9 Delaware Towns That Locals Love
Often celebrated as the “First State” for being the first to ratify the US Constitution, the state of Delaware boasts a charming array of small towns that locals love and newcomers will adore for ages to come. From the beaches that face the Atlantic Ocean to inland riverfront enclaves, this compact state offers surprisingly diverse travel experiences. Along the coast, you will find sunny and fun spots like Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island, welcoming beach-goers with relaxed vibes. Further inland, places such as Milton and Georgetown preserve rich layers of history and beautiful architecture that the townsfolk admire. These Delaware towns that locals love are friendly, engaging, and informative destinations for you to appreciate the wonder and beauty of the First State.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, known affectionately as the “Nation’s Summer Capital,” is a lively and lovable coastal haven that blends classic resort energy with a breezy, laid-back mood. Its most iconic feature and landmark is the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, a 1.25-mile stretch of sand and storefronts buzzing with cafés, arcades, and boutiques just steps from the surf. Inside the meaningful and enlightening chambers of the Rehoboth Beach Museum, travelers can gawk at vintage postcards and community memoirs reflecting the town’s evolution as a seaside retreat.
Meanwhile, the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand hosts free summer concerts and open-air events that animate the evenings. For a more active engagement of the area that locals love, you might join one of the many guided or self-led coastal biking tours that meander along scenic trails around the area.
Milton
Just 20 minutes northwest of Lewes, the riverfront town of Milton offers a serene atmosphere enriched by history, the verdant outdoors, and small-town enchantments that locals love. Founded in the late 17th century and thriving in the 18th and 19th centuries as a ship-building center along the Broadkill River, Milton’s story is still visible in its preserved architecture and evocative streetscapes. The Milton Historical Society, likewise, preserves the town’s narrative through stories, artifacts, and exhibits about its ship-building past.
On the other hand, the nearby Edward H. McCabe Nature Preserve welcomes low-elevation hikes, peaceful paddles along the Broadkill River, and other recreational pursuits in the countryside. If you are eager for deeper wilderness, head out toward the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a 10,000-acre preserve composed of wetlands, trails, canoeing and fishing spots, and much more.
Smyrna
Smyrna is a splendid and serene destination, lounging on Duck Creek. As part of the Dover metropolitan region, the town is a lovable getaway that invites you into the comfortable embrace of a welcoming community, long since it was first settled in the early 1700s and named after a biblical port. Much of its history can be appreciated at the Smyrna Museum, housed in a structure used during the War of 1812 and the American Civil War period.
There are plenty of opportunities for exploration in regions like the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, featuring a 12-mile wildlife drive, boardwalks, observation towers, and marshland habitats open yearly from sunrise to sunset. Additionally, the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area is another bucolic beauty beside the Delaware River that contains unique landmarks like the Reedy Island Range Rear Light and the Delaware Renaissance Faire, the latter a magnificent and magical event of medieval proportions that occurs in different times of the year.
Odessa
In your odyssey throughout Delaware, you might come across the affable small town of Odessa along the Appoquinimink River. As one of Delaware’s most intact colonial small towns, Odessa was formerly known as Cantwell’s Bridge and renamed in 1855 after the port city in Ukraine of the same name. In the 1800s, the town prospered as a hub for fertilizer manufacturing and the canning of fruits and vegetables. These days, Historic Odessa Foundation runs guided tours through its five principal historic houses and immersive exhibits that bring 18th- and 19th-century life to vivid color.
For those of you who prefer outdoor explorations rather than indoor discoveries, the Augustine Wildlife Area offers humble and soothing trails leading you towards Augustine Beach along the Delaware River, where calming waves and waters prove to you why the locals love this awesome small town.
Bethany Beach
Quietly situated just about 24 minutes from Rehoboth Beach, the lovely and accommodating small town of Bethany Beach radiates calm and friendly coastal vibes with sights of the Atlantic Ocean to boast about. Its wide, pristine sands attract all sorts of travelers from around the globe, and the charming boardwalk is home to seafood shacks, local boutiques, and sweet treats like the beloved Candy Kitchen, a popular sweet spot that locals adore.
For those of you who like a mix of history and nature, you ought to visit the Indian River Life‑Saving Station in nearby Delaware Seashore State Park, where the original US Life-Saving Service once stood sentinel over shipwrecked waters. To experience richer habitat diversity, you can opt for the Assawoman Wildlife Area or the marsh-rich Holts Landing State Park, both ideal for leisurely treks and walks in Delaware’s unique habitats.
New Castle
New Castle offers new experiences and adventures just a few miles south of Wilmington. Boasting a beautifully preserved colonial townscape full of heritage and elegance, the town was first established by the Dutch in 1651 as Fort Casimir and later passed through Swedish and British hands. Strolling its brick-and-cobblestone streets brings you face-to-face with historic landmarks and edifices like the Amstel House, open from April to December with a quaint garden and a storied exhibition, and the Old Dutch House, one of Delaware’s oldest residences that tells you much of the tumultuous times.
The First State National Historical Park also brings to life Delaware’s path to independence with exhibits and preserved meeting sites. Close at hand, the New Castle Battery Park gives you plenty of views of the Delaware River and the distant shores of New Jersey.
Georgetown
Placed squarely in the heart of Sussex County and about nine miles from Milton, Georgetown presents an inviting, community-loving flavor of a Delaware small town that all will adore. Its central landmark is known as “The Circle,” the town square that is more structurally a circle, for which a number of historic, red-brick buildings circumscribe the area. It is here that a biennial event known as the Return Day occurs, when political rivals symbolically bury the hatchet in a convivial gathering of locals and visitors alike.
Those of you eager to see more of the past can venture into the Marvel Carriage Museum, which holds antique carriages and early transportation artifacts. In contrast, the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation preserves and showcases the history of aviation with a display of classic, vintage, and military aircraft and aviation artifacts.
Fenwick Island
At Delaware’s southernmost coastline, Fenwick Island will lead you to a breezy and breathtaking seascape for those seeking peaceful and soothing relaxation in the sand. Situated on a barrier island just over the Maryland border, Fenwick Island State Park is a resplendent region of dunes and wave-touched shorelines for those of you eager for the beaches and sunshine of Delaware.
Many of you can dive into maritime intrigue at the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum, where thousands of artifacts, from shipwreck paraphernalia to gold trinkets and coins, tell hidden tales of the deep. Last but not least, you can visit a number of small islands, such as Seal Island and Point of Cedars, to savor more of the outdoor areas that Fenwick Island promotes.
Lewes
Lewes is a lovable and amenable small town overlooking the calm expanse of the Delaware Bay and the ever-shifting horizons of the Atlantic Ocean. It is an amazing and amusing town on Cape Henlopen, and the Cape Henlopen State Park makes it a worthwhile destination to visit. From there, tourists can go gallivanting through a former military base that is now a humble beach region with disc golf, hikes, and an observation tower to gaze out at everything. Likewise, the Lewes Public Beach is a wide stretch of sand that soaks in the sun and the fun for everyone to savor.
In contrast, the Lewes Historical Society Main Campus contains an impressive collection of photographs, artifacts, and archives of Lewes’ history, as well as a research library for those curious to learn more. Best of all is the Fort Miles Historical Area, a former fortress from the hectic years of World War II that travelers can now tour vis-à-vis interpretive programs.
If The Locals Love These Delaware Towns, Then So Will You
These Delaware towns that locals love are some of the best destinations to explore in the First State. With their authentic warmth and richness of experience, you will have many unforgettable moments and opportunities to seek out in these majestic villages and towns. Where lively beach vibes can be felt in both Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach, and where the layered colonial heritage of the past is viewed from places like Odessa and New Castle, you will be drawn to these Delaware towns that locals love just as much as the horseshoe crabs return year after year to Delaware’s bays.
