Dover, Delaware facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dover
State capital and city
City of Dover
View of Loockerman Street in downtown Dover
Flag Seal
Etymology: Dover, Kent, England
Nickname(s):  Capital of the First State
Location in Kent County and the state of Delaware.
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	Kent
Founded	1683
Incorporated	1717
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• State capital and city	23.97 sq mi (62.09 km2)
• Land	23.67 sq mi (61.30 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.79 km2)
Elevation	30 ft (9 m)
Population  (2020)
• State capital and city	39,403
• Density	1,664.82/sq mi (642.79/km2)
• Metro	152,255
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	19901–19906
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-21200
GNIS feature ID	217882
Major highway

Dover is the capital city of Delaware, a state in the United States. It is also the second-largest city in Delaware by population. Dover is the main city in Kent County and is located on the St. Jones River. The city was named after Dover in Kent, England. In 2020, about 39,403 people lived in Dover.

What's in a Name? The Story of Dover's Name

The city of Dover gets its name from Dover, a town in Kent, England. The English town's name comes from an old word meaning "waters." You can see similar parts of this old word in the French and Welsh names for Dover, England, too.

Dover's Past: A Look at History

Dover was started in 1683 by William Penn. He was the owner of the land that became Delaware. Dover was meant to be the main town for the new Kent County. In 1717, the city was officially planned out.

Delaware's capital city moved to Dover in 1777. This happened because Dover was in the middle of the state. It was also safer from British attacks during the American Revolution. The state government decided to meet in Dover permanently in 1781.

The city's main square is called The Green. It was a place for many important events during the American Revolution. Today, The Green is still a historic spot. It is home to the Delaware Supreme Court and the Kent County Courthouse.

Caesar Rodney was a famous leader from Delaware during the American Revolution. He lived in Dover. A special monument, called a cenotaph, honors him at Christ Episcopal Church in Dover.

Dover and Kent County had different ideas about slavery. The city was a "stop" on the Underground Railroad. This was a secret network that helped enslaved people find freedom. Dover was close to states where slavery was allowed and states where it was not. Many Quakers in the area worked to end slavery in the early 1800s.

Many historic places in Dover are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include old homes, churches, and districts.

Christ Church entrance and bell tower in Dover

In August 2020, a strong tornado hit Dover. It caused damage to trees and buildings. The tornado traveled for a long distance, but thankfully, no one was hurt.

Where is Dover? Geography and Climate

Dover is located at 39°09′29″N 75°31′28″W / 39.15806°N 75.52444°W / 39.15806; -75.52444. The city covers about 22.7 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Dover's Weather

Dover has a warm, temperate climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. In summer, temperatures often reach 90°F (32°C) or higher. Short, heavy thunderstorms are common. Winters are usually not too cold, with light snow that doesn't stay long. The average snowfall is about 13.2 inches (33.5 cm) per year.

The weather changes nicely in spring and autumn. The average temperature in January is about 36°F (2°C). In July, it's about 77.9°F (25.5°C). Dover gets about 47.61 inches (120.9 cm) of rain each year, spread out evenly.

Who Lives in Dover? Demographics

In 2010, Dover had 36,047 people. By 2020, the population grew to 39,403 people.

In 2000, about 30% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.35 people. The median age in Dover was 33 years old.

In 2021, the average household income was about $51,073. About 20.5% of the people in Dover lived at or below the poverty line.

How Does Dover Make Money? Economy

Legislative Hall

The biggest employer in Dover is the state government. Many state offices are located here.

Dover is growing fast because living costs are lower here. The Kent County government also employs many people.

Dover Air Force Base is a big employer. It has two airlift wings. It also has the only U.S. military facility in the country that cares for fallen soldiers.

Big companies like Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble have factories in Dover. Kraft Foods makes Jell-O here. The P&G factory makes Pampers Baby Fresh wipes. ILC Dover, a company nearby, makes special fabrics for military and space uses. They even made the spacesuits for the Apollo missions!

You can find many stores and restaurants along US 13 in Dover. The Dover Mall is the main shopping center in the area.

Once a year, NASCAR races happen at Dover Motor Speedway. These races bring many visitors and help local businesses. Many fans camp near the track. These events, along with games at Bally's Dover, bring a lot of money to Dover's economy.

The Firefly Music Festival is also held every summer at the Dover Motor Speedway grounds.

Learning in Dover: Education

Wesley College, now the Delaware State University Downtown campus

Dover is home to Delaware State University. This is a special university that was started to serve Black students. Wesley College is now part of Delaware State University.

The Delaware Technical Community College also has a campus in Dover. The University of Delaware and Wilmington University have smaller locations here too.

Dover has three public school districts:

• The Capital School District serves most of the city, including Dover High School.
• The Caesar Rodney School District serves the southern part of Dover.
• The Polytech School District offers special vocational-technical programs.

There's also a unique middle school on the Dover Air Force Base. It's run by the Caesar Rodney School District.

Fun in Dover: Culture

The Capitol Theater

The Schwartz Center for the Arts used to be the Dover Opera House. It hosted concerts, ballet, and movies. It closed in 2017.

The Kent County Theatre Guild puts on plays. It's run by volunteers who love live theater. The Children's Theatre, Inc. of Dover also provides shows for kids.

You can visit the Delaware State Library, the Delaware State Museum, and the Delaware State Archives in downtown Dover. They have many interesting things to see and learn about.

The Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover's historic area has art from early American times to today.

An Amish community lives west of Dover. They sell special Amish food, furniture, and crafts. Every September, the Amish Country Bike Tour takes place here.

Playing in Dover: Parks and Recreation

Silver Lake

The City of Dover has many parks. There are three large parks and 27 smaller ones.

• Silver Lake Park is a big park by Silver Lake. You can fish, boat, walk, and play there.
• Schutte Park has many sports fields for soccer and softball. It also has a recreation center with basketball courts and an indoor walking track.
• Dover Park has tennis courts, a softball field, basketball courts, and a disc golf course.

Many smaller neighborhood parks are also available for everyone to enjoy.

Dover on the Air: Media

Dover has two newspapers: the Dover Post (weekly and online) and the daily Delaware State News.

Dover is part of the Philadelphia TV market. You can watch many channels from Philadelphia. Some local channels from Salisbury, Maryland, are also available. WHYY-TV 12, a PBS station, has a studio in Dover.

WDDE is Delaware's first NPR radio station. It started in 2012 and broadcasts on 91.1 FM.

Sports in Dover

NASCAR racing at Dover Motor Speedway

Dover Motor Speedway hosts a NASCAR race weekend every July. It includes races from the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Cup Series.

Next to the NASCAR track is Bally's Dover. It has horse racing and an entertainment spot with games.

Both colleges in Dover have sports teams. The Wesley College Wolverines are known for their football team. The Delaware State Hornets compete in NCAA Division I sports.

Dover also hosts the Big League (Little League for ages 16–18) Eastern Regionals every July. This event brings baseball teams from all over the Northeast.

There are several golf courses near Dover, including Maple Dale Country Club and Eagle Creek Golf Course (on the Air Force Base).

Getting Around Dover: Infrastructure

DE 1 northbound in Dover

The main highway in Dover is Delaware Route 1. It's a toll road that connects Dover to Wilmington and the Delaware Beaches. U.S. Route 13 also runs through Dover. It goes through the main shopping areas. An alternate route, U.S. Route 13 Alternate, goes through downtown. Delaware Route 8 is the main east-west road.

Dover is one of only four state capitals in the U.S. that does not have an Interstate highway.

Parking in downtown Dover includes free two-hour street parking and several parking lots.

Dover Air Force Base has an airport. For commercial flights, people use airports in Wilmington, Salisbury, Baltimore, or Philadelphia.

The Dover Transit Center, which serves as the main hub for DART First State buses in Dover

Dover has a railroad line, but it's only used for freight trains now. There is no passenger train service. The closest passenger train station is in Wilmington.

DART First State provides local bus service in Dover and Kent County. Buses leave from the Dover Transit Center downtown. They also have buses that go to other towns in Delaware.

Greyhound Lines offers long-distance bus service. You can catch a Greyhound bus in Dover to travel to cities like New York City or Richmond, Virginia.

City Services: Utilities

The city of Dover provides services like trash collection, recycling, water, and sewer to its residents. The City of Dover Electric Department provides electricity. They generate some power from a natural gas plant and a solar farm called Dover SUN Park. They buy the rest of their electricity. Chesapeake Utilities provides natural gas service in Dover.

Famous People from Dover

• Jacob M. Appel (born 1973), writer and expert in medical ethics, lived in Dover.
• David H. Berger (born 1959), a top leader in the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Madison Brengle (born 1990), a professional tennis player.
• Randy Bush (born 1958), a former Major League Baseball player.
• Annie Jump Cannon (1863–1941), a famous astronomer.
• Robert Crumb (born 1943), an artist, lived in Dover.
• William D. Denney (1873–1953), a former Governor of Delaware, was born in Dover.
• Murphy Guyer (born 1952), an actor and playwright, was born in Dover.
• Doug Hutchison (born 1960), an actor, was born in Dover.
• Gilder D. Jackson Jr. (1893–1966), a Brigadier General in World War II.
• Mike Meade (born 1960), a former NFL player, was born in Dover.
• Teri Polo (born 1969), an actress, was born in Dover.
• Mabel Lloyd Ridgely (1872–1962), who worked for women's voting rights and historic preservation.
• Ian Snell (born 1981), a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
• Dave Taylor (born 1957), a retired professional wrestler.
• Rob Tornoe (born 1978), a cartoonist, went to Dover High School.

Images for kids

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  Satellite photo of Dover taken from the International Space Station. The red arrow points at Dover.

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  Climate chart for Dover

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  US 13 northbound on Dupont Highway in Dover

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  Madison Brengle

See also

In Spanish: Dover (Delaware) para niños