Delaware is the second smallest state in America by area and one of the most overlooked. Sandwiched between Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, with a narrow sliver of Atlantic coastline, it tends to get bypassed by travelers heading to bigger, louder destinations. That, as it turns out, is a mistake — and increasingly, travelers in the American Mid-Atlantic are discovering what Delawareans have known for years: there's a lot going on in those 96 miles of coast and rolling countryside.
"The First State" — And What That Actually Means
Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution on December 7, 1787. That date appears everywhere in Delaware — on license plates, in bar names, in historical markers. It's the foundational identity of the place, and it's taken seriously. Delaware also has the distinction of being the corporate home of more than 67% of Fortune 500 companies, thanks to Delaware's highly business-friendly corporate law and Court of Chancery — a body of law that has made Wilmington a quietly significant financial and legal center for over a century.
These corporate registrations are largely paper addresses, but they underpin Delaware's economy and have funded its public services to a level that its tiny population couldn't generate otherwise. The state has no sales tax — a direct result of this corporate tax base — which has rather important implications for shopping (see below).
Delaware's Beaches — The Underrated Atlantic Shore
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach is Delaware's flagship resort town and one of the East Coast's most enjoyable beach communities. Its two-mile boardwalk, wide sandy beach, and mix of family-friendly and LGBTQ+-friendly bars and restaurants make it a genuinely inclusive and welcoming destination. The town has a great concentration of independent restaurants — some of which would be celebrated in any major city — and a craft brew scene anchored by local breweries like Dogfish Head (technically headquartered up in Milton, 10 miles away, but with a major pub in Rehoboth).
Rehoboth is Washington DC's beach — many of the capital's residents have second homes or regular summer rentals here, giving it an unusually cosmopolitan vibe for a small beach town. It gets busy on summer weekends (as does everywhere on the Delaware-Maryland shore), but by Labor Day the crowds thin and early autumn here is spectacularly pleasant.
Lewes — Civilised Beach Town with History
Lewes (pronounced "Lewis") was Delaware's first European settlement, founded by Dutch settlers in 1631. The downtown historic district is charming in an understated way — 17th and 18th century buildings on tree-lined streets, independent shops, and one of the state's best restaurant scenes. The Cape Henlopen State Park adjacent to Lewes offers pristine Atlantic beach, dune hiking, fishing, and birding without the boardwalk commerciality of Rehoboth. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry connects Lewes to Cape May, New Jersey — a beautiful 85-minute crossing that opens up an interesting route through the Mid-Atlantic.
Bethany Beach, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island
Delaware's southern shore is quieter and more family-oriented. Dewey Beach has a party-oriented reputation among the younger crowd; Bethany Beach markets itself as "the Quiet Resorts" — genuinely calmer and oriented toward families; Fenwick Island borders Ocean City, Maryland, with a similarly active shore scene.
Shopping: No Sales Tax
Delaware has no state sales tax. This is not a minor detail. On clothing, electronics, housewares, and major purchases, savings of 5–10% over neighboring states add up significantly. The Christiana Mall in Newark (home of the University of Delaware) draws shoppers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey specifically because of Delaware's tax advantage. If you're making any significant purchases during your visit, the math works in Delaware's favor.
Wilmington — More Than a Commuter City
Delaware's largest city, Wilmington, sits on the Christina River near the Pennsylvania border. It has a reputation as a hardworking industrial and financial city — and that's accurate. But it's also home to some of the region's best cultural institutions:
- The Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington): Outstanding collection of pre-Raphaelite art donated by original collector Samuel Bancroft Jr.; also strong in American illustration (N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle) and Delaware-themed works
- Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library (near Wilmington): The former du Pont estate houses an extraordinary collection of 91,000 objects of American decorative arts in a 175-room home. The surrounding garden is one of the Mid-Atlantic's finest
- Nemours Estate: Another du Pont mansion — Alfred I. du Pont's French Neoclassical château on 200 acres, with formal gardens modeled on Versailles
- Brandywine Creek State Park: Accessible hiking along the Brandywine Creek, where George Washington crossed during the Revolutionary War
Dover — The Capital Worth Knowing
Dover is Delaware's state capital — a small, walkable city with a significant concentration of 18th-century architecture on the Green and in its surrounding historic district. The First State Heritage Park weaves together multiple historic sites in the downtown area, including the Old State House (one of the oldest in continuous use in the US). The Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base is one of America's best aviation museums — with C-5 Galaxies, C-141 Starlifters, and aircraft going back to WWII — and admission is free.
Outdoors: More Than You'd Expect
Despite being the lowest-elevation state in the country (highest point: 448 ft), Delaware has genuinely good outdoor opportunities:
- Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge: A major stopover on the Atlantic Flyway — extraordinary shorebird and waterfowl migration in spring and fall
- Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge: 16,000 acres of tidal salt marsh, freshwater pools, and upland habitats; one of the best birding destinations on the East Coast
- Delaware Bay (not the ocean side): in late May, the bay beaches see one of the natural world's great spectacles — hundreds of thousands of horseshoe crabs emerging from the water to spawn, attracting enormous concentrations of migratory shorebirds. Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones, and Sanderlings gather in the tens of thousands to feed on crab eggs
Why Delaware Works for a Trip
Delaware rewards a long weekend. Drive or Amtrak from Philadelphia (under an hour), DC (2.5 hours), or NYC (2.5–3 hours) to Wilmington or Rehoboth. The combination of beach, history, world-class museums, no-tax shopping, and some genuinely good food is hard to beat for the Mid-Atlantic region. It's the state that surprises almost everyone who actually goes — which is, regrettably, still not enough people.