Origin
Newark, DE
Late night in Newark on Tuesday
Local time
4:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, DE to Middletown, DE
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
17.6 mi
28 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newark, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Middletown, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Newark, DE to Middletown, DE is 17.6 miles and takes about 28 minutes via Summit Bridge Road and South College Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Delaware, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a fairly straightforward drive that should feel familiar if you're used to navigating local roads. It's a quick hop, perfect for a quick errand or a brief scenic detour without committing to a full day's travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Summit Bridge Road | 10.9 mi | 15m |
| South College Avenue | 5.5 mi | 9m |
| North Broad Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| East Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Summit Bridge Road
— 10.9 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, DE and Middletown, DE.
1
Start on this road
229 ft
·
19 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto DE 273
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
East Main Street
3
Turn left onto DE 896
5.5 mi
·
9 min
·
South College Avenue
4
Continue on DE 896
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Summit Bridge Road
Use the straight lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 71
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
North Broad Street
6
Turn left onto DE 299
99 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Main Street
7
Arrive at destination
DE 299
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 17.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
DE 273 / East Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto DE 273 / East Main Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
3
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
DE 896 / South College Avenue
Turn left onto DE 896 / South College Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
16.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
DE 71 / North Broad Street
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 71 / North Broad Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
3
17.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
DE 299 / East Main Street
Turn left onto DE 299 / East Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.92 one way
$5.84 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.20 | $6.39 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.41 | $6.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
| Efficient EV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.54 | $0.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.13 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
Middletown, DE
Late night in Middletown on Tuesday
Local time
4:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
12 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
28m 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?
This drive is characterized by a high number of turns, indicating a local and less highway-focused experience. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 17.6 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.9 miles on Summit Bridge Road, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before the turns resume. Expect to be engaged with the driving, paying attention to intersections and local traffic patterns throughout the 28-minute journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on Summit Bridge Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near DE 273 / East Main Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 28m drive. You will face about 4 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (DE 273 / East Main Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (DE 896 / South College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 16.6 miles (DE 71 / North Broad Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Starting in Newark, DE
Full guide →Newark is in Delaware.
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 28m. Total distance: 17.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on Summit Bridge Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 273 / East Main Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.2 miles (DE 896 / South College Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 16.6 miles (DE 71 / North Broad Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 Middletown, 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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