Dover is the capital of Delaware and the state's second-largest city by population, after Wilmington. Located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware River coastal plain, it also serves as the county seat of Kent County and is the principal city of the Dover metropolitan statistical area. The city was named by William Penn after Dover in Kent, England. As of 2024, Dover had an estimated population of 40,191.
Dover functions as the administrative center of Delaware and is part of the broader Philadelphia metropolitan area. Its position on the St. Jones River has historically influenced its development and character as a regional hub.