Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. The population was 2,932 at the 2000 census.
    Lewes Delaware was The first European settlement in Delaware, a trading post founded by Dutch settlers in 1631, was named Zwaanendael (or Swaanendael, meaning "swan valley") and was located on the site of present-day Lewes.
    Since Lewes Delaware was founded earliest of any town in what is now Delaware, and since Delaware was the first of the original 13 states to ratify the U.S. constitution, Lewes proudly refers to itself as "The First Town in the First State."
    Lewes, together with the towns of Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island, Delaware comprises Delaware's beach resort area and is Sussex County's most densely-populated and fastest-growing area.