Dover is the capital and second largest city of the US state of Delaware. In the 2000 census, it had a population of 32,135 inhabitants. It is located in Kent County, located in turn on the Delmarva Peninsula. The city of Dover is geographically located in the center of the state of Delaware.
Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, 1131 N Dupont Hwy. Tel. toll-free:
+1-800-711-5882 The Dover Downs complex consists of a hotel, casino and
harness racing track. The hotel offers upscale full-service
accommodations with an indoor pool, exercise room, room service and a
concierge. The rooms offer either a view of the race track or the city
and feature numerous amenities such as a safe, free internet and
voicemail, refrigerator, coffee maker, hair dryer, magnifying mirror and
iron and ironing board. Dover Downs Casino offers a variety of games
including over 2,300 slots, table games such as baccarat, roulette and
blackjack and an 18-table poker room. The racecourse offers live
trotting races from November to April, as well as simulcasts of races
from other courses throughout the year. The Race & Sports Book offers
sports betting on horse racing, pro and college sports. Dover Downs
offers restaurants such as Michele's, Pearl Oyster Grill, Frankie's,
Festival Buffet, Garden Cafe, gr8 Burgers & Shakes, Sweet Perks, Sweet
Perks Too and Winner's Circle Restaurant. Bars and clubs in Dover Downs
include Fire & Ice, Race & Sports Book, The Lobby Bar, The Gazebo Bar
and The Terrace Bar. Dover Downs offers entertainment from comedians to
singers. The Colonnade offers upscale shopping like Colonnade Fashion,
Godiva, Swarovski, Colonnade Market, and Sweet Perks Too.
Dover
International Speedway, 1131 N Dupont Hwy. Tel: 1.302.883-6500
Toll-free: 1.800.441-7223 The Monster Mile hosts a NASCAR race twice a
year, once in late spring and once in late summer. Spring weekend
features the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race on Friday,
the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, and the NASCAR Cup Series
race on Sunday. The summer weekend features the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East race on Friday, the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, and the
NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. In addition to on-track racing
activities, Dover International Speedway features a FanZone which
features a range of activities, live music and driver performances. The
FanZone revolves around the Monster Monument in Victory Plaza, a statue
of the mascot Miles the Monster. Dover International Speedway offers
both standard RV and tent camping, as well as carefree camping where
campers are provided with a tent containing a bed with linens, chairs, a
table and a rug. Additional RV and tent camping is available off-site.
Firefly Music Festival, 1131 N Dupont Hwy (The Woodlands at Dover
International Speedway) . Open air music festival held in mid-June at
The Woodlands at Dover International Speedway, attracting nationally
renowned music acts. The festival includes seven stages and features
outdoor camping and a carpet. Additional RV and tent camping is
available off-site.
Killen's Pond Water Park. - at Felton, 10 miles
south of Dover on US 13.
Dover was founded in 1683 by William Penn. His exploration and
settlement mission was commissioned by King Charles II of England. In
1717, Dover was named the city where the Delaware troops had to settle,
this meant that there are numerous remarkable patriotic stories and
events in Dover. In this city is the Delaware Legislative Hall, which
housed the Delaware Supreme Court and the Kent County Courthouse.
Dover was the birthplace of Caesar Rodney, an enigmatic figure from
the American Revolution. There is a statue in the city cemetery in his
honor.
In colonial times before the end of the Civil War,
Delaware was a slave state, practices exercised mainly in the south of
the state. During the American Civil War, Delaware was a border or
border state during the war, and although it was part of the Union side,
it did not take sides or fight against the Confederate States. The city
and its railroad station would become a starting point for soldiers
assigned to the Union garrisons on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey
fronts.
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.
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.
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.