Delmarva Peninsula

The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a peninsula on the East Coast of the United States. Most of the state of Delaware sits on this land, and it also includes parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

This peninsula is quite large, stretching 170 miles (274 km) from north to south. At its widest point near the center, it spans about 70 miles (113 km), but it narrows to just 12 miles (19 km) where it connects to the rest of the land in the north. Near its southern tip, at Cape Charles, it becomes even thinner.

Water surrounds much of Delmarva. To the west lies the Chesapeake Bay, while Pocomoke Sound lies to the southwest. On the eastern side, the land meets the Delaware River, the Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.

As of the 2020 census, about 818,014 people lived in the twelve counties that are completely located on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Etymology

The name Delmarva comes from the states that the peninsula touches: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia (shortened to "Va."). The area was once called the "Delaware and Chesapeake Peninsula" or the "Chesapeake Peninsula." This name came from the Chesapeake people, a Native American group who lived there long ago.

The name "Delmarva" started being used in the late 1800s. It was first used by businesses and groups in the area, and it didn’t become common until the 1920s.

History

Pre-colonization

Native Americans lived on the Delmarva Peninsula from about 10,000 BC to 8000 BC, after the last ice age. Recent research shows that Paleo-Indians were in Maryland before 13,000 years ago. Important archaeological sites on the peninsula help show that people lived there during this time.

Native people moved their homes based on nature. They built small villages with simple houses and gardens where they could farm. In spring, they planted crops that women and children cared for, while men hunted and fished. In fall, they collected their crops and stored food for winter. Whole groups would move to find food during winter until fishing started again in spring. When their land could no longer support them, they moved to a new place.

The main groups of people on the ocean side of the lower peninsula before Europeans arrived were the Assateague, including groups like the Assateague, Transquakin, Choptico, and others. Their lands stretched from Cape Charles, Virginia, to the Indian River inlet in Delaware.

The upper peninsula and Chesapeake shore were home to Nanticoke-speaking people such as the Nentigo and Choptank. The Assateague and Nentigo made agreements with the colony of Maryland, but over time the land was taken by colonists, and these native peoples joined other Algonquian tribes as far north as Ontario.

Today, the peninsula is part of the traditional territory of the Piscataway, Nentego, and Lenape peoples.

Colonization

In 1566, an expedition from Spanish Florida tried to start a colony on the Delmarva Peninsula but failed due to a storm. The land that is now Delaware was first colonized by the Dutch West India Company in 1631 as Zwaanendael. This colony lasted only one year before conflicts with local people ended it. In 1638, New Sweden established a colony in the northern part of Delaware and the Delaware Valley. Later, the Dutch recaptured Delaware and included it in the Colony of New Netherland.

Delaware came under British control in 1664. In 1682, the land was given to William Penn and governed with Pennsylvania. The exact border was set by the Chancery Court in 1735. In 1776, the counties of Kent, New Castle, and Sussex declared independence from Pennsylvania and became the state of Delaware.

In the 1632 Charter of Maryland, King Charles I granted part of the peninsula to Cecil Calvert as the colony of Maryland. However, because the Dutch had already colonized Zwaanendael in 1631, the part of Maryland's charter that included Delaware was later decided to be invalid.

Geography

The Delmarva Peninsula is a long, narrow piece of land on the East Coast of the United States. It includes most of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. The peninsula is about 170 miles (274 km) long and varies in width from 12 miles (19 km) to 70 miles (113 km).

Important cities on the peninsula include Dover, Delaware, the largest city, and Salisbury, Maryland. The area is mostly flat and sandy, with the highest point only 102 feet (31 meters) above sea level. It has a humid subtropical climate, which means it is warm and wet most of the year.

Culture

The culture of Delmarva is similar to the rest of the Southern United States. In places like the Wilmington area, it feels more like big cities such as Philadelphia, but in other parts of Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware, people tend to have more traditional values.

Delmarva’s economy is mainly based on farming and fishing. The land is mostly rural, with only a few bigger towns, and tourism also plays an important role.

The area has deep Catholic history, but today, Protestant groups, especially Methodists, are larger. Many old Catholic churches from the 1600s are still in use, like Old Bohemia Church for Saint Francis Xavier in Cecil County, Maryland. There are also important old Episcopalian churches, such as Old Trinity Church in Dorchester County and Christ Church in Cambridge, Maryland.

Political divisions

The Delmarva Peninsula is shared by three states: Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Delaware's entire state sits on the peninsula, while Maryland and Virginia each share a part of their eastern shores with it.

Many towns and cities call the Delmarva Peninsula home. Some well-known places include Dover, Delaware, the state capital, Ocean City, Maryland, a popular beach town, and Chincoteague, Virginia, famous for its wild ponies. The peninsula also has important ports and universities, making it a mix of natural beauty and busy communities.

At times, people living on the Delmarva Peninsula have talked about forming their own state, combining parts of Maryland and Virginia with Delaware. Though these ideas have come up often throughout history, they have never succeeded.

Economy

The Delmarva Peninsula used to be a top place for growing vegetables in the 1800s and early 1900s. Even though California now grows more, the area still grows lots of tomatoes, green beans, corn, and soybeans. Special farms, like Perdue Farms in Salisbury, are famous for raising chickens.

People also love visiting the beaches on the peninsula, such as Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Ocean City, Maryland, Assateague Island National Seashore, and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, which helps the local economy.

The area is served by several television markets. Parts of Maryland are served by Baltimore stations like WBAL-TV, WJZ-TV, WMAR-TV, and WBFF-TV. Delaware areas are served by Philadelphia stations like WPVI-TV, WCAU-TV, KYW-TV, and WTXF-TV. Other parts are served by stations in Salisbury, Maryland such as WBOC-TV, WMDT-TV, and WRDE-LD, and in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area like WAVY-TV, WVEC-TV, and WTKR-TV.

Transportation

The Delmarva Peninsula has some small airports, but bigger ones like those in Baltimore and Philadelphia are closer. Some airports here include Wilmington Airport, Salisbury Regional Airport, and Dover Air Force Base.

Important roads that go north to south include U.S. 9, U.S. 13, U.S. 50, and U.S. 301. Highways U.S. 50 and U.S. 301 cross over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the west side of the peninsula. U.S. 13 connects to Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel.

Until 1957, trains ran to the peninsula, but today, the Delmarva Central Railroad handles freight and tanker transportation.