Avelo Flights to Philadelphia / Wilmington

New Castle County, Delaware’s northernmost county, is central to both the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. It’s perfect for a weekend getaway and is a leading destination for business.

Less than 30 minutes from Philadelphia and just about an hour from Baltimore, Northern Delaware is home to the state’s largest city, Wilmington. With a population of just over 70,000, Wilmington is known as the Corporate Capital of the World. More than 66 percent of all Fortune 500 corporations are incorporated in Delaware, and the majority list their address as Wilmington.

The city’s easily walkable downtown offers an impressive arts and music scene, especially considering its small size, as well as award-winning restaurants, historically significant architecture, and lovely walking trails along the Christina and Brandywine Rivers.

A few miles west is the Brandywine Valley, home to some of the most stunning estates and gardens in North America. These grand homes are surrounded by bucolic scenery – rolling hills, stone fences, serene riverbanks – reminiscent of pastoral France.

Wilmington, DE

A renaissance is underway in Wilmington. Over the past two years, new hotels, eateries, a full-service spa, and shops have sprung up downtown. Upgraded streetscapes and facades, major renovation projects, and new construction add to the air of excitement.

Along Market Street, the city’s main thoroughfare, restaurants – from fine dining to hip burger joints and breweries – share space with a diverse mix of retail offering original art, urban street wear, handmade leather goods, fine jewelry, and more.

Accommodation options include an iconic, historic hotel, an all-suites property, and a boutique hotel that boasts the city’s first rooftop lounge. DE.CO food hall and newcomer the Chancery Market provide quick bites and a place to unwind for those in town for leisure or business.

Less than a mile from the heart of downtown, the city’s riverfront district is a recreational mecca with arts and entertainment offerings, a mile-and-a-half riverwalk, and more than 15 restaurants – most of which offer waterfront dining,

Its distinctive red bricked Amtrak station, designed by Frank Furness, is named for Wilmington’s own Joe Biden, the 46th President of the U.S. Currently in the development phase, plans for the east side of the river include a continuation of the riverwalk connected to the west side by a footbridge as well as more shopping, attractions and dining options.

The Countryside

A quick drive down Route 52 transports visitors to a different time and place – the lush countryside of the Brandywine Valley. Here, elegant mansions and glorious gardens are a testament to the wealth and cultural influence of the du Pont family. Reminiscent of a “Downton Abbey” episode, each estate has its own story to tell.

Hagley Museum and Library is home to the family’s original gunpowder works and its first ancestral home in the U.S. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library houses one of the foremost collections of American decorative arts. Its expansive grounds and gardens, including the Enchanted Woods, are well worth exploration. Nemours Estate is Greater Wilmington’s very on Versailles with its elaborate French-style gardens, magnificent fountains and gilded sculptures. The woodlands and meadows of Mt. Cuba Center produce some of the most spectacular displays of wildflowers in the Mid-Atlantic region. Just over the border in Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens is the most visited public garden in North America. Its stunning indoor and outdoor spaces stretch more than 1,000 acres.

The surrounding countryside remains pristine thanks to plentiful preserved lands including the Brandywine Creek State Park and the First State National Historical Park. Studded with boulders, relics of the Ice Age, these lands are crisscrossed with trails for hiking and biking. They also served as the inspiration for many artists including several generations of the Wyeth family and the Brandywine School.

The small villages in this region, Greenville and Centreville, offer plenty of opportunities to indulge in a delicious meal or shop for treasures. Romantic inns create the perfect formula for a romantic or restful weekend.

Wilmington Airport

Wilmington Airport is conveniently located in New Castle County, it is the perfect choice for travelers coming to and from Chester County, Delaware County, Kent County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, and the Brandywine Valley. From parking lot or rental car drop off to your gate will only take you minutes.

More to Discover

Just down the Delaware River and connected to the City of Wilmington by the J.A.M. recreational trail, Historic New Castle is home to perfectly preserved Colonial-era homes and cobblestone-lined streets. Fort Delaware, a Union fort that once housed thousands of Confederate prisoners, towers over Pea Patch Island. The charming neighborhood of Trolley Square; historic hamlets of Odessa and Delaware City, and the college town of Newark are all worth a day or afternoon of exploration.

Four scenic byways – the Brandywine National Scenic Byway, the Red Clay Scenic Byway, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Delaware Bayshore Byway – allow visitors to follow the road less traveled. A trail of another variety, the Delaware Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail, connects more than 10 Northern Delaware boutique wine, beer and spirits makers with those in other regions of the state.

The best thing? All of these experiences are so close to each other, giving visitors a wealth of options for exploration and adventure. For more information and trip ideas, go to www.VisitWilmingtonDE.com.