Skip to main content

Trip from Pike Creek, DE to Wilmington, DE

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

23m

Distance

11.1 mi

18 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

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

Downtown Pike Creek, DE, DE

Pike Creek, DE

Petr Ganaj

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

Wilmington, DE

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning to travel from Pike Creek to Wilmington, you are looking at a quick 11.1-mile journey that typically takes about 23 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited as a simple day trip, as it requires no overnight stay and fits easily into a morning or afternoon schedule. You will primarily navigate via the Kirkwood Highway, North Maryland Avenue, and Upper Pike Creek Road. With a fuel cost estimate of just $2, this local transit is highly economical for your budget. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast region, you will remain in familiar territory throughout the entire drive. It is a straightforward, practical route for anyone needing to commute or visit the city.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Kirkwood Highway 5 mi 8m
North Maryland Avenue 1.5 mi 3m
Upper Pike Creek Road 1.3 mi 3m
Pike Creek Road 0.9 mi 2m
South Dupont Road 0.8 mi 1m
North West Street 0.5 mi 1m
Robert Kirkwood Highway 0.5 mi 1m
West 11th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Kirkwood Highway — 5 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Upper Pike Creek Road

1.3 mi · 3 min · Upper Pike Creek Road
2

At end of road, turn left onto Pike Creek Road

0.9 mi · 2 min · Pike Creek Road
3

At end of road, turn left onto DE 2

5.0 mi · 8 min · Kirkwood Highway
4

Continue on DE 2

0.5 mi · 1 min · Robert Kirkwood Highway
5

Turn right onto DE 100

0.8 mi · 1 min · South Dupont Road
6

Turn slight left

111 ft · 11 sec
7

Turn left onto DE 4

1.5 mi · 3 min · North Maryland Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn slight left onto North Madison Street

0.1 mi · 30 sec · North Madison Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
9

Turn right onto West 3rd Street

0.2 mi · 41 sec · West 3rd Street
10

Turn left onto North West Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · North West Street
11

Turn right onto DE 52

0.2 mi · 50 sec · West 11th Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12

Turn right onto US 13 Business

86 ft · 2 sec · North King Street
13

Arrive at destination

US 13 Business

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 8

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 11.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in | Pike Creek Road

At end of road, turn left onto Pike Creek Road

Navigation decision point

6
8.5 mi into trip | ~16m in | DE 4 / North Maryland Avenue

Turn left onto DE 4 / North Maryland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
10.2 mi into trip | ~20m in | West 3rd Street

Turn right onto West 3rd Street

Navigation decision point

5
10.9 mi into trip | ~22m in | DE 52 / West 11th Street

Turn right onto DE 52 / West 11th Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left / right lanes.
5
11.1 mi into trip | ~23m in | US 13 Business / North King Street

Turn right onto US 13 Business / North King Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.84 one way

$3.68 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $2.02 $4.03
premium $4.93 $2.15 $4.31
diesel $5.61 $2.45 $4.90

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.3 0 $1.17 $0.53
Efficient EV 2.8 0 $0.97 $0.44
EV Truck/SUV 4.4 0 $1.55 $0.71

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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 20, 2026

Origin

Pike Creek, DE

Late night in Pike Creek on Tuesday

Local time

4:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Wilmington, DE

Late night in Wilmington on Tuesday

Local time

4:11 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°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 cooler at arrival

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

Road read

23m 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 experience rather than a high-speed interstate cruise. You will spend 0% of your time on highways, meaning this route relies entirely on local surface streets. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 5-mile segment along the Kirkwood Highway. Because this is a technical, local drive, you should stay alert for frequent turns and intersections. The road’s personality is defined by its stop-and-go nature, requiring you to remain focused on the road conditions as you transition from the residential feel of Pike Creek into Wilmington.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on Kirkwood Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near Pike Creek Road.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 11.1 miles you will encounter 8 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 1.3 miles (Pike Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.5 miles (DE 4 / North Maryland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles (West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 11.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

23m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5 miles on Kirkwood Highway. 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: at 1.3 miles (Pike Creek Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.5 miles (DE 4 / North Maryland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.2 miles (West 3rd Street): Navigation decision point.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Pike Creek, DE or browse trips ending in Wilmington, DE.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse DE road trips.