Smyrna’s central location in Delaware, slightly over 10 miles north of the state capital of Dover, connects its residents to business centers in Wilmington and Newark. Steeped in more than 200 years of history, Smyrna continues to expand, but retains a quieter atmosphere than some of its city counterparts in Delaware. “Most people are coming here because they want to get away from the big city and the taxes,” says Robert C. Johnson, the city’s mayor, who grew up in Smyrna and has lived there most of his adult life. “They can get more house for their money. Some feel safer here for their children. It’s friendly. It’s a quiet community, that’s for sure, but people enjoy themselves.” Shipping and agriculture defined Smyrna’s early industries, and it has a number of structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smyrna’s most magnetic qualities are its housing prices, which often fall between $300,000 and $400,000 for an array of single-family homes and townhouses, as well as its location. It sits about 10 miles north of Dover and under 40 miles south of Wilmington. “It’s more affordable than the rest of New Castle County,” Webber says. “Smyrna is partially in Kent and partially in New Castle County. It’s where people buy homes if they are a working couple, where one is in Wilmington and one is in Dover.” It’s mostly surrounded by farmland and rural roads, but the proximity isn’t sacrificed for a laid-back atmosphere. “You can’t have one without the other,” Webber says.
Smyrna currently hosts a population of over 13,000 in the central part of the state. “It's up-and-coming because New Castle County has already up-and-come,” Webber says. The central location also provides access to some of the popular beaches in Delaware. “Smyrna’s an exit off Route 1 that connects the beaches to the rest of the state. It does have a historic district, but no museums. It does have old houses.” Along with the beaches, it’s centrally located to multiple major cities. “We’re an hour from Philly, a little more than an hour from Baltimore and two hours from New York,” Mayor Johnson says. “We have Rehoboth Beach about 45 minutes away and Ocean City about an hour and a half away. We’re centrally located.”
Smyrna is a safe growing community steeped in history.
Historic and colorful homes can be found closer to the town center in Smyrna.
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Housing at a lower price than the national average
The cost of owning a home in Smyrna is a draw for prospective residents. The median price of single-family homes in Smyrna sits at almost $365,000, with many selling for between $350,000 and $450,000. “It’s affordable and where working couples go,” Webber says. “It’s a bargain when people are coming from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey or New York.” Colonials, Cape Cods and ranch-style homes are among the most common architecture in Smyrna. Townhouses, meanwhile, often cost between $300,000 and $350,000. “People come here from New York, and it’s like getting a raise for them,” Mayor Johnson says. “They also save on the insurance like another 30 percent when they move here.”
More expensive homes are found around Lake Como, where waterfront properties sometimes feature docks extending into the lake and often run $500,000 or as high as around $800,000. “You aren’t really going towards anything,” Webber says, referring to the rural surroundings around Smyrna, “but you’re going away from expense.” Most homes in Smyrna are new and date to after 2000, but a few properties go as far back as around 1900. “It does have a main street with houses that were built in the 1800s,” Webber says of the city, which was dubbed its current name in 1806. “The town was founded way before that. It’s not luxurious, but it’s the aging heart of where people live.”
Smyrna averages 45 inches of rainfall each year, above the national mean of 38, but receives far below than the nationwide average snowfall. Temperatures can near or exceed the 90-degree mark in the summers or dip close to 20 degrees in the winter.
Smyrna is bordered by Lake Como and provides a great place for waterfront homes.
Towering Victorian homes in Smyrna show the history of the area.
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Stores and eateries along Route 13
Most restaurants and major stores are concentrated along Route 13. Besides chain eateries, there are a few local restaurant staples, including the Smyrna Diner. The diner opened in 1956 and is a local favorite for comfort food, open 13 hours every day from morning to evening. “We have a good restaurant called Sweets and Treats. We also have Trevi Ristorante, but we still go to Dover and Christiana mainly,” Johnson says. An ACME Markets sits in the northern part of the city for grocery shoppers.
Dover, Christiana and Wilmington are where residents often travel for larger stores and bigger-ticket items. “The big-box stores are at the Christiana Mall, which is in northern New Castle County,” Webber says. “The Christiana Mall is one of the bigger malls on the east coast. It has everything from Costco and Target to movie theaters and more stuff than you know what to do with.” The mall is located where Interstate 95 and Route 1 meet and is the largest shopping complex in Delaware.
Smyrna locals can get all of their grocery needs at the Acme Market.
Locals can travel north for shopping from premier locations like Christiana Mall.
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Recreation at parks or Lake Como
Several parks sit within Smyrna, most prominently George C. Wright Jr. Municipal Park. Residents head to the park, named after the state’s first Black mayor, for its sports facilities, picnic areas, skate park and more. “We have a Juneteenth celebration there,” Johnson says, “and sometimes churches come and have service out there.” During the summer months, locals set their sights on Lake Como, which is open to the public, for its beaches, swimming and boating. Just across Route 1 to the east, Big Oak County Park sprawls across almost 100 acres and has sports fields, trails and fitness equipment, and golfers head south to Garrisons Lake Golf Club to hit its 18-hole course. “There’s scattered parks,” Webber says. “That’s really the best way to describe it.” Summer vacationers can also head to the famed Rehoboth Beach, just over 50 miles southeast.
Locals can work on their swing at Smyrna's Garrison Lake Golf Course.
Unique outdoor recreation opportunities can be found in Smyrna like the Galaxy Garden.
Enjoy plenty of green spaces in the areas around Smyrna.
Get in touch with the natural beauty of the area at Lake Como in Smyrna.
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A pair of major routes running through Smyrna
U.S. Route 13 and Route 1 nearly run parallel through or near much of Smyrna, crossing over each other in the northern area of the city. “13 moves pretty well,” Johnson says. “The only time you have traffic back up is when people go to the beach.” Both roads serve as the main thoroughfares in and out of town while running the entire length of the state, and both link the area with major cities like Dover and Wilmington. “If you go 10 miles south of Smyrna, you’re in Dover,” Webber says. “It’s the state capital and it’s in the middle of the state. It does have a major shopping district and a busy road, where you can find car dealerships and discount furniture stores.”
Smyrna operates as a small-town stop along the way to larger areas in Delaware. “If you’re looking at a map, it’s a little stop on the way to the beaches,” Webber says. “Route 1 really connects Interstate 95 to Dover and then the beaches.” DART buses run along Route 13 as well, providing public transportation. Farther away, Philadelphia sits about 70 miles north. Medical facilities are sparse, but ChristianaCare has an urgent care facility off Route 13. “There’s a couple emergency rooms and a couple remote doctor’s offices,” Webber says. “They’re operated by ChristianaCare, but those are remote.” ChristianaCare is also one of the largest employers statewide at more than 11,000.
Route 13 in Smyrna is home to most local businesses and dining options.
Route 1 provides easy commuting access from Smyrna to major cities in Delaware.
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Annual celebrations and parades
Given Smyrna’s status as a place people come to get away from it all, it’s not a hub of constant activity, but several annual events are always circled on locals’ calendars. The city has a close relationship and association with Clayton, which sits just west, and the pair of locales alternate routes between each other for a July 4 parade every Independence Day. Other yearly staples include Christmas celebrations, carnivals and more.
The annual Smyrna at Night is another local favorite, billed as a free concert extravaganza where shops host musicians on multiple stages. About 10 miles south down the road, on the northern outskirts of the state capital, NASCAR fans descend on Dover International Speedway once a year. There, stock car racing’s premier drivers compete on the 1-mile concrete oval for the famous “Miles the Monster” trophy.
A B-rated school district
Kids in the region can attend Smyrna School District, which Niche awards a B rating and encompasses five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school. Niche also ranks the district as the best for athletes in the entire state. Less than 15 miles north, the St. Andrew’s School rates an A+ with Niche and is considered the best private high school in Delaware.
Primarily property crimes in Smyrna
According to FBI crime data, there are 32.5 violent offenses per month in Smyrna, compared to Delaware’s monthly average of 1,356.9. Property crimes tally about 26.3 a month, while there are 1,627.2 statewide per month on average. “We have crime like any other city,” Johnson says, “but we’re still nothing like Wilmington, Philly, New York or Dover.” For context, the national average number of violent crimes per month is 361,437.4, and the mean number of property crimes per month is 509,957.9.
Written By
Adam Cheek
Photography Contributed By
Conner Baker
Video By
Ruo Zheng
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GreatSchools:
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