6 Most Scenic Drives in Delaware

Drive 100 miles down the Delaware Bayshore Byway and you go from cobblestone New Castle to salt marsh near Lewes without leaving the state. Twelve miles on the Brandywine Valley Byway pass du Pont mansions, formal gardens, and the Winterthur estate. The Red Clay Scenic Byway crosses creeks under a covered bridge built in 1860. The Coastal Highway connects Atlantic surf and bayside lagoons. These six drives each deliver a different version of Delaware.

Delaware Bayshore Byway

Spanning all three Delaware counties, the Delaware Bayshore Byway is a 100-mile route through history and coastal marsh. The drive takes about three hours without stops, beginning in the historic city of New Castle and ending just outside Lewes. The northern portion (Delaware Route 9, or DE 9) winds through cobblestone streets, farms, and historic villages such as Odessa. DE 9 also passes historic landmarks including the New Castle County Court House Museum and the John Dickinson Plantation.

The southern portion turns over to coastal towns and landscapes. Framed by marshes and farmland, historic towns like Milton and Milford make for good stops, whether to explore the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge or the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve. For those driving straight through, the route offers wide views of the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.

Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway

Just 12.25 miles long, the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway is a short drive packed with sights. Beginning at Rodney Square in Wilmington, the route follows Delaware Route 52 (DE 52) and Delaware Route 100 (DE 100) to the Pennsylvania state line, taking about an hour without stops. Near the start, the route passes through Wilmington's historic Quaker Hill and Highlands neighborhoods, with their cluster of 19th-century stone mansions and tree-lined avenues. Outside Wilmington, townscapes give way to rolling countryside in the Brandywine Valley.

The rest of the trip runs through estate country. The route passes mansions and gardens built by the du Pont family, the industrial dynasty that helped build Delaware. Key stops along the byway include the Nemours Estate and the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library. The first is a neoclassical mansion surrounded by French-inspired gardens, meadows, and woodlands. The second is a 1,000-acre estate with naturalistic gardens and a 175-room mansion.

Nanticoke Heritage Byway

River views, pastoral scenes, and historic architecture stack along the Nanticoke Heritage Byway. The route runs through western Sussex County, beginning near the town of Seaford at the intersection of Delaware Route 20 (DE 20) and US Route 13 (US 13). From there, the 35-mile drive takes about 45 minutes without stops, passing through farmland and woods and the towns of Bethel and Laurel before ending at Trap Pond State Park.

There are plenty of scenes to savor along the way. Nanticoke River views anchor the drive, with optional crossings on the historic Woodland Ferry (one of the oldest continuously operating ferries in the U.S., dating to about 1793). In Seaford, the Victorian Italianate Gov. William H. Ross House (the Ross Mansion) is a striking structure whether you drive past or stop in for the museum tour.

Further into the byway, Bethel stands out for its Colonial Revival buildings on Main Street, including the Ship-Carpenter's Houses. Laurel features two Gothic Revival churches on South Central Avenue: Christ United Methodist Church and St. Phillip's Protestant Episcopal Church.

Historic Lewes Byway

Back on the coast, the Historic Lewes Byway is a road network encompassing Lewes, Delaware's first town. Stretching 12.35 miles, the loop takes about an hour to drive, passing Delaware Bay beaches, marshlands, and a historic maritime downtown. There's no linear start-to-finish; the byway instead links several roads connecting the area's most interesting points.

Cape Henlopen Drive is the main coastal stretch, with access to Cape Henlopen State Park and its World War II observation tower. Pilottown Road runs alongside the Great Marsh Preserve, a quiet place for birdwatching and canoeing. Savannah Road, Kings Highway, Pilottown/Front Street, and Gills Neck Road all converge in downtown Lewes. Centered on Second Street, the Lewes Historic District borders the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal and is lined with notable architecture, including the Ryves Holt House (1665), the oldest surviving house in Delaware.

Red Clay Scenic Byway

The Red Clay Scenic Byway runs through some of the quietest country in Delaware. Like the Historic Lewes Byway, this drive is not a linear highway but a network spanning 28 roads in New Castle County between Delaware Route 52 (DE 52) and Delaware Route 48 (DE 48). At 27 miles long, it takes about an hour without stops, passing through valleys, hillsides, and streams in the Red Clay Creek Watershed. The Delaware Department of Transportation recommends starting and ending in Wilmington, the state's largest city.

Several stops are worth planning around. The Ashland Covered Bridge is a popular spot to stretch your legs and take a photo. Built in 1860, it spans Red Clay Creek. Right next door, the Ashland Nature Center is a good place to picnic or hike, with wildlife watching at its Hummingbird Haven and Butterfly Habitat.

Back on the road, the byway also passes Mt. Cuba Center's botanical gardens and Auburn Valley State Park. Skirting Red Clay Creek, the park features 19th-century bridges, a Victorian mansion (Auburn Heights), and walking trails.

Rehoboth Beach to Fenwick Island

For a 19-mile drive down the coast, the route from Rehoboth Beach to Fenwick Island is hard to beat. Although the Coastal Highway (officially Delaware Route 1, or DE 1) can be driven in about 30 minutes without stops, the views slow most drivers down.

South of Rehoboth Beach, DE 1 offers vistas on either side, including the Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Bay, and Indian River Bay. In Delaware Seashore State Park, you can stop for beaches and sightseeing across 6.5 miles of oceanfront and 20 miles of bayfront. Continuing south, the Coastal Highway runs through Bethany Beach, a quiet seaside town known for its boardwalk.

From there, the drive to Fenwick Island spotlights more ocean views and vistas along Little Assawoman Bay. Further down DE 1, Fenwick Island State Park sits at the southern tip of the route, where the Delaware-Maryland line cuts across the beach.

Things to Know Before You Go

Each of these scenic Delaware routes can be driven year-round, but the time you go affects road conditions, traffic, and roadside attractions. The Delaware Bayshore Byway has no seasonal closures, but it can flood temporarily after spring rains. Winter conditions on Delaware roads occasionally turn icy. Check the Delaware Department of Transportation for road closures and travel advisories before any drive.

Season also matters for what you see. Summer is best for water recreation along coastal routes like the Historic Lewes Byway and Coastal Highway, whether paddling the Great Marsh Preserve or swimming at Fenwick Island. Foliage drives are popular in fall, when the Brandywine Valley National Scenic Byway lights up with warm colors. These are also peak seasons for crowds at roadside attractions.

Travelers who prefer smaller crowds can monitor live traffic information through the Delaware Department of Transportation, or plan a drive in spring or winter when things slow down.