Sister Cities of Wilmington, Inc. had its beginnings in 1963 on the occasion of the 325th Anniversary of the Swedish landing in Wilmington on the Kalmar Nyckel.  At the celebration, a delegation from the City Council of Kalmar, Sweden requested that a sister cities relations be established between the two cities.  Following, a series of formal and informal visitor exchanges, Sister Cities of Wilmington was organized as a nonprofit corporation in 1972, affiliating at the time with the national Sister Cities International Program in Washington, D.C.

Subsequent informal twinning included San Juan, Guatemala, in order to funnel relief dollars, tools, and medical supplies to the community after the devastating earthquake of 1975; Arad, Israel, the “chemical Capital of Israel,” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the State of Israel in 1973; and a formal Sister Cities relationship with Watford, England in 1987. Later, formal Sister City relationships were established with Watford, England; Fulda, Germany and Osogbo, Nigeria

Sister Cities of Wilmington espouses the goals of the national organization as set forth by founder President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956:  “Two deeply held convictions unite us in common purpose.  First, is our belief in effective, responsive local government as a principal bulwark of freedom. Second, is our faith in the great promise of Sister City affiliations in helping build the solid structure of word peace.