[5] DART First State traces its origins back to June 30, 1864, when the Wilmington City Railroad Company began trolley service powered by horses and mules along city streets in Wilmington.

DTC operates DART First State bus service throughout the state along with contracting with SEPTA Regional Rail to provide commuter rail service along the Wilmington/Newark Line in New Castle County.

[5] In 2016, DART First State received a $2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for six battery electric buses to be used in the Dover area.

[7] The FTA gave DART First State a $2.6 million grant to purchase more electric buses in 2019.

[8] DART First State's fleet of battery electric buses are manufactured by Proterra and Gillig.

DART First State operates ten fixed route bus routes within the Dover area in Kent County serving points within Dover along with other communities in Kent County including Camden, Wyoming, Felton, Harrington, and Smyrna.

[11] DART First State operates a total of nine bus routes within Sussex County.

Seven of these routes offer year-round fixed route bus service within Sussex County, serving Georgetown, Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, Millsboro, Bridgeville, Seaford, Laurel, Delmar, and Milford.

These buses hub at the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride and Lewes Transit Center park and ride lots, offering connecting service to coastal communities along the Delaware Beaches and to Ocean City, Maryland daily from May to September.

[11][12] DART First State operates four intercounty bus routes which connect the three counties.

[11] During the summer months, an additional route connecting Wilmington with Lewes via Christiana Mall, Odessa, and North Dover runs on weekends and holidays.

DART Connect service began in the Georgetown and Millsboro areas on April 12, 2021, replacing Flex Routes 901F and 902F.

Some weekday rush-hour trains continue on to Newark station in Newark, with an intermediate stop at Churchmans Crossing station, located near the Delaware Park horse racing track and casino.

[17] Delaware Commute Solutions was formed by DART First State in 1997 in order to reduce traffic and encourage alternative transportation arrangements.

The program is supported by state and federal funds as part of Delaware's efforts to maintain air quality.

[20] A reduced fare of $0.80 per zone is available for senior citizens, Medicare card holders, and disabled persons.

[19] Until February 2021, DART First State offered a stored value card called DARTCard that could be used to pay for single-ride bus fares or a Daily Pass.

DARTCards were available in six denominations (Gold, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, and Platinum) ranging from $9.60 to $65 for regular fares along with a $14 Red DARTCard for reduced fares for senior citizens and disabled persons.