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Delaware Route 9 (DE 9) is a state highway that runs from DE 1 near
Dover Air Force Base Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. 436th AW is the host wing and runs the busiest and largest air ...
in Kent County north to DE 2 in the city of Wilmington in
New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...
. DE 9 is a designated scenic highway known as the Delaware Bayshore Byway south of New Castle, running through mostly rural areas to the west of the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
and the Delaware River as a two-lane undivided road. Between New Castle and Wilmington, DE 9 is a four-lane road that runs through urban and suburban areas. DE 9 passes through several cities and towns including Little Creek, Leipsic, Port Penn, Delaware City, and New Castle. DE 9 has an auxiliary route, DE 9A, that provides access to the Port of Wilmington. In addition, it has a truck route, DE 9 Truck, located to the south of New Castle. DE 9 was first designated by 1936 to run from U.S. Route 113 (US 113, now DE 1) southeast of Dover north to US 13 in Smyrna, following its current alignment to Leipsic and Smyrna-Leipsic Road to Smyrna. In the 1950s, the route was extended north to US 13 Alt. (now US 13) in Wilmington, in which it was rerouted at Leipsic to follow its current alignment to Wilmington. DE 9 was extended further north to DE 2 by the 1970s. The route was rerouted to bypass downtown New Castle in the 1980s. The intersection with DE 1 was reconstructed into an interchange in 2009.


Route description


Dover Air Force Base to Delaware City

DE 9 begins at a
diamond interchange A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road. Design The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge. Approaching the ...
with DE 1 just south of the toll road terminus at the south end of
Dover Air Force Base Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. 436th AW is the host wing and runs the busiest and largest air ...
in the city of Dover in Kent County. Past DE 1, the route heads north-northeast on two-lane undivided Bayside Drive. DE 9 soon reaches an intersection with Kitts Hummock Road; this road leads east to the John Dickinson Plantation, which is part of
First State National Historical Park First State National Historical Park is a National Park Service unit which lies primarily in the state of Delaware but which extends partly into Pennsylvania in Chadds Ford. Initially created as First State National Monument by President Barack O ...
, and the community of Kitts Hummock on the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
. Following this, the route passes between the runways of Dover Air Force Base to the west and farm fields to the east, leaving the city limits of Dover. Along this stretch, Heritage Road leads west to the
Air Mobility Command Museum The Air Mobility Command Museum a military aviation museum located at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware dedicated to the history of the Air Transport Command, Military Air Transport Service, Military Airlift Command and Air Mobility Command. ...
on the base grounds. After the air base, the road continues north through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes to the west of the Little Creek Wildlife Area. DE 9 intersects South Little Creek Road before it crosses the marshy
Little River Little River may refer to several places: Australia Streams New South Wales *Little River (Dubbo), source in the Dubbo region, a tributary of the Macquarie River *Little River (Oberon), source in the Oberon Shire, a tributary of Coxs River (Hawk ...
and enters the town of Little Creek, where the name changes to Main Street and it is lined with residences. The route comes to an intersection with the eastern terminus of DE 8 as it leaves Little Creek and becomes Bayside Drive again. The road continues northwest through farmland with some trees and homes, passing to the southwest of Octagonal Schoolhouse before heading through the community of Cowgills Corner, where it crosses White Oak Road/Savannah Road. Past this junction, the route runs southwest of Chandelle Estates Airport. DE 9 curves to the north at the Leipsic Road/Squawigm Road intersection and enters the town of Leipsic. At this point, the route turns northwest, with the name becoming Denny Street, and runs past homes and businesses, curving north to intersect the eastern terminus of DE 42. DE 9 heads into marshland and crosses the
Leipsic River The Leipsic River is a riverU.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in central Delaware in the United States. It rises in northern Kent County, approximately no ...
on a high-level bridge, leaving Leipsic. Here, the road becomes Smyrna-Leipsic Road and enters agricultural areas with some woods and homes. Smyrna-Leipsic Road splits to the northwest and the route continues north on Hay Point Landing Road, running to the west of the
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge The Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located along the eastern coast of Kent County, Delaware, United States, on Delaware Bay. It was established on March 16, 1937, as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory an ...
, where the Allee House is located. DE 9 comes to an intersection with DE 6 as it passes through the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, turning to the northwest as it heads through a mix of woods and marshland. The road continues to a high-level bridge over the
Smyrna River The Smyrna River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in central Delaware in the United States. It rises east of Smyrna, Delaware, at the confluence ...
. Upon crossing the Smyrna River, DE 9 enters
New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...
and becomes Flemings Landing Road, heading through the community of Flemings Landing and passing through agricultural areas with some woods to the west of the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area. The road runs to the north before curving northwest again. The route turns west onto Taylors Bridge Road and crosses the marshy Blackbird Creek. DE 9 curves to the north-northwest and passes through more rural areas with some residential subdivisions to the west. The route heads to the northwest before turning northeast onto Thomas Landing Road in Mathews Corners, with DE 299 continuing northwest on Taylors Bridge Road towards the town of
Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, where the Odessa Historic District is located. DE 9 runs between farmland to the north and housing developments to the south prior to turning north onto Thomas Corner Road. At the Old Corbit Road intersection, the road curves northeast as Silver Run Road and runs through agricultural areas before entering marshland and crossing the
Appoquinimink River The Appoquinimink River is a river flowing to Delaware Bay in northern Delaware in the United States. The river is long and drains an area of on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The Appoquinimink flows for its entire length in southern New Castle ...
. After this, the route turns north to remain on Silver Run Road and passes through areas of farms, woods, and wetlands in the Augustine Wildlife Area a short distance to the west of the Delaware River, coming to a bridge over Silver Run. DE 9 turns east onto Bayview Road before turning north onto St. Augustine Road and following the west bank of the Delaware River. The route crosses Augustine Creek and passes through the residential community of Augustine Beach. The road reaches the community of Port Penn, where it is lined with homes. In Port Penn, the route turns west onto Market Street before turning north onto Delaware City Port Penn Road near the Port Penn Interpretive Center. Upon leaving Port Penn, DE 9 heads through marshland with some fields and woods within the Augustine Wildlife Area. The route rises onto the
Reedy Point Bridge The Reedy Point Bridge carries Delaware Route 9 across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal in Delaware City, Delaware, USA. A two-lane cantilever bridge similar in appearance to the Platt Bridge in Southwest Philadelphia (near Philadelphia Internati ...
, a cantilever truss bridge which carries it over the
Chesapeake & Delaware Canal The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal (C&D Canal) is a -long, -wide and -deep ship canal that connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay in the states of Delaware and Maryland in the United States. In the mid‑17th century, mapmaker Augu ...
. After heading over the canal, the road crosses over
Fort DuPont State Park Fort DuPont State Park is a Delaware state park located in Delaware City, Delaware. Fort DuPont itself, named after Rear Admiral Samuel Francis duPont, was used as a military base from the Civil War through World War II, and was part of a thr ...
, curving northwest and passing to the southwest of
Fort DuPont Fort DuPont, named in honor of Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont, is located between the original Delaware City and the modern Chesapeake and Delaware Canal on the original Reeden Point tract, which was granted to Henry Ward in 1675. Along wi ...
and the Governor Bacon Health Center. DE 9 continues into the city of Delaware City and becomes 5th Street, crossing the Delaware City Channel on a bridge before intersecting the eastern terminus of the Michael N. Castle Trail. Past the bridge, the road heads through residential areas with some businesses and intersects Clinton Street, which leads northeast to the Forts Ferry Crossing that provides access to Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island, part of Fort Delaware State Park.


Delaware City to Wilmington

Upon leaving Delaware City, DE 9 continues west as Wrangle Hill Road, crossing Dragon Creek before passing between PBF Energy's
Delaware City Refinery The Delaware City Refinery, currently owned by Delaware City Refining Corporation, a subsidiary of PBF Energy, is an oil refinery in Delaware City, Delaware. When operational it has a total throughput capacity of , and employs around 570 individu ...
to the north and farm fields to the south. The route turns north onto River Road to head into the oil refinery complex, with DE 72 continuing west (north) on Wrangle Hill Road. Within the oil refinery, the road crosses
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31, ...
's Reybold Industrial Track railroad line at-grade. DE 9 leaves the industrial area upon crossing marshy
Red Lion Creek Red Lion Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a tributary of the Delaware River. Red Lion Creek took its name from a tavern of the same name near its course in Red Lion. See also *List of rivers of Delaware List of rivers i ...
and continues into a mix of fields, woods, and marshland, with DE 9 Truck heading northwest on Hamburg Road. At this point, the route turns to the northeast and passes between Ommelanden Park to the west and the Ommelanden Hunter Training Center to the east before running between residential subdivisions to the west and the northern training grounds for the
Delaware National Guard The Delaware National Guard consists of the Delaware Army National Guard, and the Delaware Air National Guard. It is a state agency of the government of Delaware. From February 2017 its commander, the State adjutant general, has been Major Genera ...
to the east. DE 9 passes through wooded areas with some homes before continuing into industrial areas and crossing a railroad spur. The road continues into marshland immediately to the northwest of the Delaware River, crossing Army Creek, before entering the city of New Castle. At this point, DE 9 becomes West 7th Street and passes and industrial development. The route turns north-northwest onto Washington Street and crosses Norfolk Southern's New Castle Secondary railroad line at-grade, heading into residential areas. DE 9 comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of DE 141 and the eastern terminus of DE 273, at which point DE 9 Truck returns to the route by way of DE 273. Here, DE 9 turns east onto Delaware Street. The road carries one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes, with a multi-use trail parallel to the north. The route narrows back to two lanes and crosses the Jack A. Markell Trail, where the parallel multi-use trail ends, before it heads across the Norfolk Southern line again at-grade, at which point it turns east-northeast onto Ferry Cut Off Street near the New Castle Historic District. The historic district is home to the New Castle Court House Museum, New Castle Green, and the Sheriff's House, which are all part of First State National Historical Park. The road passes homes and businesses before intersecting East 6th Street. Here, DE 9 turns northeast onto East 6th Street, crossing a marshy creek and widening into a four-lane divided highway. The route curves north and becomes Wilmington Road, passing through commercial areas. The road crosses the Norfolk Southern New Castle Secondary again at-grade and runs through suburban residential neighborhoods and businesses, leaving New Castle. DE 9 becomes New Castle Avenue and passes to the west of Veterans Memorial Park before it comes to a
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange (road), interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes ...
with Interstate 295 (I-295)/ US 40 a short distance to the west of the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River. After the Rogers Road junction, DE 9 turns into a four-lane undivided road that continues through industrial and residential areas, crossing under
I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north: * The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgini ...
without an interchange. The road briefly becomes a divided highway again and intersects the southern terminus of DE 9A, which heads east to provide access to I-495 and the Port of Wilmington. After DE 9A, DE 9 enters the city of Wilmington and heads through urban areas as an undivided road, crossing Norfolk Southern's
Shellpot Secondary The Shellpot Branch (also called the Shellpot Secondary) is a former Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central through-freight railroad owned and operated by Norfolk Southern since its acquisition, along with CSX Transportation, of Conrail in 1999. The br ...
at-grade before intersecting the northbound direction of US 13. At this point, DE 9 splits into a one-way pair with the northbound direction becoming concurrent with northbound US 13 on one-way New Castle Avenue and the southbound direction following southbound US 13 on South Heald Street, briefly turning east along with northbound US 13 on D Street at the south end of the one-way pair. The one-way pair, which carries two lanes in each direction, passes
rowhomes In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...
and businesses, with New Castle Avenue merging onto South Heald Street. Here, US 13/DE 9 continue north-northeast on four-lane undivided South Heald Street, coming to an intersection with the northern terminus of DE 9A. Following this, the road becomes East 4th Street and heads north-northwest across the
Christina River The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles (56 km) long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near i ...
on a
drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveabl ...
. US 13/DE 9 curves northwest and passes under
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...
's Northeast Corridor railroad line, at which point northbound US 13 splits from the road by turning northeast on North Church Street at the grade crossing of a railroad spur. A block later, the concurrency between DE 9 and southbound US 13 ends at the point where southbound US 13 joins the road from North Spruce Street. DE 9 continues northwest through residential and commercial areas as a four-lane undivided road, entering downtown Wilmington. Here, it intersects US 13 Bus., which is routed on the one-way pair of North Walnut Street northbound and North King Street southbound. In between these two streets, the road runs to the south of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center (the county courthouse for New Castle County). Upon crossing North Market Street, the route becomes West 4th Street and passes to the north of the Orlando J. George, Jr. Campus of
Delaware Technical Community College Delaware Technical Community College (previously Delaware Technical & Community College, also known as DTCC, Delaware Tech, or Del Tech) is a public community college in the U.S. state of Delaware. Delaware Tech is an open admission institution ...
. DE 9 continues into residential areas and crosses under I-95/ US 202, with access to that road provided by northbound North Adams Street and southbound North Jackson Street. Past this, the road heads through more of the city before reaching the
Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are s ...
neighborhood. Here, DE 9 intersects the eastbound direction of DE 2 (North Lincoln Street) before coming to its northern terminus at the westbound direction of DE 2 (North Union Street). Much of DE 9 is designated as part of the
Delaware Byways The Delaware Byways (formerly Delaware Scenic and Historic Highways) system consists of roads in the U.S. state of Delaware that travel through areas of scenic and historic interest. The intent of this system is to promote tourism and raise awaren ...
system. From the southern terminus north to New Castle, DE 9 is designated as part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a byway that is noted for following the
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland ...
and Delaware River shoreline. The byway continues south past the terminus of DE 9 toward Lewes. The Delaware Bayshore Byway is also a
National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...
. The sections of the route between DE 299 east of Odessa and 7th Street southwest of New Castle, Wilmington Road north of New Castle and A Street in Wilmington, and along 4th Street in Wilmington between Swedes Landing Road and US 13 Bus. and Market and West streets are part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. The section of DE 9 between US 13 Bus. and Van Buren Street in Wilmington is part of the
Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route The Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route is a series of roads used in 1781 by the Continental Army under the command of George Washington and the Expédition Particulière under the command of Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau during their 14- ...
, a
National Historic Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...
. DE 9 has an
annual average daily traffic Annual average daily traffic, abbreviated AADT, is a measure used primarily in transportation planning, transportation engineering and retail location selection. Traditionally, it is the total volume of vehicle traffic of a highway or road for a y ...
count ranging from a high of 20,160 vehicles at the intersection with the northern terminus of DE 9A to a low of 412 vehicles at the border between Kent and New Castle counties. The portion of DE 9 between DE 141/DE 273 and East 6th Street in New Castle is part of the National Highway System.


History

The section of the present route between New Castle and Wilmington was constructed as the New Castle and Wilmington Turnpike, a private turnpike, in 1813. What would become DE 9 originally existed as a county road by 1920. Four years later, the road between Leipsic and Smyrna was upgraded to a state highway. In addition, the current alignment of DE 9 around Taylors Bridge and between Delaware City and Wilmington was paved. In 1931, what would become DE 9 was upgraded to a state highway between Bay Road and Little Creek and between Port Penn and Delaware City. A year later, the road became a state highway between Delaware City and Wilmington. By this time, what would become DE 9 between Little Creek and Leipsic was upgraded to a state highway. A drawbridge was constructed over the Delaware City Channel in 1933. This drawbridge was sealed and rendered inoperable in 1971. DE 9 was designated to run from US 113 (now DE 1) west of Kitts Hummock north to US 13 in Smyrna by 1936, following its current alignment to Leipsic and Smyrna-Leipsic Road to Smyrna. By 1942, what is now DE 9 between the Taylors Bridge area and Port Penn was paved. In 1956, New Castle Avenue was widened to a four-lane divided highway between Landers Lane and Rogers Corner. DE 9 was extended north to US 13 Alt. (now US 13) in Wilmington by 1959, being rerouted off Smyrna-Leipsic Road to follow its current alignment to New Castle, passing through that city on 6th Street before continuing along its current alignment to Wilmington. At this point, the entire route was paved. The current Reedy Point Bridge carrying DE 9 over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was completed in 1968. By 1971, DE 9 was extended north to its current terminus at DE 2. DE 9 was realigned to bypass New Castle by 1984 by following Washington Street and DE 273. On October 27, 2008, construction began to convert the intersection at the southern terminus with DE 1 into an interchange, with Governor
Ruth Ann Minner Ruth Ann Minner (née Coverdale; January 17, 1935 – November 4, 2021) was an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, Delaware, Milford, in Kent County, Delaware, Kent County, Delaware. A member of the Democratic Party (United States ...
in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony. Construction of the interchange at DE 1 was completed in 2009. By 2015, DE 273 was formally removed from the concurrency with DE 9; however , DE 273 signage remains along this segment. On September 6, 2016, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
began construction to demolish and replace the drawbridge carrying DE 9 over the Delaware City Channel with a fixed-span bridge. Construction of the bridge was expected to be complete in February 2017, but was delayed by winter weather. The new bridge opened to traffic on April 28, 2017. The Delaware State Highway Department recommended that DE 9 along the Delaware Bay and Delaware River be designated a scenic highway as far back as 1965. In 2007, the Route 9 Coastal Heritage Byway (now Delaware Bayshore Byway) was nominated and designated as a Delaware Scenic and Historic Highway. The Delaware Bayshore Byway was designated as a National Scenic Byway in 2021.


Major intersections


Special routes


DE 9A

Delaware Route 9A (DE 9A) is a two- to four-lane road in Wilmington, Delaware that serves as the primary access route to the Port of Wilmington as well as provide access to
I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north: * The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgini ...
. The official designation of the route runs along Terminal Avenue between DE 9 and the Port of Wilmington, interchanging with I-495. Signage has the route continuing north along Christiana Avenue to an intersection with US 13 and DE 9 for a total length of . Christiana Avenue originally became a state highway by 1924, serving as part of US 40 that connected to a ferry across the Delaware River to
Penns Grove, New Jersey Penns Grove is a borough in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,147, US 40 was removed from this road by 1931 and it later became part of DE 48 by 1936. DE 48 was subsequently removed by 1952 following the discontinuance of the ferry in 1949. DE 9A was designated by 1971.


DE 9 Truck

Delaware Route 9 Truck (DE 9 Truck) is a
truck bypass A truck bypass is a roadway that provides physical separation of trucks from passenger vehicles at a freeway interchange in order to eliminate weaving between passenger cars traveling at higher speeds and trucks traveling at lower speeds. Typ ...
of a stretch of DE 9 south of New Castle. It heads northwest from DE 9 on two-lane undivided Hamburg Road, passing through farmland with some development. In Tybouts Corner, the truck route turns northeast to join US 13 on four-lane divided South Dupont Highway. The road passes through farmland with some residential and commercial development. Farther north, the road heads into business areas, passing under Norfolk Southern's New Castle Secondary railroad line before intersecting US 40 in
State Road A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
. At this point, US 40 joins US 13 and DE 9 Truck, with the road widening to eight lanes. In Hares Corner, DE 9 Truck turns east to follow DE 273 on two-lane undivided Frenchtown Road, entering New Castle and heading east between business parks to the south and farm fields to the north. DE 9 Truck ends along with DE 273 at an intersection with DE 9 and the southern terminus of DE 141 west of the center of New Castle. Major intersections


See also

*


References


External links


DE 9 at AARoads.com

Delaware Roads - DE 9
{{good article 009 Transportation in Kent County, Delaware Transportation in New Castle County, Delaware