Delaware Route 18

DE 18/DE 404 westbound in Georgetown

DE 18 begins at the Maryland border, where the road continues west into that state as MD 318. From the state line, the route heads east on two-lane undivided Federalsburg Road, passing through agricultural areas with some woods and homes. The road runs through the community of Atlanta, where it crosses Atlanta Road. In the community of Clarksons Crossroads, DE 18 turns southeast onto Cannon Road while Federalsburg Road continues northeast toward the town of Bridgeville. The road continues to the community of Cannon, where it crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line at-grade. East of Cannon, the route crosses Clear Brook before it comes to an intersection with US 13. Following this, DE 18 heads northeast through farm fields, reaching a junction with DE 404.[3][4]

At this point, DE 18 heads east concurrent with DE 404 along Seashore Highway through a mix of farmland and woodland with some residences. The road crosses the Nanticoke River and passes through tracts of the Redden State Forest, heading across Gravelly Branch to the south of Collins Pond and crossing Deep Creek further east. DE 18/DE 404 enters the town of Georgetown and becomes Bridgeville Road, running to the north of the Jack F. Owens Campus of Delaware Technical Community College. The road intersects US 113 and the western terminus of DE 404 Truck in a commercial area and continues east. The two routes head southeast onto North Bedford Street, passing homes and businesses. The road intersects US 9 at a traffic circle called The Circle in the center of Georgetown, where the Sussex County Courthouse is located. At this point, DE 18 ends and DE 404 continues east along US 9.[3][4]

The section of DE 18 concurrent with DE 404 serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Delaware Beaches to points inland.[5] DE 18 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 20,266 vehicles at the US 113 intersection to a low of 2,128 vehicles at the US 13 intersection.[1] The portion of DE 18 concurrent with DE 404 is part of the National Highway System.[6]

By 1920, what would eventually become DE 18 was under contract as a state highway from southeast of Bridgeville to Georgetown and from Georgetown to Harbeson; the remainder existed as an unimproved county road.[7] The state highway was completed between Cannon and present-day US 13 and from southeast of Bridgeville east to Lewes by 1924, with the exception of a portion within Georgetown. The part of present-day DE 18 west of Clarksons Crossroads was under proposal as a state highway by this time also.[8] A year later, the portions of the route west of Clarksons Crossroads and within Georgetown were upgraded to state highway status.[9] In 1927, plans were made to replace the 1914-built county-maintained bascule bridge over the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal in Lewes.[10][11] Replacement of this bridge by the state was completed in 1929.[11] By 1931, the state highway was finished between Clarksons Crossroads and Cannon.[12] The portion of road from US 13 east to the current west end of the DE 404 concurrency was completed as a state highway a year later.[13]

DE 18 was designated to run from the Maryland border west of Cannon east to Lewes Beach on the Delaware Bay by 1936, following its current alignment east to Georgetown and continuing east through Gravel Hill, Harbeson, and Lewes.[2] In 1974, the eastern terminus of DE 18 was cut back to its current location in Georgetown, with an extended US 9 replacing the route between Georgetown and Five Points and US 9 Bus. replacing DE 18 from Five Points to Lewes.[14][15] DE 404 was extended to run concurrent with DE 18 from east of Bridgevillle to Georgetown by 1987.[16]

The entire route is in Sussex County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
​	0.00	0.00	MD 318 west (Bridgeville Road) – Federalsburg, Denton	Maryland state line; western terminus
Cannon	7.56	12.17	US 13 (Sussex Highway) – Bridgeville, Seaford
​	9.06	14.58	DE 404 west (Seashore Highway) – Bridgeville, Denton	West end of DE 404 overlap
Georgetown	18.33	29.50	US 113 (Dupont Boulevard / DE 404 Truck east) – Milford, Millsboro, Beaches	Western terminus of DE 404 Truck
	19.35	31.14	US 9 / DE 404 east (Market Street) to US 113 – Laurel, Beaches, Airport, Cape May–Lewes Ferry	Traffic circle; eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Delaware Route 18.

• DE 18 at AARoads.com