Where New Castle is
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware. It covers about 3.5 square miles and had 5,551 residents at the 2020 census.
area guide·
New Castle, DE: What to Know About the Historic Town
A look at New Castle, Delaware: its colonial history, the historic district, annual events, getting around, schools and the housing market.
History
New Castle was established in 1651 by the Dutch West India Company and renamed New Castle by the English in 1664, when it became the capital of the Delaware Colony. William Penn landed here on October 27, 1682. The town was the seat of colonial government until the capital moved to Dover in 1777.
The historic district
The New Castle Historic District covers about four blocks and roughly 500 buildings built between 1700 and 1940. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Sites include the Amstel House, the New Castle Court House Museum, the Read House and Garden, and Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green.
Through the year
Since 1927 the town has held annual historic home tours on the third Saturday of May, and it holds a Separation Day celebration each June.
Getting around
U.S. Routes 13 and 40 serve the city, along with Delaware Routes 9, 141 and 273. Interstate 295 passes north of the city with access by Route 9, and Wilmington Airport is nearby.
The housing market
In Q4 2025, the most recent period in the closed-sale data Foraker uses, the median sale price in New Castle was $290,000 and the average sale price was $300,756, across 30 closed sales. These figures come from Bright MLS closed-sale data. They describe homes that sold in that period, not homes for sale today.
Schools
New Castle is served by the Colonial School District, which operates William Penn High School. Buyers can look up the district and its schools directly before choosing a home.
Talk to us about buying or selling in New Castle
If you are thinking about buying or selling here, the Foraker team would be glad to talk it through. You can read the New Castle market report or browse Foraker's current listings at forakerrealty.com.
Sources
This guide is compiled from the public sources below and from Foraker's market data. Details such as events and routes change, so check before you go.
Delaware