Delaware has plenty of unique communities, and several were recently named the top can’t-miss towns.
Find out if your favorites made the list or if they were left off.
Delaware’s ‘can’t-miss’ towns
Visitors to the Newark Reservoir at sunset enjoy a break in the heat as temperatures and humidity take a temporary drop, Tuesday, July 11, 2023.
WorldAtlas chose eight places in Delaware as the top “can’t-miss” towns. Ranging from historic villages to welcoming communities, each is said to showcase the heart of the First State and considered a “must-see” destination beyond the beaten path.
Newark is just a mile south of the Delaware Wedge – where Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania meet – and shares a border with Maryland. Located 15 miles from Wilmington and 46 miles from Philadelphia, Newark is a great local hub known for its abundance of outdoor activities and its strong sense of community, WorldAtlas said.
Highlights of the city include the Newark Reservoir, nearby Glasgow Park and Main Street, which is filled with a unique mix of shops and eateries.
The Air Mobility Command Museum on Dover Air Force Base is free to the public and guests don’t need a military ID to get in. Pictured is a scene of aircrafts inside the museum hangar on Sept. 4, 2025.
Next up is Dover, the capital of Delaware, which is around 82 miles south of Philadelphia and 90 miles east of Washinton, D.C. Dover is said to take up a larger area than any other city on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Highlights include the John W. Pitts Recreation Center, offering a variety of sports and classes, and the Performing Arts Series on the Green in the spring and summer. WorldAtlas also mentions the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, which is open to the public and shares the history of Delaware’s significance to air transport.
A property tax bill drop box stands outside Town Hall in Middletown, Delaware, on Sept. 9, 2025.
Moving on, Middletown is 24 miles from Wilmington and 25 miles from Dover. If you didn’t know, the name came from its position as a halfway point on the old cart road across the peninsula between the Appoquinimink Creek in Odessa and Bohemia Landing on the eastern branch of the Bohemia River in Maryland.
Middletown highlights include Charles E. Price Memorial Park for walks with the dogs or a picnic; the Dutch Country Farmers Market featuring goods from the Amish and locals; and Filasky’s Produce and Farm Market for home-grown produce and farm activities.
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Smyrna Opera House underwent a $3.6 million, five-year restoration.
Smyrna, located in both New Castle and Kent counties, is fourth on the list. It was first settled before the American Revolution on the eastern bank of Duck Creek and was formerly known as Salisbury until it was renamed in 1806. Smyrna is known for its convenient location between Dover, Wilmington and Newark and is the fastest-growing municipality in Delaware, according to WorldAtlas.
Highlights include Smyrna’s historic downtown area, which has almost 500 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Smyrna Museum tells the story of the area and the Smyrna Opera House, also on South Main Street, serves as a theater and an art gallery. For outdoorsy folks, Blackbird State Forest is perfect for camping and hiking.
The Riverwalk Freedom Festival in Milford takes place along the banks of the Mispillion River.
Milford is fifth on the list, located in both Kent and Sussex counties and 45 minutes from the beaches. Milford is on the Mispillion River and is about 23 miles south of Dover and 75 miles south of Wilmington.
Highlights include the Mispillion Riverwalk, offering scenic views and walking areas along the river and the Goat Island Trail, a 0.75-mile loop with a dog park. For more fun, the Milford Museum is housed in Milford’s original post office building, and Milford Tavern on Walnut Street is a local favorite.
Low tide on the Nanticoke River, looking south from Woodland Ferry.
Next is Seaford, located along the Nanticoke River and just 30 miles from the beaches. Seaford was home to the first DuPont nylon plant, the world’s first nylon plant established in 1939.
A highlight of the Sussex County town includes the Governor Ross Mansion, a complete Victorian Italianate estate built in the 1860s. It contains the only documented log slave quarter in Delaware and was home to Governor William Henry Harrison Ross, who served from 1851 to 1855. More standouts are the Woodland Ferry, which was established in 1793 and still ferries passengers across the Nanticoke River, and the Seaford Museum on High Street, which holds a collection of local artifacts telling the story of the town’s history.
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Vehicles are parked outside the Sussex County Courthouse.
Seventh on the list is Georgetown, located 15 miles south of Milford and 36 miles south of Dover. Milford is 30-minute drive from the beaches and was constructed around a circle rather than the more traditional town square. The circle is home to town hall, state and county buildings and the historic Sussex County Courthouse.
Highlights include the town’s summer concert series at Sand Hill Field, Georgetown Family Restaurant on East Market Street and Wings and Wheels, an annual event in October featuring fly-ins of vintage airplanes and a car show
Designer Kathleen Magner-Rios says she wanted to bring a flavor of Europe and “old world feel” to the Legal Grounds Cafe in Elsmere.
The final highlighted town in Delaware is Elsmere, which is situated on the western border of Wilmington. Elsmere’s motto is “a wonderful place to live.” Founded in the 1880s, the town offers a close-knit community atmosphere while still providing access to nearby city amenities. Fairgrounds Park, once the site of the Delaware State Fair, now serves as a venue for community events and features playgrounds and ball fields.
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Highlights include the Elsmere Dog Park on Dupont Road, the Elsmere Library on Spruce Avenue and Legal Grounds Cafe on Kirkwood Highway.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 8 ‘can’t-miss’ towns in Delaware, according to WorldAtlas
