<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> This schedule contains summary financial information extracted from the Balance Sheet, Income Statement and Statement of Cash Flows of Chesapeake Utilities Corporation and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements. </LEGEND> <PERIOD-TYPE> 3-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1997 <PERIOD-END> MAR-31-1997 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 75314310 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 22794296 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 19980502 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 12510658 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 130599766 <COMMON> 2167047 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 18961990 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 29164113 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 50003027 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 28907000 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 12000000 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 784868 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 15452684 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 130599766 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 43645586 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 2272543 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 37272946 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 39545489 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 4100097 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 65164 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 4165261 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 799148 <NET-INCOME> 3366113 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 3366113 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 962888 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 2374102 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 7531133 <EPS-PRIMARY> .75 <EPS-DILUTED> .72