Milford, Delaware
Milford is a city of 12,803 people in Kent County, Delaware, founded in 1680.
Why visit Milford
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 15 parks and trails, 26 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Parson Thorne Mansion, Abbott's Mill and The Rookery North Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 25°F.
Weather in Milford
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Milford
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.
From the Wikipedia article Milford, Delaware (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks22
Parson Thorne Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Building in Delaware, United States
Abbott's Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Gristmill in Sussex County, Delaware
Bank House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic home in Milford, Delaware, United States of America
Carlisle House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Listed on the NRHP in Sussex County, Delaware
Dr. Dawson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Delaware, United States
Draper House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic home in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, United States of America
Egglinton Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Building in Delaware, United States
Golden Mine
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Building in Delaware, United States
Gov. William T. Watson Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
Grier House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
J. H. Wilkerson & Son Brickworks
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Former historic building in Delaware, US
James McColley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Delaware, United States
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds15
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3 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes26
Applebee's
Diner · American · 1.1 mi
698 North Dupont Boulevard, Milford
Mo-Th,Su 11:30-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-24:00
Shang Hai Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.6 mi
1113 North Walnut Street, Milford
Mispillion River Brewing
Brewery and winery · 2.1 mi
255 Mullet Run Street, Milford
14 more on the map.
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.
From the History section of Milford, Delaware on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship7
Christ Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Griffith's Chapel
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare4
Map of Milford
102 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 25°F | 3.6 in | 3.3 in |
| Feb | 46°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 5.9 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 33°F | 4.0 in | 1.6 in |
| Apr | 65°F | 42°F | 3.4 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 73°F | 52°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 62°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 67°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 65°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 79°F | 58°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 46°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 57°F | 37°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 48°F | 29°F | 3.8 in | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Greenwood 2Ne 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, 16 miles away.
- Lincoln 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Frederica 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Harrington 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Riverview 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Milton 11 mi southeast, about 18 min by car
- Felton 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Greenwood 11 mi southwest, about 18 min by car
- Woodside East 13 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Rising Sun-Lebanon 14 mi north, about 22 min by car
- Georgetown 15 mi south, about 25 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
- Walnut Street NB at Park Avenue Milford DE, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Egglinton Hall Milford Sussex Co DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Milford DE shipyard, Smallbones, CC0
- 200 SE Front Milford DE (replacement), Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Carlisle House Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2022-07-07 10 19 54 View east along Delaware State Route 36 (Front Street) at Washington Street in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Milford S HD Sussex DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Causey Mansion Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Milford Masons (S HD) SussexCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Milford DE first stoplight outside Milford Museum, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-07 10 19 00 View east along Delaware State Route 36 (Walnut Street) at Front Street in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-07 11 28 42 View west along Delaware State Route 36 (Walnut Street) at Causey Avenue in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-07 11 00 02 View south along Delaware State Route 1 Business (Rehoboth Boulevard) at Delaware State Route 36 (Front Beach-Cedar Beach Road) in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022-07-07 11 10 11 View north along Delaware State Route 1 Business (Rehoboth Boulevard) at Second Street in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 119 N Walnut Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Century Milford KentCo DE side, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Century Milford KentCo DE back, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- New Century Milford KentCo DE front, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Old Firehouse Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Station Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Towers NW Front Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 310q NW Front Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 111 113 NW Front Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- NW Front Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 200 Lakeview Milford DE, Smallbones, CC0
- 2022-07-07 11 32 57 View west along Delaware State Route 36 (Shawnee Road) at Kings Highway in Milford, Sussex County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 417 N Walnut Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Church Milford DE 1, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Christ Church Milford DE 2, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2022-07-07 11 18 03 View north along Delaware State Route 1 Business (Rehoboth Boulevard) at Delaware State Route 14 (Front Street) in Milford, Kent County, Delaware, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lakeview 301 Milford DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Mill House Milford KentCo DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Parson Thorne Mansion, 501 Northwest Front Street, Milford (Kent County, Delaware), Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Abbotts Mill Sussex Co DE, Smallbones, CC0
- Griffith's Chapel, Linda Roy Walls, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 500 502 NW Front Milford, Kent County, DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 600 N Walnut Milford DE, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WALNUT FARM, MILFORD, KENT COUNTY, DE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- J. H. Wilkerson & Sons Brick Works, Front Street (Road 409), Milford, Sussex County, DE, Foote, Charles , photographer, Public domain
- Dorosoma cepedianum 513124473 (cropped), Lance Lavelle, CC BY 4.0
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_at_Causey_Avenue_in_Milford,_Sussex_County,_Delaware.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Delaware_State_Route_36_(Front_Beach-Cedar_Beach_Road)_in_Milford,_Sussex_County,_Delaware.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Second_Street_in_Milford,_Sussex_County,_Delaware.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Kings_Highway_in_Milford,_Sussex_County,_Delaware.jpg){kind=link}
_at_Delaware_State_Route_14_(Front_Street)_in_Milford,_Kent_County,_Delaware.jpg){kind=link}
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