68 Interesting Facts about Delaware

Facts about Delaware

The longest-ever poker tournament was played in Delaware Park in 2011. The tournament lasted 36 hours, 34 minutes, and 11 seconds, and was won by Peter Konas.
Delaware has the ninth-largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States. Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut have the largest number of millionaires per capita respectively.
The Sweet Goldenrod herb became Delaware’s state herb in 1996. It is also a great source of nutrition for the thriving bee population in the state.
Newark witnessed the first flying of the US flag in battle. This happened during the Revolutionary War when British and American forces engaged in the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. Outnumbered 4-to-1, the Revolutionaries suffered defeat and retreated back to Wilmington.
Thomas Edison was a judge in the first Miss United States beauty pageant (which is different than Miss USA). It was held on Rehoboth Beach. Aside from being the first state to join the Union, there are a ton of reasons that every Delawarean should be bragging about where they live.
Even though Delawarean Thomas Garrett lost his entire fortune fighting slavery, he helped roughly 2,000 slaves escape on Delaware’s Underground Railroad.
Every pugilist’s favorite flick, “Fight Club,” is set in Wilmington, Dela. with Easter eggs like the Zip code on a business card and his apartment building’s motto, “A Place To Be Somebody,” giving away the setting.
Henry Heimlich, inventor of the life-saving Heimlich maneuver, was born in Wilmington.
Delaware has a unique Court called the Court of Chancery. The court is a preeminent business court in the United States, the judgments of which shape Delaware law, particularly in business entity and fiduciary matters, and are relied upon by other states as authoritative.
Delaware has the fastest internet connection speeds in the US, and they are higher than every other country except for South Korea!
The Delaware State Fair attracts roughly 300,000 visitors each year, with a record 328,000 recorded in 2021. This was the centenary celebration of the state fair.
Smyrna has about 490 houses that qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of these are incredibly well-preserved; visit the Pope-Mustard Mansion and you can still catch a whiff of the Underground Railroad Era. Other interesting buildings include the mid-18th Century Allee House and Lindens.
After World War II started, several observation towers were constructed along the Delaware coast, all standing between 39 and 75 feet tall. Today, 11 of these towers remain.
Famed inventor Thomas Edison was a judge at the very first Miss United States beauty pageant in 1880. The pageant was held in Rehoboth Beach.
Delaware was part of thirteen colonies under the British Empire. These colonies felt that they were denied their freedom and basic human rights. Thus they teamed up to declare their independence from Great Britain through the American Revolutionary War.
Delaware, known to the ancient native American tribes as Unami Lenape, was largely occupied by the Nanticoke, the Lenape, and the Eastern Algonquian tribes before the Europeans established their colony in the Delaware Valley. Swedish settlers established the first European colony in 1698.
Bicycling is the state sport of Delaware.
In about 1785 American inventor Oliver Evans invented and promoted the process of continuous process milling. He built the first automated flour mill on Red-Clay Creek near Newport, DE.
The world’s largest Lego tower, standing at a whopping 113 feet tall, was built in Wilmington and overshadows the previous world champion tower in Prague by 6 feet.
Delaware is also corporate heaven because of its business-friendly corporation laws. In fact, more than 50% of all the U.S. publicly traded companies and 66% of the Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware.

The ladybug has been Delaware’s state bug since 1974 when Ms. Mollie Brown-Rust’s 2nd-grade class lobbied for parliament and lawmakers to crown the humble ladybug their state bug. While it took them a full year, the class was successful and had full approval from the lawmakers.
Seven of Delaware’s 74 governors to date — just under 10 percent — have come from Milford City. They include Ruth Ann Minner, who served as the first female governor of the state. Milford has also contributed to power elsewhere, being home to the largest solar-harnessing farm in DE.
In 1923, The University of Delaware sent students to study in France by boat, becoming the first American college to have a study abroad program.
In certain parts of Delaware, it’s illegal to serve alcohol in an establishment if there’s dancing going on at the same time.
A frying pan with a 10-foot diameter was used during the Delmarva Chicken Festival of 1950, able to hold 180 gallons of oil and was capable of cooking 800 chicken quarters.
Over 89% of all companies that held an IPO in 2019 were Delaware corporations.
Delaware is the least populated state in America.
Dr. Oz started his road to success at Tower Hill School in Wilmington.
Delaware is home to the first log cabins in America, dating back to the 1600s. One is still on display in Dover at the Delaware Agricultural Museum.
Delaware adopted the blue hen as its state symbol in 1939 as a nod to the blue hen cocks carried by the revolutionary soldiers for entertainment.
Sussex County raises more broiler chickens than any other county in the United States. It is home to the headquarters of 3 of the Top 20 broiler-producing companies in the country.
Delaware is the third most bike-friendly state in the U.S.
DE has the largest population of horseshoe crabs in the world. It is estimated that they (horseshoe crabs) predate the dinosaurs by more than 200 million years.
Delaware is a de facto onshore corporate haven. It has over 50% of all NYSE-listed businesses and 60% of the Fortune 500.
Delaware’s average altitude is about 60 feet above sea level, which is the lowest average of any state.
Opened in 1951, Delaware Memorial Bridge is the longest twin-span suspension bridge in the world. The bridge connects Delaware and New Jersey.
Annie Jump Cannon made a huge impression on our galaxy. The first woman to become an officer in the American Astronomical Association, this Dover-born astronomer classified more than 225,000 stars according to their temperature.
Dogfish Head Breweries, located in Milton, not only produces a whopping 175,000 barrels of beer a year but they are also voted as one of the best breweries in the country. Tours to their facilities are free.
The world’s first Nylon plant was located in Seaford, Delaware. Invented in 1937 by DuPont chemist Wallace Hume Carothers, this is where one of the world’s most famous fibers was first produced on a large scale. The town is also known as the “Nylon Capital of the World.”
Delaware is home to a shocking 86 endangered species, including the Red Knot bird and the Leatherback sea turtle. US law allows these animals to be protected and conserved.

In 1610, Delaware was named after the first governor of Virginia, Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr.
Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton produces 175,000 barrels of beer every year. That’s almost 700 million bottles of beer, enough for everyone in Delaware to have two beers every day for a year.
It’s illegal to change your clothes in your car or in a public restroom in Rehoboth Beach.
The very first John Greene tractor sits in Harrington’s Messick Agriculture Museum.
Delaware has a small population, ranking 45th among the states, but an even smaller land size, coming in at 49th.
The width of Delaware is very narrow, ranging from 9 to 35 miles wide.
Tourism is a major industry. Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach has been nicknamed “The Nation’s Summer Capital” due to the number of people from Washington D.C. who come to enjoy the Atlantic’s sandy shore as a vacation destination.
Delaware’s official state name is “The First State.” The first of the thirteen original colonies to ratify the Constitution in 1787, Delaware was given the first position in congressional votes and national events, such as Presidential Inaugurations.
With an average altitude of 60 ft. above sea level, Delaware is the lowest state. Ninety-five miles long and between nine and thirty-five miles wide, Delaware’s highest point, is near the Pennsylvania line, and only 442 ft. above sea level.
Delaware is home to the “Punkin Chunkin” world championship, a sport in which people use a variety of devices to hurl pumpkins as far as they can. With over 100 teams competing, the record is 5,545 feet, that’s more than a mile.
The nickname “the Diamond State” originated when Thomas Jefferson said Delaware was a “jewel” among the rest of the country.
The free jazz festival in Wilmington, the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, is the largest of its type on the East Coast.
Middletown, despite not having a navigable waterway itself, still traces its roots to water-borne trade. It started as a tavern stop located midway on an old cart road linking Bohemia Landing in Maryland to Appoquinimink Creek in Odessa – hence the name Middletown.
Ebright Azimuth – 447.85 ft. above sea level near Ebright Road in New Castle County is the highest elevation in DE. The lowest point is the Sea level along the coast.
Delaware is one of the only five states without a sales tax. Other states that do not have a sales tax are Alaska, Oregon, Montana, and New Hampshire.
Dover played a pivotal role in shaping the US Constitution. Delegates from the 13 original colonies often met at the Golden Fleece Tavern to review the draft, eventually coming to an agreement on December 7th, 1787. The tavern no longer stands, but there’s a commemorative marker on its original site.
Fisher’s popcorn is shipped all around the world, including places like Vietnam and Indonesia.
Delaware remained in the Union during the Civil War. Governor William Burton is quoted as saying that “his state was the first to join the Union by ratifying the constitution, and would be the last to leave it.”
For over a century, the state’s economic and industrial development was closely tied to the DuPont family, founders of one of the world’s largest chemical companies and the parent company of General Motors Corporation from 1933 until the 1950s.
Neighboring states know Delaware as the “Home of Tax-Free Shopping,”

DuPont was originally founded in 1802 near Wilmington as a gunpowder mill.
Delaware has the lowest mean elevation (450 feet) of any state. Colorado has the highest mean elevation (14,440 feet) of all the states.
The Methodist Church of America first gathered at the now-famous Barratt’s chapel in the idyllic seaside town of Frederica in 1784. One of the first preachers was Freeborn Garrettson.
The University of Delaware was the first in America to run a study-abroad program. The program was initiated by a young professor in 1923. The study-abroad program celebrates its 100th year anniversary in 2023.
Delaware’s State Song (designated the official state song in 1925), “Our Delaware” contains four verses. The first three verses honor the three counties of the state while the fourth praises the state.
Nemours Estate is the only estate in Delaware that boasts Louis XVI styling. Built in 1910, the incredible home boasts 47,000 square feet of space, 105 rooms, and a 300-acre garden. The estate is open to the public for tours and underwent a $39 million restoration in 2010.
Delaware became the first state to have a state macroinvertebrate when they chose the stonefly to represent their state in 2005. Chosen for its need for excellent water sources, the stonefly is a symbol of the state’s high-quality water.
The majority (almost 91%) of the population of Del. age 5 years and older speak only English at home. Nearly 5% of the state’s population speaks Spanish.