How Wide Is Delaware? Total Distance from East to West

Delaware is a small state in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Delaware is the second-smallest state in the United States with a total area of only 2,489 square miles. The capital of Delaware is Dover, which boasts a rich history and culture and has a population of 38,992. There are a lot of cool things to learn about the state of Delaware, but we’re going to focus on a question of size. We are going to explore the width of the state of Delaware and see how it stacks up against other states. Then, we’ll look a little bit closer at some of the cool things the state contains. We’ll also peer at population statistics and check out the biggest – and smallest – cities in Delaware. So, without further ado, let’s answer the big question. How wide is Delaware?

How Wide is Delaware?

From east to west, Delaware is only 39 miles wide. This is in comparison to its north-to-south distance of 96 miles. It’s very easy to cross the entire state in a day, and the longest east to west trip you can take within the state would only take you 57 minutes to complete. This trip traverses exactly 39 miles, from Delaware Beach to the Southwest Corner of Delaware (which is an actual landmark place and not just a GPS location). Now, let’s take a look at how this stacks up against other states. We’ll start by comparing it to the smallest state in the United States – Rhode Island. Rhode Island is 37 miles from east to west, making it nearly identical in width to Delaware. However, the north to south distance is much smaller, at only 48 miles in length.

How does Delaware stack up against the largest states in the nation? Well, Alaska is the largest state in the country, and has a width of 1,400 miles. That means that, in width alone, you could fit Delaware into Alaska, side by side, almost 36 times. That doesn’t account for its total area, though. If you were to fit Delaware into the whole of Alaska, you could do it a whopping total of 264 times!

We’d also like to note that Delaware is only nine miles wide at its narrowest point! The average healthy and able-bodied human walks at an average speed of about three miles per hour. That means a person that fit that description could cross the narrowest point of Delaware in only three hours. Now, that’s a quick trip across a state!

Where is Delaware on a Map?

It’s always nice to be able to visualize the places we’re talking about when we talk about them. For that reason, and a few more good ones, we’ve included a helpful map to show the size, shape, and placement of the state of Delaware. Check it out!

As you can see, it’s quite a small state. Let’s talk about the states – and bodies of water – that border it. Delaware shares a border with a bunch of interesting things. First, let’s look to the north, where Pennsylvania defines the small northern border. Moving eastward, the state is defined by water. The Delaware River flows into the Delaware Bay to the eat, and then opens to the Atlantic Ocean! Maryland defines the south and west borders of this small state.

Using this map, you can see several of the major towns and cities in Delaware, including the capital city of Dover, which is longest-serving capital city in the entire United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest capital city in the United States, but that’s based on its establishment as a city long before New Mexico ever became a state – or even before the United States existed as a united nation!

Population of Delaware

Now that we know a little bit more about the size and shape of Delaware, let’s take a closer look at the people who live in it. According to the 2021 census, there are 1.003 million people living in the state. That means there are 514.82 people per square mile in this tiny state. That’s a pretty crowded place, when you think about it. Delaware is a pretty diverse state, with a population that is only 68 percent white. This is in comparison to states like Maine, who has a population that is 92.2 percent white, and Wisconsin, who has an 86.6 percent white population. 23.8 percent of Delaware’s population identifies as Black or African American, while 10.3 percent identifies as Hispanic or Latino. There is also a small (4.4 percent) Asian population and an even smaller (0.7 percent) American Native, Alaskan Native, or American Indigenous population.

Nearly ten percent of the population of Delaware is foreign-born, and the state pledges itself as an open state for refugees and asylum-seekers. In a message sent to the White House in 2019, New Castle County executive Matt Meyer stated that refugees and asylum seekers weren’t just housed in Delaware, but welcomed. He went on to say that refugees make the state stronger. It is possible that diversity thrives in the state based on political leanings that welcome and support people from all backgrounds and walks of life. The Delaware Health and Social Services Government Website has a 100 percent Federally funded refugee cash assistance program, making the state even more welcoming to people in need.

Major Cities

There are no cities in Delaware with populations that exceed 100,000. Out of 79 official cities in Delaware, only five have a population of above 20,000. There are 11 cities in the state with a population above 10,000. We’ve included a table of the five most populated cities in Delaware, of which Dover – the capital city – is the second. We’ve also included a fun fact about each city. Our population statistics are based on the 2021 census from the United States Census Bureau.

Main Industry

We rate industry by the total employment in each sector. For Delaware, the three main industries based on this metric are Finance and Insurance, Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, and Manufacturing.

Delaware also prides itself on being a leading STEM state (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), and tries to promote education and career paths in STEM fields. Other industries in Delaware include education and healthcare, tourist, and mining. A lot of Delaware’s manufacturing industry is in chemicals, and it is sometimes referred to as the “Chemical Capital of the World”.

What is Delaware Known For?

Delaware has a lot of cool history to explore, despite its small size. The most important American history is, perhaps, that it is known as the first state in the United States Union. The residents of Delaware were the ones to sign the Declaration of Independence AND the Constitution. It just goes to show, something small can also be quite mighty! It may only take a few days to explore all of the space in Delaware, but we’re sure it’s an unforgettable experience if you do it the right way, and a welcoming place for all.