A large family of explicit exact solutions to both Korteweg- de Vries and modified Korteweg- de Vries equations are determined by the implementation of the new extended direct algebraic method. The procedure starts by reducing both equations to related ODEs by compatible travelling wave transforms. The balance between the highest degree nonlinear and highest order derivative terms gives the degree of the finite series. Substitution of the assumed solution and some algebra results in a system of equations are found. The relation between the parameters is determined by solving this system. The solutions of travelling wave forms determined by the application of the approach are represented in explicit functions of some generalized trigonometric and hyperbolic functions and exponential function. Some more solutions with different characteristics are also found.