Delaware Route 52
Encyclopedia
Delaware Route 52 is a state highway in New Castle County
, Delaware
. The route runs from U.S. Route 13 Business in Wilmington, Delaware
north to Pennsylvania Route 52
at the Pennsylvania
border near Centerville, Delaware
. Even though the southern terminus is at US 13 Business, DelDOT has DE 52 continuing east on 12th Street past U.S. Route 13
.
of 11th Street eastbound and 12th Street westbound. It then merges onto two-way Delaware Avenue and features an interchange with Interstate 95
. A short distance past I-95, the route bears to the left onto Pennsylvania Avenue. It then continues through the western residential areas of the city, intersecting the eastern terminus of Delaware Route 2. The route then leaves the city and the name changes to Kennett Pike, which remains with the route until the state line. The route interchanges with Delaware Route 100
and Delaware Route 141
and then proceeds north through the wealthy community of Greenville
. In the northern part of the Greenville area, the route intersects Delaware Route 82
. The route then heads north, passing by the Winterthur Museum, before passing through the community of Centerville, just south of the Pennsylvania border where the route becomes Pennsylvania Route 52.
between 1811 and 1813 at a cost of $30,000. The construction was authorized by a charter from the Delaware government issued to Christiana Hundred
. In 1919, Pierre S. du Pont
bought the road and toll collection was ceased. The road was paved following the sale and eventually sold back to the state. In recent times, local residents have managed to have the rural character of Delaware Route 52 preserved by controlling development.
It is rumored that the road was paved so that Pierre S. duPont could travel between his estate at Longwood Gardens
in Pennsylvania and the DuPont headquarters in Wilmington.
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=5|Wilmington
|8.88
|Entrance to plant
|Official southern terminus
|-
|7.87
|
|Signed southern terminus
|-
|7.76
|
|
|-
|7.15
| – Baltimore
, Philadelphia
|Interchange
|-
|6.38
|
|
|-
|rowspan =2|Greenville
|4.62
|
|Interchange
|-
|3.32
|
|Southern terminus of DE 82
|-
|Centerville
|0.00
|
|Pennsylvania state line, northern terminus
|-
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. The route runs from U.S. Route 13 Business in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
north to Pennsylvania Route 52
Pennsylvania Route 52
Pennsylvania Route 52 is a long state highway located in southeast Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line near Kennett Square, where PA 52 continues as Delaware Route 52. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 322 Business in West Chester. Near...
at the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
border near Centerville, Delaware
Centerville, Delaware
Centreville is an unincorporated town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. Centreville is now known primarily for being the location of Du Pont family estates, as well as several other wealthy business families from nearby Wilmington, and the home of Governor Jack Markell.The village...
. Even though the southern terminus is at US 13 Business, DelDOT has DE 52 continuing east on 12th Street past U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13 is a north–south U.S. highway established in 1926 that runs for from Interstate 95 just north of Fayetteville, North Carolina to the northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Morrisville. In all, it traverses five states in the Atlantic coastal plain region,...
.
Route description
Delaware Route 52 begins at US 13 Business in Downtown Wilmington, following the one-way pairOne-way pair
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or just couplet is a pair of parallel, usually one-way streets that carry opposite directions of a signed route or major traffic flow, or sometimes opposite directions of a bus or streetcar route....
of 11th Street eastbound and 12th Street westbound. It then merges onto two-way Delaware Avenue and features an interchange with Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Delaware
In Delaware, Interstate 95 runs diagonally from the border with Maryland northeast to the border with Pennsylvania. Between the Maryland state line and exit 5, I-95 is also designated as the Delaware Turnpike and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Along with its auxiliaries, I-95 is the only...
. A short distance past I-95, the route bears to the left onto Pennsylvania Avenue. It then continues through the western residential areas of the city, intersecting the eastern terminus of Delaware Route 2. The route then leaves the city and the name changes to Kennett Pike, which remains with the route until the state line. The route interchanges with Delaware Route 100
Delaware Route 100
Delaware Route 100 is a state highway in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from Delaware Route 4 near Elsmere to the Pennsylvania border near Montchanin, where it continues into Pennsylvania as Creek Road...
and Delaware Route 141
Delaware Route 141
Delaware Route 141 is a bypass around the western suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware. Its northern terminus is an interchange with U.S. Route 202 and Delaware Route 261 in Fairfax, and its southern terminus is at Delaware Route 9 and Delaware Route 273 in New Castle...
and then proceeds north through the wealthy community of Greenville
Greenville, Delaware
Greenville is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greenville is located at ....
. In the northern part of the Greenville area, the route intersects Delaware Route 82
Delaware Route 82
Delaware Route 82 is a state highway in the northwest suburbs of Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from DE 52 near Greenville to the Pennsylvania border near Yorklyn, where it continues as Pennsylvania Route 82 . The route runs through areas of woods and fields in northern...
. The route then heads north, passing by the Winterthur Museum, before passing through the community of Centerville, just south of the Pennsylvania border where the route becomes Pennsylvania Route 52.
History
The Kennett Pike, which composes Delaware Route 52 between Wilmington and the Pennsylvania border, was built as a toll roadToll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
between 1811 and 1813 at a cost of $30,000. The construction was authorized by a charter from the Delaware government issued to Christiana Hundred
Christiana Hundred
Christiana Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly, and while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, they presently have no meaningful use or...
. In 1919, Pierre S. du Pont
Pierre S. du Pont
Pierre Samuel du Pont was president of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company from 1915 to 1919, and served on its Board of Directors until 1940...
bought the road and toll collection was ceased. The road was paved following the sale and eventually sold back to the state. In recent times, local residents have managed to have the rural character of Delaware Route 52 preserved by controlling development.
It is rumored that the road was paved so that Pierre S. duPont could travel between his estate at Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens
Longwood Gardens consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley...
in Pennsylvania and the DuPont headquarters in Wilmington.
Major intersections
The entire route is in New Castle CountyNew Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
.
{| class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Road
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=5|Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
|8.88
|Entrance to plant
|Official southern terminus
|-
|7.87
|
|Signed southern terminus
|-
|7.76
|
|
|-
|7.15
| – Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Philadelphia
|Interchange
|-
|6.38
|
|
|-
|rowspan =2|Greenville
Greenville, Delaware
Greenville is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greenville is located at ....
|4.62
|
|Interchange
|-
|3.32
|
|Southern terminus of DE 82
|-
|Centerville
Centerville, Delaware
Centreville is an unincorporated town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. Centreville is now known primarily for being the location of Du Pont family estates, as well as several other wealthy business families from nearby Wilmington, and the home of Governor Jack Markell.The village...
|0.00
|
|Pennsylvania state line, northern terminus
|-