The route passes through rural areas of western Kent County before heading through Delaware's capital city, Dover, on Forrest Avenue and Division Street.

From the state line, the route heads southeast on two-lane undivided Halltown Road, passing a few homes and businesses.

The road heads between businesses to the north and residential neighborhoods to the south, widening to four lanes.

[3][4] DE 8 intersects US 13 in a commercial area and continues through the residential eastern part of Dover as a two-lane road.

After this interchange, the road leaves Dover and continues east through open agricultural areas, crossing the Little River.

[2] On September 5, 2002, a partial interchange opened at the DE 1 toll road in Dover, utilizing existing emergency vehicle ramps.

[11][12] This interchange was included in the initial plans for the highway but was dropped due to low traffic volumes.

[12] In 2012, the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance pushed for the city of Dover to rename the Division Street portion of DE 8 to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard after civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.