Delaware Route 24
Encyclopedia
Delaware Route 24 is a state highway located in Sussex County
, Delaware
. The route runs east from Maryland Route 348
at the Maryland
border east of Sharptown, Maryland
to an intersection with Delaware Route 1 in Midway
, between Lewes
and Rehoboth Beach
. Along the way, DE 24 passes through Laurel
, Millsboro
, and Long Neck
. The road runs concurrent
with Delaware Route 30
for several miles in the Millsboro area. DE 24 features an alternate alignment, Delaware Route 24 Alternate, that runs to the north of the route from U.S. Route 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 Alternate was designated by 2006 to bypass construction along the eastern portion of DE 24.
, where it becomes West Street. In Laurel, DE 24 heads north on West Street and then east on Market Street, intersecting U.S. Route 13
on the eastern border of Laurel.
Past Laurel, DE 24 heads east on Laurel Road. It passes to the north of Trap Pond State Park
and heads east through countryside. It heads to an intersection with Delaware Route 30
(Millsboro Highway) near Mission
, where DE 24 makes a left turn to form a concurrency with DE 30. The two routes head northeast toward the town of Millsboro
, where they intersect U.S. Route 113
and Delaware Route 20
and turn north onto Washington Street. In the center of Millsboro, the road splits into the one-way pair
of Main Street northbound and Washington Street southbound before joining together on Main Street and crossing the Indian River
, which heads east from Millsboro Pond.
DE 24 and DE 30 then split with DE 24 heading east on the John J. Williams Highway, named for former Delaware U.S. Senator John J. Williams
. It passes by the site of the Nanticoke Indian Pow Wow and then angles to the north. It meets Delaware Route 5
near Oak Orchard
and the two routes form a concurrency. At the intersection with Delaware Route 23
in Long Neck
, DE 5 makes a left turn onto DE 23, and DE 24 heads north through housing sprawl that has popped up through eastern Sussex County within recent years. Near Midway
, it meets Delaware Route 1D and Delaware Route 24 Alternate, forming a brief concurrency with DE 1D up to the intersection with Delaware Route 1, where both routes end.
(now DE 1) in Midway. DE 24 has remained on the same alignment since its inception.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|
|0.00
|
|Maryland state line, western terminus
|-
|Laurel
|8.89
|
|
|-
|Mission
|20.25
|
|West end of DE 30 overlap
|-
|rowspan=2|Millsboro
|25.27
|
|
|-
|26.06
|
|East end of DE 30 overlap
|-
|Oak Orchard
|31.35
|
|West end of DE 5 overlap
|-
|Long Neck
|32.92
|
|East end of DE 5 overlap
|-
|rowspan=2|Midway
|39.89
|
|West end of DE 1D overlap
|-
|40.61
|
|Eastern terminus
|-
and Midway that was created to provide an alternate route for motorists while improvements are made to this portion of DE 24. The route follows Speedway Road, Zoar Road, Hollyville Road, DE 23, and DE 1D. DE 24 Alternate was assigned by 2006.
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. The route runs east from Maryland Route 348
Maryland Route 348
Maryland Route 348 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Laurel Road, the state highway runs from Main Street just west of MD 313 in Sharptown east to the Delaware state line, where the highway continues as Delaware Route 24 . MD 348 was constructed...
at the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
border east of Sharptown, Maryland
Sharptown, Maryland
Sharptown is a town in Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. The population was 649 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sharptown is located at ....
to an intersection with Delaware Route 1 in Midway
Midway, Delaware
Midway is the unincorporated area along Delaware Route 1 in Sussex county, Delaware. It is located "midway" between Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. This area is a prime retail sales and resort entertainment area with numerous outlet shopping areas including the Rehoboth Outlets owned by Tanger Outlets,...
, between Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
and Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
. Along the way, DE 24 passes through Laurel
Laurel, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...
, Millsboro
Millsboro, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...
, and Long Neck
Long Neck, Delaware
Long Neck is a census-designated place in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,629 at the 2000 census. Long Neck is the only census-designated place in Sussex County...
. The road runs concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with Delaware Route 30
Delaware Route 30
Delaware Route 30 is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard a short distance west of U.S. Route 13 between Laurel and Delmar to Delaware Route 1 Business southeast of Milford in the area of Lincoln City and Cedar Creek. The road runs...
for several miles in the Millsboro area. DE 24 features an alternate alignment, Delaware Route 24 Alternate, that runs to the north of the route from U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113 is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The U.S. Highway runs from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland north to Delaware Route 1 in Milford, Delaware...
in Stockley
Stockley, Delaware
Stockley is an unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. Stockley is southeast of Georgetown....
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 Alternate was designated by 2006 to bypass construction along the eastern portion of DE 24.
Route description
Delaware Route 24 heads east from the Maryland border on Sharptown Road. It angles to the northeast, passing by the Laurel Airport, and enters the town of LaurelLaurel, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...
, where it becomes West Street. In Laurel, DE 24 heads north on West Street and then east on Market Street, intersecting U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...
on the eastern border of Laurel.
Past Laurel, DE 24 heads east on Laurel Road. It passes to the north of Trap Pond State Park
Trap Pond State Park
Trap Pond State Park is a 2,109 acre Delaware state park located near Laurel, Delaware. It is one of the largest surviving fragments of what was once an extensive wetland in what is now southwestern Sussex County...
and heads east through countryside. It heads to an intersection with Delaware Route 30
Delaware Route 30
Delaware Route 30 is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from an intersection with Bi-State Boulevard a short distance west of U.S. Route 13 between Laurel and Delmar to Delaware Route 1 Business southeast of Milford in the area of Lincoln City and Cedar Creek. The road runs...
(Millsboro Highway) near Mission
Mission, Delaware
Mission is an unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. Mission is located along Delaware Route 24 and Delaware Route 30 southwest of Millsboro....
, where DE 24 makes a left turn to form a concurrency with DE 30. The two routes head northeast toward the town of Millsboro
Millsboro, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...
, where they intersect U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113 is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The U.S. Highway runs from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland north to Delaware Route 1 in Milford, Delaware...
and Delaware Route 20
Delaware Route 20
Delaware Route 20 is an east–west highway in Sussex County, Delaware. Its western terminus is the Maryland state line just west of Seaford where it continues as Maryland Route 392. Its eastern terminus is Delaware Route 54 west of Fenwick Island. The route passes through the towns of...
and turn north onto Washington Street. In the center of Millsboro, the road splits into the one-way pair
One-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
of Main Street northbound and Washington Street southbound before joining together on Main Street and crossing the Indian River
Indian River (Delaware)
The Indian River is a river and estuary, approximately 15 mi long, in Sussex County in southern Delaware in the United States....
, which heads east from Millsboro Pond.
DE 24 and DE 30 then split with DE 24 heading east on the John J. Williams Highway, named for former Delaware U.S. Senator John J. Williams
John J. Williams (senator)
John James "Whispering Willie" Williams was an American businessman and politician from Millsboro, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served four terms as U.S. Senator from Delaware....
. It passes by the site of the Nanticoke Indian Pow Wow and then angles to the north. It meets Delaware Route 5
Delaware Route 5
Delaware Route 5 is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs north from the Indian River Bay in Oak Orchard north to Delaware Route 1 north of Milton. Along the way, DE 5 passes through Long Neck, Harbeson, and Milton. The route has concurrencies with Delaware Route 23 and...
near Oak Orchard
Oak Orchard, Delaware
Oak Orchard, Delaware is an unincorporated community east of the town of Millsboro in Sussex County. Oak Orchard is bounded to the east by Emily Gut and "the Peninsula," and to the north by Delaware Route 24...
and the two routes form a concurrency. At the intersection with Delaware Route 23
Delaware Route 23
Delaware Route 23 is a state highway in Sussex County, Delaware. Its southern terminus is at Massey's Landing in Long Neck, near the confluence of Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay and its northern terminus is at the Five Points intersection, where it ends at Delaware Route 1, U.S. Route 9 and...
in Long Neck
Long Neck, Delaware
Long Neck is a census-designated place in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,629 at the 2000 census. Long Neck is the only census-designated place in Sussex County...
, DE 5 makes a left turn onto DE 23, and DE 24 heads north through housing sprawl that has popped up through eastern Sussex County within recent years. Near Midway
Midway, Delaware
Midway is the unincorporated area along Delaware Route 1 in Sussex county, Delaware. It is located "midway" between Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. This area is a prime retail sales and resort entertainment area with numerous outlet shopping areas including the Rehoboth Outlets owned by Tanger Outlets,...
, it meets Delaware Route 1D and Delaware Route 24 Alternate, forming a brief concurrency with DE 1D up to the intersection with Delaware Route 1, where both routes end.
History
By 1920, what is now DE 24 existed as a state highway between Mission and Phillips Hill, with the remainder of the route existing as an unimproved county road. At this time, the road was under contract as a state highway between Laurel and Pepper and from Phillips Hill to east of Millsboro. The sections under contract were completed by 1924. By 1925, the remainder of present-day DE 24 was proposed as a state highway. Completion of these remaining segments occurred by 1931. When Delaware created its state highway system by 1936, DE 24 was assigned to its current alignment between the Maryland border west of Laurel and DE 14Delaware Route 14
Delaware Route 14 is a state highway in the southern part of Kent County, Delaware. The route runs from the Maryland border in Burrsville, where it continues as Maryland Route 317, east to DE 1 in Milford...
(now DE 1) in Midway. DE 24 has remained on the same alignment since its inception.
Major intersections
The entire route is in Sussex CountySussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|
|0.00
|
|Maryland state line, western terminus
|-
|Laurel
Laurel, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...
|8.89
|
|
|-
|Mission
Mission, Delaware
Mission is an unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. Mission is located along Delaware Route 24 and Delaware Route 30 southwest of Millsboro....
|20.25
|
|West end of DE 30 overlap
|-
|rowspan=2|Millsboro
Millsboro, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...
|25.27
|
|
|-
|26.06
|
|East end of DE 30 overlap
|-
|Oak Orchard
Oak Orchard, Delaware
Oak Orchard, Delaware is an unincorporated community east of the town of Millsboro in Sussex County. Oak Orchard is bounded to the east by Emily Gut and "the Peninsula," and to the north by Delaware Route 24...
|31.35
|
|West end of DE 5 overlap
|-
|Long Neck
Long Neck, Delaware
Long Neck is a census-designated place in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 1,629 at the 2000 census. Long Neck is the only census-designated place in Sussex County...
|32.92
|
|East end of DE 5 overlap
|-
|rowspan=2|Midway
Midway, Delaware
Midway is the unincorporated area along Delaware Route 1 in Sussex county, Delaware. It is located "midway" between Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. This area is a prime retail sales and resort entertainment area with numerous outlet shopping areas including the Rehoboth Outlets owned by Tanger Outlets,...
|39.89
|
|West end of DE 1D overlap
|-
|40.61
|
|Eastern terminus
|-
Bannered routes
Delaware Route 24 Alternate is an alternate alignment of DE 24 between U.S. Route 113 in StockleyStockley, Delaware
Stockley is an unincorporated community in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. Stockley is southeast of Georgetown....
and Midway that was created to provide an alternate route for motorists while improvements are made to this portion of DE 24. The route follows Speedway Road, Zoar Road, Hollyville Road, DE 23, and DE 1D. DE 24 Alternate was assigned by 2006.