New Castle County, Delaware is located in the Middle Atlantic region.  Bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the west, the Delaware River to the east, and Kent County, Delaware to the south, New Castle County is the northernmost of Delaware’s three counties, the smallest in area, but the largest in population.

New Castle County has a rich history, as the home of early European settlements, a center of industry in the colonial era, home to three signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the first county in the state. 

To early European explorers, the land along the Delaware River and Bay looked like a gold mine.  The native Lenni Lenapes were a peaceful tribe with no centralized governing structure.  Abundant wildlife made the area ideal for hunting; not only was there ample meat for eating, but there was easy money to be made by fur traders. 

Native Americans had lived in the area for over 10,000 years.  The rivers and streams provided a generous variety of marine life and the land vegetation.  The Lenapes worked with the traders until, plagued by new diseases and faced with a threat to their way of life, they moved away from the areas being settled by Europeans. 

With migration of the Lenapes, who had no notion of even the concept of land ownership, there were no practical impediments to permanent settlements along the Delaware.  And, as wildlife populations steadily decreased due to over-hunting, agriculture became more common. 

New Castle County, as a government unit, was formed in 1673 when the military governor for the ruling Dutch set up three judicial districts on the western shore of the Delaware River.  During the early days following European colonization, control of land along the Delaware River went back and forth between the Dutch and Swedes. 

New Castle County underwent a number of changes in political control and in boundaries, it was controlled by the Swedes and Dutch before the British prevailed.  Part of the land was granted to William Penn, and New Castle County was at one time part of Pennsylvania, and, later, had boundaries that extended into what is now New Jersey and Maryland.  In 1704, William Penn granted the colonists of what is now Delaware the right to their own assembly, while still sharing a governor with Pennsylvania. 

Delaware played a critical role in the Revolutionary War.  The state sent representatives to the Continental Congress.  Three signers of the Declaration of Independence - George Read, Thomas McKean, and Caesar Rodney, lived in New Castle County.  The only battle of the Revolutionary War to take place on Delaware soil occurred in New Castle County at Cooch’s Bridge south of Newark. 

As the first state to ratify the Constitution, Delaware proclaims itself the First State.  New Castle County, as the first regional jurisdiction established, is proud to be the First County of the First State. 

During the Civil War, Delaware was a border state.  While the two lower counties lent more support to the South, New Castle County was supportive of the Union.  Major links in the Underground Railroad were located in New Castle County. 

Prior to 1967, New Castle County was governed by a three-person Levy Court.  With the growth in population and in the complexity of the government, the Levy Court system was no longer the most effective means of county government service delivery. 

Therefore, in 1967, the State General Assembly approved an Executive/Council form of government for New Castle County.  The County Executive is elected to a four-year term and can only serve for two terms.  County Council is comprised of 13 members, one member elected from each of 12 districts and Council President, who serves at large.  Effective with the November 2004 election, County Council was expanded to 13 members. 

Council members serve 4-year terms and the terms are staggered such that half of Council comes up for reelection every two years (except following redistricting).  There are no term limitations for Council members. 

More Information about New Castle County