Delaware Route 404 (DE 404) is a major state highway in Sussex County, Delaware that spans the east-west width of the state. DE 404's western terminus is at the Maryland border northwest of Bridgeville, where the road continues into that state as Maryland Route 404 (MD 404), and its eastern terminus is at the Five Points intersection with U.S. Route 9 (US 9), DE 1, and US 9 Business (US 9 Bus.) in Nassau. The route passes through rural areas as well as the towns of Bridgeville and Georgetown. DE 404 runs concurrent with DE 18 from east of Bridgeville to Georgetown and with US 9 from Georgetown to Five Points. DE 404 has a business route, DE 404 Bus., that passes through Bridgeville and a truck route, DE 404 Truck, that bypasses Georgetown. DE 404, along with MD 404, serves as a major route connecting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area with the Delaware Beaches.
DE 404 was first designated by 1936 to run from the Maryland border to DE 18 southeast of Bridgeville. The route was extended east to Five Points by 1987. By 1999, DE 404 was realigned to bypass Bridgeville, with DE 404 Bus. designated on the former route through the town. The new alignment of DE 404 around Bridgeville replaced DE 404 Alternate (DE 404 Alt.), which was designated by 1990.
Route description
DE 404 begins at the Maryland border, where the road continues northwest into that state as MD 404. From the state line, the route heads southeast on two-lane undivided Seashore Highway, passing through a mix of farmland and woodland with some homes and businesses. DE 404 intersects Adamsville Road in the community of Adams Crossroads before it crosses the Marshyhope Creek. In the community of Scotts Corner, the road comes to a junction with the western terminus of DE 36. DE 404 continues through more rural areas and has an intersection with Dublin Hill Road. The route briefly becomes a divided highway before it turns northeast onto two-lane undivided Newton Road, with DE 404 Bus. continuing southeast along Seashore Highway toward the town of Bridgeville. From here, DE 404 heads through agricultural areas to the north of Bridgeville, curving east and crossing the Delmarva Central Railroad's Delmarva Subdivision line at-grade.
The route comes to an intersection with US 13 and turns south to form a concurrency with that route on Sussex Highway, a four-lane divided highway. A short distance later, US 13 Bus. splits off at an eastbound right-in/right-out intersection to head southwest into Bridgeville. The road crosses Redden Road and continues through farmland with some businesses to the east of Bridgeville. Upon reaching an intersection with US 13 Bus./DE 404 Bus., DE 404 splits from US 13 by heading southeast onto four-lane divided Seashore Highway. The road passes a few businesses before becoming two lanes and undivided as it continues through agricultural areas, coming to an intersection with DE 18.
At this point, DE 18 heads east concurrent with DE 404 along Seashore Highway through a mix of farmland and woodland with some residences and businesses. The road crosses the Nanticoke River and passes through tracts of the Redden State Forest, heading across Gravelly Branch to the south of Collins Pond and crossing Deep Creek further east. DE 18/DE 404 enters the town of Georgetown and becomes Bridgeville Road, running to the north of the Jack F. Owens Campus of Delaware Technical Community College. The road intersects US 113 and the western terminus of DE 404 Truck in a commercial area and continues east. The two routes head southeast onto North Bedford Street, passing homes and businesses. The road intersects US 9 at a traffic circle called The Circle in the center of Georgetown, where the Sussex County Courthouse is located. Here, DE 18 reaches its eastern terminus.