About Sussex County, DE

Lewes, DE has a population of 2,476 and is a quaint seaside resort known for its maritime history and its many water-oriented recreational activities, such as fishing, boating, kayaking, and camping on the beach.

Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes was incorporated in 1883, on the Delaware Bay and close to the Atlantic Ocean. Founded in 1631, Lewes is known as the "First Town in the First State" and is the oldest town in Delaware.

Lewes was settled by the Dutch and is known for the many historic buildings preserved in the city.

In addition to historic sight-seeing including a walking tour of the city's historic district, Lewes is well-known for its fishing marinas, charter boats, its Victorian architecture, its bay and ocean beaches, and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.

Lewes has become a shopping mecca with a beautiful downtown shopping district on 2nd Street and tax-free outlet shopping on Route 1 near the outlets in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Downtown Lewes, DE

Lewes, DE Waterfront

Lighthouse at Lewes, DE

Fenwick Island, DE is a summer resort town with only 230 residents that live year round. Fenwick Island is located right on Route 1.

The southern most of Delaware's beaches, Fenwick borders the Maryland line and Ocean City. Fenwick is a watersports playground with the Atlantic Ocean and its surfing, fishing, swimming and sunbathing to the east and the Assawoman Bay with its sailing, boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and personal watercraft adventures to the west.

Fenwick is the site of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse that was incorporated in 1953.

Fenwick Island, DE Lighthouse

Lighthouse at Sunset in Fenwick Island, DE

Milford, DE was originally called Saw Mill Range because the land there had been granted to the Duke of York to produce lumber for England. At the intersection of U.S. 113 and Route 1, Milford is known as the “Gateway to Southern Delaware.”

Milford’s crown jewel is the Mispillion River Walk, which is a greenway built to preserve the city's waterfront. The Abbott's Mill Nature Center is also in Milford.

Milford also offers great Parks & Recreation programs, a country club, a hospital, low taxes, and affordable housing that is 15 minutes from Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.

Historic Homes of Milford, DE

Mispillion River Walk in Milford, DE

Bethany Beach, DE is one of the "Quiet Resorts" that is between north to Fenwick Island and South Bethany.

Bethany Beach has been a very popular summer tourist destination. Bethany Beach’s year-round population is only 350 residents compared to the 40,000 visitors every summer.

Bethany Beach offers swimming, surfing, fishing, biking, kayaking, and boating in nearby bays and ocean. Also, Bethany offer beachcombing, strolling the quarter-mile boardwalk, summer concerts on the bandstand, and shopping and dining in the mid-town business district are just some of the favorite past times in Bethany.

The town's public beaches are guarded by full-time lifeguards from Memorial Day-Labor Day.

Bethany Beach is now 102 years old and is located on Route 1 and Route 26, about 10 miles south of Rehoboth Beach and 8 miles north of Ocean City, providing easy access to the attractions of those large summer resorts, while offering a peaceful escape from their hustle and bustle.

Hand Carved Wooden Statue in Bethany Beach, DE

The little town of Bethel, DE is a quaint village of gorgeous Victorian and Italianate architecture homes. Bethel has a population of 199 and is on the National Historic Register. Bethel was founded in the late 1700s and incorporated in the 1880s. The town, located on the north bank of the Broad Creek near Laurel, was a prosperous shipbuilding community in the 1800 and many of the homes were built by ship carpenters for sea captains of that period.