Delaware Route 8
Encyclopedia
Delaware Route 8 is a state highway located in Kent County
, Delaware
. It runs from Maryland Route 454
at the Maryland
border near Marydel, Maryland
east to an intersection with Delaware Route 9
north of Little Creek
. The route passes through the heart of Delaware's capital, Dover
, on Division Street and the western part of Dover on Forrest Avenue. The road was built as a state highway west of Dover by 1924 and east of Dover by 1931. The DE 8 designation was given to the road by 1936.
, where the name changes to Forrest Avenue. It then heads east through the countryside west of Dover, which is home to many Amish
families.
DE 8 then crosses into Dover
, where it widens from a two-lane country road to a five-lane suburban road. It passes through the residential and commercial areas of West Dover and it intersects Delaware Route 15
. It then heads toward downtown Dover, where DE 8 bears to the left onto Division Street, narrowing to a two-lane road. It passes through the northern edge of downtown Dover, intersecting U.S. Route 13 Alternate (Governors Avenue) and passing by Wesley College.
It then leaves downtown Dover and intersects U.S. Route 13
. The name then changes to North Little Creek Road and it continues through the eastern part of Dover. At the eastern edge of Dover, it features a partial interchange with Delaware Route 1, providing access to and from the north. This interchange was not originally constructed when DE 1 was built in the early 1990s; it was built later by upgrading an emergency connection that existed between the two routes. It then heads east through countryside to an intersection with Delaware Route 9
just north of the town of Little Creek
.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|Marydel
|0.00
|
|Maryland state line, western terminus
|-
|Pearsons Corner
|6.21
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Dover
|12.00
|
|
|-
|12.81
|
|
|-
|13.54
|
|
|-
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|Little Creek
|17.16
|
|Eastern terminus
|-
Kent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. It runs from Maryland Route 454
Maryland Route 454
Maryland Route 454 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Crown Stone Road, the state highway runs from the Delaware state line in Marydel, where the highway continues east as Delaware Route 8 , north to MD 302 in Templeville. MD 454 was built in the...
at the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
border near Marydel, Maryland
Marydel, Maryland
Marydel is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 147 at the 2000 census. It is named after its location, being partially located in Maryland and partially in Delaware.-Geography:...
east to an intersection with Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9 is a state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S...
north of Little Creek
Little Creek, Delaware
Little Creek is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 224 at the 2010 census...
. The route passes through the heart of Delaware's capital, Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
, on Division Street and the western part of Dover on Forrest Avenue. The road was built as a state highway west of Dover by 1924 and east of Dover by 1931. The DE 8 designation was given to the road by 1936.
Route description
Delaware Route 8 heads to the northeast from the Maryland border in the stateline town of Marydel on Halltown Road. In Pearsons Corner, it intersects the eastern terminus of Delaware Route 44Delaware Route 44
Delaware Route 44 is a state highway in Kent County, Delaware. It runs from Delaware Route 300 in Everetts Corner to Delaware Route 8 in Pearsons Corner, passing through the town of Hartly...
, where the name changes to Forrest Avenue. It then heads east through the countryside west of Dover, which is home to many Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
families.
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
, where it widens from a two-lane country road to a five-lane suburban road. It passes through the residential and commercial areas of West Dover and it intersects Delaware Route 15
Delaware Route 15
Delaware Route 15 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. The route runs from Delaware Route 14 west of Milford in Kent County to U.S. Route 301 and Delaware Routes 71 and 896 in Summit, New Castle County, just south of Summit Bridge. Delaware Route 15 winds a path through many rural...
. It then heads toward downtown Dover, where DE 8 bears to the left onto Division Street, narrowing to a two-lane road. It passes through the northern edge of downtown Dover, intersecting U.S. Route 13 Alternate (Governors Avenue) and passing by Wesley College.
It then leaves downtown Dover and intersects U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...
. The name then changes to North Little Creek Road and it continues through the eastern part of Dover. At the eastern edge of Dover, it features a partial interchange with Delaware Route 1, providing access to and from the north. This interchange was not originally constructed when DE 1 was built in the early 1990s; it was built later by upgrading an emergency connection that existed between the two routes. It then heads east through countryside to an intersection with Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9
Delaware Route 9 is a state highway that connects with Delaware Route 1 at the Dover Air Force Base to Interstate 95 in the City of Wilmington. Much like their U.S...
just north of the town of Little Creek
Little Creek, Delaware
Little Creek is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 224 at the 2010 census...
.
History
By 1920, what is now DE 8 existed as an unimproved county road. The route was completed as a state highway between the Maryland border in Marydel and Dover by 1924. By 1925, the road was proposed as a state highway between Dover and Little Creek. This state highway was completed by 1931. When Delaware created its state highway system by 1936, DE 8 was assigned to its current alignment between the Maryland border in Marydel and DE 9 north of Little Creek. The route has remained on the same roads since its inception.Major intersections
The entire route is in Kent CountyKent County, Delaware
Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is coextensive with the Dover, Delaware, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population was 162,310, a 28.1% increase over the previous decade. The county seat is Dover, the state capital...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|Marydel
Marydel, Delaware
Marydel is an unincorporated community in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It lies along Delaware Route 8 West of the city of Dover, the county seat of Kent County and Delaware's state capital. Because the community has borne multiple names, the Board on Geographic Names officially...
|0.00
|
|Maryland state line, western terminus
|-
|Pearsons Corner
|6.21
|
|
|-
|rowspan=4|Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
|12.00
|
|
|-
|12.81
|
|
|-
|13.54
|
|
|-
|
|
|Interchange
|-
|Little Creek
Little Creek, Delaware
Little Creek is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 224 at the 2010 census...
|17.16
|
|Eastern terminus
|-