Origin
Newark, DE
Morning in Newark on Tuesday
Local time
8:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, DE to Smyrna, 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
44m
Distance
32.2 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newark, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Smyrna, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward journey within Delaware, the 32.2-mile trip from Newark to Smyrna is an ideal candidate for a simple day trip. Expect to spend approximately 44 minutes behind the wheel, making it a very manageable drive that requires no overnight stops. Budgeting just $5 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical excursion for your weekend plans. Since both Newark and Smyrna are located in the Northeast region, you will remain within the same familiar territory throughout your travels. This route is best suited for those who prefer a brief, efficient commute rather than a long-haul adventure.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 19.2 mi | 22m |
| Wrangle Hill Road | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Sunset Lake Road | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| South College Avenue | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| South Chapel Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Dupont Parkway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| East Chestnut Hill Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| North Dupont Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
— 19.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, DE and Smyrna, 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
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
South College Avenue
4
Turn left onto DE 4
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Chestnut Hill Road
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto DE 72
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Chapel Street
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on DE 72
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Sunset Lake Road
7
Continue on DE 72
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Wrangle Hill Road
8
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
9
Merge onto DE 1
3.1 mi
·
3 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
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 13: Rest Area
13
Turn left onto US 13
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
South Dupont Parkway
14
Continue on US 13
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Dupont Boulevard
15
Turn right onto East South Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
East South Street
16
Arrive at destination
East South Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.7 — 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
4
1.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
DE 4 / East Chestnut Hill Road
Turn left onto DE 4 / East Chestnut Hill Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
DE 72 / South Chapel Street
Turn right onto DE 72 / South Chapel Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
10.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the ramp toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward DE 1 South: Dover, Beaches
6
13.7 mi into trip
|
~21m 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.34 one way
$10.68 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.85 | $11.69 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.24 | $12.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.11 | $14.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.38 | $1.55 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.51 | $2.06 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Smyrna, DE
Morning in Smyrna on Tuesday
Local time
8:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m 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 that demands your full attention as you navigate through the heart of the state. You will spend time on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, Wrangle Hill Road, and Sunset Lake Road to complete the transit. With only 4% of the journey consisting of highway driving, this is far from a monotonous interstate grind. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch along the 19.2-mile section of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The experience transitions from local arterial roads into a more focused highway segment before reaching your destination.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 273 / East Main Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 32.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
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 1.9 miles (DE 4 / East Chestnut Hill Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (DE 72 / South Chapel Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Newark, DE to Smyrna, DE, road signs begin pointing toward Beaches along the way.
Beaches
10.2 mi in
|
~16m
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 44m. Total distance: 32.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m 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 19.2 miles on Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Smyrna, 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 273 / East Main Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.9 miles (DE 4 / East Chestnut Hill Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (DE 72 / South Chapel Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Smyrna, 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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