Another of the 1938 Sussex County routes, Delaware 20 cuts a swath across the southern reaches of the state between the Maryland state line and Atlantic Coast. Beginning at the village of Reliance on the Maryland state line, Delaware 20 continues Finchville Reliance Road eastward (Maryland 392) across the border. From there Delaware 20 migrates six miles eastward into the city of Seaford to junction U.S. 13 (Dual Highway). U.S. 13 & Delaware 20 join together for 0.9 miles across Williams Pond and the Nanticoke River between Seaford and Blades. The state highway departs the tandem south of the River for Concord Road. Sixteen miles later Delaware 20 meets U.S. 113 near the town of Millsboro. Until the 1980s, the Hardscrabble Road intersection with Dupont Boulevard north of Millsboro represented the eastern terminus of Delaware 20.

An extension of Delaware 20 created a three mile overlap with U.S. 113 (Dupont Boulevard) through Millsboro to Dagsboro Road. At Dagsboro Road, Delaware 20 turns southeasterly into downtown Dagsboro and junction Delaware 26. The highways pair together for one half mile along Main Street and Vines Creek Road.

Delaware 20 sinks southeasterly along Armory Road, Pyle Center Road, and Zion Church Road through the hamlets of Omar, Roxana (junction Delaware 17), and Johnson. At West Fenwick Delaware 20 travels Pale Center Road to junction Delaware 54 (Lighthouse Road). Delaware 20 & 54 merge for their final four respective miles to Fenwick Island and Delaware 1. Included on the eastern leg is a causeway over a narrow strip of land between Roy Creek and Lighthouse Cove of Little Assawoman Bay. The causeway onto Fenwick Island for years suffered from flooding problems associated with abnormally higher tides associated with severe storms. DelDOT raised several portions of the roadway and constructed two viaducts over the lowest lying areas east and west of the Cape Windsor community. The $15 million project began in 2001 and ended in 2003. For more details please see the DelDOT SR 54 project site.

Delaware 20 Mileage Table

Delaware 20 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

• 6,159 - Maryland state line to Road 80
• 22,068 - Road 543 to Market Street (Seaford)
• 35,188 - U.S. 13 overlap
• 8,744 - U.S. 13/Dupont Highway to Circle Drive
• 2,937 - U.S. 9 to Road 74
• 24,428 - U.S. 113 overlap (Millsboro)
• 18,624 - Main Street to Road 401 (Dagsboro)
• 1,474 - Road 92 to Road 384
• 10,615 - Delaware 54 overlap

Delaware 20 Terminus Collection

Western Terminus
	Maryland 392 (Finchville Reliance Road) transitions into Delaware 20 (Stein Highway) at the state line. Maryland 531 (Line Road) also begins at the border and travels southward from Reliance to Galestown, Maryland. Photo taken by Adam Froehlig (03/23/03).
	Looking westward into Maryland at the intersection of Line Road (Maryland 531) and Delaware 20 (Stein Highway). Maryland 392 continues from here westward via Finchville Reliance Road to Finchville and Hurlock, Maryland. Maryland 577 (Reliance Road) stems northwest to junction Maryland 313 (Eldorado Road) and Federalsburg, Maryland. Photo taken by Adam Froehlig (03/23/03).
Eastern Terminus
	A short distance to the north of the Maryland state line on Delaware 1 (Ocean Boulevard) northbound is the intersection of Delaware 20 & 54's eastern terminus. The tandem connect Delaware 1 and the community of Fenwick Island with interior Sussex County via a causeway between Ocean Boulevard and Bayville. The two routes share 3.9 miles of pavement before parting ways near West Fenwick. Delaware 54 is a Maryland numbering convention stemming from the Maryland 54 east-west highway along the state line near Delmar and the southwest corner of the state. Photo taken by Chris Jordan 10/99.

Delaware 20 Other Highway Sites

• Delaware 20 @ OKRoads.com (Eric Stuve)

Page Updated June 27, 2004.