Sussex County Area Information
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County, named after the English County of Sussex which was once home to Colonial proprietor William Penn, is full of history & tradition. It is Delaware's largest county spanning some 938 square miles. Delaware history begins with Sussex County where the town of Lewes was founded as a Dutch whaling colony in 1631. That first European settlement gives Lewes its claim to fame, being the "First Town in the First State" and makes Sussex County the birthplace of what would become present-day Delaware.
Today, Sussex County, Delaware is diverse in both riches & its lifestyles. It is home to numerous seaside resorts, small towns, industry & agriculture. Along the coast, tourism is strong in the quaint resort beach towns. There’s so much more to our little state than meets the eye, so here’s a little something to whet the appetite!
Stunning Coastal Location
We are surrounded by more coastline than the entire State of California, and with the Atlantic Ocean on our doorstep, we have navigable access to four bays including the Delaware Bay, Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, Chesapeake and many inland tributaries – it’s a beach lovers paradise all-year round, and with an average of 204 days of sunshine every year, as well as July temperatures reaching approx. 86 degrees, we count ourselves as some of the luckiest residents in the U.S.
5 State Parks in Sussex County
There are 5 State Parks in Sussex County where visitors and residents alike can enjoy the very best that mother nature has to offer, with stunning scenery, an incredible array of wildlife, hiking and back-packing trails, camping and special events that the whole family can enjoy.
Things to do
Our area is host to the White Marlin Open (an annual deep-sea fishing tournament), and is a plenty with Sports and Game fishing including our most notable Rock Fish and Blue Crabs, Pumpkin Chunkin, and the Apple Scrapple Festivals.
Art & Culture
Along with the many area museums, Rehoboth host the Rehoboth Art League, founded in 1938. We also host the long standing International Film Festival, and for all the music lovers out there, a superb Jazz Festival featuring some of the very best Jazz musicians of our time.
Food Glorious Food
Sussex County has become quite the ‘Food Mecca’, boasting some of the best restaurants in Delaware, including several James Beard Foundation award winners.... and let’s not forget the micro-brew invasion and the brew center for Dogfish Beers.
And finally, living or visiting Sussex County you get to enjoy tax free shopping and low property taxes... so, what are you waiting for?
Towns & Villages of Sussex County, DE
Sussex County includes the following towns and villages:
Bethany Beach, Bethel, Blades, Bridgeville, Dagsboro, Delmar, Dewey Beach, Ellendale, Fenwick Island, Frankford, Georgetown, Greenwood, Henlopen Acres, Laurel, Lewes, Milford, Millsboro, Millville, Milton, Ocean View, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Selbyville, Slaughter Beach, South Bethany.