Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is the southernmost of Delaware's three counties and the largest by land area, occupying a broad stretch of the Delmarva Peninsula that encompasses farmland, inland waterways, and a lengthy Atlantic coastline. Anchoring the southeastern corner of the state, the county draws residents, visitors, and seasonal populations to its beaches, rural communities, and growing suburban corridors. Its history reaches back to the earliest periods of European contact with the region, and its landscape today reflects centuries of agricultural tradition alongside rapid modern development.
History
Beginnings
The territory that would become Sussex County was inhabited long before European explorers arrived. Indigenous peoples occupied the Delmarva Peninsula for thousands of years, establishing communities along its rivers, bays, and coastal margins. The land offered abundant natural resources, and the region's waterways served as highways for trade and movement across the peninsula.
European awareness of the Delaware coastline emerged gradually through the age of exploration. Early mariners charted the Atlantic shore and the broad bay that would later bear the name of Lord De La Warr, the English colonial governor whose ship entered the bay in the early seventeenth century. What is now recorded in historical documents as Cape James was among the early named landmarks along this coastline, later renamed as cartographers and colonists revised the geography of the region.[1]
European Settlement
European settlement of the Sussex County area unfolded over the course of the seventeenth century, as Dutch, Swedish, and English interests competed for control of the Delaware Valley. The Dutch established early footholds along the bay, and Swedish colonists planted settlements that left a lasting mark on the cultural and material landscape of the peninsula. English authority ultimately prevailed, and the region came under the governance of William Penn's proprietary holdings before Delaware separated into its own distinct entity.
The county was formally established as one of Delaware's original three counties, and its boundaries encompassed the entire southern tier of the colony. Agricultural settlement spread steadily across its interior, with farmers cultivating the relatively flat and fertile land. Historical records document the lives of early settlers who put down roots in the county and whose descendants remained for generations. Andrew Collins, Sr. is among those noted in historical accounts as having lived in Sussex County during his lifetime, with family and land holdings tying him to both Sussex County, Delaware, and neighboring Worcester County across the Maryland border.[2]
The county seat was established at Georgetown, a planned town laid out in the late eighteenth century to provide a more central location for county government than the earlier seat at Lewes. Georgetown remains the county seat today, serving as the hub of local administration and justice.
Geography
Sussex County covers more land than the other two Delaware counties combined, stretching from the forested uplands of its northern reaches to the barrier beaches and coastal bays of its eastern and southern edges. The landscape is predominantly flat, shaped by ancient sea levels and the gradual processes of coastal geology. The county's eastern boundary is defined by the Atlantic Ocean, while much of its western and southern edges border Maryland.
Adjacent Counties
Sussex County shares borders with Kent County, Delaware to the north, Wicomico County, Maryland to the west, and Worcester County, Maryland to the southwest. The county's eastern edge fronts the Atlantic Ocean. This position at the southern tip of Delaware gives Sussex County a geographic character distinct from the more urbanized counties to its north.
Waterways and Coastal Features
The county's coastline includes some of the most visited beaches on the mid-Atlantic seaboard. Communities such as Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, and Dewey Beach attract large seasonal populations each summer. Inland from the ocean, a series of bays and lagoons — including Rehoboth Bay, Indian River Bay, and Little Assawoman Bay — separate the barrier strand from the mainland and provide habitat for fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife.
The Nanticoke River drains a significant portion of the county's western interior, flowing westward into Maryland and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. Smaller streams and drainage ditches crisscross the agricultural heartland, reflecting both natural hydrology and centuries of human modification to manage water levels on the flat terrain.
Major Highways
Several major roadways traverse Sussex County, connecting its communities to one another and to the broader regional transportation network. U.S. Route 13 runs through the county's interior, linking it northward to Dover and Wilmington and southward toward the Maryland line. U.S. Route 113 serves as another principal corridor through the county. Delaware Route 1 provides access to the coastal resort communities along the Atlantic shore, carrying heavy seasonal traffic during summer months. These routes form the backbone of the county's transportation system and have historically shaped the pattern of development across the region.
Demographics and Education
Sussex County's population has grown substantially in recent decades, driven in part by retirement migration, coastal tourism development, and the expansion of suburban and exurban settlement patterns. The county includes both densely developed resort areas and sparsely populated rural stretches where agriculture remains the primary land use.
Student demographic data tracked over the period from 1987 to 2006 documented trends in diversity within Sussex County's public schools, reflecting broader shifts in the county's population during that era.[3] The county's school-age population shifted during this period as new communities developed and the demographic composition of the region changed.
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture has been central to Sussex County's economy since the earliest years of European settlement. The county's flat terrain and moderate climate support the cultivation of a variety of crops, and poultry production has become a major component of the agricultural economy. Sussex County ranks among the leading poultry-producing counties in the United States, with large-scale chicken processing operations employing thousands of workers and anchoring the food production supply chain of the mid-Atlantic region.
Grain crops, soybeans, and vegetables are also grown across the county, and the rural landscape is defined to a considerable extent by the presence of farms, grain storage facilities, and agricultural support businesses.
Tourism and Real Estate
Tourism is a major economic driver in Sussex County, particularly in the coastal resort communities along the Atlantic shore. The beach towns attract visitors from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, the Philadelphia region, and beyond, generating revenue for hotels, restaurants, retail businesses, and service industries throughout the summer season.
The real estate market reflects both the county's appeal as a vacation and retirement destination and the broader trends of the regional housing market. Sales data from Sussex County indicate the volume and value of real estate transactions in the county, with total sales values reaching into the hundreds of millions of dollars in recent reporting periods.[4] The market encompasses a wide range of property types, from oceanfront condominiums and single-family beach houses to inland farms and suburban residential developments.
Public Health
Sussex County, like other jurisdictions across the United States, experienced the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. Tracking of coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and vaccinations in the county provided residents and public health officials with data to monitor and respond to the spread of the virus.[5] As the pandemic continued into subsequent years, updated tracking continued to monitor virus hospitalizations, cases, deaths, tests, and vaccinations across the county.[6]
The county's health infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics, and public health agencies, worked to manage the public health response throughout the pandemic period. The distribution of vaccines and the monitoring of case trends were central concerns for county and state health officials during this period.
Weather and Natural Hazards
Sussex County's coastal location makes it susceptible to a range of weather events, including winter storms, nor'easters, and tropical weather systems. The county encompasses distinct geographic zones, including Inland Sussex and the Delaware Beaches, as well as areas that share Atlantic coastal characteristics with neighboring regions in New Jersey and Maryland. Winter storm warnings issued by the National Weather Service can affect multiple zones within the county simultaneously, including Inland Sussex, the Delaware Beaches, and the broader Atlantic coastal corridor extending into Cape May.[7]
The county's flat terrain and proximity to tidal waters also create vulnerability to coastal flooding during storms. Barrier island communities along the Atlantic shore can experience significant erosion and inundation during major weather events, and the management of coastal infrastructure is an ongoing concern for county and state planners.
Government and Administration
Sussex County is governed by an elected county council, which oversees county services, land use regulation, and the management of county resources. The county seat at Georgetown hosts the county courthouse, administrative offices, and related governmental functions.
Delaware's county governments operate within a framework established by state law, and Sussex County's government coordinates with state agencies on matters including transportation, environmental regulation, and public health. The county's elected officials also interact with the municipal governments of the numerous incorporated towns and cities within its borders, ranging from the historic town of Lewes — the site of early European settlement — to the resort communities of the Atlantic shore.
See Also
- Kent County, Delaware
- New Castle County, Delaware
- Lewes, Delaware
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
- Georgetown, Delaware