About Delaware

The state of Delaware is located in the northern park of the mid-Atlantic region of the United States along the Atlantic Ocean.  It’s about midway between New York City and Washington, DC (120 miles to each).  The state is the second smallest behind only Rhode Island in terms of area and covers 2,491 square miles.  It’s only 100 miles long and 30 miles wide, so anywhere in the state is easily accessible in a few hours’ drive.  Its population was 783,600 in the 2000 census, ranking it 45^th in the country.

Delaware is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north and Maryland in the south and west.  Northeast across the Delaware Bay is New Jersey, and directly to the east is the Atlantic Ocean.  The state is very flat; the highest point is only 450 feet above sea level.  The “peak” is in northwestern Delaware.  The state shares the Delmarva Peninsula with parts of Maryland and Virginia.  The northern border of the state with Pennsylvania is determined by an arc wit ha 12 miles radius whose origin is a courthouse in New Castle.

The Eastern Algonquin tribes called Delaware home before the area was settled by Europeans.  The Dutch and Swedish were the first to settle in the area, but their tenure was short lived.  The British soon took the area over, and Delaware was part of Pennsylvania for a short time.  During the Revolutionary War, the state was generally controlled by the British.  The state was the first to ratify the US Constitution, hence its nickname of “the first state.”  During the Civil War, Delaware remained part of the Union despite being a slave state, though the percentage of the population with slaves was small, and most of the northern part of the state was heavily influenced by the Quakers anti-slavery stance.  During the Civil War and then the World Wars, industry in the state became increasingly concentrated around manufacturing and chemical production.

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies still play a major role in the state’s economy, as does banking and insurance.  The state passed legislation removing many of the restrictions on the interest rates banks can charge customers in the 1980s, which made the area a haven for many big banks.  Also, Dover Air Force Base is a major employer in the state.  It’s one of the largest bases in the country, and serves as an entry point and mortuary for military personnel that die overseas.

The climate in Delaware is heavily moderated by the Atlantic Ocean.  The southern portion of the state is a little milder and more agriculturally based.  Still, temperatures are very mild in general, the average low in January is in the 20s and the average high in August is in the 80s.  The state gets about 44 inches of precipitation a year.

Delaware has generally low tax rates.  It has 6 income tax brackets between 2.2 and 5.95%, and doesn’t charge customers sales tax.  There is also no state tax on property, but counties and municipalities may levy taxes.