Dover is a city in Kent County in the US state of Delaware,
United States and is the seat of the county government and the
capital of the state of Delaware. The US The Census Bureau
recorded a population of 39,403 as of the 2020 census.
Dover is located in the geographic center of Delaware and is
approximately 90 miles from Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
removed. The city is on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Dover was founded in 1683 by William Penn. In 1717 the size of the
city was already 125 acres. In 1881 work began on laying an underground
water supply, at that time mainly for firefighting. Around 1900 steam
engines began to generate electricity, initially only for street
lighting. From 1902, the electricity generated was used commercially and
sold both within the city and to surrounding regions. Even today, Dover
is still an electricity producer with currently 181 megawatts. The
proceeds from the electricity sales amount to approximately USD 46
million.
The city experienced its greatest growth in the years
following the First and Second World Wars. The completion of the DuPont
Highway in 1924 also contributed to the city's growth. In the years 1925
to 1936 the city limits were expanded and the infrastructure improved.
In 1937 the International Laytex Corporation moved to Dover bringing the
first non-agricultural industry to Dover and has been a major employer
ever since.
In the years leading up to the Second World War, the
City of Dover acquired land for the construction of an airport. The site
was developed and was the Air Force base at Dover during World War II.
After the war, the base was reduced to a minimum and only used again for
military air transport from 1954. Dover Air Force Base is now the place
where soldiers killed abroad return home and are welcomed by their
families.
One structure in Dover has National Historic Landmark
status, the John Dickinson House. The city has 21 structures and sites
listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as of November
1, 2018.
Dover today
Today Dover is a thriving community with
many housing, commercial and industrial sectors. The city has four
elementary schools and five colleges, a public library and the state
library, which are available to residents free of charge. In the
meantime, 13 important industrial companies have settled in Dover and
offer sufficient jobs. 80 police officers from the Dover Police
Department ensure the protection of the citizens.
Dover is the home of Delaware State University, and Wesley College.
It is also home to the Terry Campus of the Delaware Technical &
Community College and the College's administrative offices. Dover also
has secondary locations for the University of Delaware and Wilmington
College.
Two public high schools serve Dover residents. Caesar
Rodney High School, in the Caesar Rodney School District (located on the
outskirts of the city, in Camden-Wyoming); and Dover High School.
Dover Air Force Base Middle School is located within the Base
premises. This school is unusual in that it is run not by the Ministry
of Defense, but by the Caesar Rodney School District.
Dover is located at parallel 39º9'43" North and 75º31'36" West,
(39.161921, -75.526755).
According to the United States
Geographic Census Agency, the city has a total area of 58.8 km², of
which 58 km² is land and the remaining 0.8 km² is water, which is
equivalent to 1.32%. of the total area of Dover.
According to the 2000 census, 32,135 people live in Dover, there are
12,340 houses and 7,502 families residing in the city. The population
density is 554.1/km². There are 13,195 houses, with a density of
227.5/km². The racial configuration of the city is varied, since 54.94%
are white, 37.22% are African-American, 4.13% are Latino, 3.16% are
Asian, and the remaining 1.57% belong to other ethnicities.
23.5%
of the population are under 18 years of age, from 18 to 64 63.1% of the
population and 13.3% are over 65 years of age.
Delaware's largest employer is also Dover's — the state government. A
large part, but not all, of the state's bureaucracy is located in and
around Dover. However, like other American states, the capital of
Delaware is not its largest city. Wilmington, in the northern part of
the state is its largest city, and has many state offices and employees
one would normally expect to find in the state capital, including the
headquarters of the Office of the Attorney General.
Dover is one
of the fastest growing areas in the state of Delaware, due in large part
to the relatively low cost of living. As a consequence, the Kent County
government is also one of the major employers in the area. Aside from
state and county governments, Dover's most significant employers include
Dover Air Force Base, located on the outskirts of the city. The base is
home to two airlift wings, as well as the only US military cemetery
located in the continental United States, which accepts the bodies of
soldiers killed in battle. In addition, the Playtex corporation (women's
underwear), General Mills (food: "Yoplait", "The Green Giant"...) and
Procter & Gamble have industrial facilities in Dover. ILC Dover, in the
nearby city of Frederica, is the producer of products for military and
aerospace uses, along with being the main contractor for the production
of spacesuits for the Apollo and Skylab projects, as well as the
assembly of spacesuits for the Unit of Extravehicular Mobility of the
Space Shuttle.
Two weekends a year, the NASCAR auto race is held
at the Dover International Speedway, drawing more than 100,000
spectators and guests, temporarily making Dover the largest city in the
state. These races contribute millions of dollars to the Dover economy.
The old Dover Opera House, built in 1904, was recently renovated into
the Schwartz Center for the Arts, hosting performances by the Dover
Symphony Orchestra, ballet, and classic films.
The Delaware State
Library, the Delaware State Museum, and the Delaware State Archives are
located downtown and are open to the public for research and
consultation.
In Dover's historic district is the Sewell C. Biggs
Museum of American Art, which contains collections from Colonial times
to the present day.