UNITED STATES SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 13F Form 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended March 31, 2009 Check here if Amendment [ ]; Amendment Number: This amendment (Check only one.) : [ ] is a restatement [ ] adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: The Adams Express Company Address: 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1140 Baltimore, MD 21202 Form 13F File Number: 28-597 The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists,and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Christine M. Sloan Title: Assistant Treasurer Phone: (410) 752-5900 Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: /s/ Christine M. Sloan Baltimore, MD April 21, 2009 [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.): [X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.) [ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager (s).) Form 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 0 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 72 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $690,478 (in thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name (s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. NONE COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CLASS CUSIP VALUE IN SHARES/PRN SH/ PUT/ INVESTM OTHER VOTINGAUTHORITY 000's AMOUNT PRN CALL DISCRETN MANAGER SOLE SHARED NONE 3M COMPANY COM 88579Y101 7,955 160,000 SH SOLE 160,000 ABBOTT LABS COM 002824100 15,264 320,000 SH SOLE 320,000 AT&T CORP COM 00206R102 10,080 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 ATMOS ENERGY CORP. COM 049560105 2,853 123,400 SH SOLE 123,400 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSIN COM 053015103 10,548 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 AVON PRODUCTS COM 054303102 8,365 435,000 SH SOLE 435,000 BANK OF AMERICA COM 060505104 6,036 885,000 SH SOLE 885,000 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON COM 064058100 11,407 403,775 SH SOLE 403,775 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB COM 110122108 7,562 345,000 SH SOLE 345,000 BROADCOM CORP COM 111320107 7,992 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 BUNGE LTD. COM G16962105 9,064 160,000 SH SOLE 160,000 CHEVRON CORP. COM 166764100 10,086 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 CINTAS CORP. COM 172908105 7,416 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 CISCO SYSTEMS COM 17275R102 14,255 850,000 SH SOLE 850,000 COCA-COLA CO. COM 191216100 13,185 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 CONOCOPHILLIPS COM 20825C104 5,874 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 CONSOL ENERGY INC. COM 20854P109 5,048 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CORNING INC COM 219350105 6,635 500,000 SH SOLE 500,000 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORP COM 231561101 10,098 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 CVS/CAREMARK CORPORATION COM 126650100 7,835 285,000 SH SOLE 285,000 DEAN FOODS COM 242370104 6,147 340,000 SH SOLE 340,000 DEL MONTE FOODS COM 24522P103 9,477 1,300,000 SH SOLE 1,300,000 DELL INC. COM 24702R101 5,546 585,000 SH SOLE 585,000 DUPONT EI DE NEMOURS COM 263534109 10,272 460,000 SH SOLE 460,000 EMERSON ELECTRIC COM 291011104 8,574 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 EXXON MOBIL CORP. COM 30231G102 14,642 215,000 SH SOLE 215,000 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. COM 369604103 15,044 1,488,000 SH SOLE 1,488,000 GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP, INC COM 38141G104 6,361 60,000 SH SOLE 60,000 HALLIBURTON CO. COM 406216101 4,641 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 HANSEN NATURAL CORP. COM 411310105 13,500 375,000 SH SOLE 375,000 HARSCO CORP. COM 415864107 6,873 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 HOSPIRA INC. COM 441060100 9,258 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS COM 452308109 7,713 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 INTEL CORP COM 458140100 12,642 840,000 SH SOLE 840,000 JOHNSON & JOHNSON COM 478160104 13,413 255,000 SH SOLE 255,000 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. COM 46625H100 3,323 125,000 SH SOLE 125,000 LOWE'S COS INC. COM 548661107 10,950 600,000 SH SOLE 600,000 MASCO CORP COM 574599106 3,141 450,000 SH SOLE 450,000 MCDONALD'S CORP COM 580135101 13,643 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 MDU RESOURCES GROUP, INC COM 552690109 9,079 562,500 SH SOLE 562,500 MEDTRONIC INC. COM 585055106 9,136 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 MICROSOFT CORP COM 594918104 21,677 1,180,000 SH SOLE 1,180,000 NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. COM 651229106 2,552 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 NORTHEAST UTILITIES COM 664397106 7,557 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 NORTHWEST NATURAL GAS CO COM 667655104 8,684 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 ORACLE CORP COM 68389X105 19,877 1,100,000 SH SOLE 1,100,000 OSHKOSH CORPORATION COM 688239201 2,224 330,000 SH SOLE 330,000 PEPSI CO. INC. COM 713448108 18,533 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 PETROLEUM & RESOURCES CO COM 716549100 40,018 2,186,774 SH SOLE 2,186,774 PFIZER INC COM 717081103 15,254 1,120,000 SH SOLE 1,120,000 PNC FINANCIAL SERVICES G COM 693475105 5,858 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY COM 742718109 14,833 315,000 SH SOLE 315,000 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL INC COM 744320102 5,896 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 RYLAND GROUP INC. COM 783764103 5,723 343,500 SH SOLE 343,500 SAFEWAY, INC COM 786514208 7,874 390,000 SH SOLE 390,000 SCHLUMBERGER LTD COM 806857108 4,265 105,000 SH SOLE 105,000 SENOMYX INC. COM 81724Q107 1,565 984,400 SH SOLE 984,400 SPECTRA ENERGY CORP. COM 847560109 4,324 305,780 SH SOLE 305,780 SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS HOLDI COM 848574109 7,178 720,000 SH SOLE 720,000 STATE STREET CORP. COM 857477103 7,079 230,000 SH SOLE 230,000 TARGET CORP. COM 87612E106 11,005 320,000 SH SOLE 320,000 TATA MOTORS LTD. ADR SPONSORED ADR 876568502 4,930 1,000,000 SH SOLE 1,000,000 TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL INDU ADR 881624209 16,669 370,000 SH SOLE 370,000 TRANSOCEAN LTD REG SHS H8817H100 9,414 160,000 SH SOLE 160,000 UNILEVER PLC ADR SPON ADR NEW 904767704 15,144 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES COM 913017109 12,894 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 VISA INC. COM CL A 92826C839 10,564 190,000 SH SOLE 190,000 WALT DISNEY CO. COM 254687106 8,717 480,000 SH SOLE 480,000 WELLS FARGO COMPANY COM 949746101 6,051 425,000 SH SOLE 425,000 WGL HOLDINGS INC. COM 92924F106 3,725 113,600 SH SOLE 113,600 WYETH COMPANY COM 983024100 13,987 325,000 SH SOLE 325,000 ZIMMER HLDGS INC. COM 98956P102 5,474 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 690,478