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Trip from Bellefonte, DE to Milford, DE

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 29m

Distance

71.2 mi

115 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$13

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 22m ★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 43m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Bellefonte, DE, DE

Bellefonte, DE

Antonio Garcia Prats

city in Kent and Sussex counties, Delaware, United States of America

Milford, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Bellefonte, DE to Milford, DE is 71.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 29 minutes via Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway and Bay Road, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Delaware, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The route primarily uses surface roads, offering a straightforward drive. With a duration under two hours and minimal fuel costs, this is an easy day trip for local travelers.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 42.8 mi 49m
Bay Road 14.7 mi 19m
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway 5.4 mi 6m
Delaware Turnpike 2 mi 2m
Wilmington Expressway 1.6 mi 1m
North Walnut Street 1.4 mi 2m
Edgemoor Road 0.7 mi 1m
Marsh Road 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway — 42.8 mi, about 49m

Traffic on I-95

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~6,415 veh/hr typical · worst 7,587

Quietest

1 AM

~677 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

9.5×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 46 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bellefonte, DE and Milford, DE.

1

Start on DE 3 Alternate

0.4 mi · 58 sec · Marsh Road
2

Turn left onto DE 3

0.7 mi · 1 min · Edgemoor Road
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 495 South
4

Merge onto I 495

5.4 mi · 6 min · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Merge onto I 95; US 202

1.6 mi · 1 min · Wilmington Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on I 95

2.0 mi · 2 min · Delaware Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 40 sec
Exit 4A Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 58 sec
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
9

Merge onto DE 1

10 mi · 12 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

0.3 mi · 19 sec · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

28 mi · 32 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
12

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

3.0 mi · 3 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
13

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

1.6 mi · 1 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
14

Continue on DE 1

15 mi · 19 min · Bay Road
15

Keep slight right at fork onto US 113; DE 1 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · US 113; DE 1 Business
Toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Georgetown
16

Take the exit

501 ft · 15 sec
17

Continue on DE 1 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · North Walnut Street
18

Keep slight right at fork onto North Walnut Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Walnut Street
19

Turn left onto DE 36

200 ft · 8 sec · Southeast Front Street
20

Turn left

301 ft · 22 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Delaware, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Smyrna, DE

36 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Bear, DE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Smyrna, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 35.6 miles from Bellefonte, DE, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 69.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway

Merge onto I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.4 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover, Beaches

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4A Toward DE 1 South, DE 7 South: Mall Road, Dover...
6
11 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight left at fork toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
6
21.8 mi into trip | ~27m in | DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
69.2 mi into trip | ~1h 24m in | US 113; DE 1 Business

Keep slight right at fork onto US 113; DE 1 Business toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Georgetown

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 113 South, DE 1 Business: Milford, Ge...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$12.59 one way

$25.18 round trip

$4.49/gal 25.4 MPG avg 25 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.92 $13.79 $27.58
premium $5.24 $14.70 $29.40
diesel $5.35 $15.00 $29.99

Estimated Tolls: $0.14

Delaware Turnpike (2 mi) $0.14

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$13

Tolls

$0

Total

$13

Estimated CO2 emission: 24.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 21.4 0 $7.48 $3.42
Efficient EV 17.8 0 $6.23 $2.85
EV Truck/SUV 28.5 0 $9.97 $4.56

Gas CO2

25 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (68% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jun 1, 2026

Origin

Bellefonte, DE

Afternoon in Bellefonte on Wednesday

Local time

2:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Mostly Clear

NW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Destination

Milford, DE

Afternoon in Milford on Wednesday

Local time

2:59 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Mostly Clear

SW 5 mph 0% chance Live forecast

60°F

Smyrna, DE

36 mi in

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 29m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This route has a low highway share of 6%, meaning you'll spend most of your time on surface roads. You'll encounter 42.8 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway before transitioning to local streets. Expect a consistent pace on Bay Road, with frequent intersections and potential for traffic as you approach your destination. The majority of the drive involves navigating through towns and local traffic patterns.

Only 6% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 42.8 mi on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 71.2 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

183 ft 1 ft

Total Climb

107 ft

Total Descent

278 ft

Highest Point

183 ft

Elevation Range

182 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Bellefonte, DE and Milford, DE, road signs point toward Dover and Beaches.

Dover

10.4 mi in | ~13m

Beaches

10.4 mi in | ~13m

About the Cities

Arriving in Milford, DE

Full guide →

Founded 1680

Top landmarks

  • Milford Railroad Station — railway station in Milford, the United States of America

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 71.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 42.8 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.14 in tolls one way, starting with Delaware Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Milford, DE before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles (I 495 / Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — First State National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Milford, DE before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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