Wilmington
Place in the United States
Location of Wilmington in Delaware
Location of Delaware in the US
Location
County	New Castle County
Type of place	City
State	Delaware
Coordinates	39° 45′ N, 75° 33′ W
General
Surface	43.88 km²
– country	28.24 km²
– water	15.64 km²
Inhabitants (2006)	72,826 (2579 inhabitant/km²)
Height	28 m
Other
ZIP code(s)	19801-19810, 19850, 19880, 19884-19887, 19889-1999
FIPS code	77580
Website	wilmingtonde.gov

Rodney Square in downtown Wilmington in 2006

According to ehuacom, Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware (United States). The city is located at the confluence of Christina River and Brandywine Creek, just before the Christina River flows into the Delaware River. Wilmington is the capital of New Castle County and is one of the largest cities of the Delaware Valley, the metropolitan area with Philadelphia being the largest city. Wilmington has a population of 72,876 (2006) and an area of ​​44.3 km².

History

The area on which Wilmington is located was first occupied by Sweden (which can still be seen in the local flag) around 1638 with the construction of Fort Christina. In 1655 the Dutch took over the area from the Swedes and Finns. They called the place Altena. In 1664, the British took it over in turn. Originally named Willington (after Thomas Willing), it was later renamed and named after Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

During the American Civil Warthe city experienced its greatest growth period. Although Delaware officially belonged to the Union, the state was divided between supporters of the Union and the Confederacy: the northern part of the state largely supported the Union, the southern part of the state the Confederacy. Because of the war there was a huge demand for goods and materials. The city grew as new industries settled in the place. Ships, train cars, gunpowder, shoes, tents, uniforms, blankets and other war goods were made in the city. In 1868, Wilmington made more iron ships than the rest of the country combined, and the city was the largest producer of gunpowder and the second largest producer of wagons and leather. Because the city prospered so much during the war, the city expanded to the west.

In 1860 the place had more than 21,000 inhabitants, in 1920 more than 110,000. The city’s industry also flourished during the two world wars. After World War II, the suburbs north of the city attracted many new residents. this growth made it necessary to build new roads and highways. The construction of the I-95 interstate highway cut through many old neighborhoods and contributed to a significant drop in population. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, the city experienced riots, forcing National Guard troops to keep order in the city for several months.

In recent decades, the exodus of residents has come to a halt. The population has been stable for some time at around 70,000. Since the 1980s, Wilmington has been a popular location for US banks and financial institutions.

Nearby places

The figure below shows nearby places within 5 miles of Wilmington.

Wilmington

Ardencroft (8 km)

Bellefonte (5 km)

Edgemoor (4km)

Elsmere (4 km)

Greenville (5 km)

Newport (6 miles)

Wilmington Manor (5 miles)

Carney’s Point (5 miles)

Penn’s Grove (5 miles)

Notable residents of Wilmington

Born in Wilmington

• Herta Ware (1915-2005), actress
• Daniel Nathans (1928-1999), microbiologist and Nobel laureate (1978)
• Clifford Brown (1930-1956), jazz trumpeter
• Bernie McInerney (1936), actor
• William Poole (1937), economist
• Kathleen Widdoes (1939), actress
• George Thorogood (1950), blues guitarist
• John Carney (1956), Governor of Delaware
• Patrick Kerr (1956), actor
• Yvette Freeman (1957), actress, film producer, film director and screenwriter
• Cynthia Rothrock (1957), karateka and actress
• Nancy Currie (1958), astronaut
• Sara Lazarus (1962), jazz singer
• Elisabeth Shue (1963), actress
• Barb Lindquist (1969), triathlete
• Raúl Esparza (1970), actor and singer
• Katherine Compton (1978), cyclocross rider

Born Elsewhere

• Joe Biden (1942), Democratic Vice President of the United States; President of the United States – the train station has been “renamed” after Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station, but in practice is still called Wilmington station.