Odessa, Delaware facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Odessa, Delaware
Town
Cantwells Tavern
Etymology: Ukrainian port city of Odesa
Location of Odessa in New Castle County, Delaware
Odessa, Delaware Location in Delaware Show map of Delaware Odessa, Delaware Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Delaware
County	New Castle
Area
• Total	0.52 sq mi (1.35 km2)
• Land	0.51 sq mi (1.31 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	52 ft (16 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	366
• Density	721.89/sq mi (278.59/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	19730
Area code(s)	302
FIPS code	10-54050
GNIS feature ID	214404
Website	www.odessa.delaware.gov

Odessa is a small town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. In 2020, about 366 people lived there. This town was first called Cantwell's Bridge in the 1700s. Later, its name was changed to Odessa, like the port city in Ukraine. Today, a big part of Odessa is a historic district. This means it has many old buildings and places that are protected because they are important to history. It is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History of Odessa

Odessa was first known as Cantwell's Bridge. In 1721, a son of Captain Edmund Cantwell built a toll bridge. This bridge crossed the Appoquinimink Creek. Cantwell's Bridge became a very important port. Ships carried wheat, corn, tobacco, and other farm products from here. They went down the creek to the Delaware Bay and then to other faraway ports. The town also had businesses that made leather goods. Cantwell's Bridge continued to be a busy farming port into the 1800s.

In 1855, the way people traded grain changed. A new railroad, the Delaware Railroad, was built. It went through Middletown, which is west of Odessa. The town's merchants and ship owners had not wanted the railroad to come through Cantwell's Bridge. After the railroad was built, the grain trade in Cantwell's Bridge became much smaller. To try and keep the town important, its name was changed to Odessa. This new name was inspired by the port city of Odesa in Ukraine. The town saw a small increase in activity during the American Civil War.

Geography of Odessa

Odessa is located at 39°27′26″N 75°39′41″W / 39.45722°N 75.66139°W / 39.45722; -75.66139. It is right next to the Appoquinimink River.

The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 0.4 square miles (1.0 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.

Town Infrastructure

Transportation in Odessa

DE Route 1 southbound in Odessa

The Delaware Route 1 toll road is a major highway near Odessa. It runs along the western edge of the town. There is an exit at DE 299 that serves both Odessa and nearby Middletown. U.S. Route 13 goes through the center of Odessa. It follows Dupont Parkway, using 5th Street for northbound traffic and 6th Street for southbound. Delaware Route 299 is the main road that goes east and west through Odessa. It runs along Main Street.

DART First State offers bus services to Odessa. There is a special parking area for buses and cars (a park and ride lot) west of town. This lot is near the exit where DE 1 and DE 299 meet. From this lot, you can catch buses like Route 43 and Route 63 to Middletown. The Route 301 bus goes to Wilmington and Dover. There is also a special summer bus, Route 305, called the "Beach Connection," which goes to Lewes.

Utilities in Odessa

Delmarva Power, which is part of Exelon, provides electricity to the homes and businesses in Odessa. Chesapeake Utilities supplies natural gas to the town. The town itself takes care of collecting trash and recycling for its residents.

Education in Odessa

Students in Odessa attend schools within the Appoquinimink School District. Odessa High School is located nearby. There is also a charter school in the area called MOT Charter School.

Population of Odessa

In 2000, there were 286 people living in Odessa. These people lived in 119 households, and 84 of these were families. The town had about 652 people per square mile. There were 127 housing units, which are places where people live.

About 94% of the people in the town were White. About 5% were African American. A very small number were Pacific Islander or from two or more races. About 1% of the people were Hispanic or Latino.

In the households, about 27% had children under 18 living with them. More than half, about 54%, were married couples living together. About 12% were households where a woman was in charge and there was no husband present. About 29% were not families. About 22% of households had only one person living there. About 10% of these single-person households were people aged 65 or older. On average, there were 2.40 people in each household and 2.80 people in each family.

The age of people in Odessa varied. About 19% were under 18 years old. About 5% were between 18 and 24. About 26% were between 25 and 44. About 29% were between 45 and 64. And about 17% were 65 or older. The average age in the town was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were about 95 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were about 90 males.

See also

In Spanish: Odessa (Delaware) para niños