Felton, Delaware

Felton, Delaware
Town
Main Street in downtown Felton, July 2015
Etymology: President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Samuel M. Felton Sr. [1]
Location of Felton in Kent County, Delaware.
Felton Location within the state of Delaware Show map of Delaware Felton Felton (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 39°00′30″N75°34′41″W / 39.00833°N 75.57806°W / 39.00833; -75.57806
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Kent
Incorporated	February 2, 1861 [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2)
• Land	0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	56 ft (17 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,568
• Density	1,682.86/sq mi (650.07/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19943
Area code	302
FIPS code	10-26620
GNIS feature ID	215321 [3]
Website	felton.delaware.gov

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. ^[4]

History

Established in 1856 as a whistle stop along the Delaware Railroad, Felton was named after Samuel M. Felton Sr., then-president of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. As president, he was responsible for developing the Railroad in Delaware's rural areas, and by extension, the town's existence. Felton was incorporated on February 2, 1861, and passenger rail service would continue to the town until the early 1950s. ^[1]

The Coombe Historic District, Thomas B. Coursey House, Felton Historic District, Felton Railroad Station, and Hughes Early Man Sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[5]

Geography

Felton is located at 39°00′30″N75°34′41″W / 39.00833°N 75.57806°W / 39.00833; -75.57806 (39.0084464, –75.5779807). ^[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	437		—
1880	383		−12.4%
1890	403		5.2%
1900	400		−0.7%
1910	451		12.8%
1920	771		71.0%
1930	463		−39.9%
1940	442		−4.5%
1950	453		2.5%
1960	423		−6.6%
1970	495		17.0%
1980	547		10.5%
1990	683		24.9%
2000	784		14.8%
2010	1,298		65.6%
2020	1,568		20.8%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]

At the 2000 census there were 784 people in 297 households, including 217 families, in the town. The population density was 1,268.1 inhabitants per square mile (489.6/km²). There were 312 housing units at an average density of 504.6 per square mile (194.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.53% White, 11.61% African American, 1.02% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.89% from other races, and 2.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.17%. ^[8]

Of the 297 households 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 20.9% of households were one person and 9.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 29.3% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.

The median household income was $42,589 and the median family income was $44,875. Males had a median income of $32,857 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,854. About 9.5% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public school students in Felton are served by the Lake Forest School District. ^[9] Schools include Lake Forest High School as well as Lake Forest North, the elementary school (Grades K–3), and Lake Forest Central, the older elementary school (Grades 4–5). Other schools in the district are located in Harrington and Frederica.

Infrastructure

Transportation

US 13 northbound in Felton

U.S. Route 13 runs north-south through Felton on Dupont Highway, heading north toward Dover and south toward Harrington. Delaware Route 12 runs east-west through Felton on Main Street, heading west toward Greensboro, Maryland and east toward Frederica. ^[10] DART First State provides bus service to Felton along Route 117, which heads north toward Camden to connect to the local bus routes serving the Dover area and south toward Harrington. ^[11] The Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north-south through Felton. ^[12]

Utilities

Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Felton. ^[13] Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town. ^[14] The Felton Water Department provides water to Felton, serving 550 homes, multiple businesses, and three schools. ^[15] Trash and recycling collection in Felton is provided under contract by Waste Management. ^[16]

Notable people

• M. Evelyn Killen (1871-1951), President, Felton W.C.T.U.; President, Delaware State W.C.T.U.

See also

• List of towns in Delaware

References

1. "Welcome to the Town of Felton". delaware.gov. Government Information Center. September 4, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Felton, Delaware
4. "The Delaware Census State Data Center". Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2013.
5. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
8. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
9. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved June 16, 2021.
10. Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
11. "Kent County Bus System Guide" (PDF). DART First State. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
12. "Delmarva Central Railroad". Carload Express. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
13. "Service Territory". Delmarva Power. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
14. "Delmarva Service Territory". Chesapeake Utilities. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
15. "Water". Felton, Delaware. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
16. "Trash Collection". Felton, Delaware. Retrieved August 30, 2018.

External links

• Official website