Felton, Delaware

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.

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.

Geography

Felton is located at (39.0084464, –75.5779807).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Felton had a population of 1,316 people. The median age was 39.5 years. 22.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The male population was 602 and the female population was 714. For every 100 females there were 84.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.3 males age 18 and over. The median age was 38.0 for males and 41.2 for females.

There were 545 households, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.0% were married-couple households, 7.3% were cohabiting couple households, 15.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 35.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, and 34.7% had an individual aged 65 or over. 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

thumb|left|US 13 northbound in Felton

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. 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. The Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line passes north–south through Felton.

Utilities

Delmarva Power, a subsidiary of Exelon, provides electricity to Felton. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas to the town. The Felton Water Department provides water to Felton, serving 550 homes, multiple businesses, and three schools. Trash and recycling collection in Felton is provided under contract by Waste Management.

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