Bear, DE: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Bear? It is an unincorporated community or census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, with an estimated 20,850 people according to our dataset. It lies at 39.619°N, 75.680°W in Eastern time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Bear, DE?

What is the population of Bear, DE?

Bear has an estimated population of 20,850. That makes it the 7th largest of 77 places in Delaware, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the 4th largest of 25 places in New Castle County. The typical place in Delaware has about 2,314 residents, so Bear is roughly 9.0 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Delaware with a similar population include Milford (22,102), Ocean View (14,360), Glasgow (14,359), Brookside (13,396), Hockessin (13,157). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Bear differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Bear?

Bear has about 3,649 people per square mile (1,409 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Delaware, it is denser than about 88% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Bear use?

Bear uses 2 ZIP codes: 19701, 19702. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 1 are assigned to the Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Bear in?

Bear is in the Eastern time zone, which is UTC−5 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/New_York). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Fairfield Glade, TN, about 560 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Eastern time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Bear located in Delaware?

Bear lies in the northwestern part of Delaware, at 39.619° north latitude and 75.680° west longitude. The state capital, Dover, is about 33 miles to the south. The closest listed place in another state is Elkton, MD, roughly 8 miles to the west, which shows how near Bear is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Dover, DE, 33 miles to the south.

Which cities are near Bear, DE?

The closest listed place to Bear is Glasgow, DE, 3.8 miles to the west. Of the eight nearest places below, 7 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Bear in?

Bear is in New Castle County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 10003. The county contains 25 places in our data, 15 of which have their own page here and 10 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Wilmington (70,166), Middletown (35,695), Newark (33,515), Glasgow (14,359), Brookside (13,396). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Bear from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Bear is closest to New York, NY at about 119 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 2,370 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Bear?

No. In our data, Bear in New Castle County, Delaware is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Planning a move to Bear?

If you are weighing Bear, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.