Editing Harrington, Delaware

{{Short description|City in Delaware, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Harrington, Delaware
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Delaware|City]]
| nickname           = 
| motto              = The Hub of Delaware
| etymology          = Hon. Samuel M. Harrington

<!-- Images -->| image_skyline      = File:Delaware State Fair - 2012 (7681665850).jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = HarringtonDEflag.png
| image_seal         = HarringtonDEseal.png
| image_map          = File:Kent County Delaware Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Harrington Highlighted 1033120.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Harrington in Kent County, Delaware.
| pushpin_map        = Delaware#USA
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_label      = Harrington
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Delaware

<!-- Location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|United States}}
| 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        = Duane Bivans
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| 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_sq_mi   = 2.73
| area_land_sq_mi    = 2.72
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.01

<!-- Population -->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3774
| population_density_sq_mi = 1385.46
| 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       = 59
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|55|25|N|75|34|40|W|region:US-DE_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 19952
| area_code          = [[Area code 302|302]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 10-33120
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 214060<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|214060}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://harrington.delaware.gov/}}
| footnotes          = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_est     = 
| area_total_km2     = 7.07
| area_land_km2      = 7.05
| area_water_km2     = 0.02
| population_density_km2 = 534.95
| name               = 
}}

'''Harrington''' is a city in [[Kent County, Delaware]], United States. It is part of the [[Dover metropolitan area|Dover metropolitan statistical area]]. Harrington hosts the annual [[Delaware State Fair]] each July. The population was 3,774 in 2020.

==History==
Harrington was named for Hon. [[Samuel Maxwell Harrington]], a former chancellor of the state.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA150 | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=150}}</ref> The town developed at a railroad junction along the [[Delaware Railroad]] and served as a rural trading center.<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=2009-04-10 | year=1938 |publisher=Modern Age Books |location=[[New York City|New York]]|series=American Guide Series|isbn=9780403022144 }}</ref>{{When|date=March 2023}}

==Geography==
Harrington is located at {{Coord|38|55|25|N|75|34|40|W|type:city}} (38.9237244, –75.5777033).<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=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|2.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|2.0|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|sqmi|km2}}  (1.48%) is water.

==Government==
Harrington has a [[mayor-council]] system of government. As of 2017, the mayor of Harrington is Duane Bivans. The mayor of Harrington has a term limit of eight consecutive years while city council members have term limits of nine consecutive years. Term limits were implemented in 2017 and Harrington is one of only a few municipalities in Delaware with term limits for municipal officials.<ref>{{cite web|title=Harrington Mayor Leads Successful Push for Term Limits|agency=Associated Press|publisher=WBOC-TV|location=Salisbury, MD|date=May 15, 2017|url=http://www.wboc.com/story/35427292/harrington-mayor-leads-successful-push-for-term-limits|access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
====Highway and bus====
[[File:2022-07-17 13 20 50 View south along U.S. Route 13 (DuPont Highway) just south of Delaware Avenue in Harrington, Kent County, Delaware.jpg|thumb|left|US 13 southbound in Harrington]]
[[U.S. Route 13 in Delaware|U.S. Route 13]] (Dupont Highway) serves as the main north–south road in Harrington, heading north toward [[Dover, Delaware|Dover]] and south toward [[Salisbury, Maryland]]. [[Delaware Route 14]] serves as the main east–west road in Harrington, heading west toward [[Denton, Maryland]] and east toward [[Milford, Delaware|Milford]].<ref>{{Delaware road map|year=2008}}</ref> [[DART First State]] provides bus service to Harrington along Route 117, which heads north toward [[Camden, Delaware|Camden]] and connects to the local bus routes serving the Dover area.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kent County Bus System Guide|publisher=DART First State|url=https://www.dartfirststate.com/information/routes/pdfs/winter/rt999.pdf?date=1523320189247|access-date=April 9, 2018}}</ref>

====Railroad==== 
Harrington is a railroad junction of the north–south running [[Delmarva Central Railroad]] that runs between [[Porter, Delaware|Porter]], near Wilmington to [[Pocomoke City, Maryland]]. The Indian River Subdivision branches at Harrington from the Delmarva Subdivision toward the coast then turns south and runs through Georgetown to [[Frankford, Delaware]]. The Delmarva Central Railroad, which is based in [[Oakmont, Pennsylvania]], is locally managed from offices in Harrington and some of its freight operations are based out of the town.<ref name=dcr>{{cite web|title=Delmarva Central Railroad|date=8 November 2016 |publisher=Carload Express|url=http://carloadexpress.com/railroads/delmarva-central-railroad/|access-date=March 27, 2017}}</ref>

As of 2019, the former [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) tower adjacent to the Harrington depot that at one time manually controlled the junction's switches and signals is now a preserved heritage item along with an adjacent PRR caboose in its original Tuscan Red color. Into the 1950s, the PRR's ''[[Del-Mar-Va Express]]'' steam powered passenger train that ran between [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] and [[Cape Charles, Virginia]] stopped at Harrington.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Table 65|journal=Official Guide of the Railways |publisher=National Railway Publication Company |volume=87 |issue=7 |date=December 1954}}</ref>

===Utilities===
[[Delmarva Power]], a subsidiary of [[Exelon]], provides electricity to Harrington.<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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525061222/http://www.delmarva.com/connect-with-us/about-us/service-territory/|archive-date=May 25, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Chesapeake Utilities]] provides natural gas to the city.<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 City of Harrington Public Works Department provides water and sewer service to Harrington.<ref>{{cite web|title=Public Works|publisher=City of Harrington, Delaware|url=http://harrington.delaware.gov/public-works/|access-date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> The city formerly had its own wastewater treatment plant but now transports its sewage to the Kent County wastewater treatment plant in [[Frederica, Delaware|Frederica]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Waste Water|publisher=City of Harrington, Delaware|url=http://harrington.delaware.gov/waste-water/|access-date=August 16, 2017}}</ref> Charlie's Waste Services provides trash and recycling collection in Harrington.<ref>{{cite web|title=Waste Removal|publisher=City of Harrington, Delaware|url=http://harrington.delaware.gov/waste-removal/|access-date=August 16, 2017}}</ref>

==Education==
Harrington is within the [[Lake Forest 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=2021-06-16}}</ref> The zoned high school is [[Lake Forest High School (Delaware)|Lake Forest High School]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=left
|1880= 745
|1900= 1242
|1910= 1500
|1920= 1617
|1930= 1812
|1940= 2113
|1950= 2241
|1960= 2495
|1970= 2407
|1980= 2405
|1990= 2311
|2000= 3174
|2010= 3562
|2020= 3774
|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 the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 3,174 people, 1,223 households, and 825 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,587.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 1,328 housing units at an average density of {{convert|664.0|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the city was 75.2% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 21.6% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.4% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.7% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.7% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 1,223 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 18.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,945, and the median income for a family was $36,815. Males had a median income of $32,064 versus $20,801 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,049. About 12.1% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 26.7% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Places of attraction and Famous Residents==
{{More citations needed section|date=December 2019}}
South of Harrington is the [[Harrington Raceway & Casino]], which is located on the Delaware State Fairgrounds. The [[Delaware State Fair]] holds a 10-day event in July annually and celebrated its centennial in 2019. The fair has been a venue for top national entertainment in recent years with acts such as Taylor Swift, [[Reba McEntire]], [[Carrie Underwood]], [[Little Big Town]], [[Gladys Knight]] and [[Brad Paisley]] among many more artists who have performed on the M&T Bank Grandstand stage. The fairgrounds also features the [[Centre Ice Rink]].

Harrington Raceway has been the home of a harness racing meet for over 75 years. Despite the town's diminutive size, some of Harrington's most famous residents have been the horses, including three recent [[Dan Patch Award]] honorees. In 2004, Rainbow Blue and 2015 [[Wiggle It Jiggleit]] both received that distinguished title of Horse of the Year and in 2019, Shartin N accomplished the impressive feat. Many other horses from the 19952 ZIP code have received divisional honors and throughout 2019, the aforementioned Shartin N was ranked the #1 horse in the country, prior to winning top honors. Amidst Shartin's ascent, yet another Harrington horse, Lather Up, was making headlines as he equaled harness racing's all-time fastest time of 1:46 in July 2019 at the [[Meadowlands Racetrack]] in [[New Jersey]]. Coincidentally, Lather Up was stabled 4 miles to the east of Harrington Raceway at George Teague Jr's farm, while Shartin N's training base was 4 miles west of the racetrack at the farm of Jo Ann Looney and Jim King Jr. The town's rich harness racing history dates back to the 1950s when Adios Harry was named aged pacer of the year and was one of the town's first nationally recognized horses. He was even on the cover of the July 23, 1956 ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', with the headline, Adios Harry: World's Fastest Pacer! In 2021, yet another horse hailing from Harrington was making headlines - as Lyons Sentinel was ranked the #1 in the country as of October 5.

The town post office contains a wax tempera mural, ''Men Hoeing'', painted in 1941 by [[Eve Salisbury]]. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the [[Section of Painting and Sculpture]], later called the [[Section of Fine Arts]], of the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury Department]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Arnesen |first=Eric |date=2007 |title=Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working-Class History |volume=1 |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |page=1540 |isbn=9780415968263}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{portal|Delaware}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Harrington, Delaware}}

* [https://harrington.delaware.gov/ Official website]
{{Kent County, Delaware}}
{{Delaware}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Harrington, Delaware| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Kent County, Delaware]]
[[Category:Cities in Delaware]]