Delaware Route 261 also known as Foulk Road, is a 4.62 miles (7.4 km) state highway that connects U.S. Route 202

U.S. Route 202

U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....

 and Delaware Route 141

Delaware Route 141

Delaware Route 141 is a bypass around the western suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware. Its northern terminus is an interchange with U.S. Route 202 and Delaware Route 261 in Fairfax, and its southern terminus is at Delaware Route 9 and Delaware Route 273 in New Castle...

 near Interstate 95

Interstate 95 in Delaware

In Delaware, Interstate 95 runs diagonally from the border with Maryland northeast to the border with Pennsylvania. Between the Maryland state line and exit 5, I-95 is also designated as the Delaware Turnpike and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Along with its auxiliaries, I-95 is the only...

 in Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...

 with the Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 State Line in Bethel Township

Bethel Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Bethel Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,421 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

, where it continues into Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania Route 261

Pennsylvania Route 261

Pennsylvania Route 261 is a 2.5 mile long state highway located entirely in Bethel Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Also known as Foulk Road, the route runs from U.S. Route 322 south to the Delaware border, where Foulk Road continues as Delaware Route 261 towards Wilmington, Delaware....

. DE 261 was originally designated in the 1930s. In the 1960s, most of the route was widened into a divided highway. The southern terminus at US 202 was reconstructed into an interchange in the 2000s.

Route description

With the exception of the northernmost mile, Delaware Route 261 is a four-lane road with, in most places, no physical barrier separating the travel lanes. The route heads to the northeast from an interchange with U.S. Route 202 and the northern terminus of Delaware Route 141. This intersection was originally a sharp at-grade intersection where Rockland Road also headed off to the northwest, however a recent reconstruction converted this intersection into an interchange and DE 141 was realigned to meet US 202 at this interchange also. DE 261 heads northeast through the suburban neighborhoods of the Brandywine Hundred

Brandywine Hundred

Brandywine Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly. Brandywine Hundred is a commonly used colloquial name for this area...

 area to the north of Wilmington. Most of the road passes through residential areas, however there is some commercial development. The road intersects with Delaware Route 92

Delaware Route 92

Delaware Route 92 is a two to four-lane, east–west road that runs a short distance to the south of the Pennsylvania/Delaware State Line for most of its length and allows a direct connection between U.S. Route 202 in Talleyville, Delaware with I-95 in Claymont, Delaware, the two major...

 near the PA State Line, with the roadway itself becoming Pennsylvania Route 261

Pennsylvania Route 261

Pennsylvania Route 261 is a 2.5 mile long state highway located entirely in Bethel Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Also known as Foulk Road, the route runs from U.S. Route 322 south to the Delaware border, where Foulk Road continues as Delaware Route 261 towards Wilmington, Delaware....

 at the DE/PA State Line. PA Route 261 continues north to U.S. Route 322

U.S. Route 322

U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...

 in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania

Boothwyn, Pennsylvania

Boothwyn is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,206 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Boothwyn is located at ....

.

History

By 1920, what is now DE 261 existed as a county road. When Delaware first assigned state highway numbers by 1936, what is now DE 261 had been upgraded to a state highway, but did not receive a number at that time. By 1938, DE 261 was designated onto its current alignment between US 202 and the Pennsylvania border, continuing the PA 261 designation. DE 261 was widened into a divided highway between US 202 and Silverside Road by 1966. The divided highway portion was extended north to Naamans Road a year later. In Summer 2006, construction on converting the intersection with US 202 into interchange was completed as part of the Blue Ball Properties project. DE 141 was also realigned to intersect US 202 and DE 261 at this interchange.

Major intersections

The entire route is in New Castle County

New Castle County, Delaware

New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...

.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|Fairfax

Fairfax, Delaware

Fairfax is an unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware, United States.- References :...

|0.00
|
|Interchange, southern terminus
|-
|rowspan=2|Brandywine Hundred
|4.03
|
|
|-
|4.62
|
| Pennsylvania state line, northern terminus
|-