# Delaware Route 23

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**Delaware Route 23** (**DE 23**) is a 15.63-mile (25.15-kilometre) state highway in [Sussex County](/source/Sussex_County,_Delaware), [Delaware](/source/Delaware). Its southern terminus is at Massey's Landing in [Long Neck](/source/Long_Neck,_Delaware), near the confluence of [Rehoboth Bay](/source/Rehoboth_Bay) and [Indian River Bay](/source/Indian_River_Bay) and its northern terminus is at the Five Points intersection in [Nassau](/source/Nassau,_Delaware), where it ends at [U.S. Route 9](/source/U.S._Route_9_in_Delaware) (US 9)/[DE 404](/source/Delaware_Route_404). From the southern terminus, the route runs west through residential areas of Long Neck before heading north through rural areas with some development. DE 23 is [concurrent](/source/Concurrency_(road)) with [DE 5](/source/Delaware_Route_5) between the [DE 24](/source/Delaware_Route_24) intersection in Long Neck and [Fairmount](/source/Fairmount,_Delaware). It is also concurrent with [DE 24 Alternate](/source/Delaware_Route_24_Alternate) (DE 24 Alt.) between [Hollymount](/source/Hollymount,_Delaware) and the [DE 1D](/source/Delaware_Route_1D) intersection in Five Points. The road was designated as part of [DE 22](/source/Delaware_Route_22) south of Fairmount for a short time in the 1930s, with DE 5 designated along the stretch between DE 24 and Fairmount by 1938; the remainder of the road was unnumbered. The road was fully paved by 1970. The DE 23 designation was assigned by 1994.

## Route description

DE 23 begins at a boat ramp parking lot at Massey's Landing in [Long Neck](/source/Long_Neck,_Delaware), near the confluence of the [Rehoboth Bay](/source/Rehoboth_Bay) and the [Indian River Bay](/source/Indian_River_Bay). From here, the route heads west on two-lane undivided Long Neck Road through a mix of residential areas and marshland between Rehoboth Bay to the north and Indian River Bay to the south. The road winds west through homes, commercial development, and a few farms, passing south of the [Baywood Greens](/source/Baywood_Greens) golf course. Farther west, DE 23 comes to an intersection with [DE 5](/source/Delaware_Route_5)/[DE 24](/source/Delaware_Route_24). At this intersection, the name changes to Indian Mission Road, and DE 23 begins a [concurrency](/source/Concurrency_(road)) with DE 5. The two routes head northwest and cross [Guinea Creek](/source/Guinea_Creek_(Herring_Creek_tributary)), passing through a mix of farmland and woodland with some housing subdivisions, intersecting Harmons Hill Road/Phillips Branch Road.[2][3]

In [Fairmount](/source/Fairmount,_Delaware), DE 5 splits to the northwest and DE 23 continues north on Beaver Dam Road. In [Hollymount](/source/Hollymount,_Delaware), DE 23 intersects [DE 24 Alt.](/source/Delaware_Route_24_Alternate) and forms a concurrency with that route. The road comes to a [roundabout](/source/Roundabout) with Quiet Harbor Way at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development before curving northeast and crossing [Bundicks Branch](/source/Bundicks_Branch_(Love_Creek_tributary)). Upon reaching the Five Points intersection in the community of [Nassau](/source/Nassau,_Delaware), DE 23 intersects [DE 1D](/source/Delaware_Route_1D) at a roundabout and turns to the north, with DE 1D/DE 24 Alt. continuing straight and curving to the southeast. A short distance later, DE 23 reaches its northern terminus at [US 9](/source/U.S._Route_9_in_Delaware)/[DE 404](/source/Delaware_Route_404) just west of where those routes intersect [DE 1](/source/Delaware_Route_1). A ramp from southbound DE 1 intersects US 9/DE 404 opposite the northern terminus of DE 23.[2][3]

The section of DE 23 between the southern terminus and the north end of the DE 5 concurrency serves as part of a primary [hurricane evacuation route](/source/Hurricane_evacuation_route) from the Long Neck area to points inland.[4] The route has an [annual average daily traffic](/source/Annual_average_daily_traffic) count ranging from a high of 20,022 vehicles at the northern terminus at US 9/DE 404 to a low of 2,044 vehicles at the south end of the DE 24 Alt. concurrency.[5]

## History

By 1920, what is now DE 23 existed as an unimproved county road.[6] The portion of the present route that is concurrent with DE 5 was upgraded to a state highway by 1931.[7] [DE 22](/source/Delaware_Route_22) was designated in 1936 along the portion of present DE 23 south of the DE 5 intersection in Fairmount.[8] By 1938, DE 22 was decommissioned, with DE 5 designated on the portion north of DE 24 while Long Neck Road south of there became unnumbered.[9] By 1970, the road was paved.[10] DE 23 was assigned onto its current alignment by 1994.[1] DE 24 Alt. was designated to run along DE 23 between Hollymount Road and Plantation Road by 2006.[11] On October 15, 2021, a roundabout opened at the entrance to the Anchors Run housing development.[12]

In 1991, the Five Points intersection was reconfigured to separate the DE 23 and Plantation Road intersection from US 9/DE 404, with a short connector road linking US 9/DE 404 to the two roads. In addition, a jughandle was constructed from eastbound US 9/DE 404 to northbound DE 1. In 2022, construction began to reconfigure the intersection between US 9/DE 404 and DE 1D/DE 23 that would realign DE 1D and DE 23 to meet at a roundabout and intersect a longer connector road linking to US 9/DE 404 and also build a direct ramp from southbound DE 1 to US 9/DE 404 at the DE 1D/DE 23 intersection. Construction on this project is planned to be finished in 2024.[13][14] The roundabout at the DE 1D and DE 23 junction opened on April 19, 2024, with the connection between the roundabout and US 9/DE 404 opening on May 16.[15][16]

## References

1. [*Delmarva Peninsula Evacuation Route Map*](https://www.deldot.gov/information/projects/tmt/pdfs/hurricane_evacuation/7_delmarva_peninsula_evacuation_map_rev053107.pdf). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 22, 2017.

1. Staff (2018). ["Traffic Count and Mileage Report: Interstate, Delaware, and US Routes"](https://deldot.gov/Publications/manuals/traffic_counts/pdfs/2018/2018Interstate_USRoutes_DelawareRoutes.pdf?cache=1585496964656) (PDF). [Delaware Department of Transportation](/source/Delaware_Department_of_Transportation). Retrieved March 29, 2020.

1. ["1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Delaware - Sussex County - ED 3-1 - ED 3-57"](https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051627/https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5829592). United States Census Bureau. Archived from [the original](https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5829592) on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.

1. Roth, Nick (October 8, 2021). ["Roundabouts abound"](https://www.capegazette.com/article/roundabouts-abound/228013). *Cape Gazette*. Retrieved October 8, 2021.

1. ["Plantation Road Workshop Display"](https://deldot.gov/information/projects/PlantationRd/workshop/Plantation%20Road%20workshop%20materials%202018-02-15.pdf). Delaware Department of Transportation. February 15, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.

1. ["Project: Plantation Road Improvements, Robinsonville Road to US 9 (Phase 1)"](https://deldot.gov/projects/index.shtml?dc=details&projectNumber=T202011201#project-details1). Delaware Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 30, 2023.

1. ["New Five Points roundabout partially open, says DelDOT"](https://www.capegazette.com/article/new-five-points-roundabout-partially-open-says-deldot/274056). *Cape Gazette*. April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

1. Curtis, Sean (May 16, 2024). ["Five Points Roundabout Fully Opens"](https://www.wboc.com/news/five-points-roundabout-fully-opens/article_a430a6b4-138f-11ef-99f2-1f21f7e4ac36.html). Salisbury, MD: WBOC-TV. Retrieved May 16, 2024.

## External links

- [DE 23 at AARoads.com](https://www.aaroads.com/guides/de-023/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Delaware Route 23](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Route_23) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Route_23?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.