The state of Delaware consists of two major land regions: The Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Delaware is our second smallest state. It is only 96 miles long and ranges from 9 to 35 miles in width. Together with Eastern Shore Maryland and Virginia, Delaware occupies the Delmarva peninsula.

Delaware sits on an east coast peninsula called the Delmarva. It’s bordered by Pennsylvania in the north; the Delaware River, the Delaware Bay, New Jersey, and Atlantic Ocean in the east; and Maryland in the south and west. The state generally slopes downward from the hilly Piedmont region, which covers the northern edge of the state.

Delaware is one of the Middle Atlantic states, situated almost entirely on the northeastern part of the Delmarva Peninsula (the peninsula became an island after the digging of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal). Delaware borders New Jersey tto the east across the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean in the southeast.

The length of Delaware is 96 miles, and its width varies between 9 and 35 miles, totaling 2,044 square miles. Primarily situated within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, 60 feet above sea level, Delaware is considered the lowest state in terms of altitude.

Most of Delaware is a flat coastal plain. It is seldom more than 60 feet (18 meters) above sea level, and it becomes increasingly sandy to the south. There are many woodlands, streams, and freshwater ponds in the region. The far northern part of the state is more elevated and runs into the foothills of Pennsylvania.