US 113 serves as an important route carrying local and through traffic along with tourist traffic bound for the
Delaware Beaches and
Ocean City, Maryland, to the east; as such the highway experiences congestion in the summer months when tourism to the beach areas is at its highest. Access from US 113 to the beach areas is provided by
US 9,
DE 404, and
DE 16 toward
Lewes,
Rehoboth Beach, and
Dewey Beach;
DE 26 toward
Bethany Beach;
DE 54 toward
Fenwick Island;
MD 90 toward northern Ocean City;
US 50 toward downtown Ocean City; and
MD 376 toward
Assateague Island. US 113 also serves as a part of a primary
hurricane evacuation route from the beach communities to inland areas to the north. In 2016, US 113 had an
annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 38,505 vehicles at the US 9 intersection in Georgetown to a low of 6,070 vehicles between the southern terminus of US 113 Business and MD 12 in Snow Hill. All of US 113 is part of the
National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility.
Maryland US 113 has a length of in Maryland, where the route is named Worcester Highway. The highway extends the north–south length of Worcester County and serves three of the county's four towns: Pocomoke City, Snow Hill, and Berlin. US 50 connects US 113 with the county's fourth town, Ocean City. Between Snow Hill and Berlin, the U.S. Highway is part of the
Cape to Cape Scenic Byway, a
Maryland Scenic Byway that comprises several highways in Worcester County.
Pocomoke City to Snow Hill US 113 begins at the city limit of Pocomoke City at an intersection with US 13 (
Ocean Highway), the main highway of the
Delmarva Peninsula that connects Wilmington and Dover with
Salisbury and
Norfolk. Old Virginia Road (unsigned
MD 250A) continues west to
US 13 Business (Market Street). US 13 Business heads north through the
Pocomoke City Historic District, which preserves buildings from Pocomoke City's late 19th century and early 20th century heyday as a river port and station on the
main rail line of the Delmarva Peninsula. US 113 heads northeast from US 13 as a four-lane divided highway and intersects American Legion Drive (unsigned MD 359B), which leads to
MD 359 (Bypass Road). The U.S. Highway crosses Town Branch, a tributary of the
Pocomoke River, and leaves the Pocomoke City area after intersecting
MD 756 (Old Snow Hill Road). US 113 parallels the
left bank of the Pocomoke River and crosses many streams that drain into the river, including Pilchard Creek, Bachelors Branch, Mataponi Creek, Corkers Creek, and Hardship Branch. US 113 passes through
Pocomoke State Forest, which preserves
loblolly pine stands and
bald cypress swamps along the Maryland Scenic River; by the
Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area, in which
dove hunting regularly occurs; and by the Shad Landing unit of
Pocomoke River State Park, which offers boating, fishing, and a
nature center. Northeast of the state park entrance, US 113 Business (Market Street) splits to the northeast to directly serve the town of Snow Hill, which is the
county seat of Worcester County and contains several museums and
colonial era buildings of the river port at the
head of navigation of the Pocomoke River. US 113 bypasses the town to the south and east, coming to a northbound
weigh station a short distance past the US 113 Business intersection, and intersects
MD 12 (Snow Hill Road), which connects Snow Hill with e Salisbury and Stockton, and
MD 365 (Public Landing Road). The MD 365 junction is a
superstreet intersection; MD 365 traffic must turn right, use U-turn ramps along US 113, and turn right again to continue on MD 365. North of MD 365, the highway crosses Purnell Branch of the Pocomoke River. US 113 has a
grade crossing with the Snow Hill Line of the
Maryland and Delaware Railroad and turns northeast again as the highway receives the other end of US 113 Business.
Snow Hill to Berlin US 113 continues northeast, crosses Poorhouse Branch of the Pocomoke River, and passes west of
Worcester Technical High School. North of its crossing of Five Mile Branch, the highway veers away from the Pocomoke River and enters the
Atlantic seaboard watershed US 113 parallels the rail line before it intersects the rail line at an oblique grade crossing at Newark Road and crosses Marshall Creek, which flows into
Newport Bay. The highway passes to the south of the village of
Newark, which contains the
Queponco Railway Station, a preserved
Pennsylvania Railroad station. Further north, US 113 crosses Massey Branch. The highway crosses Porter Creek and Goody Hill Branch of Bassett Creek and passes through Ironshire, which contains the
Federal-style plantation home
Simpson's Grove. US 113 crosses Poplartown Branch of Beaverdam Creek, passes the historic
Italianate-style plantation home
Merry Sherwood, and enters the town of Berlin at its southern junction with
MD 818 (Main Street). MD 818 heads north through the
Berlin Commercial District, which contains several museums and preserves buildings from the late 19th century when Berlin was at the intersection of two railroad lines. East of the town center, US 113 crosses Hudson Branch of Trappe Creek and intersects
MD 376 (Bay Street) and
MD 346 (Old Ocean City Boulevard). The U.S. Highway passes west of Atlantic General Hospital as it leaves the town of Berlin just south of its
cloverleaf interchange with US 50 (Ocean Gateway), which connects Ocean City with Salisbury and the
Chesapeake Bay Bridge. North of the interchange, within which the highways cross Kitts Branch, US 113 meets the northern end of MD 818 as it begins to closely parallel the Snow Hill Line.
Berlin to Selbyville US 113 closely parallels the railroad west of
Friendship to north of its
right-in/right-out junction with
MD 575 (Worcester Highway), an interchange only accessible to the northbound U.S. Highway. The route leaves the railroad track and meets MD 90 (Ocean City Expressway) at a
partial cloverleaf interchange; MD 90 connects the northern part of Ocean City with US 50 west of Berlin. US 113 continues north to its interchange with the northern end of MD 575 and
MD 589 (Racetrack Road), which leads to
Ocean Pines and
Ocean Downs, a
harness racing track with a
casino. The exit ramp from northbound US 113 intersects MD 575 a short distance south of its intersection with MD 589, and the southbound ramps connect with West
Frontage Road (unsigned MD 575A), which serves
St. Martin's Episcopal Church. US 113 continues through
Showell, where the U.S. Highway crosses Church Branch, Middle Branch, and Birch Branch; these three streams together form Shingle Landing Prong of the
St. Martin River, which empties into
Isle of Wight Bay, a lagoon on the west side of Ocean City. Within Showell, the highway parallels Old US 113 (unsigned MD 575B), which is accessed at its south end with a right-in/right-out junction with southbound US 113 and full access via Shingle Landing Road. US 113 intersects
MD 367 (Bishopville Road) at
Bishop and has an oblique grade crossing with the rail line, then the route intersects the east end of
MD 610 (Whaleyville Road). The U.S. Highway crosses Carey Branch, which flows into the Bishopville Prong of the St. Martin River, before it enters Delaware at the
Transpeninsular Line, one of the lines surveyed as part of the 18th-century
Penn–Calvert boundary dispute.
Delaware US 113 has a length of in Delaware, where the route is named DuPont Boulevard. The highway extends the north–south length of Sussex County and into far southern Kent County. US 113 runs from Selbyville at the Maryland state line north to Milford, a city that lies in both Sussex and Kent counties. Between those municipalities, US 113 serves the towns of Frankford, Dagsboro, Millsboro, Georgetown, and Ellendale. The U.S. Highway intersects several east–west highways that connect US 113 with the Delaware beach towns to the east, including Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island. The following includes a description of US 113's former course from Milford to Dover, most of which is now solely DE 1.
Selbyville to Georgetown US 113 enters Sussex County to the east of the
Great Cypress Swamp in the town of Selbyville, which was a center of
strawberry production from the 19th century to the 1930s. The highway crosses Sandy Branch and intersects
DE 54 (Cemetery Road/Cypress Road), which heads east to
Fenwick Island. The U.S. Highway heads north parallel to the Maryland and Delaware Railroad to the town of Frankford, which was founded around a country store and the site of the
Gothic Revival home of Captain Ebe Chandler. The highway crosses Vines Creek, the southernmost of several
Indian River tributaries the route crosses, and passes along the western edge of the town. US 113 continues northwest parallel to the rail line, which north of Frankford is operated by the
Delmarva Central Railroad as the Indian River Subdivision line. US 113 next comes to the town of Dagsboro, which is named for
French and Indian War and
American Revolutionary War general and major Sussex County landowner
John Dagworthy. The highway crosses
Pepper Creek and intersects
DE 26 (Clayton Street/Nine Foot Road), which heads east to
Bethany Beach, while it passes through the western fringe of the town. North of Dagsboro, US 113 crosses
Whartons Branch before it intersects
DE 20 (Dagsboro Road); the U.S. Highway and state highway
run concurrently through the town of Millsboro, which was named for the cluster of mills around the
head of navigation of the Indian River. The highways cross
Iron Branch before they intersect
DE 24 (Laurel Road/Washington Street) west of the town center. After crossing Betts Pond, DE 20 splits to the northwest as Hardscrabble Road as US 113 itself turns northwest toward the hamlet of
Stockley. North of Stockley, US 113 intersects the western terminus of
DE 24 Alternate (Speedway Road) west of
Georgetown Speedway and passes west of the
Sussex Correctional Institution. US 113 enters the town of Georgetown, which was founded as a more central county seat for Sussex County in 1791, at its junction with South Bedford Street. North of here, the route intersects Arrow Safety Road, which is marked
US 9 Truck and
DE 404 Truck. The truck routes, which bypass the
downtown area of Georgetown, join US 113 to return to their respective mainline highways on the west side of downtown. US 9 Truck ends at the intersection with
US 9 (County Seat Highway/Market Street) on the west side of Georgetown. Along with
DE 404, US 9 heads east toward
Delaware Coastal Airport, the original county seat of
Lewes, the
Cape May–Lewes Ferry,
Rehoboth Beach, and
Dewey Beach. North of the center of town, US 113 intersects
DE 18/DE 404 (Seashore Highway/Bridgeville Road), which head west toward
Bridgeville and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The U.S. Highway meets North Bedford Street at the north town limit of Georgetown, where it passes east of a
park and pool lot located at a church.
Georgetown to Milford US 113 continues northwest through
Redden State Forest, whose loblolly pines occupy several disjoint tracts between Georgetown and Ellendale. The state forest originated as a Pennsylvania Railroad hunting preserve in the early 20th century, and the hunting lodge, forester's house, and stable is preserved and today used as the
Redden Forest Education Center east of the hamlet of
Redden. In this community, the road has an intersection with Redden Road. The U.S. Highway also passes near
McColley's Chapel and crosses Gravelly Branch, one of the headwaters of the
Nanticoke River, north of Redden. US 113 curves north and passes by the
Ellendale State Forest Picnic Facility, a picnic area accessible from the northbound direction that the
Civilian Conservation Corps constructed in the late 1930s for tourists and long-distance travelers. West of the town of Ellendale, which flourished in the late 19th century as a railroad town at the junction of perpendicular rail lines, the highway intersects
DE 16 (Beach Highway/Milton Ellendale Highway) and passes west of
Teddy's Tavern, which was built in 1923 as the Blue Hen Garage to serve travelers on the DuPont Highway. North of Ellendale, US 113 enters the
Delaware Bay watershed; the highway crosses
Cedar Creek to the west of Hudson Pond and passes to the west of the
unincorporated community of
Lincoln at the intersection with Fitzgeralds Road/Johnson Road. The highway continues into the city of Milford, which was founded in the early 19th century at the head of navigation of the
Mispillion River whose
antebellum buildings, late 19th-century buildings, and shipbuilding heritage are preserved, respectively, in the
North Milford,
South Milford, and
Milford Shipyard Area historic districts. US 113 intersects
DE 36 (Shawnee Road/Lakeview Avenue) on the southwest side of town before crossing the river into Kent County between two of its impoundments,
Silver Lake to the east and
Haven Lake to the west. The highway has a grade crossing of the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision track and a junction with
DE 14 (Milford Harrington Highway/Northwest Front Street). On the north side of Milford, US 113 passes the historic
Walnut Farm and heads east of a
park and ride lot at a local business before it intersects
DE 1 Business (North Walnut Street) obliquely. DE 1 Business joins US 113 in a short concurrency that ends when both the state business loop and the U.S. Highway reach their respective northern terminus at a partial interchange with DE 1. There is no direct access from northbound US 113 to southbound DE 1 or from northbound DE 1 to southbound US 113.
Former route from Milford to Dover Until 2003, US 113 continued north from Milford concurrently with DE 1 along four-lane divided Bay Road to Dover. Soon after US 113 joined DE 1, the roadway crossed
Swan Creek to the east of Tub Mill Pond. The route headed north and intersected Thompsonville Road before crossing
Old Baptist Church Branch. The U.S. Highway crossed the
Murderkill River while passing to the east of the town of
Frederica. At the north end of Frederica, the highway met the eastern end of
DE 12 (Frederica Road). US 113 passed west of historic
Barratt's Chapel, the birthplace of
Methodism in the United States. The highway intersected Bowers Beach Road before it met the southern end of US 113 Alternate (Clapham Road) at a Y intersection in the village of
Little Heaven. US 113 crossed the
St. Jones River on the Barkers Landing Bridge and curved northwest at its intersections with the southern end of
DE 9 (Bayside Drive) and the western end of Kitts Hummock Road. The highway became a freeway along the edge of
Dover Air Force Base. US 113 had a diamond interchange with Old Lebanon Road, which served the Main Gate of the air force base to the northeast and base housing to the southwest. At the next interchange, a partial cloverleaf interchange with the eastern end of
DE 10 (Lebanon Road) next to the military base's North Gate, US 113 exited onto Bay Road while DE 1 continued on the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The U.S. Highway had ramps from northbound US 113 to northbound DE 1, from southbound US 113 to southbound DE 1, and from southbound DE 1 to US 113 just south of its partial interchange with the
Puncheon Run Connector freeway, which connected DE 1 and US 113 with US 13 on the south side of Dover. US 113 entered the city of Dover and passed between the DelDOT headquarters to the west and the
Blue Hen Corporate Center to the east, which was transformed into a
corporate center from the
defunct Blue Hen Mall in 1995. The route intersected Court Street (named
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard since 2013)/South Little Creek Road, with Court Street heading west to the
Dover Green Historic District and
Delaware Legislative Hall, before reaching its northern terminus at a Y intersection with US 13 and the northern end of US 113 Alternate (DuPont Highway). ==History==