Between Dover and Wilmington, the route was built as part of the cross-state DuPont Highway, which was completed in 1923 and improved transportation between northern and southern Delaware.

The portion of US 13 between Dover and Wilmington saw heavy traffic heading to the Delaware Beaches in the summer, which led to the construction of a freeway "Relief Route" parallel to US 13.

The route crosses the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on the St. Georges Bridge before it runs concurrent with the DE 1 freeway between Wrangle Hill and Tybouts Corner.

Upon leaving Wilmington, US 13 becomes a multilane divided highway called Governor Printz Boulevard and runs northeast parallel to I-495 and the Delaware River to Claymont, where it follows Philadelphia Pike to the Pennsylvania state line.

The route leaves Delmar and heads to the east of US 13 Dragway and Delaware International Speedway, running through wooded areas with some farm fields and development.

The road passes west of a park and ride lot located at a church and continues near housing subdivisions and businesses before it comes to the DE 18 junction east of Cannon.

US 13/DE 14 Truck crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad's Indian River Subdivision line at-grade, with the median widening to include businesses in it.

[3][4] Following this, US 13 runs through a mix of farms and woods, crossing Tidbury Creek, before suburban residential and commercial development increases as the highway enters the town of Camden.

The route crosses Newell Branch and heads past several businesses as it runs through the eastern edge of the town, coming to an intersection with DE 10.

The road passes near homes and commercial establishments, heading east of a park and ride lot located at a church, before reaching a junction with the northern terminus of US 13 Alt.

The route passes to the southwest of the Dover Mall and the Delaware State Police Headquarters and Museum as it continues past more businesses.

The route crosses Mill Creek to the east of Lake Como and runs through commercial areas in the eastern part of Smyrna.

The name changes to Dupont Parkway and the road passes to the west of the Smyrna Rest Area accessible from both directions before it comes to an interchange with DE 1, at which point the freeway crosses US 13.

[3][4] The route passes west of a park and pool lot and enters the town of Odessa, where the median widens to include development within it and the road curves to the northeast.

The freeway runs through farmland and passes over Norfolk Southern's Reybold Industrial Track and DE 7 without access to the west of PBF Energy's Delaware City Refinery.

The road heads northeast through farmland with some businesses, passing to the east of the Buena Vista State Conference Center, before continuing into suburban residential and commercial development.

The road loses the northbound combined right turn, bus, and bicycle lane before passing over the Jack A. Markell Trail and reaching an interchange with I-295 in Farnhurst, where US 40 splits from US 13 by heading east along I-295 toward the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Past the I-295/US 40 interchange, the highway passes east of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services' Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus and regains a northbound combined right turn, bus, and bicycle lane as it heads through more commercial areas in Minquadale.

The road curves north into industrial areas and reaches a southbound ramp providing access to DE 9 a short distance to the east.

Here, US 13 becomes concurrent with DE 9 and splits into a one-way pair following New Castle Avenue northbound and South Heald Street southbound, each carrying two lanes of traffic.

Past the bridge, the route intersects East 12th Street and continues through urban residential and business areas as a four-lane divided highway.

Here, it crosses Shellpot Creek and widens back into a divided highway, passing between a shopping center to the north and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to the south before intersecting DE 3, which provides access to I-495.

From this point, the route runs between suburban residential areas along with a few businesses to the northwest and I-495 to the southeast, with the Northeast Corridor and the Delaware River on the other side of I-495.

The route has an interchange with I-495, at which point it becomes a divided highway, before it loses the median as it enters a mix of development and empty space, passing north of the Claymont station on SEPTA's Wilmington/Newark Line that runs along the Northeast Corridor.

US 13 turns into a divided highway and crosses Naamans Creek before reaching an intersection with the eastern terminus of DE 92 south of the Robinson House.

[17] The Philadelphia Pike was designated a branch of Lincoln Highway[18] and part of the Capitol Trail[19] in the 1910s, which continued west of Wilmington to Newark and the Maryland border along the present-day DE 2 corridor.

[22] By 1912, construction was interrupted by litigation challenging both the constitutionality of the law establishing the road building corporation and the need for DuPont to acquire such a large right-of-way.

[54] Construction of the Walnut Street Extension, which included the drawbridge, approach roads, and a new bridge under the Pennsylvania Railroad, now Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, was completed in 1957.

[82][83] In December 1995, the section of DE 1 between US 13 in St. Georges and US 13 in Tybouts Corner opened, which included the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge (now called the Senator William V. Roth Jr.

Work on the project was completed on May 21, 2009, with DelDOT secretary Carolann Wicks and President of Commissioners for the Town of Bridgeville William Jefferson in attendance at a ceremony.