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Milford, Delaware
City
Walnut Street in Milford in 2020
FlagLogo
Location of Milford in Kent County and Sussex County, Delaware.
MilfordLocation within the state of DelawareShow map of DelawareMilfordMilford (the United States)Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 38°54′45″N 75°25′41″W / 38.91250°N 75.42806°W / 38.91250; -75.42806
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Kent, Sussex
Settled	1680
Incorporated	February 5, 1807
Government
• Type	Council-manager government
• Mayor	F. Todd Culotta
• City Manager	Mark Whitfield
Area
• Total	9.94 sq mi (25.75 km)
• Land	9.85 sq mi (25.52 km)
• Water	0.09 sq mi (0.23 km)
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population
• Total	11,190
• Density	1,135.58/sq mi (438.47/km)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19963
Area code	302
FIPS code	10-47420
GNIS feature ID	214308
Website	www.cityofmilford.com

Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2020 census, the population of the city is 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city.

The Kent County portion of Milford is part of the Dover, DE Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area, while the Sussex County portion is part of the Salisbury, MD-DE Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Kent County side of Milford was first settled in 1680 by Henry Bowan on what was known as the Saw Mill Range. A century later the Reverend Sydenham Thorne built a dam across the Mispillion River to generate power for his gristmill and sawmill. Around the same time, Joseph Oliver laid out the first city streets and plots nearby on a part of his plantation. Soon a number of homes and businesses appeared along Front Street. The city was incorporated February 5, 1807.

In the 1770s, a ship building industry was already flourishing on the Mispillion River. Shipbuilding continued to be the major industry of Milford through World War I, bringing considerable prosperity to the town. The high point came in 1917 when the four-masted, 174-foot (53 m) long Albert F. Paul was launched from the William G. Abbott shipyard. At one point six shipyards were operating in the downtown area. When the last of the area's giant white oaks was cut in the 1920s, the shipyards quickly went out of business, although the Mispillion ships sailed on for many years. (The Paul was sunk by a German torpedo in 1942 while sailing from the Bahamas.) The Vineyard shipyard was called into service in both World War I and II to build submarine chasers.

During much of the twentieth century Milford served primarily as the commercial center for much of southern Delaware's large agricultural community.

Seven of Delaware's governors have come from Milford: Daniel Rogers (who served 1797–99), Joseph Haslet (1811–14), William Tharp (1847–1851), Peter F. Causey (1855–59), William Burton (1859–63), William T. Watson (1895–97), and Ruth Ann Minner (2001–09).

Abbott's Mill, Bank House, Carlisle House, Christ Church, Dr. Dawson House, Draper House, Egglinton Hall, Golden Mine, Grier House, Peter Lofland House, James McColley House, Milford New Century Club, Milford Railroad Station, Milford Shipyard Area Historic District, Mill House, Mispillion Lighthouse and Beacon Tower, North Milford Historic District, Old Fire House, Parson Thorne Mansion, South Milford Historic District Walnut Farm, Gov. William T. Watson Mansion, and J. H. Wilkerson & Son Brickworks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On Friday, May 30, 2003 at approximately 3:00 p.m. a fire started in a second floor apartment next to Wiley Hardware & Appliance on Walnut Street in the historic downtown section of Milford. More than 200 firefighters from Milford, Ellendale, Harrington, Felton, Dover, Smyrna, Houston, Frederica, Slaughter Beach, Bowers Beach, Greenwood, South Bowers, Farmington, Magnolia, Cheswold, Lewes, Georgetown, and Bridgeville in Delaware and Greensboro and Goldsboro in Maryland fought the blaze which destroyed seven businesses, a church, and three apartments, destroying an entire city block in the historic section of town. No one was killed in the blaze, but one civilian and six firefighters were injured.

Geography and climate

Milford is located at 38°54′45″N 75°25′41″W / 38.91250°N 75.42806°W / 38.91250; -75.42806 (38.9126129, −75.4279748), along the Mispillion River, which runs through the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.87 square miles (25.6 km).

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there were 11,190 people and 4,356 households in the city.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 44.3% from 18 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older.

The racial makeup of the city was 62% White, 26% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, and 4.5% from 2 or more races.

The median household income according to the 2020 census is $47,824. 14.1% of families are below poverty level, which is slightly higher than the national average of 11.4%, and higher than the Kent County and Sussex County average of 13% and 11% respectively.

Education

Milford School District operates public schools.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Milford is served by several state roads connecting it to other points in Delaware. Delaware Route 1 bypasses Milford to the east along the Milford Bypass and heads north to Dover and southeast to the Delaware Beaches. A business route of DE 1, Delaware Route 1 Business, passes through the city along Rehoboth Boulevard and North Walnut Street. U.S. Route 113 begins at DE 1 at the north end of the Milford and heads south through the city on Dupont Boulevard, continuing south to Georgetown. Delaware Route 14 runs east–west through the city on Northwest Front Street and Northeast Front Street, heading west to Harrington and east to its terminus at the DE 1 bypass. Delaware Route 36 runs east–west through the city on Lakeview Avenue, Causey Avenue, and Southeast Front Street, heading southwest to Greenwood and east to Slaughter Beach. Delaware Route 15 begins at DE 14 west of Milford and heads northwest to Canterbury. Delaware Route 30 begins at DE 1 and DE 1 Business southeast of Milford and heads south toward Milton and Millsboro. DART First State provides bus service to Milford along Route 210, which runs through the city between the Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus and the Walmart in the northern part of Milford; Route 303, which runs north to Dover and south to Georgetown; and Route 307, which runs north to Dover and south to Lewes. The Indian River Subdivision line of the Delmarva Central Railroad passes through Milford.

Utilities

The City of Milford provides electricity to the city, operating a substation and over 100 miles (160 km) of overhead lines and over 50 miles (80 km) of underground lines. The city's electric department is a member of the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) and purchases its power from the PJM Power Grid. The City of Milford serves about 6,500 customers. The Public Works department provides water, sewer, trash and recycling collection to Milford. Natural gas service in Milford is provided by Chesapeake Utilities.

Milford is home to the Milford Solar Farm, a 15 MW, 80 acre solar power farm owned by the Public Service Enterprise Group and is the largest solar power farm in Delaware. DEMEC purchases the power generated from the solar farm.

Health care

Bayhealth Medical Center operates the Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus in Milford. The hospital offers various inpatient services include a birthing room and cardiovascular and cancer services. The Sussex Campus also offers numerous outpatient services, patient and family support services, community outreach, and imaging services. The hospital has a 24-hour emergency room with a Level III trauma center. On May 27, 2016, Bayhealth Medical Center broke ground on the Bayhealth Sussex Campus to replace the former Milford Memorial Hospital. The six-story hospital cost between $275 million and $300 million to build. Bayhealth Sussex Campus opened on February 5, 2019. Milford Memorial Hospital will be converted by Nationwide Health Services into a multi-use healthcare-focused community that would include a nursing home.

Notable people

• Mike Bagley, commentator for Motor Racing Network and co-host of The Morning Drive on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio
• Jeff Baldwin, baseball player
• Robert Crumb, a famous cartoonist, lived in Milford for a few years and attended high school there
• Albert Jackson, the first black letter carrier in Canada
• Simmie Knox began to teach himself to paint while living in Milford as a young man; he later became the first African-American to paint an official presidential portrait – that of President Bill Clinton
• John Lofland (1798–1849), widely known as the "Milford Bard", was a prolific and widely read writer of prose, verse and speeches; he grew up and spent much of his life in "The Towers" on North West Front Street
• Ruth Ann Minner, Governor of Delaware 2001–2009
• Harold Peterman, state legislator
• Luke Petitgout, former American football offensive tackle played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Chris Short, star baseball pitcher for Philadelphia Phillies in 1960s, was born in Milford
• Alfred Thomas Archimedes Torbert, Union General in the civil war and diplomat
• William T. Watson, 49th Governor of Delaware

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Milford, Delaware
3. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Kent County, Delaware; Sussex County, Delaware; Milford city, Delaware; United States". Census.gov. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Office of Management and Budget. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2013 – via National Archives.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. ^ "History of Milford, Delaware". cityofmilford.com. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
7. "Fire Hits Block In Historic Milford, Delaware". Firehouse. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
8. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
9. DeLorme (2004). Maryland Delaware Atlas & Gazetteer. p. 52. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-279-X.
10. "Milford, DE Monthly Weather Averages". Retrieved August 18, 2020.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
12. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
13. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sussex County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
14. Delaware Department of Transportation (2008). Delaware Official Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
15. "Routes and Schedules". DART First State. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
16. "Delmarva Central Railroad". Carload Express. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
17. "Electric Utility Service - About Our System". City of Milford. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
18. "Electric Utility Service". City of Milford. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
19. "Trash Collection". City of Milford. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
20. "Recycling Collection". City of Milford. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
21. "Delmarva Service Territory". Chesapeake Utilities. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
22. "Governor Markell helps dedicate PSEG Milford Solar Farm" (Press release). Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. April 17, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
23. "Locations & Contact". Bayhealth. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
24. "Bayhealth Medical Center Stats & Services". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
25. "Emergency Care". Bayhealth. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
26. Rini, Jen (May 27, 2016). "Bayhealth breaks ground on Milford campus". The News Journal. Wilmington, DE. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
27. Bavaro, Angelo (February 5, 2019). "Bayhealth Hospital Sussex Campus opens". Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
28. "Re-imagining Clarke Avenue". Bayhealth. Retrieved August 8, 2017.

External links

Media related to Milford, Delaware at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Downtown Milford, Inc.

v t e Municipalities and communities of Kent County, Delaware, United States
County seat: Dover
Cities	Dover Harrington Milford‡
Towns	Bowers Camden Cheswold Clayton‡ Farmington Felton Frederica Hartly Houston Kenton Leipsic Little Creek Magnolia Smyrna‡ Viola Woodside Wyoming
CDPs	Dover Base Housing Highland Acres Kent Acres Rising Sun-Lebanon Riverview Rodney Village Woodside East
Unincorporated communities	Adamsville‡ Andrewville Berrytown Big Stone Beach Bishops Corner Blackiston Brownsville Canterbury Carpenters Bridge Chapeltown Cowgills Corner Dinahs Corner Downs Chapel Dutch Neck Crossroads Hazlettville Hickman Hollandsville Kitts Hummock Little Heaven Little Hell Marydel Mastens Corner Moores Corner Pearsons Corner Petersburg Pickering Beach Port Mahon Sandtown Seven Hickories Smyrna Landing‡ South Bowers Star Hill Thompsonville Vernon Whiteleysburg Williamsville Willow Grove Woodland Beach Wrights Crossroads
Hundreds	Duck Creek East Dover Kenton Little Creek Milford Mispillion North Murderkill South Murderkill West Dover
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Delaware portal United States portal

v t e Municipalities and communities of Sussex County, Delaware, United States
County seat: Georgetown
Cities	Lewes Milford‡ Rehoboth Beach Seaford
Towns	Bethany Beach Bethel Blades Bridgeville Dagsboro Delmar Dewey Beach Ellendale Fenwick Island Frankford Georgetown Greenwood Henlopen Acres Laurel Millsboro Millville Milton Ocean View Selbyville Slaughter Beach South Bethany
CDPs	Lincoln Long Neck
Former towns	Nanticoke City North Laurel Roxana
Unincorporated communities	Adams Crossroads Adamsville‡ Angola Argos Corner Atlanta Bacons Bayard Belltown Blanchard Broad Creek Broadkill Beach Bunting Cannon Carpenters Corner Cedar Beach Cedar Creek Clarksville Concord Cool Spring Cross Keys Fairmount Federalsburg Flea Hill Gravel Hill Gumboro Harbeson Hollymount Hollyville Indian Beach Jimtown Johnson Lowe Middleford Midway Mission Nassau North Shores Oakley Oak Orchard Old Furnace Omar Overbrook Pepperbox Phillips Hill Pinetown Portsville Primehook Beach Quakertown Redden Reliance‡ Scotts Corner Shortly Staytonville Stockley Sussex Shores Sycamore Ward Warwick Wescoats Corner Westwoods Whaleys Corners Whitesville Williamsville Wood Branch Woodland Zoar
Hundreds	Baltimore Broad Creek Broadkill Cedar Creek Dagsboro Georgetown Gumboro Indian River Lewes & Rehoboth Little Creek Nanticoke Northwest Fork Seaford
Ghost towns	Banning New Market Owens Station Saint Johnstown
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Delaware portal United States portal

v t e State of Delaware
Dover (capital)
Topics	Index Architecture Beaches Communications Delegations Geography Government History Images Landmarks Law Mass media Newspapers Radio TV Military Music Nature Organizations Parks Roads Sports Symbols Transportation Tourist attractions
Society	Abortion Climate change Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Gun laws LGBTQ rights Party strength Politics
Cities	Delaware City Dover Harrington Lewes Milford Newark New Castle Rehoboth Beach Seaford Wilmington
Towns	Arden Ardencroft Ardentown Bellefonte Bethany Beach Bethel Blades Bowers Bridgeville Camden Cheswold Clayton Dagsboro Delmar Dewey Beach Ellendale Elsmere Farmington Felton Fenwick Island Frankford Frederica Georgetown Greenwood Hartly Henlopen Acres Houston Kenton Laurel Leipsic Little Creek Magnolia Middletown Millsboro Millville Milton Newport Ocean View Odessa Selbyville Slaughter Beach Smyrna South Bethany Townsend Viola Woodside Wyoming
Counties	Kent New Castle Sussex
Delaware portal

v t e Salisbury metropolitan area
Counties	Dorchester Somerset Sussex Wicomico Worcester
Principal city	Salisbury
Places 5k–20k	Cambridge Georgetown Milford Ocean City Ocean Pines Seaford
Places 1k–5k	Algonquin Berlin Bethany Beach Blades Bridgeville Crisfield Delmar, DE Delmar, MD Fruitland Hurlock Laurel Lewes Long Neck Millsboro Milton Ocean View Pittsville Pocomoke City Princess Anne Rehoboth Beach Selbyville Snow Hill West Ocean City

The End

• Milford, Delaware
• Cities in Kent County, Delaware
• Cities in Sussex County, Delaware
• Populated places established in 1680
• 1680 establishments in Delaware
• Cities in Delaware
• Salisbury metropolitan area