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Note: Alaska and Hawaii are shown out of
position for reference only and are not to scale.
Blank
Delaware State Outline Map
Delaware is the second-smallest state in the United
States after Rhode Island.
Delaware is
bounded to the north by Pennsylvania,
to the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay,
New Jersey and the
Atlantic Ocean and to the west
and south by Maryland. Small
portions of Delaware are also situated on the far, or
eastern, side of the Delaware River
Estuary, and these small parcels share land boundaries
with New Jersey.
The state
of Delaware, together with the Eastern Shore counties of
Maryland and two counties of Virginia,
form the Delmarva Peninsula,
a geographical unit stretching far down the Mid-Atlantic
Coast.
The
definition of the northern boundary of the state is highly
unusual. Most of the boundary between Delaware and
Pennsylvania is defined by an arc extending 12 miles (19 km)
from the cupola of the courthouse in
New Castle, and is
referred to as the Twelve-Mile
Circle. This is the only true-arc political boundary in
the United States. This border extends all of the way to the
low-tide mark on the New Jersey shore, which continues down
the shoreline until it again reaches the twelve-mile arc in
the south; then the boundary continues in a more
conventional way in the middle of the main channel (thalweg)
of the Delaware River Estuary. A portion of this arc extends
into Maryland to the west, and the remaining western border
is a tangent to this arc that runs a bit to the east.
The Wedge of land between
the arc and the Maryland border was claimed by both Delaware
and Pennsylvania until 1921, when Delaware's claim was
confirmed.
Delaware is
subdivided into three counties: from north to south,
New Castle,
Kent County and
Sussex.
Topography
Delaware is
on a level plain; the highest elevation, located at
Ebright Azimuth, near Concord
High School, Wilmington, does not even rise 450 feet above
sea level. The northern part is associated with the
Appalachian Piedmont and is full of hills with rolling
surfaces. South of Newark and Wilmington, the state follows
the Atlantic Coastal Plain with flat, sandy, and, in some
parts, swampy ground. A ridge about 75 to 80 feet in
altitude extends along the western boundary of the state and
is the drainage divide between the two major water bodies of
the Delaware River and several streams falling into
Chesapeake Bay in the west.
Climate
Since
almost all of Delaware is a part of the
Atlantic Coastal Plain,
the climate is moderated by the effects of the ocean. The
state is somewhat of a transitional zone between a
humid subtropical
climate and a continental
climate. Despite its small size (roughly 100 miles from
its northernmost to southernmost points), there is
significant variation in mean temperature and amount of
snowfall between Sussex County and New Castle County. The
southern portion of the State has a somewhat milder climate
and a longer growing season than the northern portion of the
State. Furthermore, the transitional climate of Delaware
supports a surprising variety of vegetation. At Trap Pond
State Park in Sussex County, bald cypress grow—this is
thought to be one of the northernmost stands of these trees.
The vegetation in New Castle County, on the other hand, is
more typical of that of the northeastern United States. All
parts of Delaware have relatively hot, humid summers. While
Sussex and Kent Counties are considered to fall in the humid
subtropical climate zone, there is some debate about whether
northern New Castle County falls in the humid subtropical
climate zone or warm continental climate.
Interactive Delaware State Map
Explore the state of Delaware with the dynamic map below. You can
zoom, pan and even get a satellite map view.
Move your cursor over the markers on the map to
learn more about Delaware.
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