Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 17,593 at the 2000 census. Originally a small crossroads in a rural area, About 14 miles south of Wilmington, the area supported small farms growing mainly corn and cattle. In the late 1980s and 1990s Bear became a popular location for the construction of sprawling housing developments and shopping centers along U.S. Route 40. Much of Bear runs along U.S. Route 40, and extends to approximately Delaware Route 896. U.S. Route Bear is not an incorporated municipality or strictly delineated area in the county, but instead a general reference to the collection of communities in the US ZIP codes 19701-19702.