Why visit Clayton
Townapedia lists 24 museums and landmarks and 5 parks and trails in and around town.
Highlights include Alfred L. Hudson House and Clayton Railroad Station.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 28°F.
Weather in Clayton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Clayton
Clayton is a town in Kent and New Castle counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. Located almost entirely in Kent County, it is part of the Dover metropolitan area. The population was 3,961 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Clayton, Delaware (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks24
Alfred L. Hudson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Delaware, United States
Clayton Railroad Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Railway station in Clayton, the United States of America
Enoch Jones House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
Mount Pleasant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic home located near Smyrna, Kent County, Delaware
St. Joseph's Industrial School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Delaware, United States of America
Bannister Hall and Baynard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic houses in Delaware, United States
Belmont Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Building in Delaware, United States
David J. Cummins House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
Duck Creek Village
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic district in Smyrna, Delaware, United States
Ivy Dale Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Building in Delaware, United States
J. F. Betz House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
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Kenton Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic district in Delaware, United States
12 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Churches and places of worship1
Byrd's AME Church
Church · African Methodist Episcopal · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Church building in Delaware, United States of America
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Providence Creek Academy Charter School
School · 1.6 mi
273 West Duck Creek Road, Clayton
History
When the Delaware Railroad built its line south from Bear, Delaware, and through Kent County in 1855, there was a fight over where to run it in relation to Smyrna. Some wanted the rail line to run on the east side of town and others on the west. Farmers located about 1.5 miles to the west of Smyrna were able to entice the Delaware to build there and the stop became known as "Smyrna Station".
In 1861 the state at first planned to, but then later decided not to, change the name of Smyrna Station to Clayton in honor of John M. Clayton who was a supporter of the railroad. Despite the failure to change the name by law, people began to call it Clayton, Delaware.
In 1867, when the railroad connection between Smyrna Station and Smyrna was built, the state changed the name of the town to Smyrna Junction. The name never caught on, and the town's newspaper was named the Clayton Herald in the same year.
In 1874 the Kent County Rail Road built an extension of their line from Massey's Crossroads to Clayton, turning the town into both a north-south rail stop and an east-west one.
Byrd's AME Church, the Clayton Railroad Station, Enoch Jones House, and St. Joseph's Industrial School are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Clayton, Delaware on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Healthcare1
Map of Clayton
41 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 28°F | 3.4 in | 4.1 in |
| Feb | 47°F | 29°F | 3.1 in | 5.9 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 35°F | 4.2 in | 0.6 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 45°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 74°F | 54°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 83°F | 64°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 69°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 67°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 61°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 69°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 58°F | 39°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 49°F | 32°F | 4.0 in | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Dover Hcn (11 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kent County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-05-29: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-10-02: Tropical Storm Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-11-16: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Dover Air Force Base (DOV) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- Smyrna 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Cheswold 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Dover 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Middletown 12 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Camden 13 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Glasgow 23 mi north, about 38 min by car
- Bridgeton 24 mi northeast, about 39 min by car
- Bear 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Elkton 25 mi northwest, about 40 min by car
- Brookside 27 mi north, about 44 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- DE 6 EB past Smyrna Avenue Clayton, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 09 28 37 View west along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) at Coldwater Drive in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 11 10 08 View east along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) at Underwoods Corner Road in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 11 10 58 View east along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) just east of Underwoods Corner Road in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 09 26 43 View west along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) at School Lane in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DCR SD40-2 3506 NB Clayton DE, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Delmarva Power Clayton Substation (40213790071), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Delmarva Power Clayton Substation (26341340968), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- Delmarva Power Clayton Substation (28434424249), Tonyglen14, CC BY 2.0
- 2022-07-16 08 50 36 View west along Delaware State Route 6 (Millington Road) at School Lane in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 09 17 56 View east along Delaware State Route 6 (Main Street) at Hudson Street and School Lane in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 08 51 53 View north along Delaware State Route 15 (Duck Creek Road) at Delaware State Route 6 (Millington Road) in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Clayton Railroad Station DE May 2019, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 09 25 07 View west along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) just east of Bayard Farm Lane in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Byrd's AME Church Clayton De, Davidmatthewobrien, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2022-07-16 08 56 19 View south along Delaware State Route 15 (Duck Creek Road) at Clayton Avenue in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 08 53 30 View north along Delaware State Route 15 (Duck Creek Road) at Clayton Avenue in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 08 47 13 View west along Delaware State Route 6 (Millington Road) at Foxwood Drive in Clayton, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 11 15 56 View east along Delaware State Route 6 and Delaware State Route 300 (West Glenwood Avenue) at Millington Road and Smyrna-Clayton Boulevard in Smyrna, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ENOCH JONES HOUSE, KENT COUNTY DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- ALFRED L. HUDSON HOUSE, KENTON, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- CLAYTON RAILROAD STATION, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- MOORE HOUSE - SMYRNA, KENT COUNTY DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- W. D. BURROWS HOUSE, KENT COUNTY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- SPETERON AND MUSTARD'S HERMITAGE FARM; SMYRNA, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- KENTON HISTORIC DISTRICT, ROY KLOTZ M.D, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SOMERVILLE, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Belmont Hall Smyrna DE1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DUCK CREEK VILLAGE - THE LINDENS, ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 3.0
- THOMAS DAVIS HOUSE, KENTON, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- DAVID J. CUMMINS HOUSE, SMYRNA, KENT COUNTY DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Smyrna downtown DE1, Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woodlawn HABS DE1, Cortlandt Van Dyke Hubbard, HABS photographer, Public domain
- IVY DALE FARM, SMYRNA, KENT COUNTY DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- DE 300 EB past Underwoods Corner Road, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 11 08 04 View east along Delaware State Route 300 (Wheatleys Pond Road) at Hillyard Road in Alley Corners, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DE 6 EB past DE 15, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-16 08 58 51 View west along Delaware State Route 6 and south along Delaware State Route 15 (Millington Road) at Duck Creek Road in Alley Corners, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DE 15 NB past DE 6, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- BAYNARD HALL, ROY KLOTZ,M.D., CC BY-SA 3.0
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