Milford, Delaware

Last updated

Milford, Delaware
City
Walnut Street NB at Park Avenue Milford DE.jpeg
Walnut Street in Milford in 2020
Milford, DE Flag.gif
Flag
Milford, DE Logo.png
Logo
Kent County and Sussex County Delaware Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Milford Highlighted 1047420.svg
Location of Milford in Kent County and Sussex County, Delaware.
USA Delaware location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Milford
Location within the state of Delaware
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Milford
Milford (the United States)
Coordinates: 38°54′45″N75°25′41″W / 38.91250°N 75.42806°W / 38.91250; -75.42806
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Delaware.svg  Delaware
County Kent, Sussex
Settled1680
IncorporatedFebruary 5, 1807
Government
 • Type Council-manager government
 • MayorArchie Campbell
 • City ManagerMark Whitfield
Area
[1]
 • Total9.94 sq mi (25.75 km2)
 • Land9.85 sq mi (25.52 km2)
 • Water0.09 sq mi (0.23 km2)
Elevation
[2]
13 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total11,190
 • Density1,135.58/sq mi (438.47/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
19963
Area code 302
FIPS code 10-47420
GNIS feature ID214308 [2]
Website www.cityofmilford.com

Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city. [3]

Contents

The Kent County portion of Milford is part of the Dover, DE Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area, [4] while the Sussex County portion is part of the Salisbury, MD-DE Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Kent County side of Milford was first settled in 1680 by Henry Bowan on what was known as the Saw Mill Range. A century later the Reverend Sydenham Thorne built a dam across the Mispillion River to generate power for his gristmill and sawmill. Around the same time, Joseph Oliver laid out the first city streets and plots nearby on a part of his plantation. Soon a number of homes and businesses appeared along Front Street. The city was incorporated February 5, 1807. [5]

In the 1770s, a ship building industry was already flourishing on the Mispillion River. Shipbuilding continued to be the major industry of Milford through World War I, bringing considerable prosperity to the town. The high point came in 1917 when the four-masted, 174-foot (53 m) long Albert F. Paul was launched from the William G. Abbott shipyard. At one point six shipyards were operating in the downtown area. When the last of the area's giant white oaks was cut in the 1920s, the shipyards quickly went out of business, although the Mispillion ships sailed on for many years. (The Paul was sunk by a German torpedo in 1942 while sailing from the Bahamas.) The Vineyard shipyard was called into service in both World War I and II to build submarine chasers. [5]

During much of the twentieth century Milford served primarily as the commercial center for much of southern Delaware's large agricultural community. [5]

Seven of Delaware's governors have come from Milford: Daniel Rogers (who served 1797–99), Joseph Haslet (1811–14), William Tharp (1847–1851), Peter F. Causey (1855–59), William Burton (1859–63), William T. Watson (1895–97), and Ruth Ann Minner (2001–09). [5]

Abbott's Mill, Bank House, Carlisle House, Christ Church, Dr. Dawson House, Draper House, Egglinton Hall, Golden Mine, Grier House, Peter Lofland House, James McColley House, Milford New Century Club, Milford Railroad Station, Milford Shipyard Area Historic District, Mill House, Mispillion Lighthouse and Beacon Tower, North Milford Historic District, Old Fire House, Parson Thorne Mansion, South Milford Historic District Walnut Farm, Gov. William T. Watson Mansion, and J. H. Wilkerson & Son Brickworks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [6]

On Friday, May 30, 2003 at approximately 3:00 p.m. a fire started in a second floor apartment next to Wiley Hardware & Appliance on Walnut Street in the historic downtown section of Milford. More than 200 firefighters from Milford, Ellendale, Harrington, Felton, Dover, Smyrna, Houston, Frederica, Slaughter Beach, Bowers Beach, Greenwood, South Bowers, Farmington, Magnolia, Cheswold, Lewes, Georgetown, and Bridgeville in Delaware and Greensboro and Goldsboro in Maryland fought the blaze which destroyed seven businesses, a church, and three apartments, destroying an entire city block in the historic section of town. No one was killed in the blaze, but one civilian and six firefighters were injured. [7]

Geography and climate

Milford is located at 38°54′45″N75°25′41″W / 38.91250°N 75.42806°W / 38.91250; -75.42806 (38.9126129, −75.4279748), [8] along the Mispillion River, which runs through the city. [9]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.87 square miles (25.6 km2).

Climate data for Milford, Delaware
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)79
(26)		78
(26)		90
(32)		97
(36)		99
(37)		102
(39)		106
(41)		103
(39)		99
(37)		95
(35)		86
(30)		76
(24)		106
(41)
Average high °F (°C)43
(6)		45
(7)		54
(12)		64
(18)		73
(23)		82
(28)		87
(31)		85
(29)		78
(26)		68
(20)		58
(14)		48
(9)		65
(19)
Average low °F (°C)24
(−4)		25
(−4)		33
(1)		42
(6)		52
(11)		62
(17)		67
(19)		65
(18)		57
(14)		46
(8)		36
(2)		29
(−2)		45
(7)
Record low °F (°C)−11
(−24)		−11
(−24)		4
(−16)		16
(−9)		28
(−2)		36
(2)		39
(4)		43
(6)		34
(1)		19
(−7)		9
(−13)		−2
(−19)		−11
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm)4.08
(104)		3.30
(84)		4.51
(115)		3.50
(89)		4.03
(102)		3.31
(84)		3.69
(94)		4.61
(117)		4.08
(104)		3.48
(88)		3.32
(84)		3.59
(91)		45.50
(1,156)
Average snowfall inches (cm)3.9
(9.9)		5.4
(14)		0.9
(2.3)		0.1
(0.25)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0
(0)		0.2
(0.51)		1.5
(3.8)		12
(30.76)
Source: [10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860 1,178—
1870 1,150−2.4%
1880 1,2407.8%
1890 2,555106.0%
1900 2,500−2.2%
1910 2,6034.1%
1920 2,7033.8%
1930 3,71937.6%
1940 4,21413.3%
1950 5,17922.9%
1960 5,79511.9%
1970 5,314−8.3%
1980 5,3661.0%
1990 6,04012.6%
2000 6,73211.5%
2010 9,55942.0%
2020 11,19017.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

As of the 2020 census, [3] there were 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 44.3% from 18 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older.

The racial makeup of the city was 62% White, 26% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, and 4.5% from 2 or more races.

The median household income according to the 2020 census is $47,824. 14.1% of families are below poverty level, which is slightly higher than the national average of 11.4%, and higher than the Kent County and Sussex County average of 13% and 11% respectively.

Education

Milford School District operates public schools. [12] [13]

Infrastructure

Transportation

DE 1 northbound on the south side of Milford 2022-07-14 15 38 10 View north along Delaware State Route 1 (Coastal Highway) from the overpass for northbound Delaware State Route 1 Business (Rehoboth Boulevard) in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware.jpg
DE 1 northbound on the south side of Milford

Milford is served by several state roads connecting it to other points in Delaware. Delaware Route 1 bypasses Milford to the east along the Milford Bypass and heads north to Dover and southeast to the Delaware Beaches. A business route of DE 1, Delaware Route 1 Business, passes through the city along Rehoboth Boulevard and North Walnut Street. U.S. Route 113 begins at DE 1 at the north end of the Milford and heads south through the city on Dupont Boulevard, continuing south to Georgetown. Delaware Route 14 runs east–west through the city on Northwest Front Street and Northeast Front Street, heading west to Harrington and east to its terminus at the DE 1 bypass. Delaware Route 36 runs east–west through the city on Lakeview Avenue, Causey Avenue, and Southeast Front Street, heading southwest to Greenwood and east to Slaughter Beach. Delaware Route 15 begins at DE 14 west of Milford and heads northwest to Canterbury. Delaware Route 30 begins at DE 1 and DE 1 Business southeast of Milford and heads south toward Milton and Millsboro. [14] DART First State provides bus service to Milford along Route 210, which runs through the city between the Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus and the Walmart in the northern part of Milford; Route 303, which runs north to Dover and south to Georgetown; and Route 307, which runs north to Dover and south to Lewes. [15] The Indian River Subdivision line of the Delmarva Central Railroad passes through Milford. [16]

Utilities

The City of Milford provides electricity to the city, operating a substation and over 100 miles (160 km) of overhead lines and over 50 miles (80 km) of underground lines. [17] The city's electric department is a member of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) and purchases its power from the PJM Power Grid. The City of Milford serves about 6,500 customers. [18] The Public Works department provides water, sewer, trash and recycling collection to Milford. [19] [20] Natural gas service in Milford is provided by Chesapeake Utilities. [21]

Milford is home to the Milford Solar Farm, a 15 MW, 80 acre solar power farm owned by the Public Service Enterprise Group and is the largest solar power farm in Delaware. DEMEC purchases the power generated from the solar farm. [22]

Health care

Bayhealth Medical Center operates the Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus in Milford. [23] The hospital offers various inpatient services include a birthing room and cardiovascular and cancer services. The Sussex Campus also offers numerous outpatient services, patient and family support services, community outreach, and imaging services. The hospital has a 24-hour emergency room with a Level III trauma center. [24] [25] On May 27, 2016, Bayhealth Medical Center broke ground on the Bayhealth Sussex Campus to replace the former Milford Memorial Hospital. The six-story hospital cost between $275 million and $300 million to build. [26] Bayhealth Sussex Campus opened on February 5, 2019. [27] Milford Memorial Hospital will be converted by Nationwide Health Services into a multi-use healthcare-focused community that would include a nursing home. [28]

A pedestrian boardwalk parallels the Mispillion River in Milford Mispillion River Milford.jpg
A pedestrian boardwalk parallels the Mispillion River in Milford
Walnut Street in Milford in 2006 Milford Delaware.jpg
Walnut Street in Milford in 2006

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dover, Delaware</span> Capital city of Delaware, United States

Dover is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County and the principal city of the Dover metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Kent County and is part of the Philadelphia–Wilmington–Camden, PA–NJ–DE–MD, combined statistical area. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware River coastal plain. It was named by William Penn for Dover in Kent, England. As of 2020, its population was 39,403.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent County, Delaware</span> County in Delaware, United States

Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851, making it the least populous county in Delaware. The county seat is Dover, the state capital of Delaware. It is named for Kent, an English county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sussex County, Delaware</span> County in Delaware, United States

Sussex County is located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware, on the Delmarva Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 237,378, making it the state's second most populated county only behind New Castle and ahead of Kent. The county seat is Georgetown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camden, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Camden is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,715 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Clayton is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. Located almost entirely in Kent County, it is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,918 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felton, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Felton is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. The population was 1,568 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederica, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Frederica is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,073 in 2020. ILC Dover, the company which manufactured the spacesuits for the Apollo and Skylab astronauts of the 1960s and 1970s, along with fabricating the suit component of the Space Shuttle's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), is located nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Houston is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan area. The population was 381 in 2020. It was named for John W. Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenton, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Kenton is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. The population was 215 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnolia, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Magnolia is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. Recent estimates put the population at around 235, however, the population was 277 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smyrna, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Smyrna is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, the population of the town is 12,883.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodside, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Woodside is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 190 in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellendale, Delaware</span> Town in Delaware, United States

Ellendale is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 487 at the 2020 census, an increase of 27.8% since the 2010 census, and a 48.9% increase since the year 2000. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ellendale is the "Gateway to Delaware's Resort Beaches" because it is the town located on U.S. Route 113, the resort area's westernmost border, and Delaware Route 16, the resort area's northernmost border with the eastern border being the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean and the southern border being the state line with Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown, Delaware</span> Town and county seat in Delaware, US

Georgetown is a town and the county seat of Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 113</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 113 (US 113) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The route runs 74.75 miles (120.30 km) from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland, north to Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) in Milford, Delaware. In conjunction with DE 1, US 113 is one of two major north–south highways on the Delmarva Peninsula that connect Dover with Pocomoke City and the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The U.S. Highway is the primary north–south highway in Worcester County, Maryland, where it connects Pocomoke City with Snow Hill and Berlin. US 113 is one of three major north–south highways in Sussex County, Delaware, where it connects Selbyville, Millsboro, and Georgetown with Milford. While US 113 does not pass through Ocean City or the Delaware Beaches, the U.S. Highway intersects several highways that serve the Atlantic seaboard resorts, including US 50, Maryland Route 90 (MD 90), US 9, DE 404, DE 16, and DE 1. US 113 is a four-lane divided highway for its whole length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Route 14</span> State highway in Kent County, Delaware, United States

Delaware Route 14 (DE 14) is a state highway in the southern part of Kent County, Delaware. The route runs from the Maryland state line near Burrsville, Maryland, where the road continues as Maryland Route 317 (MD 317), east to DE 1 in Milford. The route passes through Harrington, where it intersects U.S. Route 13 (US 13), and heads to the north of Houston before coming to Milford, where it intersects DE 15, US 113, and DE 1 Business. DE 14 has a truck bypass of Harrington known as DE 14 Truck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Route 36</span> State highway in Sussex County, Delaware, United States

Delaware Route 36 (DE 36) is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. It runs in a generally northeast–southwest direction from DE 404 in Scotts Corner east to Slaughter Beach, a town along the Delaware Bay. The road runs through the northern portion of Sussex County, passing through rural areas along with Greenwood and Milford. The route intersects DE 16 and U.S. Route 13 (US 13) in Greenwood and US 113, DE 1 Business, and DE 1 in Milford. DE 36 was built as a state highway in stages during the 1920s and 1930s. The road was designated by 1938 from DE 16 east of Greenwood east to Fort Saulsbury and was extended west to DE 404 by 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Route 30</span> State highway in Sussex County, Delaware, United States

Delaware Route 30 (DE 30) is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from an intersection with DE 24 in Millsboro north to DE 1 Business in Milford near the area of Lincoln and Cedar Creek. Along the way, DE 30 intersects U.S. Route 9 (US 9)/DE 404 in Gravel Hill, DE 16 west of Milton, and DE 1 at an interchange in Milford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayhealth Medical Center</span> Hospital in Delaware, United States

Bayhealth Medical Center is a healthcare system serving the central and southern portion of Delaware in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Milford, Delaware
  3. 1 2 "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Kent County, Delaware; Sussex County, Delaware; Milford city, Delaware; United States". Census.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget . Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2013– via National Archives.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 "History of Milford, Delaware". cityofmilford.com. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  6. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ↑ "Fire Hits Block In Historic Milford, Delaware". Firehouse. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  8. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  9. ↑ DeLorme (2004). Maryland Delaware Atlas & Gazetteer. p. 52. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN   0-89933-279-X.
  10. ↑ "Milford, DE Monthly Weather Averages" . Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  11. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  13. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sussex County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  14. ↑ Delaware Department of Transportation (2008). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
  15. ↑ "Routes and Schedules". DART First State. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Delmarva Central Railroad". Carload Express. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  17. ↑ "Electric Utility Service - About Our System". City of Milford. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  18. ↑ "Electric Utility Service". City of Milford. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Trash Collection". City of Milford. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Recycling Collection". City of Milford. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  21. ↑ "Delmarva Service Territory". Chesapeake Utilities. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Governor Markell helps dedicate PSEG Milford Solar Farm" (Press release). Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. April 17, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Locations & Contact". Bayhealth. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Bayhealth Medical Center Stats & Services". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Emergency Care". Bayhealth. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  26. ↑ Rini, Jen (May 27, 2016). "Bayhealth breaks ground on Milford campus". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  27. ↑ Bavaro, Angelo (February 5, 2019). "Bayhealth Hospital Sussex Campus opens". Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Re-imagining Clarke Avenue". Bayhealth. Retrieved August 8, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Milford, Delaware at Wikimedia Commons

The End

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.