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Trip from Milford, DE to Wilmington, DE

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 26m

Distance

68.6 mi

110 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 19 min
4 AM
1h 20m ★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m

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

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

Milford, DE

Wikimedia Commons

seat of New Castle County, and largest city in Delaware, United States

Wilmington, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 68.6-mile drive from Milford to Wilmington, Delaware, is a straightforward 1 hour and 26 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll primarily navigate via the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, North Dupont Boulevard, and the Wilmington Expressway. With a fuel cost estimated at $11, this route is budget-friendly. Given its relatively short duration and lack of designated stops, it's a simple point-to-point journey within the Northeast region of Delaware. This drive is best suited for a single day's travel.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway 43.7 mi 51m
North Dupont Boulevard 14.9 mi 19m
Wilmington Expressway 4.6 mi 5m
Delaware Turnpike 1.8 mi 2m
North Walnut Street 1.4 mi 2m
West 11th Street 0.6 mi 1m
North Adams Street 0.1 mi <1m
North Rehoboth Boulevard <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway — 43.7 mi, about 51m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

34 ft · 4 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto DE 36

136 ft · 6 sec · Southeast Front Street
3

Turn right onto North Walnut Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · North Walnut Street
4

At end of road, turn left onto DE 1 Business

290 ft · 7 sec · North Rehoboth Boulevard
5

Turn straight onto DE 1 Business

0.4 mi · 45 sec · North Walnut Street
6

Turn slight right onto US 113; DE 1 Business

15 mi · 19 min · North Dupont Boulevard
7

Continue on DE 1 Toll

4.4 mi · 5 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Toward DE 1 Toll North: Wilmington
8

Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1 Toll

28 mi · 31 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
9

Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll

6.5 mi · 7 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
10

Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1

5.2 mi · 6 min · Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Toward DE 1 North: Wilmington, Baltimore Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

1.1 mi · 1 min
Exit 165B Toward I 95 North: Wilmington, Philadelphia Use the slight right lane.
12

Merge onto I 95

1.8 mi · 2 min · Delaware Turnpike
13

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95

1.4 mi · 1 min · Wilmington Expressway
Toward I 95, I 495: Wilmington, Philadelphia
14

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 202

3.2 mi · 4 min · Wilmington Expressway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 33 sec
Exit 7 Toward DE 52: Delaware Avenue Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn slight left onto North Adams Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · North Adams Street
17

Turn right onto West 11th Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · West 11th Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
18

Turn right onto US 13 Business

86 ft · 2 sec · North King Street
19

Arrive at destination

US 13 Business

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

34 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.

Popular next leg

Smyrna, DE to Wilmington, DE

37.8 mi · 48m

Pacing Suggestions

Dover, DE

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Smyrna, DE

Meal break

The midpoint is around 34.3 miles from Milford, 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 67.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | DE 36 / Southeast Front Street

Turn right onto DE 36 / Southeast Front Street

Navigation decision point

8
54.9 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in | DE 1 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway

Keep slight right at fork onto DE 1 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway toward DE 1 North: Wilmington, Baltimore

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward DE 1 North: Wilmington, Baltimore
8
60.2 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North: Wilmington, Philadelphia

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 165B Toward I 95 North: Wilmington, Philadelphia
6
63.1 mi into trip | ~1h 17m in | I 95 / Wilmington Expressway

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 / Wilmington Expressway toward I 95, I 495: Wilmington, Philadelphia

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

Toward I 95, I 495: Wilmington, Philadelphia
7
67.7 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in

Take the exit toward DE 52: Delaware Avenue

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 7 Toward DE 52: Delaware Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.37 one way

$22.75 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 24 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $12.46 $24.91
premium $4.93 $13.30 $26.61
diesel $5.61 $15.15 $30.29

Estimated Tolls: $0.12

Delaware Turnpike (1.8 mi) $0.12

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$0

Total

$11

Estimated CO2 emission: 24 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 20.6 0 $7.20 $3.29
Efficient EV 17.2 0 $6.00 $2.74
EV Truck/SUV 27.4 0 $9.60 $4.39

Gas CO2

24 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (67% 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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Milford, DE

Night in Milford on Saturday

Local time

9:27 PM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Wilmington, DE

Night in Wilmington on Saturday

Local time

9:27 PM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Smyrna, DE

34 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

2 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 26m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

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

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive with about 9% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 43.7 miles on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. While there are highway portions, the overall feel is more akin to navigating through towns and local roads, requiring your attention for frequent turns and traffic changes. The road character will likely shift from more open highway sections to more developed, local routes as you approach Wilmington.

Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 43.7 mi on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 early in the drive near DE 36 / Southeast Front Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 68.6 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (DE 36 / Southeast Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 54.9 miles (DE 1 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Milford, DE and Wilmington, DE, road signs point toward Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Baltimore

54.9 mi in | ~1h 7m | via DE 1

Philadelphia

60.2 mi in | ~1h 13m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 68.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 26m 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 43.7 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.12 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.

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 Wilmington, 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: near the start (DE 36 / Southeast Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 54.9 miles (DE 1 / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 60.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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 Wilmington, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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