National Scenic Byway · Delaware

Delaware Bayshore Byway

Delaware's bay coast from historic New Castle south past marsh refuges and small river towns toward Lewes.

Along the Delaware Bayshore Byway

Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region, Public domain, source

  • Length157 miles[1]DelDOT says the route spans about 100 miles of Delaware's coastline.
  • Drive timeNot verified
  • RoadsNot verified
  • Start and endNew Castle to the beach resorts just outside Lewes[2]
  • Fees and passesNone for the byway[1]Some parks and museums along it charge.
  • Best seasonNot verified
  • SurfaceNot verified
  • Vehicle notesNot verified
  • Seasonal closuresNot verified

Before you go

Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.

About the drive

The Delaware Bayshore Byway follows the state's Delaware Bay shore from the historic city of New Castle south toward the beach towns outside Lewes. It became a National Scenic Byway in 2021.

The route links old towns such as New Castle, Port Penn and Odessa with tidal marshes and wildlife areas, including Woodland Beach and Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The John Dickinson Plantation near Dover is another stop DelDOT lists.

The full route is long, so most people drive a section at a time. We haven't verified a complete route line for this byway yet, so the map shows the stops only.

Stops along the way

  1. New Castle

    Historic city at the north end, with the New Castle County Courthouse.

    Official information · 39.66207, -75.56632

  2. Port Penn

    Village with the Port Penn Interpretive Center.

    Official information · 39.51679, -75.57659

  3. Odessa

    Historic town on the route.

    Official information · 39.45734, -75.66132

  4. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

    Tidal marsh refuge on Delaware Bay.

    Official information · 39.2424, -75.43727

  5. John Dickinson Plantation

    Historic site south of Dover.

    Official information · 39.10212, -75.44868

Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Sources

  1. America's Byways: Delaware Bayshore Byway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. Delaware's Bayshore Byway (Delaware Department of Transportation) (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).

More drives in Delaware · All scenic drives