The portion of DE 16 west of DE 1 serves as part of a route connecting the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area to the Delaware Beaches. DE 16 also serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from Broadkill Beach and the Delaware Beaches to points inland. The section of the route between DE 30 near Milton and Broadkill Beach is designated as part of the Delaware Bayshore Byway, a Delaware Byway and National Scenic Byway. DE 16 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 9,681 vehicles at the eastern edge of Greenwood to a low of 2,196 vehicles at west end of the DE 36 concurrency.
