WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND

'Washington County' is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2000, its population was 131,923. It was the first county in the United States to be named for the Revolutionary War general (and later President) George Washington. Its county seat is Hagerstown.
This county is a part of the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan Area. The County is also one of the two counties in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area.

Contents

History

Geography

Adjacent Counties

Law and government

County Executive

Demographics

Cities and towns

Bibliography

External links

History

The western part of Maryland (including the present Washington County) was incorporated into Prince George's County in 1696. This county included six current counties, and by repeated splitting, new ones were generated. The first was Frederick from Prince George's in 1748.
Washington County was formed in 1776 by the splitting of Frederick County. At the same time, another county, Montgomery County, was also split off from Frederick County and named for another general, Richard Montgomery. Washington County as created included the areas later to become Allegany County (split off in 1789) and Garrett County (included in Allegany County when it was split off in 1789, later split from Allegany County), so included the entire westernmost part of the state of Maryland.[1]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,211 km² (468 mi²). 1,187 km² (458 mi²) of it is land and 24 km² (9 mi²) of it (2.01%) is water. Washington County is bordered to the North by the Mason-Dixon Line; to the South by the Potomac River; to the East by South Mountain; and to the West by Sideling Hill Creek.

Adjacent Counties

★ Fulton County, Pennsylvania (northwest)

★ Allegany County (west)

★ Morgan County, West Virginia (southwest)

★ Berkeley County, West Virginia (south)

★ Jefferson County, West Virginia (south)

★ Loudoun County, Virginia (southeast)

★ Frederick County (east)

★ Franklin County, Pennsylvania (northeast)

Law and government

Washington County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland.

County Executive

The county commissioners exercise such executive powers as exist in the government of the county.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 131,923 people, 49,726 households, and 34,112 families residing in the county. The population density was 111/km² (288/mi²). There were 52,972 housing units at an average density of 45/km² (116/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.71% White or Caucasian, 7.77% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.46% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.1% were of German, 21.4% American, 8.8% Irish and 8.4% English ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 49,726 households out of which 31.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.00% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.40% were non-families. 26.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 31.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 104.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,617, and the median income for a family was $48,962. Males had a median income of $34,917 versus $24,524 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,062. About 7.00% of families and 9.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

★ 1 City:

★ #Hagerstown (incorporated 1813)

★ 8 Towns:

★ #Boonsboro

★ #Clear Spring

★ #Funkstown

★ #Hancock

★ #Keedysville

★ #Sharpsburg

★ #Smithsburg

★ #Williamsport
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:
#Cavetown
#Chewsville
#Fort Ritchie
#Fountainhead-Orchard Hills (a combination of the communities of Fountainhead and Orchard Hills recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
#Halfway
#Highfield-Cascade (a combination of the communities of Highfield and Cascade recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
#Leitersburg
#Maugansville
#Mount Aetna
#Mount Lena
#Paramount-Long Meadow (a combination of the communities of Paramount and Long Meadow recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
#Robinwood
#Rohrersville
#Saint James
#San Mar
#Wilson-Conococheague (a combination of the communities of Wilson and Conococheague recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
Other unincorporated areas not listed as CDP's include:
Fairplay, and Van Lear

Bibliography

★ Hein, David, ed. ''A Student's View of the College of St. James on the Eve of the Civil War: The Letters of W. Wilkins Davis''. Studies in American Religion. Lewiston, N.Y.: Mellen, 1988.

External links

★ Washington County government

★ Washington County Free Library