County · code 10005
Sussex CountyDelaware
Sussex County is a county in Delaware, with Georgetown as its seat, founded in 1683.
- Founded1683
- County seatGeorgetown
- Named forSussex, England
- Land area936 sq mi + 260 sq mi water
- Population237,378 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped167,635 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Sussex on the map of Delaware
Delaware has 3 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1683
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Sussex County was created in 1673 by the Dutch as Hoarkill, one of three countylike courts that became original counties in Delaware. The county was renamed Deale in 1681, then renamed Sussex in 1682 when it gained territory from Kent County. Sussex was eliminated from Pennsylvania and became part of the separate colony of Delaware on November 29, 1704.
- 1673Sussex County created After completing their re-conquest of New York in August 1673, the Dutch created Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) as one of three countylike courts that became original counties in Delaware; no inland limits were specified.from Deale· Docs. of N.Y., 12:507-508; George, Nead, and McCamant, 453-454; Reed, 22
- 1680Lost territory Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) lost to creation of St. Jones (now Kent); no inland limits specified. · Docs. of N.Y., 12:654, 664, 666-667; Reed, 12
- 1681Renamed By 15 June 1681, Hoarkill renamed Deale (now Sussex).formerly By 15 June 1681, Hoarkill· Turner, 54; Reed, 13
- 1682Renamed Deale renamed Sussex; Sussex gained from Kent.formerly Deale· Turner, 82
- 1704Independent city separated By 29 November 1704, Sussex was separated from Pennsylvania when Delaware became a distinct colony. · Penn, 4:309; Rodney, 239
Show all 14 changes
- 1673Sussex County created After completing their re-conquest of New York in August 1673, the Dutch created Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) as one of three countylike courts that became original counties in Delaware; no inland limits were specified.from Deale· Docs. of N.Y., 12:507-508; George, Nead, and McCamant, 453-454; Reed, 22
- 1674Changed In the Autumn of 1674, the Dutch returned New York and the Delaware River settlements, including Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) to the Duke of York in accordance with the Treaty of Westminster (9 February 1673/1674). By 6 November 1674 Hoarkill was made dependent on New York, although Maryland also claimed the area.Deale· Docs. of N.Y., 12:515; George, Nead, and McCamant, 454; Parry, 13:136
- 1676Changed The Duke of York's laws were extended from New York to the Delaware region; Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) was formally placed under the Duke of York's laws.Deale· Docs. of N.Y., 12:561-563; Reed, 13
- 1680Lost territory Hoarkill (later Deale, now Sussex) lost to creation of St. Jones (now Kent); no inland limits specified. · Docs. of N.Y., 12:654, 664, 666-667; Reed, 12
- 1681Renamed By 15 June 1681, Hoarkill renamed Deale (now Sussex).formerly By 15 June 1681, Hoarkill· Turner, 54; Reed, 13
- 1682Changed Deale (now Sussex) was transferred with the rest of the western Delaware Bay region from the Duke of York to William Penn. · Pa. Archives, 2d ser., 5:739-744
- 1682Changed William Penn annexed the Delaware River region to Pennsylvania. Deale (now Sussex) became part of the area known as the Territories or Lower Counties of Pennsylvania. Maryland did not abandon its claim to the Delaware region but had no control there. · Swindler, 2:191-192
- 1682Renamed Deale renamed Sussex; Sussex gained from Kent.formerly Deale· Turner, 82
- 1685Gained territory Sussex implicitly gained territory immediately north of Maryland, including part of Somerset (Maryland) when King James Ii approved the decision of the Committee for Trade and Plantations, which concluded the area of present Delaware belonged to Pennsylvania, not Maryland. The exact boundary line was not settled until 1760.from Somerset (Md.)from Ii· Lunt, 47; Report on the Resurvey, 145; Van Zandt, 81
- 1687
- 1704Independent city separated By 29 November 1704, Sussex was separated from Pennsylvania when Delaware became a distinct colony. · Penn, 4:309; Rodney, 239
- 1760Changed The proprietors of Maryland and Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties (now Delaware) agreed on the course of their common boundary. This settled the southern boundary of Sussex, although surveying problems prevented final implementation until 1769. · Lunt, 56; Report on the Resurvey, 179; Van Zandt, 81-82
- 1775Gained territory Sussex gained from Kent; boundary was completed westward to the Maryland line. · Del., Laws of the State, vol. 1, ch. 229, sec. 4/pp. 569-570
- 1776Changed The three Lower Counties, including Sussex, became an independent state. The name Delaware was formally adopted on 20 September 1776. · Declaration of Independence; Swindler, 2:197
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Sussex
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 167,635 parcels from Sussex County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Sussex County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Sussex by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Sussex County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Sussex County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Sussex County
- When was Sussex County founded?
- Sussex County was founded in 1683, and named after Sussex, England.
- What is the county seat of Sussex County?
- The county seat of Sussex County is Georgetown.
- Is there an online parcel map for Sussex County?
- Yes. Sussex County publishes a parcel map of 167,635 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Sussex County's boundary or name changed?
- Sussex County was created in 1673. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 later changes, chiefly involving Deale County, Kent County and Hoarkill County. It was formerly called By 15 June 1681, Hoarkill and Deale.
- Who issues building permits in Sussex County?
- The county's page on building permits: Utility Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Sussex County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby