Elsmere, Delaware
Elsmere is a town of 6,203 people in New Castle County, Delaware, founded in 1909.
Why visit Elsmere
Townapedia lists 83 museums and landmarks, 25 parks and trails, 25 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Charles B. Lore Elementary School, Howard High School of Technology, Banning Park and Woodlawn Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Elsmere
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Elsmere
Elsmere is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States, bordering the city of Wilmington along Wilmington's western border. As of the 2020 census, Elsmere had a population of 6,229.
From the Wikipedia article Elsmere, Delaware (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks83
Charles B. Lore Elementary School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
School building in Wilmington, United States of America
Howard High School of Technology
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
High school in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware
401 East 12Th Street, Wilmington
Max Keil Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic commercial building at 712 N. Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Public School No. 19
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
School building in Wilmington, United States of America
Augustine Paper Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Paper mill in Wilmington, United States of America
Bancroft Mills
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Factory in Wilmington, Delaware, in the United States
Baynard Boulevard Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Wilmington, Delaware, NRHP-listed
Brandywine Manufacturers Sunday School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
School building in New Castle County, United States of America
Brandywine Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Wilmington, Delaware
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Brandywine Village Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in Delaware, United States
Braunstein's Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic commercial building located at Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Charles Schagrin Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic building in Delaware, US
71 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds25
Banning Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Public park with baseball and soccer fields, a playground, and lakes.
102 Middleboro Road, Wilmington
13 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes25
Doña Maco
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.8 mi
201 North Dupont Road, Wilmington
Mo-Th 09:00-22:30; Fr-Sa 09:00-23:00; Su 09:00-22:00
Little Vinnie's Pizza & Pasta
Restaurant · Italian · 1.1 mi
1706 Faulkland Road, Wilmington
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:30; Sa 11:00-20:00
Taqueria Jalisco
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
13 more on the map.
Where to stay1
History
Elsmere dates back to 1886 when real estate developer Joshua Heald bought farmland and converted it into houses, building the first suburb in northern Delaware. The community was built at an intersection of railroad lines and allowed working-class families easy access to Wilmington. Trolley lines were later built leading to Elsmere. In 1909, Elsmere was incorporated as a town.
During the 1910s, the Delaware State Fair Association purchased land and built a new fairgrounds within Elsmere's town limit. The grounds, including a racecourse for horses, cars and motorcycles, were located south of New Road and Wilmington Avenue and west of the previously established streets. This land became the site of the Delaware State Fair from 1917 to 1928, and provided a large parking area and ready access from the nearby trolley line. Agricultural exhibits provided the backbone of the fair, but in addition to the races, the summer attraction also included horse and dog shows, vaudeville acts, music, and fireworks. After 1928, the State Fair had moved to Harrington, but the grandstand and the races remained until 1943, when the property was converted to land for residential housing.
In 1950, a 336-bed Veteran's Administration hospital opened on the western edge of town. This was the ninth VA hospital built after the conclusion of World War II.
From the History section of Elsmere, Delaware on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship4
Saint Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.5 mi
408 South Harrison Street, Wilmington
Saint Elizabeth Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.2 mi
1500 Cedar Street, Wilmington
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries44
Calloway (Cab) School of The Arts
School · 1.1 mi
100 North Dupont Road, Wilmington
Healthcare5
Map of Elsmere
200 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 24°F | 3.7 in | 5.3 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 25°F | 3.0 in | 4.0 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 32°F | 4.7 in | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 42°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 71°F | 52°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 62°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 67°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 66°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 59°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 47°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 37°F | 3.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 29°F | 4.4 in | 0.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wilmington Porter Rsch Hcn (4 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
New Castle County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2021-10-24: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 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
New Castle County Airport (ILG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Wilmington 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Hockessin 5 mi northwest, about 9 min by car
- Pike Creek Valley 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Brookside 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Pennsville 8 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Claymont 8 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Bear 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Newark 10 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Delaware City 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Glasgow 12 mi southwest, about 20 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 2 WB at Poplar Avenue Elsmere, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2022-07-24 14 38 06 View east along Delaware State Route 2 (Robert Kirkwood Highway) at New Road and Linden Avenue in Elsmere, New Castle County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- School 19 Wilmington DE, Smallbones, Public domain
- Lore School DE, Smallbones, Public domain
- Howard HS Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Max 712 North Market, Smallbones, Public domain
- Sailors and Soldiers, Smallbones, Public domain
- Springer Tavern DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Glynrich, Smallbones, Public domain
- Pyle Studio, Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Bancroft-Mills-Building, PipChili, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Marys Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- 1914 Baynard Wilmington DE, Smallbones, Public domain
- Fell Swiss Hist Dist DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Cool Spring PARK, Smallbones, Public domain
- Justis Jones house DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Brandywine Park 3Bridges, Smallbones, Public domain
- James Armor House DE, Smallbones, CC0
- WOODDALE BRIDGE, ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Postles House DE, Smallbones, Public domain
- Delaware Academy of Medicine, Smallbones, Public domain
- 1001 Monroe Wilm DE, Smallbones, CC0
- St Anthony of Padua church 2, Mark Pellegrini, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Brandywine Village, Smallbones, Public domain
- FORT CHRISTIANA, WILMINGTON, NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE, Jerrye & Roy Klotz MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Central YMCA Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Starr House Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Cont Campground, Smallbones, Public domain
- Augustine Condos, Smallbones, Public domain
- Rodney Court, Smallbones, Public domain
- St Joes Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Old Swedes front corner 1, Smallbones, CC0
- St Marys School Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Alan Wood House, Choess, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Logan House Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Trinity Episcopal Wilmington, Smallbones, Public domain
- Delaware Trust, Smallbones, Public domain
- Delaware Children's Theatre 01, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- East Brandywine 1500 Walnut, Smallbones, Public domain
- 9th St HD Wilm DE, Smallbones, CC0
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