Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington, Delaware
Flag of Wilmington, Delaware
Official seal of Wilmington, Delaware
Etymology: Named after Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington
Nickname(s): 
Corporate Capital of the World, Chemical Capital of the World
Motto: 
In the middle of it all[1]
Location within New Castle County
Location within New Castle County
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 39°44′45″N 75°32′48″W / 39.74583°N 75.54667°W / 39.74583; -75.54667
CountryUnited States
StateDelaware
CountyNew Castle
Founded at The Rocks, Swedes' Landing, Fort Christina, Kristinehamn settlementMarch 1638
Incorporated as Willingtown1731
Borough Charter as Wilmington1739
City CharterMarch 7, 1832
Named forSpencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington
Government
 • TypeCouncil-mayor
 • MayorMike Purzycki (D)
Area
 • City17.19 sq mi (44.52 km2)
 • Land10.89 sq mi (28.22 km2)
 • Water6.29 sq mi (16.30 km2)
 • Urban
- Northern NCCo.DE
213.35 sq mi (552.58 km2)
 • Metro
- Wilmington/Newark Statistical Division, DE-MD-NJ
1,103.86 sq mi (2,859 km2)
Elevation
92 ft (28 m)
Highest elevation
- Mount Salem Hill, Rockford Park
330 ft (100 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City70,898 (within city limits)
 • Density6,510.38/sq mi (2,512.48/km2)
 • Urban
- Northern NCCo.DE
484,926 (US: 87th)
 • Urban density2,272.91/sq mi (877.57/km2)
 • Metro723,993 (US: 82nd)(Wilmington Metropolitan Division DE-MD-NJ Delaware statistical areas
 • Metro density655.87/sq mi (253.23/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
19801-19810, 19850, 19880, 19884-19886, 19890-19899
Area code302
FIPS code10-77580
GNIS feature ID214862[3]
AirportWilmington Airport
Major highways
Commuter rail
Websitewilmingtonde.gov

Wilmington (Lenape: Paxahakink / Pakehakink)[4] is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area (synonymous with the Philadelphia metropolitan area). Wilmington was named by Proprietor Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, who was prime minister during the reign of George II of Great Britain.

As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 70,898.[5] Wilmington is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan statistical area (which also includes Philadelphia, Reading, Camden, and other urban areas), which had a 2020 core metropolitan statistical area population of 6,228,601, representing the seventh largest metropolitan region in the nation, and a combined statistical area population of 7.366 million.[6]

  1. ^ Min, Shirley (December 7, 2012). "New signs welcome folks to Delaware's largest city". WHYY-FM News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  2. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  3. ^ "Wilmington". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  4. ^ "Lenape Talking Dictionary". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  5. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Delaware". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016". 2016 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 2017. Archived from the original (CSV) on February 14, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2017.

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