On December 7, 1787 Delaware became the first of the original 13 states to ratify the United States Constitution and from this proud event the state derived its nickname, the "First State." The second smallest state behind only Rhode Island, Delaware is a mere 96 miles long and ranges from 9 to 35 miles across. The official state bird is the Blue Hen Chicken, a fierce bird carried by Delaware’s Revolutionary War soldiers for cockfighting. The name was also taken by the University of Delaware sports teams, the “Fightin’ Blue Hens.”
With one of the few remaining Courts of Chancery in America and a Supreme Court known worldwide for its inclination toward granting broad discretionary powers to corporate boards of directors, Delaware is considered to have the most business-friendly legal system in the United States. Not coincidentally, fully 60% of firms listed on the New York Stock Exchange are incorporated in Delaware.
Roads
Interstate 95: From its beginning at the Canadian border in Houlton, Maine to its terminus in Miami, Florida, I-95 travels 1,907 miles down America’s east coast. The 26 miles of I-95 that pass through Delaware include the state’s largest city, Wilmington.
U.S. Highway 13: US-13 is also known as the Dupont Highway. It has the distinction of being the longest signed highway in Delaware travelling from Wilmington to the Maryland border.