New Castle Vacations, New Castle Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

New Castle Vacation Guide

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles (10 km) south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River, at the head of Delaware Bay. New Castle was the colonial captial of Delaware until it was relocated to Dover in 1777. New Castle continued to serve as the county seat until 1881, when it was moved to Wilmington. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,836.

New Castle was originally settled by the Dutch in 1651 as Fort Casimir. In 1654, the Swedes caputred Fort Casimir, and the Dutch retook the town a year after that, renaming it New Amstel. The British routed the Dutch in 1664 and changed the name to New Castle. In 1680 it was conveyed to William Penn by the Duke of York and was Penn's landing place when he first set foot on American soil in 1682. The historic courthouse in New Castle shows the town's history, as the flags of four nations have flown on it.