Small borough in Delaware County
Folcroft is a residential borough of Delaware County where a mix of row homes, local businesses and community spaces sits along sidewalk-lined streets. Named using an Old English word meaning "leafy fields," the borough lives up to its billing with over 1,000 acres of woodlands and tidal marshes tucked alongside the community in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Residents also have access to Philadelphia’s urban amenities, with Interstate 95 about 3 miles east and the Folcroft SEPTA station providing northbound service to Center City.
Red-brick row homes populate Delmar Village
Folcroft consists of two communities: Delmar Village and Old Folcroft. Folcroft consists of two communities: Delmar Village and Old Folcroft. Delmar Village features densely populated row homes in the southwestern corner of the borough. Most were built around the mid-1900s and feature brick exteriors, covered front porticos and finished basements. Prices for row homes range from around $130,000 to about $250,000, depending on the condition of the property. Farther north above Delmar Drive is Old Folcroft, where homebuyers will find single-family homes built in the early 20th century. “You have a lot of people that were born and raised there. Now they live there,” says David Coffey, a Realtor with Keller Williams Main Line who has been selling homes in the area for over 25 years. Dutch Colonial Revivals with gambrel roofs and bay windows sit down the street from traditional twin homes and ranch-style houses with red-brick exteriors. Prices for single-family homes here run from about $180,000 to around $295,000.
Delmar Drive offers a variety of flavors
One of the borough’s main thoroughfares, Delmar Drive is also a hot spot for shopping and dining. Local favorites include casual spots like Major’s Folcroft Market, a deli known for its hoagies and fresh-cut lunchmeats. Miller’s Café II's cozy dining room features all-day breakfast, while Italian Style Pizza & Pasta serves unique specialties like its Philly cheesesteak pizza. The Delcroft Shopping Center includes a Save A Lot for convenient grocery runs. Farther north along U.S. Route 13, Folcroft Diner is a go-to for heaping plates of comfort food, while Red Lantern Tavern is a popular spot for neighbors to catch the latest game. The award-winning Leo’s Steak Shop is a Philadelphia classic, voted the best cheesesteak in Delaware County by readers of the Delaware County Daily Times.
Community Day Street Fair features local vendors
Folcroft hosts community events throughout the year. The annual Juneteenth Celebration features a DJ and a three-on-three basketball tournament. Neighbors also gather in the fall for the borough’s Community Day Street Fair, which includes local vendors, food trucks and a fireworks show at Montgomery Park.
Career-oriented learning via Delaware County Technical High Schools
Children can attend schools in the Southeast Delco School District, which has an average student-teacher ratio of 18-to-1. Delcroft School serves kindergarten through eighth grade, while teens attend the nearby Academy Park High School. Both schools earned a C-minus from Niche. The high school’s dual enrollment program allows students to earn college credit from Delaware County Community College. Teens can also apply to attend one of the Delaware County Technical High Schools, which feature hands-on programs in fields such as welding, cosmetology and early childhood education.
Miles of hiking trails around Darby Creek
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum borders Folcroft to the east. The refuge includes over 10 miles of hiking trails that weave around Darby Creek, a popular fishing spot where locals frequently reel in catfish. The borough’s Montgomery Park sits along the creek and has a playground for kids to explore. Farther north on Delmar Drive, the local Viviana Theater puts on shows for children and adults, while the Folcroft Public Library offers a variety of programming for all ages. Behind the library is the Folcroft Borough Municipal Complex and Community Center, which is set to open in the summer of 2024. The building will house the borough's police department, administrative offices and multipurpose rooms for community events and programming. The Folcroft Swim Club is a private club with an outdoor pool and youth swim teams, while the Folcroft Boys & Girls Club offers youth football, cheerleading and more.
Folcroft Station provides service to Center City
Interstate 95 provides access to Center City Philadelphia – Philly’s central business district – which is about a 13-mile drive northeast. The borough also has a train station on SEPTA’s Wilmington/Newark Line. The train connects residents to Center City in less than 30 minutes, offering convenient commutes for residents who work at local employers such as Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “You get a parking pass, so people working at the hospital and other places in Philly can get a train and not have to drive,” Coffey says. SEPTA also provides local bus service to the community, with stops along Delmar Drive. The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum and I-95 separate Folcroft from the Philadelphia International Airport, less than a 6-mile drive northeast.
Written By
Sally Stimpson
Photography Contributed By
Chris Pirone
