Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
16.6 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Smyrna, DE
Wikimedia Commons
Shady Lane, DE
Yoan Martínez Diaz
Smyrna to Shady Lane is 16.6 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway and South State Street, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and the state of Delaware, primarily utilizing surface roads. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for a quick local excursion or an easy connection between points in the area. Given the short duration, you can easily fit this into your schedule without needing an overnight stay.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Puncheon Run Connector | 2 mi | 2m |
| South State Street | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| South Dupont Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| South Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| South Dupont Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Mitten Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Shady Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Smyrna, DE and Shady Lane, DE.
Start on East South Street
Turn left onto South Main Street
Merge onto US 13
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto DE 1 Toll
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll
Keep slight right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector
Turn sharp right onto US 13
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto South State Street
Turn right onto Shady Lane
Turn left onto Mitten Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 16.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward DE 1 Toll: Dover, Beaches, Wilmington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward DE 1 Toll South: Dover, Beaches
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Keep slight right at fork onto Puncheon Run Connector toward Salisbury, Norfolk
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto Mitten Street
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$2.94 one way
$5.87 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $3.22 | $6.43 |
| premium | $5.24 | $3.43 | $6.85 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $3.50 | $6.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.74 | $0.80 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.45 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Smyrna on Wednesday
Local time
2:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Partly Cloudy
Rip Current Statement
Rip Current Statement issued June 2 at 7:42PM EDT until June 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Afternoon in Shady Lane on Wednesday
Local time
2:59 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Partly Cloudy
Rip Current Statement
Rip Current Statement issued June 2 at 7:42PM EDT until June 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
This route is entirely on surface roads, meaning you won't encounter any highway driving. The longest continuous stretch you'll navigate is 10.9 miles on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway, after which you'll transition to other local streets. Expect a more stop-and-go experience with traffic lights and intersections common on South State Street and the Puncheon Run Connector. You'll notice the change from a more flowing road to navigating through town.
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.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 16.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.8 miles (DE 1 Toll / Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
74 ft
Total Descent
80 ft
Highest Point
60 ft
~13.1 mi in
Elevation Range
36 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Smyrna, DE and Shady Lane, DE, road signs point toward Beaches, Wilmington, Salisbury and Norfolk.
Beaches
Wilmington
Salisbury
Norfolk
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Near the start, right off the route
Smyrna, DE
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-22:00; Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 08...
Visit websiteCafe
Later in the drive, short detour
Dover, DE
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Cuisine: american
Hours: Mo-Su 07:00-21:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the end, right off the route
Dover, DE
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Smyrna, DE
Cuisine: italian;pizza
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-00:00; Su 12:00-00:00; Fr-Sa...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Later in the drive, right off the route
Cuisine: italian_pizza
Hours: We-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-22:00
Visit websiteFast_food
Near the start, right off the route
Smyrna, DE
Cuisine: pizza
Hours: Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su...
Visit websiteAttraction
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Attraction
Near the start, short detour
Attraction
Later in the drive, short detour
Attraction
Later in the drive, short detour
Attraction
Later in the drive, short detour
Attraction
Later in the drive, short detour
Museum
Near the end, short detour
Dover, DE
Hours: We-Sa 09:30-16:00
Visit websiteMuseum
Near the end, short detour
Dover, DE
Visit websiteYes
Near the end, short detour
Memorial
Later in the drive, short detour
Monument
Near the end, short detour
Memorial
Near the end, short detour
Hotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Dover, DE
Visit websiteHotel
Later in the drive, short detour
Dover, DE
Visit websiteMotel
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Dover
Motel
Later in the drive, short detour
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 16.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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