The University of Delaware is located in Newark, Delaware. Newark is roughly half-way between New York City and Washington, DC and is also roughly half-way between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Baltimore. Newark is a small city with a population of 28,547 (as of the 2000 census) and an area of 23.1 square kilometers. During the summer, much of the UD population (both students and faculty) are absent from Newark making for a quite relaxed and friendly community.

The largest city in the State of Delaware is Wilmington, population 72,503 with an area of 28.1 square kilometers. As a whole, the State has a population of 783,600 and a land area of 5,068 square kilometers. Owing to the State's court system and laws, Wilmington is corporate home to a large number of the countries largest businesses. Although the northern portion of the state, where Newark and Wilmington are located, is mixed urban and suburban, much of the southern two-thirds of the state is devoted to agriculture. Delaware's agricultural output consists of poultry, nursery stock, soybeans, dairy products and corn. Its industrial outputs include chemical products, processed foods, paper products, rubber and plastic products, scientific instruments, and publishing.