Delaware Route24 (DE24) is a state highway located in Sussex County, Delaware. The route runs from Maryland Route 348 (MD348) at the Maryland border east of Sharptown, Maryland, east to an intersection with DE1 in Midway, between Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. Along the way, DE24 passes through Laurel, Millsboro, and Long Neck. DE24 intersects U.S. Route13 (US13) in Laurel, runs concurrently with US113/DE20 and intersects DE30 in Millsboro, and DE5 and DE23 in Long Neck. DE24 features an alternate route, DE24 Alternate (DE24 Alt.), that runs to the north of the route from US113 in Stockley to DE24 near Midway. DE24 was built as a state highway throughout the 1920s, with completion of the entire route by 1931. DE24 was assigned onto its current alignment by 1936. DE24 Alt. was designated by 2006. In 2025, DE24 was realigned on the newly constructed North Millsboro Bypass.
Route description
DE24 westbound past DE30 in Mission
DE24 begins at the Maryland border, where the road continues west into that state as MD348. From the state line the route heads east on two-lane undivided Sharptown Road. The road heads through agricultural areas with some woods and homes, crossing Cod Creek before curving to the northeast and crossing Tussocky Branch. DE24 runs to the south of Laurel Airport and passes homes, crossing Little Creek to the north of Horseys Pond before it enters the town of Laurel. At this point, the route turns north onto West Street and runs through residential areas. DE24 curves east and becomes West Market Street, crossing the Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line at-grade as it continues into the downtown area of Laurel. At the Central Avenue junction, the route becomes East Market Street and runs southeast, bending east onto East 4th Street and heading through areas of homes to the south of Records Pond. At the eastern edge of Laurel, DE24 comes to an intersection with US13.[3][4]
Past Laurel, DE24 heads east on Laurel Road through farmland with some woodland and homes, crossing James Branch. The route then passes to the north of Trap Pond State Park, with Trap Pond Road heading south to provide access to the state park. The road continues east through a mix of farms and woods with occasional residences, reaching an intersection with Millsboro Highway in Mission. Here, DE24 turns north onto Millsboro Highway, with the road running northeast. Farther along, residential development increases as the road crosses into the town of Millsboro. At this point the road name becomes Laurel Road as it passes homes and reaches an intersection with US113/DE20. DE24 turns north onto DuPont Boulevard and runs concurrently with US113 and DE20, while continuing north-northeast on Washington Street continues as DE24 Business. DE24 continues along DuPont Boulevard before exiting onto the North Millsboro Bypass, continuing east and crossing Millsboro Pond. A connector road allows access to DE30. DE24 Business then rejoins DE24 at a light with Hollyville Road and John J. Williams Highway, and the route continues east as John J. Williams Highway.
DE24 continues east from Millsboro, running through farmland with some woods and homes, passing through a Mountaire Farms chicken plant and briefly gaining a center left-turn lane. The route continues through rural areas as a two-lane road and crosses Swan Creek and Warwick Gut, bending to the northeast and passing northwest of the Nanticoke Indian Association's Nanticoke Indian Museum before coming to an intersection with DE5 northwest of Oak Orchard. At this point DE5 turns northeast to form a concurrency with DE24. The road heads north through residential and commercial development with some fields as it enters the Long Neck area, where it intersects DE23. Here, DE5 splits from DE24 by turning northwest onto DE23, and DE24 continues north through a mix of farms, woods, and residential neighborhoods, crossing Guinea Creek and passing the Baywood Greens golf course. The road runs through Angola and passes east of Burton Pond before it curves to the northeast, crossing Love Creek on the Eugene D. Bookhammer Bridge. The route continues northeast, widening to four lanes at the Mulberry Knoll Road intersection, and intersects DE1D/DE24 Alt. Here, DE1D turns northeast to join DE24 and the two routes pass homes and businesses as a five-lane road with a center left-turn lane. DE24/DE1D becomes a four-lane undivided road and then a divided highway as it comes to its end at an intersection with DE 1 in Midway, located between the cities of Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.[3][4]
The section of DE24 east of US113 serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Oak Orchard and Long Neck areas to points inland while the section of DE24 between US13 and Millsboro Highway serves as part of a secondary hurricane evacuation route from the coastal areas.[5] The portions of the route between Townsend Street and Delaware Avenue in Laurel and Christ Church Road and Trap Pond Road east of Laurel are designated as part of the Nanticoke Heritage Byway, a Delaware Byway.[6] DE24 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 34,023vehicles at the DE30 intersection to a low of 1,681vehicles at the intersection with Dickerson Road west of Laurel.[1]
History
DE24 eastbound past DE5/DE23 in Long Neck
By 1920, what is now DE24 existed as a state highway between Mission and Phillips Hill, with the remainder of the route existing as an unimproved county road. At this time the road was under contract as a state highway between Laurel and Pepper and from Phillips Hill to east of Millsboro.[7] The sections under contract were completed by 1924[8] and the remainder of present-day DE24 was proposed as a state highway a year later.[9] Completion of these final segments occurred by 1931.[10] DE24 was assigned to its current alignment between the Maryland border west of Laurel and DE14 (now DE1) in Midway by 1936.[2] In 1940, a new bridge was built over Love Creek as part of improving the route east of Millsboro for traffic heading to the beaches in the summer.[11][12]
On April 16, 2018, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) unveiled plans to widen DE24 to four lanes between the Love Creek bridge and DE1 along with adding left turn lanes and improving intersections. This project is planned in order to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion along the road.[13] Construction on the first phase between Mulberry Knoll Road and DE1 began on March 3, 2020 and was completed in early 2022.[14][15] Construction on the second phase between the Love Creek bridge and Mulberry Knoll Road began in March 2022; construction is scheduled to be finished in 2024.[16]
A two-lane bypass of DE24 was built to the north of Millsboro, running from the intersection of US113 and DE20, which was converted to an interchange, east across Millsboro Pond, DE30, and Hollyville Road to an intersection with DE24 east of Millsboro. The bypass is being built to reduce congestion on the section of DE24 through Millsboro. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 31, 2023, with Governor John Carney, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, DelDOT secretary Nicole Majeski, and local officials in attendance. Construction of the Millsboro bypass was completed in September 2025.[17][18]
Delaware Route24 Business (DE24 Bus.) is an alternate route of DE24 that runs through downtown Millsboro. The route proceeds east from DE24 and US113 on Washington Street. The east and west routes split into a one-way pair that heads north, following Main Street eastbound and Washington Street westbound. The road crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision line at-grade. The one-way pair heads through the downtown area of Millsboro, rejoining along two-way Main Street and crossing Indian River to the east of Millsboro Pond. A short distance later, the route comes to an intersection with the southern terminus of DE30.[3][4]. The route then heads northeast on John J. Williams Highway, ending at an intersection with DE24
DE24 Alt. westbound concurrent with DE1D northbound near Midway
Delaware Route24 Alternate (DE24 Alt.) is an alternate route of DE24 between US113 in Stockley and DE24 in Midway. The route heads east from US113 on two-lane undivided Speedway Road, passing to the north of Georgetown Speedway. DE24 Alt. reaches a roundabout with Zoar Road/Bethesda Road and heads southeast onto Zoar Road, passing through agricultural areas with some woods and homes and crossing the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision line. The road continues east through more areas of farms, woods, and residences, turning north and east before crossing DE30 in Zoar. The route heads east-northeast through more rural areas, turning north onto Hollyville Road. DE24 Alt. turns northeast and comes to a junction with DE5 in Hollyville. The road continues east as Hollymount Road and intersects DE23 in Hollymount. Here, DE24 Alt. turns north to join DE23 on Beaver Dam Road and the two routes continue through agricultural and wooded areas with residential developments, curving to the northeast and crossing Bundicks Branch. In Five Points the road intersects DE1D at a roundabout, with DE23 turning to the north and DE24 Alt. continuing northeast along with DE1D on Plantation Road, which soon becomes a divided highway. The two routes curve southeast immediately to the south of the intersection between US9/DE404 and DE1 and head through a mix of farmland and residential development as an undivided road. Finally, the road reaches an intersection with DE24 where DE24 Alt. ends and DE1D turns northeast to join DE24.[3][19] DE24 Alt. was designated by 2006.[21]
12Delaware State Highway Department; The National Survey Co. (1936). Official Road Map of the State of Delaware(PDF) (Map) (1936–1937ed.). Dover: Delaware State Highway Department. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
1234Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map(PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
12Delaware Department of Transportation (2006). Delaware Official Transportation Map(PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
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