Delaware (Ohio)

Delaware is a quaint town of 41,000 people (2020) in the Greater Columbus region of Ohio. Delaware is home to the liberal Ohio Wesleyan University. It is the birthplace of Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States of America. His Presidential Library and home are in Fremont, Ohio.

Get in

By car

Delaware is connected by US 23, US 36, US 42, and is a short distance from I-71.

By bus

Greyhound buses offer service between Delaware and Columbus (30 minutes).

Get around

By plane

By bus

As Delaware is largely a college town, bus service by DATA (Delaware Area Transit Association) is frequent and runs relatively late.

By car

Parking is easy in most parts of Delaware. Parking lots are rarely full but parking on the street can be tricky. Meter parking is widely available.

Downtown street parking is metered and somewhat more difficult to come by, although there are always spots available if you're willing to walk.

Parking on the Ohio Wesleyan University campus is the trickiest of all parking tasks in Delaware. In fact, if you can get to Wesleyan by a method other than car, then that method is recommended. Bus service onto campus from downtown and other areas of Delaware runs very frequently during the day. If you have to park on campus during the day, you will need to get a visitor parking permit from the Department of Public Safety on campus, and then you can park in a spot labeled for visitor parking, which are very few and far between. The public safety officer can give you a map showing where visitor parking spots are, but during a school day, expect to hunt through all of them and not find anything.

By taxi

Taxi service is available by phone, but expect to wait up to an hour or more on busy or cold nights.

See
  • 🌍 Olentangy Indian Caverns, 1779 Home Rd, ☏ +1 740-548-7917. Apr - Oct: 9:30AM-5PM. It's 105 feet deep with excellent exhibits of Wyandot tribe artifacts. Offers tours and cave yoga. $9.95 adult, $6.95 child. 
  • 🌍 Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU). A prestigious liberal arts college. The campus is an integral part of Delaware. (updated Jul 2017)
    • 🌍 Sulphur Spring (on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University). A historic spring where President Rutherford B Hayes Lucy is said to have met his future wife Lucy Webb. (updated Jan 2021)

Do
  • The Little Brown Jug, 236 Pennsylvania Ave, ☏ +1 740-363-3754. Second leg of the pacing, Triple Crown harness racing, classic for 3-year-olds. Held at Delaware County Fairgrounds. 
  • 🌍 Mingo Park. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Blue Limestone Park. (updated Oct 2019)

Buy

Eat
  • Kilbourne Pizza (just north of Delaware). A small-town pizza shop owned and operated by a Delaware-area native. Avoid the crowded franchises and order a one of a kind pizza to enjoy at Alum Creek Reservoir. For a big appetite try the Kilbourne Monster, an eight-pound pizza made fresh to order. Also available are seasonal specials such as cabbage roles or crepes. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Amato's, 6 S Sandusky St (downtown on Sandusky Street), ☏ +1 740-369-8797. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM. Offers delicious handmade pizzas and crepes, salads and deli sandwiches. The small restaurant has a charming, quirky atmosphere- be sure to take a look at the antique cash register (still functioning!) used for cash transactions! Pizzas are offered in either 8-inch or 12-inch sizes, and come on either the traditional white wheat crust or a whole wheat crust. You can make your own pizzas (up to 5 toppings for $6) or choose from their extensive menu of pre-planned pies. The restaurant offers unique pizza combinations that go far beyond the typical pizza joint (an example is The Hulk, playfully described as containing "pesto, mozarella, spinach, green olives, green onions, green peppers, zucchini, and anything else we can find that's green." (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Typhoon Asian Fusion Bistro, 10 N Sandusky Rd, ☏ +1-740-362-9227. 11AM-10PM. A blend of Chinese, Thai and Asian fusion cuisine with hand-made sauces. The menu includes an array of appetizers, entrees, sushi, cocktails, sake and more. (updated Jul 2017)
  • Ollie's, 19 S Franklin St (next to the Ohio Wesleyan campus, behind the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center), ☏ +1 740-363-OLLIE (65543). Ollie's is housed in a charming little gingerbread house with a beautiful courtyard and renovated interior. They offer a large selection of hot beverages, from coffee to tea to hot chocolate (all of it fair-trade), and a modest selection of hand-churned ice cream flavors. Their ice cream selection rotates occasionally. Adjacent to the ice cream parlor is a cute little seating area, with tables, antiques, and wireless internet. The friendly, personal service, unparalleled ice cream and drinks (make sure to try their chai- it takes a week to make!), and cozy setting makes Ollie's a must-stop. (updated Jul 2017)
  • Chelly Belly's, 59 N Sandusky St, ☏ +1 740-369-5792. M-F 10:30AM-4PM, Sa 11AM-4PM. Chelly Belly offers delicious sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries, smoothies, and Seattle's Best Coffee. The sandwiches are all gourmet-quality and freshly made to order on delicious bread ranging from panini to sourdough rolls and everything in between. Everything is a cut above your typical deli in this shop- you'll find gourmet niche sodas in the freezer, homemade pastries, and kettle-cooked chips on the shelves, but for traditionalists all the old staples are offered, too. (updated Oct 2019)
  • Old Bag of Nails Pub, 66 N Sandusky St, ☏ +1 740-368-8083. Popular with students and local Delaware residents alike. Old Bag of Nails offers typical American fare, from steaks to salads to their specialty, fish and chips. Their Happy Hour is famous and extremely popular- 5 days a week, for 4 hours, all appetizers are half off, which is a great incentive for cash-strapped students. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 Bun's Restaurant, 14 West Winter St, ☏ +1 740-363-2867, . 11AM-9PM. (updated Oct 2019)
  • 🌍 1808 American Bistro, 29 E Winter St, ☏ +1 740-417-4373. Serves classic American fare with the occasional Southern and Cajun twists. Steaks, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, salads, appetizers and desserts. 48 craft beers on draft, and a nice selection of wines and spirits. (updated Jul 2017)

Drink
  • Backstretch Bar, 14 S Sandusky St (downtown Delaware), ☏ +1 740-369-9883. The happening spot in Delaware, home to locals and OWU alike. Live music on Thursdays and Saturdays and DJ on Fridays. They offer a large selection of domestics and imports with rotating draft handles. Free wireless is available. 
  • Staas Brewing, 31 W Winter St, . Established in 2013, a small batch, all grain brewpub that specializes in Belgian and English beer styles. Features 12 taps and two English beer engines with an ever changing selection. (updated Jul 2017)
  • 🌍 Restoration Brew Worx, 25 N Sandusky St, ☏ +1 740-990-7120. Local brew pub featuring hand crafted beer. (updated Oct 2019)

Sleep

Camping

Connect

Go next
Routes through Delaware
Toledo ← Marion ←  N  S  → Worthington → Columbus
Piqua ← Marysville ←  W  E  → Sunbury → Uhrichsville
Xenia ← London ← W E ←  S  N  → Jct E → Jct W → Mount Gilead → Cleveland


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