Howard County, Maryland

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Howard County, Maryland
Seal of Howard County, Maryland
Map
Map of Maryland highlighting Howard County
Location in the state of Maryland
Map of the USA highlighting Maryland
Maryland's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded 1838
Seat Ellicott City
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
254 sq mi (658 km²)
252 sq mi (653 km²)
2 sq mi (5 km²), 0.60%
Population
 - (2005)
 - Density
269,457
984/sq mi (380/km²)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website: www.co.ho.md.us

Howard County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.. It is considered part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.

Howard County, Maryland is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. In 2006 it was ranked the third wealthiest county in the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau. The main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City was named 4th amongst Money Magazine's "America's Best Places to Live." Also, Howard County's schools frequently rank first in Maryland as measured by standardized test scores and graduation rates. [1][2]

The county was named for John Eager Howard, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and later the fifth Governor of Maryland[3]. In 2000, its population was 247,842. Its county seat is Ellicott City. The center of population of Maryland is located on the county line between Howard County and Anne Arundel County, in the unincorporated town of Jessup [1].

Due to the proximity of Howard County's population centers to Baltimore, the county has traditionally been considered a part of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Recent development in the south of the county has led to some realignment towards the Washington, D.C. media and employment markets. The county is also home to Columbia, Maryland a major planned community of 100,000 first developed by James Rouse in 1967. At first considered unreasonably utopian, Columbia recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and is now considered to be the first and most successful community of its kind.

Contents

Howard District was formed in 1838 by the splitting of Anne Arundel . It had the same status as a county except for not being represented in the Maryland General Assembly. In 1851, it became an official county.

Current and Past County Executives:


Name Affiliation Term
  Omar J. Jones Republican 1969 - 1973
  Edward L. Cochran Republican 1974 - 1978
  J. Hugh Nichols Democrat 1978 - 1986
  William E. Eakle Democrat 1986 - 1986
  Elizabeth Bobo Democrat 1986 - 1990
  Charles I. Ecker Republican 1990 - 1998
  James N. Robey Democrat 1998 – 2006
  Kenneth Ulman Democrat 2006 –


The current members of the County Council are:

Position Name Affiliation District
  Chairman Courtney Watson Democrat 1
  Member Calvin Ball Democrat 2
  Member Jen Terrasa Democrat 3
  Vice-Chairman Mary Kay Sigaty Democrat 4
  Member Gregory Fox Republican 5

Howard County is located in the Maryland Piedmont region, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. Its largest community is Columbia (though, in fact, this is not an incorporated city under Maryland law; in fact, Howard County has no incorporated municipalities). The northern portion of Howard County is part of the suburban region around Baltimore; the southern is more oriented toward Washington, D.C. The county is approximately the area where the two cities' suburbs overlap. Howard County is also the only "Maryland-locked" county in the state -- it is the only county not bordering the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, another state, the Potomac River, or Washington, D.C.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 657 km² (254 sq mi). 653 km² (252 sq mi) of it is land and 4 km² (2 sq mi) of it (0.60%) is water.

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2007)

Howard County lies in the transition between the Humid subtropical climate zone and the Humid continental climate zone. The easternmost tip of the county has a true subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and cool, rainy winters. As one travels west in the county away from the Baltimore area, the winter temperatures get lower and snow is more common. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches throughout the county.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 247,842 people, 90,043 households, and 65,821 families residing in the county. The population density was 380/km² (983/sq mi). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 142/km² (368/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 74.33% White, 14.42% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 7.68% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.1% were of German, 11.0% Irish, 9.3% English, 6.6% Italian and 5.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 90,043 households out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $74,167, and the median income for a family was $85,422. Males had a median income of $57,959 versus $40,412 for females. The per capita income for the county was $32,402. About 2.50% of families and 3.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.80% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

The following is a population history for Howard County[2]. The ranking compares the population of Howard County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

  • 1900.......16,715......22nd (Calvert and Caroline fewer)
  • 1910.......16,106......23rd (Calvert fewer)
  • 1920.......15,826......22nd (Calvert and Kent fewer)
  • 1930.......16,169......19th (Calvert, Charles, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's fewer)
  • 1940.......17,175......20th (Calvert, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's fewer)
  • 1950.......23,119......18th (Calvert, Caroline, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot fewer)
  • 1960.......36,152......14th (Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Worcester fewer)
  • 1970.......61,911......11th (Howard passing Cecil, St. Mary's, Wicomico in population)
  • 1980......118,572......7th (after only Anne Arundel, Balt. Cty and City, Harford, Montgomery, Prince George's)
  • 1990......187,328......6th (passing Harford)
  • 2000......247,842......6th
  • 2004......266,738......6th

Howard County Public Schools system manages 71 schools and serves approximately 49,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district is an above average 92%. One of the primary measures of excellence in Howard County living is the quality of its public school system. Howard County's schools, which serve nearly 50,000 students, are ranked among the best in the state. Student test scores consistently top the list for all Maryland school districts. Public school construction has kept pace with the county’s growth in recent years to safeguard against crowded classrooms. Reservoir High School is currently the largest school in the county with 1,500 students.

Howard County has no incorporated municipalities.

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

  1. Columbia
  2. Elkridge
  3. Ellicott City
  4. Jessup (This CDP is shared between Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.)
  5. North Laurel
  6. Savage-Guilford (a combination of the communities of Savage and Guilford recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)

Other entities, such as the United States Postal Service, use a different selection of local place names. In all these cases, since the places are unincorporated, the boundaries are determined by the classifying authority. Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:

  1. Clarksville
  2. Cooksville
  3. Daniels
  4. Dayton
  5. Dorsey
  6. Fulton
  7. Glenelg
  8. Glenwood
  9. Granite
  10. Hanover (a portion is also in Anne Arundel County)
  11. Henryton (a portion is also in Carroll County)
  12. Highland
  13. Ilchester
  14. Lisbon
  15. Marriottsville
  16. Scaggsville
  17. Simpsonville
  18. West Friendship
  19. Woodbine
  20. Woodstock (a portion is also in Carroll County)

  • Howard County is often referred to as 'HoCo' by young people hailing from the area.
  • Several of the 9/11 terrorists stayed at a low-priced motel (North Laurel's Motel Valencia) in Howard County immediately before carrying out their attacks.
  • Howard County is the home of the largest ice cream plant in the United States, a 700,000-square-foot Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream facility, owned by Nestlé.
  • 95 percent of Howard County residents hold library cards.
  • Howard County's slogan is: Think smart. Choose Smart. Win smart.

  1. ^ ttp://www.visithowardcounty.com/press/index.html
  2. ^ http://www.jhuapl.edu/employment/environment/howardcounty.asp
  3. ^ http://www.visithowardcounty.com/history/

Coordinates: 39°15′N 76°56′W / 39.25, -76.93

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Municipalities and communities of
Howard County, Maryland
County seat: Ellicott City
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