Editing Camden, Delaware

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Camden, Delaware
| settlement_type    = [[Town]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 

<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Camden_DE_Friends.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 1805 Camden Friends Meetinghouse
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = CamdenDEseal.png
| image_map          = File:Kent County Delaware Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Camden Highlighted 1010760.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Camden in Kent County, Delaware.
| pushpin_map        = Delaware#USA
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_label      = Camden
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Delaware

<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Delaware}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Delaware|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Kent County, Delaware|Kent]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Mayor-council]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Larry Dougherty
| leader_title1      = Vice-Mayor
| leader_name1       = Vicki Rhodes
| established_title  = 
| established_date   = 

<!-- Area -->
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_10.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 9.70
| area_land_km2      = 9.70
| area_water_km2     = 0.00
| area_total_sq_mi   = 3.75
| area_land_sq_mi    = 3.75
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.00

<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3715
| population_density_km2 = 382.92
| population_density_sq_mi = 991.72
| timezone           = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m        = 
| elevation_ft       = 39
| coordinates        = {{coord|39|06|48|N|75|32|31|W|region:US-DE_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 19934
| area_code          = [[Area code 302|302]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 10-10760
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 213746<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|213746}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://camden.delaware.gov/}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
}}

'''Camden''' is a town in [[Kent County, Delaware]], United States. It is part of the [[Dover metropolitan area]]. The population was 3,715 in 2020.

==History==
Camden was established in 1783 as a community originally known as Mifflin's Crossroads.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130820/NEWS/308200065/Old-feud-between-Camden-Wyoming-part-local-lore?nclick_check=1 |title=Archived copy |access-date=August 20, 2013 |archive-date=June 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627170015/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130820/NEWS/308200065/Old-feud-between-Camden-Wyoming-part-local-lore?nclick_check=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The community of Mifflin's Crossroads was a [[Quaker]] settlement laid out by Daniel Mifflin on the Piccadilly tract. The town originally gained some commercial trade through wharves in nearby Forest Landing and [[Lebanon, Delaware|Lebanon]] on the [[St. Jones River]]. From these wharves, regular boat service connected the area to [[Philadelphia]] and [[New York City]], with local merchants shipping cordwood, staves, grain, and Spanish-oak bark. The [[Delaware Railroad]] was built through nearby [[Wyoming, Delaware|Wyoming]] in the 1850s and expanded the market for local farm products, bringing increased prosperity to Camden.<ref name=fwp>{{cite book |author=Federal Writers' Project |author-link=Federal Writers' Project |title=The ocean highway: New Brunswick, New Jersey to Jacksonville, Florida|url=https://archive.org/stream/oceanhighwaynewb00federich/oceanhighwaynewb00federich_djvu.txt |access-date=April 10, 2009 | year=1938 |publisher=Modern Age Books |location=[[New York City|New York]]|series=American Guide Series|isbn=9780403022144 }}</ref> The town has numerous historic properties and part of it is designated as the [[Camden Historic District]]. In addition, [[Brecknock (Camden, Delaware)|Brecknock]], [[Camden Friends Meetinghouse]], [[Star Hill AME Church]], and [[Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church]] are all listed individually on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

On February 22, 1975, a vote was held to merge with the bordering town of Wyoming; the residents of Camden voted 117 to 49 in favor of merging the towns, but the measure failed when Wyoming residents voted against the measure by a similar proportion in reverse: 113 against to 78 in favor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Wyoming Votes No On Camden Merger|agency=''The News Journal''(Wilmington, Delaware)|date= February 24, 1975}}</ref> The Wyoming town council had previously opposed a merger attempt in 1967.

==Geography==
Camden is located at {{Coord|39|06|48|N|75|32|31|W|type:city}} (39.1134458, –75.5418687).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|1.9|sqmi|km2}}, all land.

Because of the small size of this town, and its even smaller neighbor of [[Wyoming, Delaware|Wyoming]], the U.S. Postal Service has jointly assigned the towns a single [[ZIP code]], 19934, which is designated as the Camden-Wyoming ZIP code.

===Climate===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Camden has a [[humid subtropical climate]], abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

{{Weather box 
| location       = Camden, Delaware
| width==auto
| single line    = yes
| Jan record high F = 77
| Feb record high F = 80
| Mar record high F = 87
| Apr record high F = 97
| May record high F = 98
| Jun record high F = 100
| Jul record high F = 104
| Aug record high F = 102
| Sep record high F = 98
| Oct record high F = 95
| Nov record high F = 85
| Dec record high F = 75
| year record high F = 
| Jan high F = 43
| Feb high F = 47
| Mar high F = 55
| Apr high F = 66
| May high F = 75
| Jun high F = 83
| Jul high F = 87
| Aug high F = 85
| Sep high F = 79
| Oct high F = 69
| Nov high F = 59
| Dec high F = 47
| year high F = 
| Jan low F = 27
| Feb low F = 29
| Mar low F = 36
| Apr low F = 44
| May low F = 54
| Jun low F = 63
| Jul low F = 69
| Aug low F = 67
| Sep low F = 60
| Oct low F = 49
| Nov low F = 40
| Dec low F = 31
| year low F = 
| Jan record low F = −7
| Feb record low F = −11
| Mar record low F = 7
| Apr record low F = 14
| May record low F = 28
| Jun record low F = 41
| Jul record low F = 45
| Aug record low F = 35
| Sep record low F = 30
| Oct record low F = 25
| Nov record low F = 11
| Dec record low F = −3
| year record low F = 
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.41
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.18
| Mar precipitation inch = 4.31
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.88
| May precipitation inch = 4.25
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.00
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.09
| Aug precipitation inch = 4.36
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.13
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.42
| Nov precipitation inch = 3.48
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.65
| year precipitation inch = 
| source = The Weather Channel<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://weather.com/weather/monthly/l/820eba48772e10e09237e805dec80b6225b0b431ae8460f4a3cd1e6449ebc184
|title = Climate Statistics for Camden, Delaware
|access-date = December 17, 2019}}</ref>
| date   = December 2019}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1870 = 657
| 1880 = 702
| 1890 = 553
| 1900 = 586
| 1910 = 553
| 1920 = 531
| 1930 = 464
| 1940 = 682
| 1950 = 606
| 1960 = 1125
| 1970 = 1241
| 1980 = 1757
| 1990 = 1899
| 2000 = 2100
| 2010 = 3464
| 2020 = 3715
| align = left
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

As of 2020, its population was 3,715.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 2,100 people, 835 households, and 573 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,130.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 886 housing units at an average density of {{convert|477.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 76.67% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 18.00% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.81% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.38% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.14% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.90% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.10% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.90% of the population.

There were 835 households, out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $47,097, and the median income for a family was $50,347. Males had a median income of $32,154 versus $25,261 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $21,113. About 1.8% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
[[File:2022-07-17 08 31 19 View south along U.S. Route 13 (DuPont Highway) at Delaware State Route 10 (Lebanon Road) in Camden, Kent County, Delaware.jpg|thumb|left|US 13 southbound in Camden]]
[[U.S. Route 13 in Delaware|U.S. Route 13]] runs north–south through the eastern part of Camden, heading north toward [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]] and south toward [[Salisbury, Maryland|Salisbury]]. [[U.S. Route 13 Alternate (Camden, Delaware)|U.S. Route 13 Alternate]] passes north–south through the center of Camden on Main Street. [[Delaware Route 10]] runs east–west through Camden on Camden Wyoming Avenue, heading west through rural western Kent County to the [[Maryland]] border and east toward [[Dover Air Force Base]].<ref name="DE 2017 map">{{Delaware road map|year=2017}}</ref> [[DART First State]] provides bus service to Camden along Route 104, which runs from the [[Walmart]] in Camden north to the [[Dover Transit Center]] in Dover and connects to other local bus routes serving the Dover area; Route 117, which runs from the Walmart in Camden south to [[Harrington, Delaware|Harrington]]; and Route 303, which heads north to Dover and south to [[Georgetown, Delaware|Georgetown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartfirststate.com/information/routes/index.shtml|title=Routes and Schedules|publisher=DART First State|access-date=August 16, 2013}}</ref>

===Utilities===
[[Delmarva Power]], a subsidiary of [[Exelon]], provides electricity to Camden.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.delmarva.com/connect-with-us/about-us/service-territory/|title=Service Territory|publisher=Delmarva Power|access-date=August 15, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525061222/http://www.delmarva.com/connect-with-us/about-us/service-territory/|archive-date=May 25, 2014}}</ref> [[Chesapeake Utilities]] provides natural gas to the town.<ref>{{cite web|title=Delmarva Service Territory|publisher=Chesapeake Utilities|url=http://www.chpk.com/delmarva-service-territory/|access-date=August 14, 2017|archive-date=August 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815063806/http://www.chpk.com/delmarva-service-territory/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Camden-Wyoming Sewer & Water Authority provides sewer and water service to Camden and the neighboring town of [[Wyoming, Delaware|Wyoming]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Home|publisher=Camden-Wyoming Sewer & Water Authority|url=http://cwswa.com|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref> Trash and recycling collection in Camden is provided under contract by [[Republic Services]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Trash Schedule|publisher=Town of Camden, Delaware|url=https://camden.delaware.gov/trash-schedule/|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref>

==Education==
Camden is located in the [[Caesar Rodney School District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st10_de/schooldistrict_maps/c10001_kent/DC20SD_C10001.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Kent County, DE|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=June 16, 2021}}</ref> It is divided between the boundaries of Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School in Camden and W. B. Simpson Elementary School in [[Wyoming, Delaware|Wyoming]]. Students zoned to Stokes and Simpson are zoned to Fred Fifer III Middle School in Camden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crk12.org/cms/lib/DE01903180/Centricity/Domain/747/CRSDMap.pdf|title=CRSD Map|publisher=[[Caesar Rodney School District]]|accessdate=June 16, 2021}}</ref> Areas east of US 13 zoned to W. Reily Brown Elementary in Dover are on land zoned as commercial.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://camden.delaware.gov/files/2014/11/Zoningmap07.pdf|title=Zoning Map|publisher=Camden, Delaware|accessdate=June 16, 2021}}</ref> [[Caesar Rodney High School]] in Camden is the comprehensive high school for the entire district.

== Government ==
*[[Mayor]]: Larry Dougherty
*[[Vice-Mayor]]: Vicki Rhodes
*[[Councilman]]: Dan Woodall
*[[Councilwoman]]: Darlene Sturgeon
*[[Councilman]]: Dan Ridgley 
*[[Chief of Police]]: Marcus Whitney
*[[Town Manager]]: Harold Scott

==Notable people==
* [[Ashley Coleman]], [[Miss Delaware Teen USA]] 1999, [[Miss Teen USA]] 1999 (born and grew up in Camden)
* [[Eric Buckson]], born in Camden and a current Kent County Levy Court Commissioner
* [[Henry Hayes Lockwood]], born in Camden Civil War general
* [[Charles L. Terry Jr.]], born in Camden, 65th [[Governor of Delaware]]
* [[R. Thomas Wagner, Jr.]], State Auditor of Delaware and former Mayor of Camden

==References==
{{portal|Delaware}}
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Camden (Delaware)}}
*[https://camden.delaware.gov/ Official website]

{{Kent County, Delaware}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Kent County, Delaware]]
[[Category:Towns in Delaware]]