DE 16 begins at the Maryland border in Hickman, Kent County, where the road continues west into that state as MD 16. From the state line, the route heads east on two-lane undivided Hickman Road, passing through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes. The road crosses Marshyhope Creek in the community of Adamsville and heads into Sussex County, curving to the southeast. DE 16 comes to an intersection with DE 36, at which point it turns east to form a concurrency with that route. The road enters the town of Greenwood and becomes Market Street, passing several homes along with a few businesses. The highway crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line at-grade before it intersects US 13 on the eastern edge of Greenwood. Past this intersection, DE 16/DE 36 leaves Greenwood and becomes Beach Highway, crossing the Nanticoke River. In Saint Johnstown, the road becomes a divided highway and DE 36 splits from DE 16 by heading to the northeast on Shawnee Road. DE 16 soon becomes undivided again and continues east through agricultural areas and woods with some residences. Farther east, the road passes through Oakley and crosses Gum Branch. The route comes to an intersection with US 113, where the name changes to Milton Ellendale Highway, and enters the town of Ellendale, where it becomes Main Street. In Ellendale, DE 16 runs past several homes, crossing the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision line at-grade. The road leaves the town and becomes Milton Ellendale Highway again, turning southeast. The route heads through woodland and farms, running immediately to the north of the Delmarva Central Railroad's Milton Industrial Track line. DE 16 turns east away from the railroad tracks and comes to an intersection with DE 30. At this point, DE 5 Alternate, which runs south along DE 30, heads east along with DE 16. The road reaches the town of Milton, where it passes homes and businesses. DE 16 comes to an intersection with DE 5, where DE 5 Alt. ends and the road name changes to Broadkill Road. The route leaves Milton and continues into farmland with a few residences, turning to the northeast. The road intersects DE 1 and runs through a mix of farms and woods with some homes. DE 16 turns east and northeast through marshland within the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge before crossing Broadkill Sound and reaching the community of Broadkill Beach. Here, the route intersects Bay Shore Drive before ending at a dead end on the Delaware Bay. The portion of DE 16 west of DE 1 serves as part of a route connecting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area to the Delaware Beaches. DE 16 also serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from Broadkill Beach and the Delaware Beaches to points inland. The section of the route between DE 30 near Milton and Broadkill Beach is designated as part of the Delaware's Bayshore Byway, a Delaware Byway. DE 16 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 9,681 vehicles at the eastern edge of Greenwood to a low of 2,196 vehicles at west end of the DE 36 concurrency. None of DE 16 is part of the National Highway System.
History
What is now DE 16 originally existed as a county road by 1920. By 1924, the section of road in Greenwood was constructed as a state highway. A year later, the route between the Dupont Highway and Ellendale became a state highway. In 1929, the road was completed as a state highway between Ellendale and Milton. A year later, the state highway was built between Owens and Ellendale. The entire road west of Milton was finished as a state highway by 1931. By 1936, DE 16 was designated to run from the Maryland border to Broadkill Beach along its current alignment. The portion of route east of DE 14 was paved by 1942.
