Delaware Bicycle Route 1

Delaware Bicycle Route 1
Length	150 mi (240 km)
South end	Maryland border in Fenwick Island
North end	BicyclePA Route L at Pennsylvania border near Montchanin ;

Last updated July 24, 2024

Delaware Bicycle Route 1 (Bike Route 1) is a bicycle route that runs the north-south length of the U.S. state of Delaware, from the Maryland border in Fenwick Island, Sussex County north to the Pennsylvania border near Montchanin, New Castle County. The route passes through many Delaware scenes, including beaches, farmland, state parks, and towns. The route is the first of many signed bike routes planned in the state.^[2]

Route description

Sussex County

Bike Route 1 begins at the Maryland border in the beach town of Fenwick Island. The route heads north on Delaware Route 1, the Coastal Highway. It passes through the town and then proceeds north, passing through Fenwick Island State Park, one of three Delaware state parks located on the Atlantic Ocean. The bike route then passes through the residential South Bethany and the more commercial Bethany Beach. These resorts, along with Fenwick Island, make up "The Quiet Resorts" of Delaware.

From Bethany Beach, the bike route continues north on Delaware Route 1, passing through the Sussex Shores area before entering Delaware Seashore State Park, a state park located on an isthmus with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Rehoboth Bay and the Indian River Bay to the west. The state park stretches between Sussex Shores to the south and Dewey Beach to the north. Within the park, the bike route crosses the Indian River Inlet on the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

Bike Route 1 then proceeds into Dewey Beach, a beach that is well known as a party town. The route continues north on Delaware Route 1, skirting the popular beach resort of Rehoboth Beach to the west. The route passes by the Tanger Outlets Rehoboth Beach outlet mall and other commercial sprawl located on DE 1 outside of Rehoboth Beach.

In Midway, the bike route separates from Delaware Route 1 by heading south on Old Landing Road and west on Warrington Road. At the intersection of Delaware Route 24, the bike route continues straight on Plantation Road (Delaware Route 1D), passing through housing developments that have sprouted throughout the coastal areas of Delaware. The bike route follows Plantation Road to the Five Points intersection where it turns south on Delaware Route 23. The bike route follows DE 23 to the intersection with Dairy Farm Road, where it turns to the northwest to intersect with U.S. Route 9.

Bike Route 1 continues north of US 9 on Sweetbriar Road to Cave Neck Road, where it veers to the northwest on Cave Neck Road. The bike route enters a more rural, agricultural setting as it heads toward the historical shipbuilding town of Milton. Once the bike route reaches Milton, it heads north through the town on Union Street (Delaware Route 5). North of Milton, the route proceeds north on Cedar Creek Road.

The bike route follows Cedar Creek Road through the farmland of northeastern Sussex County, eventually merging with Delaware Route 30. The bike route follows DE 30 to Johnson Road, which it turns west on, passing through the community of Lincoln. The route follows Fitzgeralds Road west upon crossing U.S. Route 113. It then winds to the northwest on Rust Road and Union Church Road before reaching Abbotts Pond Road. It follows Abbotts Pond Road to the west, passing by the Abbotts Pond Nature Preserve.

Kent County

Bike Route 1 then crosses a branch of the Mispillion River into Kent County, where it heads to the community of Williamsville. In Williamsville, the bike route turns to the north onto Deep Grass Lane. The route passes through the town of Houston and then crosses Delaware Route 14, where it heads north on Killens Pond Road.

The bike route follows Killens Pond Road north toward Killens Pond State Park and then angles west, running along the north boundary of the park. This segment of the route features a bike path separate from the roadway, paralleling it to the south. The bike route follows this path to the intersection with U.S. Route 13. It then heads west on Reeves Crossing Road before turning north on Little Mastens Corner Road.

The route follows Little Mastens Corner Road to the town of Felton, where it follows Main Street (Delaware Route 12) east for a brief distance before turning north on Church Street, which becomes Turkey Point Road. It heads north on Turkey Point Road, paralleling a Delmarva Central Railroad line, and passes through Viola before reaching the town of Woodside. In Woodside, the route follows Main Street (Delaware Route 10 Alternate/Delaware Route 15) west to Dundee Road (Delaware Route 15) north.

Bike Route 1 follows Delaware Route 15 north through countryside before reaching the town of Wyoming, passing through the core of the town on Railroad Avenue West. The route remains with DE 15 north of Wyoming, following Wyoming Mill Road, which features designated shoulders for bicycles. The bike route meets the western outskirts of the Delaware state capital, Dover. It proceeds east on Hazlettville Road before heading north on Saulsbury Road (Delaware Route 15), which changes names to McKee Road at the intersection with Walker Road.^[3]

It follows McKee Road north out of Dover and into the town of Cheswold. The route then heads to the north out of Cheswold on Moorton Road. The route loops to the west before turning north on Brenford Road and then veering to the northwest on Hillyard Road. Bike Route 1 then heads north on Wheatleys Pond Road (Delaware Route 300) toward the town of Clayton. In Clayton, the bike route heads west on School Lane and briefly west on Main Street (Delaware Route 6) before heading to the north on West Duck Creek Road (Delaware Route 15).

New Castle County

The route enters New Castle County, heading north on Clayton Greenspring Road. It crosses a Delmarva Central Railroad line before resuming north on Blackbird Greenspring Road and it enters the Blackbird State Forest. It heads toward the community of Blackbird, passing to the east of Blackbird Pond, and heads to the west on Blackbird Station Road.

Bike Route 1 follows Blackbird Station Road west before heading northwest on Grears Corner Road and then to the northeast on Dexter Corner Road. The route then reaches the town of Townsend, passing through the town on Commerce Street and Railroad Avenue. It then heads to the northwest on Wiggins Mill Road, passing by Wiggins Mill Pond. The route then runs east on St. Annes Church Road to Delaware Route 71.

It then heads north on Delaware Route 71 into Middletown, running along South Broad Street. In the center of town, the route heads west on West Main Street (Delaware Route 299). At the intersection with Middletown Warwick Road, Bike Route 1 swings to the north on Bunker Hill Road (Delaware Route 15). It follows the DE 15 routing north to Summit Bridge, where the bike route crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on the Summit Bridge.

North of the Summit Bridge, the bike route follows Delaware Route 896 north to Howell School Road. It then turns east on Howell School Road, running along the northern boundary of Lums Pond State Park. The bike route then heads north on Woods Road and then east on Porter Road, entering a more suburban setting.

The bike route follows Porter Road east to Delaware Route 72, where Porter Road veers to the north, passing a railroad junction. It then crosses U.S. Route 40 where the bike route resumes to the north on Salem Church Road. Salem Church Road carries Bike Route 1 north across Interstate 95. It then turns east on Chapman Road for a brief distance before passing through the Sherwood Forest neighborhood on East Regal Boulevard and South Brownleaf Road. It then crosses Delaware Route 273 and proceeds through the Hillside Heights neighborhood on North Brownleaf Road. The bike route then heads north on South Harmony Road.

Bike Route 1 follows Harmony Road across Delaware Route 4, where it also crosses the East Coast Greenway, and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It then heads west on Ruthar Drive, passing through an industrial park. The route heads north on Red Mill Road, which becomes Polly Drummond Hill Road at the intersection with the Capitol Trail (Delaware Route 2). The bike route then follows New Linden Hill to the northeast toward the Pike Creek area. It then turns to the north onto Skyline Drive and then crosses Delaware Route 7, proceeding to the northeast on Stoney Batter Road.

The bike route then winds north through residential neighborhoods on Middleton Drive and Village Drive. It then turns east on Mendenhall Mill Road before heading north on Mill Creek Road. It follows Mill Creek Road north, paralleling the Mill Creek, to Hockessin. The bike route heads off to the northeast of Hockessin on Yorklyn Road to the community of Yorklyn. In Yorklyn, the bike route turns south on Delaware Route 82, paralleling the Red Clay Creek and the Wilmington and Western Railroad tourist line and then heading east across the Hoopes Reservoir.

At the intersection with Delaware Route 52, the bike route continues to the east on Kirk Road. It then turns north on Delaware Route 100, passing by the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library (the former home of Henry Francis du Pont) and the Brandywine Creek State Park. Bike Route 1 follows DE 100 north to the Pennsylvania border. At the Pennsylvania border, it connects with BicyclePA Route L, which heads north through the state of Pennsylvania.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 32</span> State highway in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 44</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 44 is a 149.24 mi (240.18 km)-long state highway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route, which is signed north-south, is designated from Interstate 80 (I-80) and PA 42 in Buckhorn northwest to the New York state line near New York State Route 417 in Ceres Township.

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Delaware Route 9 (DE 9) is a 57.83-mile (93.07 km) state highway that runs from DE 1 near Dover Air Force Base in Kent County north to DE 2 in the city of Wilmington in New Castle County. DE 9 is a designated scenic highway known as the Delaware Bayshore Byway south of New Castle, running through mostly rural areas to the west of the Delaware Bay and the Delaware River as a two-lane undivided road. Between New Castle and Wilmington, DE 9 is a four-lane road that runs through urban and suburban areas. DE 9 passes through several cities and towns including Little Creek, Leipsic, Port Penn, Delaware City, and New Castle. DE 9 has an auxiliary route, DE 9A, that provides access to the Port of Wilmington. In addition, it has a truck route, DE 9 Truck, located to the south of New Castle.

Delaware Route 1A (DE 1A) is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route, which is signed north-south, runs 2.01 mi (3.23 km) from DE 1 in the town of Dewey Beach north to another intersection with DE 1 west of the city of Rehoboth Beach. The route provides access to Rehoboth Beach from DE 1, heading north before turning to the west. DE 1A follows King Charles Avenue, Bayard Avenue, 2nd Street (southbound), Christian Street (northbound), and Rehoboth Avenue.

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.

Delaware Route 24 (DE 24) is a state highway located in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from Maryland Route 348 (MD 348) at the Maryland border east of Sharptown, Maryland, east to an intersection with DE 1 in Midway, between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. Along the way, DE 24 passes through Laurel, Millsboro, and Long Neck. DE 24 intersects U.S. Route 13 (US 13) in Laurel, US 113/DE 20 and DE 30 in Millsboro, and DE 5 and DE 23 in Long Neck. DE 24 features an alternate route, DE 24 Alternate, that runs to the north of the route from US 113 in Stockley to DE 24 near Midway. DE 24 was built as a state highway throughout the 1920s, with completion of the entire route by 1931. DE 24 was assigned onto its current alignment by 1936. DE 24 Alt. was designated by 2006.

Delaware Route 26 (DE 26) is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route's western terminus is at an intersection with Maryland Route 353 (MD 353) and DE/MD 54 at the Maryland border south of Gumboro and its eastern terminus is at a dead end on the Atlantic Ocean in Bethany Beach, even though signage ends at the DE 1 intersection. The route passes through rural areas of southeastern Sussex County along with the communities of Dagsboro, Millville, Ocean View and Bethany Beach. DE 26 intersects DE 54 in the Gumboro area, U.S. Route 113 (US 113) and DE 20 in Dagsboro, and DE 17 west of Millville. The road was built as a state highway in various stages during the 1920s and 1930s. By 1936, DE 26 was assigned onto its current alignment.

Delaware Route 15 (DE 15) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. The route runs from DE 14 west of Milford in Kent County north to DE 71/DE 896 in Summit Bridge, New Castle County, just south of the Summit Bridge over the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. DE 15 winds a path through many rural sections of Delaware, turning along many different roads. Most of the route, with the exception of the southern part of the route from Milford to Canterbury, runs to the west of U.S. Route 13 (US 13). DE 15 serves several cities and towns, including Wyoming, Dover, Clayton, and Middletown. The route intersects DE 12 near Felton, US 13 in Canterbury, DE 10 near Camden, DE 8 in Dover, DE 42 in Seven Hickories, DE 300 and DE 6 in the Clayton area, DE 299 in Middletown, and DE 286 near Summit Bridge.

Delaware Route 82 (DE 82) is a state highway in the northwest suburbs of Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware. The route, which is signed north-south, runs 5.49 miles (8.84 km) from DE 52 near Greenville northwest to the Pennsylvania state line near Yorklyn, where the road continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 82 (PA 82). The route runs through areas of woods and fields in northern New Castle County, with much of the route paralleling the Red Clay Creek. The entire route is a part of the Red Clay Scenic Byway, created in 2005. DE 82 was first numbered by 1952 on its current alignment. In 2010, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) proposed eliminating the route number, but the plan fell through due to public opposition.

Delaware Route 72 (DE 72) is a state highway located in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from DE 9 near Delaware City north to DE 7 in Pike Creek. The highway runs through suburban areas of northern New Castle County, passing through the eastern part of Newark. DE 72 intersects U.S. Route 13 (US 13), DE 7, and DE 1 near Delaware City, DE 71 in Williamsburg, US 40 east of Glasgow, and DE 4, DE 2, and DE 273 in Newark. Parts of DE 72 were built as a state highway during the 1930s. By the 1940s, the route was designated from DE 2 in Newark north to DE 7 in Pike Creek along Paper Mill Road. The route was extended south to DE 9 in the 1960s. In 1980, the alignment was shifted to the east through Newark to bypass an at-grade railroad crossing on Chapel Street.

U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a U.S. highway running from Fayetteville, North Carolina, north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. In the U.S. state of Delaware, the route runs for 103.33 mi (166.29 km). It traverses the entire north–south length of the state from the Maryland state line in Delmar, Sussex County, north to the Pennsylvania state line in Claymont, New Castle County. US 13 connects many important cities and towns in Delaware, including Seaford, Dover, and Wilmington. The entire length of US 13 in Delaware is a multilane divided highway with the exceptions of the segment through Wilmington and parts of the route in Claymont. Between the Maryland state line and Dover, US 13 serves as one of the main north–south routes across the Delmarva Peninsula. From Dover north to Tybouts Corner, the route is followed by the controlled-access Delaware Route 1 (DE 1) toll road, which crosses the route multiple times and has multiple interchanges with it. US 13 bypasses downtown Wilmington to the east before it heads northeast of the city parallel to Interstate 495 (I-495) and the Delaware River to Claymont. US 13 is the longest numbered highway in the state of Delaware.

U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a United States Numbered Highway running from Fayetteville, North Carolina, north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The route runs for 49.359 miles (79.436 km) through the Delaware Valley in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route enters the state from Delaware in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. It continues northeast through Delaware County, passing through the city of Chester before heading through suburban areas along Chester Pike to Darby. US 13 enters the city of Philadelphia on Baltimore Avenue and runs through West Philadelphia to University City, where it turns north along several city streets before heading east across the Schuylkill River along Girard Avenue. The route turns north and heads to North Philadelphia, where it runs northeast along Hunting Park Avenue. US 13 becomes concurrent with US 1 on Roosevelt Boulevard, continuing into Northeast Philadelphia. US 13 splits southeast on a one-way pair of streets before heading northeast out of the city on Frankford Avenue. The route continues into Bucks County as Bristol Pike, heading northeast to Bristol, where it becomes a divided highway. US 13 becomes a freeway in Tullytown and continues north to its terminus at US 1 in Falls Township, near Morrisville. US 13 roughly parallels Interstate 95 (I-95) through its course in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Route 13 (US 13) runs along the Atlantic coastline for over 500 miles (800 km), passing through five states. Along its route, it possessed numerous special routes, which are all loops off the mainline US 13. At present, there are at least 15 special routes in existence: two in North Carolina, five in Virginia, two in Maryland, four in Delaware, and two in Pennsylvania. 13 others have existed in the past but have been deleted.

References

↑ Lynn, Barbara (March 2006). "Southern Delaware By Bicycle: Crabs And Cranks". Bikeinetix. Retrieved July 19, 2010.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
↑ "Delaware Bicycle Facility Master Plan". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
↑ Kent County Delaware Bicycle Map (PDF) (Map) (2009 ed.). Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-24.

External links

Delaware Bicycle Facility Master Plan

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[1] Lynn, Barbara (March 2006). "Southern Delaware By Bicycle: Crabs And Cranks". Bikeinetix. Retrieved July 19, 2010.^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[2] "Delaware Bicycle Facility Master Plan". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-28.

[kent_county_bike_map-3] Kent County Delaware Bicycle Map (PDF) (Map) (2009 ed.). Delaware Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2010-07-24.

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Length	150 mi (240 km)^[1]
South end	Maryland border in Fenwick Island
North end	BicyclePA Route L at Pennsylvania border near Montchanin