Felton, Delaware
Felton, Delaware | |
|---|---|
Main Street in downtown Felton, July 2015 | |
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Seal | |
| Etymology: President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Samuel M. Felton Sr.[1] | |
Location of Felton in Kent County, Delaware. | |
Felton Location within the state of Delaware Felton Felton (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 39°00′30″N 75°34′41″W / 39.00833°N 75.57806°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Delaware |
| County | Kent |
| Incorporated | February 2, 1861[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2) |
| • Land | 0.78 sq mi (2.02 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 56 ft (17 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,316 |
| • Density | 1,683.7/sq mi (650.07/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 19943 |
| Area code | 302 |
| FIPS code | 10-26620 |
| GNIS feature ID | 215321[3] |
| Website | felton |
Felton is a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. The population was 1,316 in 2020.[4]
History
Established in 1856 as a whistle stop along the Delaware Railroad, Felton was named after Samuel M. Felton Sr., then-president of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. As president, he was responsible for developing the Railroad in Delaware's rural areas, and by extension, the town's existence. Felton was incorporated on February 2, 1861, and passenger rail service would continue to the town until the early 1950s.[1]
The Coombe Historic District, Thomas B. Coursey House, Felton Historic District, Felton Railroad Station, and Hughes Early Man Sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
Geography
Felton is located at 39°00′30″N 75°34′41″W / 39.00833°N 75.57806°W (39.0084464, –75.5779807).[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), all land.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 437 | — | |
| 1880 | 383 | −12.4% | |
| 1890 | 403 | 5.2% | |
| 1900 | 400 | −0.7% | |
| 1910 | 451 | 12.8% | |
| 1920 | 771 | 71.0% | |
| 1930 | 463 | −39.9% | |
| 1940 | 442 | −4.5% | |
| 1950 | 453 | 2.5% | |
| 1960 | 423 | −6.6% | |
| 1970 | 495 | 17.0% | |
| 1980 | 547 | 10.5% | |
| 1990 | 683 | 24.9% | |
| 2000 | 784 | 14.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,298 | 65.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,316 | 1.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] | |||
According to the 2020 United States census the population was 1,316 people living in 545 households.[4] There were 586 housing units with 41 being vacant (7%). The racial makeup of the town was 62.7% White, 24.9% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 3.3% Other and 7.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6%.
Of the 545 households, 42% were a married couple household, 7.3% were cohabiting couples, 15.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present and 35% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 34.5% of households had an individual under the age of 18 and 34.7% had an individual aged 65 or over.
The age distribution was 5.5% under 5 years old, 7.3% were 5 to 9, 6.2% aged 10 to 14, 6.3% aged 15 to 19, 5.2% aged 20 to 24, 6.8% aged 25 to 29, 7.3% aged 30 to 34, 6.2% aged 35 to 39, 5.5% aged 40 to 44, 6% aged 45 to 49, 5.5% aged 50 to 54, 7.5% aged 55 to 59, 6% aged 60 to 64, 6.7% aged 65 to 69, 5.6% aged 70 to 74, 3.1% aged 75 to 79, 2% aged 80 to 84 and 1% 85 years or older.
The male population was 602 and the female population was 714. The median age for both sexes was 39.5. The median age for males was 38 and for females 41.2.
By 2023, the American Community Survey estimated the median income was $62,000. It estimated median income by types of families as Married-couple families $100,938, Families $98,056 and Non-family households as $40,565. Poverty was estimated at 7.4% compared to 9.6% for the rest of Delaware. 10.3% of those projected to be in poverty were under 18 years old, 7% between 18 and 64 years and 6.3% were 65 years and over.
Education
Public school students in Felton are served by the Lake Forest School District.[8] Schools include Lake Forest High School as well as Lake Forest North, the elementary school (Grades K–3), and Lake Forest Central, the older elementary school (Grades 4–5). Other schools in the district are located in Harrington and Frederica.
Infrastructure
Transportation
U.S. Route 13 runs north–south through Felton on Dupont Highway, heading north toward Dover and south toward Harrington. Delaware Route 12 runs east–west through Felton on Main Street, heading west toward Greensboro, Maryland and east toward Frederica.[9] DART First State provides bus service to Felton along Route 117, which heads north toward Camden to connect to the local bus routes serving the Dover area and south toward Harrington.[10] The Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north–south through Felton.[11]
Utilities
Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Felton.[12] Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town.[13] The Felton Water Department provides water to Felton, serving 550 homes, multiple businesses, and three schools.[14] Trash and recycling collection in Felton is provided under contract by Waste Management.[15]
Notable people
- M. Evelyn Killen (1871–1951), President, Felton W.C.T.U.; President, Delaware State W.C.T.U.
- James H. Hughes (1867-1953), American lawyer and U.S senator
- C. J. Faison (born 1993), American stock car racing driver
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Welcome to the Town of Felton". delaware.gov. Government Information Center. September 4, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Felton, Delaware
- ^ a b "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, DE" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Delaware Department of Transportation (2017). Official Travel & Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Dover: Delaware Department of Transportation.
- ^ "Kent County Bus System Guide" (PDF). DART First State. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
- ^ "Delmarva Central Railroad". Carload Express. November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ "Service Territory". Delmarva Power. Archived from the original on May 25, 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "Delmarva Service Territory". Chesapeake Utilities. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
- ^ "Water". Felton, Delaware. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ "Trash Collection". Felton, Delaware. Retrieved August 30, 2018.