide reputation for rendering concise opinions concerning corporate law which generally (but not always) grant broad discretion to corporate boards of directors and officers. In addition, the Delaware General Corporation Law, which forms the basis of the Courts' opinions, is widely regarded as giving great flexibility to corporations to manage their affairs. For these reasons, Delaware is considered to have the most business-friendly legal system in the United States; therefore a great number of companies are incorporated in Delaware, including 60% of the companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Delaware was the last U.S. state to use judicial corporal punishment, in 1952.

Executive branch

See also: List of Governors of Delaware

The executive branch is headed by the Governor of Delaware. The present governor is John Carney (Democrat), who took office January 17, 2017. The lieutenant governor is Bethany Hall-Long. The governor presents a "State of the State" speech to a joint session of the Delaware legislature annually.

Counties

Delaware is subdivided into three counties; from north to south they are New Castle, Kent and Sussex. This is the fewest among all states. Each county elects its own legislative body (known in New Castle and Sussex counties as County Council, and in Kent County as Levy Court), which deal primarily in zoning and development issues. Most functions which are handled on a county-by-county basis in other states—such as court and law enforcement—have been centralized in Delaware, leading to a significant concentration of power in the Delaware state government. The counties were historically divided into hundreds, which were used as tax reporting and voting districts until the 1960s, but now serve no administrative role, their only current official legal use being in real estate title descriptions.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Delaware
Joe Biden, first President from Delaware

The Democratic Party holds a plurality of registrations in Delaware. Until the 2000 presidential election, the state tended to be a Presidential bellwether, sending its three electoral votes to the winning candidate since 1952. This trend ended in 2000 when Delaware's electoral votes went to Al Gore by 13 percentage points. In 2004, John Kerry won Delaware by eight percentage points. In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama defeated Republican John McCain in Delaware by 25 percentage points. Obama's running mate was Joe Biden, who had represented Delaware in the United States Senate since 1973 and was later inaugurated President of the United States in 2021. Obama carried Delaware by 19 percentage points in 2012. In 2016, Delaware's electoral votes went to Hillary Clinton by 11 percentage points. In 2020, Democratic nominee, former vice president and Delaware resident Joe Biden beat incumbent President Donald Trump in the state by over 19 percentage points. Currently, Democrats hold all positions of authority in Delaware including Senate and House.

Delaware's swing to the Democrats is in part due to a strong Democratic trend in New Castle County, home to 55 percent of Delaware's population (the two smaller counties have only 359,000 people between them to New Castle County's 535,000). New Castle County has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1988. In 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2016, the Republican presidential candidate carried both Kent and Sussex but lost by double digits each time in New Castle County, which was a large enough margin to swing the state to the Democrats. New Castle County also elects a substantial majority of the legislature; 27 of the 41 state house districts and 14 of the 21 state senate districts are based in New Castle County.

The Democrats have held the governorship since 1993, having won the last seven gubernatorial elections in a row. Democrats presently hold all the nine statewide elected offices, while the Republicans last won two statewide offices in 2014, State Auditor and State Treasurer.

Freedom of information

See also: Freedom of information in the United States § State legislation

Each of the 50 states of the United States has passed some form of freedom of information legislation, which provides a mechanism for the general public to request information of the government. In 2011 Delaware passed legislation placing a 15 business day time limit on addressing freedom-of-information requests, to either produce information or an explanation of why such information would take longer than this time to produce.

Taxation

Tax is collected by the Delaware Division of Revenue.

Delaware has six different income tax brackets, ranging from 2.2% to 5.95%. The state does not assess sales tax on consumers. The state does, however, impose a tax on the gross receipts of most businesses. Business and occupational license tax rates range from 0.096% to 1.92%, depending on the category of business activity.

Delaware does not assess a state-level tax on real or personal property. Real estate is subject to county property taxes, school district property taxes, vocational school district taxes, and, if located within an incorporated area, municipal property taxes.

Gambling provides significant revenue to the state. For instance, the casino at Delaware Park Racetrack provided more than $100 million to the state in 2010.

In June 2018, Delaware became the first U.S. state to legalize sports betting following the Supreme Court ruling to repeal The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Voter registration

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Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2017
Party Number of voters Percentage
Democratic 330,631 47.38%
Republican 194,920 27.93%
Unaffiliated 159,625 22.88%
Independent Party of Delaware 5,597 0.80%
Libertarian 1,612 0.23%
Green 857 0.12%
Non-partisan 797 0.11%
American Delta Party 794 0.11%
Others 530 0.08%
Conservative 444 0.06%
American Independent Party 441 0.06%
Working Families Party 420 0.06%
Liberal 369 0.05%
Constitution 310 0.04%
Blue Enigma Party 145 0.04%
Socialist Workers Party 126 0.02%
Natural Law Party 85 0.01%
Constitution 66 0.01%
Total 697,769 100%

Municipalities

Further information: List of Delaware municipalities

Wilmington is the state's most populous city (70,635) and its economic hub. It is located within commuting distance of both Philadelphia and Baltimore. Dover is the state capital and the second most populous city (38,079).

Counties

Cities

Towns

Towns (cont.)

Villages

Unincorporated places
Dover
Newark
Seaford
Wilmington

The table below lists the ten largest municipalities in the state based on the 2018 United States Census Estimate.

Largest cities or towns in Delaware
2018 United States Census Bureau Estimate
Rank Name County Pop.
Dover
Dover 		1 Wilmington New Castle 70,635 Newark
Newark
Middletown
Middletown
2 Dover Kent 38,079
3 Newark New Castle 33,673
4 Middletown New Castle 22,582
5 Smyrna New Castle/Kent 11,580
6 Milford Sussex 11,353
7 Seaford Sussex 7,861
8 Georgetown Sussex 7,427
9 Elsmere New Castle 5,981
10 New Castle New Castle 5,529

Education

University of Delaware

In the early 1920s, Pierre S. du Pont served as president of the state board of education. At the time, state law prohibited money raised from white taxpayers from being used to support the state's schools for black children. Appalled by the condition of the black schools, du Pont donated four million dollars to construct 86 new school buildings.

Delaware was the origin of Belton v. Gebhart (1952), one of the four cases which were combined into Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court of the United States decision that led to the end of officially segregated public schools. Significantly, Belton was the only case in which the state court found for the plaintiffs, thereby ruling that segregation is unconstitutional.

Unlike many states, Delaware's educational system is centralized in a state Superintendent of Education, with local school boards retaining control over taxation and some curriculum decisions. This centralized system, combined with the small size of the state, likely contributed to Delaware becoming the first state, after completion of a three-year, $30 million program ending in 1999, to wire every K-12 classroom in the state to the Internet.

As of 2011, the Delaware Department of Education had authorized the founding of 25 charter schools in the state, one of them being all-girls.

All teachers in the State's public school districts are unionized. As of January 2012, none of the State's charter schools are members of a teachers union. One of the State's teachers' unions is Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), whose President as of January 2012 is Frederika Jenner.

Colleges and universities

Sister state

Delaware's sister state in Japan is Miyagi Prefecture.

Media

Newspapers

Two daily newspapers are based in Delaware, the Delaware State News, based in Dover and covering the two southern counties, and The News Journal covering Wilmington and northern Delaware. The state is also served by several weekly, monthly and online publications.

Television

No standalone television stations are based solely in Delaware. The northern part of the state is served by network stations in Philadelphia and the southern part by network stations in Salisbury, Maryland. Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, WPVI-TV, maintains a news bureau in downtown Wilmington. Salisbury's CBS affiliate, WBOC-TV, maintains bureaus in Dover and Milton. Three Philadelphia-market stations—PBS member WHYY-TV, Ion affiliate WPPX, and MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV—all have Wilmington as their city of license, but maintain transmitters at the market antenna farm in Roxborough and do not produce any Delaware-centric programming.

Radio

Main Article: List of radio stations in Delaware

There are a numerous radio stations licensed in Delaware. WDEL 1150AM, WHGE-LP 95.3 FM, WILM 1450 AM, WJBR-FM 99.5, WMPH 91.7 FM, WSTW 93.7 FM, WTMC 1380 AM and WWTX 1290AM are licensed from Wilmington. WRDX 92.9 FM is licensed from Smyrna. WDOV 1410AM, WDSD 94.7 FM and WRTX 91.7 FM are licensed from Dover.

Tourism

Rehoboth Beach is a popular vacation spot during the summer months.
Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island is a popular spot during the spring and summer. A ferry takes visitors to the fort from nearby Delaware City.

Delaware is home to First State National Historical Park, a National Park Service unit composed of historic sites across the state including the New Castle Court House, Green, and Sheriff's House, Dover Green, Beaver Valley, Fort Christina, Old Swedes' Church, John Dickinson Plantation, and the Ryves Holt House. Delaware has several museums, wildlife refuges, parks, houses, lighthouses, and other historic places.

Rehoboth Beach, together with the towns of Lewes, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island, comprise Delaware's beach resorts. Rehoboth Beach often bills itself as "The Nation's Summer Capital" because it is a frequent summer vacation destination for Washington, D.C., residents as well as visitors from Maryland, Virginia, and in lesser numbers, Pennsylvania. Vacationers are drawn for many reasons, including the town's charm, artistic appeal, nightlife, and tax-free shopping. According to SeaGrant Delaware, the Delaware beaches generate $6.9 billion annually and over $711 million in tax revenue.

Delaware is home to several festivals, fairs, and events. Some of the more notable festivals are the Riverfest held in Seaford, the World Championship Punkin Chunkin formerly held at various locations throughout the state since 1986, the Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral to mark the end of summer, the Apple Scrapple Festival held in Bridgeville, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Wilmington, the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, the Sea Witch Halloween Festival and Parade in Rehoboth Beach, the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival, the Nanticoke Indian Pow Wow in Oak Orchard, Firefly Music Festival, and the Return Day Parade held after every election in Georgetown.

In 2015, tourism in Delaware generated $3.1 billion, which makes up five percent of the state's GDP. Delaware saw 8.5 million visitors in 2015, with the tourism industry employing 41,730 people, making it the 4th largest private employer in the state. Major origin markets for Delaware tourists include Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg, with 97% of tourists arriving to the state by car and 75% of tourists coming from a distance of 200 miles (320 km) or less.

Delaware is also home to two large sporting venues. Dover International Speedway is a race track in Dover, and Frawley Stadium in Wilmington is the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks, a Minor League Baseball team.

Culture and entertainment

Festivals

Main article: Delaware festivals

Sports

Professional teams
Team Sport League
Delaware Black Foxes Rugby USA Rugby League
Delaware Blue Coats Basketball NBA G League
Delaware Thunder Hockey Federal Prospects Hockey League
Diamond State Roller Girls Roller derby Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Wilmington Blue Rocks Baseball Carolina League
NASCAR racing at Dover International Speedway

As Delaware has no franchises in the major American professional sports leagues, many Delawareans follow either Philadelphia or Baltimore teams. In the WNBA, the Washington Mystics enjoy a major following due to the presence of Wilmington native and University of Delaware product Elena Delle Donne. The University of Delaware's football team has a large following throughout the state, with the Delaware State University and Wesley College teams also enjoying a smaller degree of support.

Delaware is home to Dover International Speedway and Dover Downs. DIS, also known as the Monster Mile, is one of only 10 tracks in the nation to have hosted 100 or more NASCAR Cup Series races. Dover Downs is a popular harness racing facility. It is the only co-located horse- and car-racing facility in the nation, with the Dover Downs track located inside the DIS track.

Delaware is represented in rugby by the Delaware Black Foxes, a 2015 expansion club.

Delaware has been home to professional wrestling outfit Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). CZW has been affiliated with the annual Tournament of Death and ECWA with its annual Super 8 Tournament.

Delaware's official state sport is bicycling.

Delaware Native Americans

Delaware is also the name of a Native American group (called in their own language Lenni Lenape) which was influential in the colonial period of the United States and is today headquartered in Cheswold, Kent County, Delaware. A band of the Nanticoke tribe of American Indians today resides in Sussex County and is headquartered in Millsboro, Sussex County, Delaware.

Namesakes

Several ships have been named USS Delaware in honor of this state.

Delawareans

Main article: List of people from Delaware

Prominent Delawareans include the du Pont family of politicians and businesspersons and the Biden family among whom Joe Biden is notable as the 46th President of the United States.

See also

Notes

References

  1. "The Delaware Constitution of 1897 as amended". State of Delaware. Archived from the original on September 8, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  2. "About Agency". Delaware Division of Corporations. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2008.
  3. Pleck, Elizabeth Hefkin (2004). Domestic tyranny: the making of American social policy against family. University of Illinois Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-252-07175-1. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  4. "Delaware House of Representatives Minority Caucus". 2010. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2001.
  5. "The Hundreds of Delaware". Department of State: Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs. Delaware State Archives. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  6. "Delaware Election Results". November 3, 2020 – via NYTimes.com.
  7. "State Public Record Laws". FOIAdvocates.
  8. Bennett, Rep.; Peterson, Sen.; Katz, Sen. (January 6, 2011), "An Act to Amend Title 29 of the Delaware Code Relating to the Freedom of Information Act", Delaware Code, vol. 78 (online ed.) (published April 15, 2011), 10, House Bill # 5, archived from the original on October 2, 2011, retrieved April 22, 2011
  9. "Division of Revenue—Department of Finance—State of Delaware". Division of Revenue—State of Delaware.
  10. Barrish, Chris (April 23, 2011). "Delaware crime: Wave of brazen attacks sounds alarm at casino". Delaware Online. Wilmington, DE. 1st page of online article archived via link provided. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  11. "Delaware becomes the first state to legalise sports betting". June 2, 2018. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "US Quick Facts". census.gov. Archived from the original on March 2, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  14. Okrent, Daniel (2010). Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Scribner. loc 5645(Kindle). ISBN 978-0743277020.
  15. Millard, Sandra K. (October 29, 1999). University of Delaware Library / Statewide K–12 Partnership Providing Online Resources and Training: UDLib/SEARCH. EDUCAUSE '99. Long Beach, CA – via Internet Archive.
  16. Dobo, Nichole (June 12, 2011). "Delaware schools: Checkered past goes unchecked". The News Journal. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  17. ^ Dobo, Nichole (2012). "Charter votes to join union". The News Journal (published Jan 19, 2012). delawareonline. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  18. McDowell; Sen. McBride; Rep. George (March 22, 2011). "Mourning Those Lost in the Recent Earthquake and Related Disasters that have Befallen Japan, and Expressing the Thoughts and Prayers of All Delawareans for the Citizens of Our Sister State of Miyagi Prefecture During These Difficult Times" (published March 23, 2011). Senate Joint Resolution # 3. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  19. "First State National Historical Park-Frequently Asked Questions". National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  20. "The Contribution of The Coastal Economy to the State of Delaware". SeaGrant Delaware. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  21. "The Value of Tourism 2015" (PDF). Visit Delaware. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  22. "An Act to Amend Title 29 of the Delaware Code Relating to the Designation of a State Sport". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.

Bibliography

  • Kolchin, Peter (1994), American Slavery: 1619–1877, New York: Hill & Wang

External links

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