Sussex County, Delaware
Blades, Delaware
Blades is an incorporated municipality in Sussex County, Delaware. The 2020 Census counted 1,179 residents. Sussex County lists Blades among its 25 municipalities, and the town's official website is linked below. SussexCounty.ai is an independent site and is not the county government.
Key facts
- Type
- Incorporated municipality
- County
- Sussex County, Delaware
- 2020 population
- 1,179 (source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census)
- Official website
- https://blades.delaware.gov/
- Current officials
- See the town website
Ask SussexCounty.ai
Look up Sussex County building permits by PIN on the permits page. Official records are kept by Sussex County at sussexcountyde.gov.
Go deeper on Blades
- Land use and zoning (12 questions)
- People and housing (14 questions)
- History and events (9 questions)
- Schools, services and getting around (17 questions)
- Weather, flooding and hazards (18 questions)
SussexCounty.ai data
As of 2026-08-09, SussexCounty.ai counts 576 tax parcels in Blades, covering 322.4 mapped acres (median parcel 0.204 acres). Source: SussexCounty.ai, Parcels by jurisdiction, compiled from Sussex County GIS parcel records. CC BY 4.0.
Local coverage
For civic coverage of Blades, see Blades on The Sussex Ledger. The Sussex Ledger is a publication of The Conscient Group LLC, which also publishes SussexCounty.ai.
Terms used in Sussex County property records
Tax map parcel number, zoning district, building permit, FEMA flood zone and realty transfer tax. See the full Sussex County glossary, official sources and weather and hazard sources.
Questions about Blades
The basics
Is Blades a town, a city or a census-designated place?
Blades is an incorporated municipality, not a census-designated place. The U.S. Census Bureau lists it as Blades town, Delaware, and Sussex County lists it among its cities and towns.
What county is Blades, Delaware in?
Blades is in Sussex County, Delaware.
What was the population of Blades in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census counted 1,179 residents in Blades (U.S. Census Bureau).
How many tax parcels are in Blades?
As of 2026-08-09, SussexCounty.ai counts 576 tax parcels in Blades (Parcels by jurisdiction).
Who issues building permits in Blades?
Sussex County issues building permits countywide, including inside municipalities, per the county building permits page. Check with the town as well for any town requirements.
Government, zoning and services
Where is Blades Town Hall?
Town Hall is at 20 West Fourth Street, Blades, DE 19973, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed 12 to 1 p.m. The phone number is (302) 629-7366. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Who handles planning and zoning in Blades?
The Planning and Zoning Commission, five members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Town Council with staggered five-year terms. It reviews amendments, conditional uses, site plans, annexations and subdivisions. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Does Blades have its own zoning code?
Blades has its own Zoning Map (PDF on the town site) and ordinances page. The Planning and Zoning page does not cite a code chapter, so confirm the text with Town Hall. Source: blades.delaware.gov, blades.delaware.gov.
When do Blades Town Council and the Planning Commission meet?
The town site does not state a regular meeting schedule on its home or Planning and Zoning pages. Agendas and minutes are posted under Government on the town site. Source: blades.delaware.gov, blades.delaware.gov.
Who provides water in Blades?
The town does. The site says: "The Town of Blades provides all residents and businesses within the corporate limits with drinking water." The page does not name a sewer or trash provider. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Does Blades have its own police department?
Yes. The town site has a Blades Police Department page at the Town Hall address, 20 West Fourth Street. Emergencies go to 911. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
History and lore
When was Blades incorporated?
The community was chartered as a Delaware town under the name Bladesville in 1910, with Henry Riggin as first mayor. It was incorporated as the Town of Blades in 1915. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
How did Blades get its name?
The town was first called Bladesville after the Blades family, who owned the land. The town history says James Blades, a railroad employee, bought a tract around 1850. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What was the toll bridge between Seaford and Blades?
In 1832 the legislature authorized a toll bridge from Seaford to the south bank of the Nanticoke River, which failed at first. Capt. Hugh Martin bought it in 1843 and it became profitable, and it became public property shortly after the Civil War. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Who was Blades' first woman mayor?
The town history says Margaret Hastings, elected in 1947, was Delaware's first woman mayor. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What industries shaped Blades?
A strawberry capping plant opened on the Nanticoke in 1919, later becoming an oyster shucking plant. A concrete burial vault plant opened in the late 1920s and ran about 50 years, and several small sewing factories also operated. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What notable events are in Blades' history?
The Blades Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1934, the Blades School was built in 1952 for $200,000, and voters approved a central water supply and Seaford sewer connection completed in February 1982. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Events, holidays and occasions
Does Blades hold town events?
The Town of Blades site listed a clean-up day on October 10, 2026, food bank giveaways, and a 100th anniversary homecoming without a date. It also has a marina events page. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Which festivals are nearest to Blades?
Seaford, next door, hosts Nanticoke Riverfest in July, the Eastern Shore AFRAM Festival in August and a Christmas parade in December. Source: visitsoutherndelaware.com.
Is Return Day a holiday in Blades?
Return Day is a Sussex County legal holiday under Delaware Code Title 1, Section 501: the second day after the General Election, after 12:00 noon. It falls on the Thursday after Election Day in even-numbered years, and in 2026 that is November 5. The main celebration is held in Georgetown. Source: delcode.delaware.gov, visitsoutherndelaware.com, dagsboro.delaware.gov.
Weather, geography and hazards
What is the climate like in Blades, Delaware?
Using NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from the Georgetown Delaware Coastal Airport station, the nearest of the stations we use, the average January low is 28.6 degrees F and the average July high is 87.7 degrees F. Annual precipitation averages 43.88 inches. The station is not inside Blades, so readings in town can differ a little, especially near the water. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.
How much snow does Blades get per year?
The Georgetown airport normals table we use for Blades does not publish snowfall. The nearest station we fetched with a 1991 to 2020 snowfall normal is the Salisbury, Maryland (Wicomico Regional Airport) station, at 8.0 inches a year. Treat that as a regional reference, not a measurement for Blades. Source: ncei.noaa.gov, ncei.noaa.gov.
Is Blades in a flood zone?
Part of Blades may sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the answer depends on the address, so we do not give a town-wide yes or no. The USGS elevation at the town's Census center point is about 22 feet. Look up a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the DNREC Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: msc.fema.gov, floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.
Is Blades in a hurricane evacuation zone?
Delaware labels hurricane evacuation zones A, B, C and D, and describes them as low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and storm surge. The state page does not list communities by zone, so we cannot say which zone Blades or a given address falls in. Use the Know Your Zone lookup tool or interactive map to check an address. Source: preparede.org, dema.delaware.gov.
What body of water is Blades on?
Blades sits on the Nanticoke River, across the river from Seaford, according to the Delaware Public Archives. The Census Gazetteer lists 0 square miles of water area within town limits. Source: archives.delaware.gov, www2.census.gov.
Schools, parks and getting around
What school district serves Blades?
Blades is in the Seaford School District. Blades Elementary School, at 900 South Arch Street in Blades, is part of the district, and Seaford Senior High School is its high school. Source: explore.education.delaware.gov, explore.education.delaware.gov, blades.delaware.gov.
What ZIP code covers Blades?
Blades uses ZIP code 19973. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Is there public transit in Blades?
DART First State Route 212 connects Blades with Delmar and Georgetown. A 2018 state release lists Route 212 as serving Bridgeville, Seaford, Blades, Laurel and Delmar. Source: news.delaware.gov, dartfirststate.com.
Is there a public library in Blades?
The Sussex County Department of Libraries location list shows no branch in Blades. Listed branches in nearby towns include Seaford District Library at 600 N. Market St. Ext. and Laurel Public Library at 101 E. 4th St.. Source: sussexcounty.lib.de.us.
What hospitals serve Blades?
TidalHealth Nanticoke, the hospital serving the area, is in neighboring Seaford at 801 Middleford Road. Source: tidalhealth.org.