Dela-where? Yep. It’s the question that all native Delawareans are used to answering. No, we don’t mean a county in Pennsylvania or a town in Ohio. This is Delaware: the second smallest state, the center of the East Coast, and a place that many are proud to call home.

Here are 20 undeniable reasons we think everyone should love Delaware.

  1. Because it’s good being first!

Jeffrey / Flickr First in the nation, that is. While all the other states were trying to figure out this whole Constitution thing, Delaware said, “Sign us up,” and we became the first state to ratify.

  1. Two degrees of separation.

Delaware Agriculture / Flickr Forget seven degrees of separation; in Delaware it’s more like two. We’re like one big “Cheers” bar - you know, where everyone knows your name. It’s no big deal to run into the Governor at the State Fair, see your mayor at the local bar, or have an elected official as your kid’s soccer coach. If you don’t know someone, someone you know does.

  1. Our good friend Joe.

By SSG Sun L. Vega [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons And speaking of knowing somebody, Vice President Joe Biden is from Delaware! Whether his gaffes make you cringe or chuckle, to us, he’s “Just Joe” and he’s ours.

  1. Our five-star beaches.

The West End / Flickr Delaware is home to some of the cleanest beaches in the world. Whether your perfect beach spot is along a shop-lined boardwalk, in a party town, or on a quiet stretch of state park land, we have 28 miles of oceanfront for you!

  1. Craft beer.

Bernt Rostad / flickr Home to famous Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, tiny Delaware ranks 14th in the nation for craft breweries per capita. Hit the Delaware Wine and Ale Trail and find them all.

  1. Tax-free shopping.

diaper / Flickr It makes holiday shopping a little less stressful at the Christina Mall or Tanger Outlets.

  1. Low property taxes.

likeaduck / Flickr Even though Delaware is surrounded by states with sky-high property taxes, we benefit from taxes paid by companies that incorporate here, meaning that they shoulder most of that burden.

  1. Proximity.

By National Atlas of the United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons We love our state, but if we want to take a day trip, we’re within just a few hours of New York City, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

  1. Highs and lows.

diaper / Flickr We can be climbing the rocky outcrops at Alapocas State Park in northern Delaware in the morning, and biking the Breakwater Trail along the Atlantic Coast in the afternoon.

  1. Festivals.

Jeffrey / Flickr Lots of them. Most involving fantastic food. Greek. Polish. Italian. German. Apple-Scrapple (yes, you read that right). And more…

  1. Farm families and farmers markets.

Delaware Agriculture / Flickr All year round, at road side stands, garden centers, Christmas tree farms, farmers markets and family-run stores, you can get great Delaware produce, and meet the people who grow it!

  1. The seasons.

Lee Cannon / Flickr We have four of them, and everyone has their own favorite. Our springs are mild. Fall is perfect football weather. Summer is full of sunshine, and we still get some snow in the winter.

  1. We’re a state of givers.

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary / Flickr Maybe it comes from the part about knowing everyone, but Delaware has a huge volunteer base, helping with everything from fighting fires to giving food and shelter to those in need.

  1. Music.

Claudia Heidelberger / Flickr While we Delawareans know that music has been an undeniable reason to love our state for decades. The Firefly Music Festival, held annually in Dover, draws flocks of fans from all corners of the U.S. for its chill vibe and sweet sounds.

  1. Historic towns with charming Main Streets.

Ken Lund / Flickr In every corner of Delaware is a small town with historic charm, taverns, quaint boutiques, a sense of pride and community, and a parade for every major holiday.

  1. Blue crabs.

Food Group / Flickr Forget what people tell you about crabs from the Chesapeake Bay or Louisiana. We get ours from the Delaware Bay. Steam them up at home, or pick up a dozen at a local seafood place.

  1. Nature.

Lee Cannon / Flickr Lots of it. From numerous state parks to two National Wildlife Refuges, eco-explorers find places to hike, bird watch, hunt, fish, and just be one with the outdoors.

  1. The University of Delaware.

By w:User talk:Cargoudel [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons In a state as small as Delaware, we only have one major university, and man is it a pretty one, with a quintessential college vibe. Many Delawareans are proud alumni, including….you guessed it…#3 from above!

  1. Chickens, in more ways than one.

Suzie’s Farm / Flickr Sussex County, one of our three (yes, only three) counties, produces more chickens for meat consumption than any other county in the U.S. And the Fightin’ Blue Hen is the University of Delaware’s mascot, selected for its ‘cocky’ attitude during the Revolutionary War.

  1. Because there’s a little something for everyone.

Bobby Hidy / Flickr Whether you are a city mouse or a country mouse, or somewhere in between, there’s something for you, and you can drive there in under 2 hours.

So the real answer when someone asks “Dela-where?” is “Dela-right here baby!” And we have at least 20 things that make our state undeniably awesome.

Jeffrey / Flickr

First in the nation, that is. While all the other states were trying to figure out this whole Constitution thing, Delaware said, “Sign us up,” and we became the first state to ratify.

Delaware Agriculture / Flickr

Forget seven degrees of separation; in Delaware it’s more like two. We’re like one big “Cheers” bar - you know, where everyone knows your name. It’s no big deal to run into the Governor at the State Fair, see your mayor at the local bar, or have an elected official as your kid’s soccer coach. If you don’t know someone, someone you know does.

By SSG Sun L. Vega [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

And speaking of knowing somebody, Vice President Joe Biden is from Delaware! Whether his gaffes make you cringe or chuckle, to us, he’s “Just Joe” and he’s ours.

The West End / Flickr

Delaware is home to some of the cleanest beaches in the world. Whether your perfect beach spot is along a shop-lined boardwalk, in a party town, or on a quiet stretch of state park land, we have 28 miles of oceanfront for you!

Bernt Rostad / flickr

Home to famous Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, tiny Delaware ranks 14th in the nation for craft breweries per capita. Hit the Delaware Wine and Ale Trail and find them all.

diaper / Flickr

It makes holiday shopping a little less stressful at the Christina Mall or Tanger Outlets.

likeaduck / Flickr

Even though Delaware is surrounded by states with sky-high property taxes, we benefit from taxes paid by companies that incorporate here, meaning that they shoulder most of that burden.

By National Atlas of the United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

We love our state, but if we want to take a day trip, we’re within just a few hours of New York City, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

We can be climbing the rocky outcrops at Alapocas State Park in northern Delaware in the morning, and biking the Breakwater Trail along the Atlantic Coast in the afternoon.

Lots of them. Most involving fantastic food. Greek. Polish. Italian. German. Apple-Scrapple (yes, you read that right). And more…

All year round, at road side stands, garden centers, Christmas tree farms, farmers markets and family-run stores, you can get great Delaware produce, and meet the people who grow it!

Lee Cannon / Flickr

We have four of them, and everyone has their own favorite. Our springs are mild. Fall is perfect football weather. Summer is full of sunshine, and we still get some snow in the winter.

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary / Flickr

Maybe it comes from the part about knowing everyone, but Delaware has a huge volunteer base, helping with everything from fighting fires to giving food and shelter to those in need.

Claudia Heidelberger / Flickr

While we Delawareans know that music has been an undeniable reason to love our state for decades. The Firefly Music Festival, held annually in Dover, draws flocks of fans from all corners of the U.S. for its chill vibe and sweet sounds.

Ken Lund / Flickr

In every corner of Delaware is a small town with historic charm, taverns, quaint boutiques, a sense of pride and community, and a parade for every major holiday.

Food Group / Flickr

Forget what people tell you about crabs from the Chesapeake Bay or Louisiana. We get ours from the Delaware Bay. Steam them up at home, or pick up a dozen at a local seafood place.

Lots of it. From numerous state parks to two National Wildlife Refuges, eco-explorers find places to hike, bird watch, hunt, fish, and just be one with the outdoors.

By w:User talk:Cargoudel [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In a state as small as Delaware, we only have one major university, and man is it a pretty one, with a quintessential college vibe. Many Delawareans are proud alumni, including….you guessed it…#3 from above!

Suzie’s Farm / Flickr

Sussex County, one of our three (yes, only three) counties, produces more chickens for meat consumption than any other county in the U.S. And the Fightin’ Blue Hen is the University of Delaware’s mascot, selected for its ‘cocky’ attitude during the Revolutionary War.

Bobby Hidy / Flickr

Whether you are a city mouse or a country mouse, or somewhere in between, there’s something for you, and you can drive there in under 2 hours.

What’s your favorite thing about the First State?

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