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Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland.

As of 2000, the population was 489,656. The estimated population for 2003 was 506,620. It was named for Anne Arundell, a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state. It is pronounced (emphasis on the second syllable), different from the pronunciation of Arundel in Sussex in England as (emphasis on the first syllable). Speakers of Baltimorese and its variants in the County pronounce it "Annie Runnel".

This county is a part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.

History

The County was named for Anne Arundell, the daughter of Thomas Arundell, 1st Baron Arundell of Wardour, members of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England. She married Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore in 1627 or 1628. Anne Arundel County was an original county in Maryland, created in 1650, the year after Anne Arundell's death. The Howard District was originally part of the original Anne Arundel County. In 1851, it was broken off and made into Howard County, Maryland, the 21st of 23 Maryland counties.

Geography

Anne Arundel County is located to the southeast of the city of Baltimore. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,523 km² (588 mi²). 1,077 km² (416 mi²) of it is land and 445 km² (172 mi²) of it (29.25%) is water. It is located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

Adjacent Counties

Government

Anne Arundel County has had a charter government since 1965. The government consists of a County Executive and a seven-member County Council. The County Executive and Councilmen are elected in years it gubernatorial elections, and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

County Executives

The County Executive, oversees the executive branch of the County government that consists of a number of offices and departments. The executive branch is charged with implementing County law and overseeing the operation of the County government. The next election is in 2006.

2006 Anne Arundel County Executive Election

NamePartyTerm
Joseph W. AltonRepublican1965-1974
Robert A. PascalRepublican1974-1982
O. James LighthizerDemocrat1982-1990
Robert R. NeallRepublican1990-1994
John G. GaryRepublican1994-1998
Janet S. OwensDemocrat1998-2006

County Council

The County Council, as the legislative branch, adopts ordinances and resolutions, and has all of the County's legislative powers.

The current members of the County Council are:

DistrictNameParty
District 1Pamela G. BeidleDemocrat
District 2C. Edward MiddlebrooksRepublican
District 3Ronald C. Dillon, Jr.Republican
District 4Bill D. BurlisonDemocrat
District 5Cathleen VitaleRepublican
District 6Barbara SamorajczykDemocrat
District 7Edward R. ReillyRepublican

Councilman Reilly is the current Chairman. Councilman Vitale is the current Vice-Chairman.

Transportation

Anne Arundel county is the home of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, commonly referred to as BWI. BWI serves as the main airport for greater Baltimore. It is also an increasingly popular alternative airport to residents of the Washington, D.C., area. BWI is an east coast hub for Southwest Airlines, meaning that low-cost direct flights are available between BWI and much of the country.

The southern portion of the Maryland Transit Administration's Light Rail system, connecting downtown Baltimore with BWI, runs through part of Anne Arundel county.

The county also has multiple stops on the MARC commuter rail service, including a stop at BWI Rail station, located near the airport. Amtrak trains also stop at BWI's train station.

The county is served by one main-line interstate, Interstate 97, which is the only main-line interstate highway contained completely within one county. Interstate 695 is the McKeldin Beltway (formerly the Baltimore Beltway), and runs through the northern part of the county. Interstate 895 is the Harbor Tunnel Thruway and runs through the county towards the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Interstate 195 serves BWI Airport, while Maryland State Highway 100 runs east-west through the northern part of the county.

Interstate 595 also runs through central Anne Arundel County. This highway however is not signed. It is referred to by its more common names, US 50 and U.S. Route 301.

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge crosses the Chesapeake Bay from the county; it connects the western shore with the Eastern Shore in Queen Anne's County.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 489,656 people, 178,670 households, and 129,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 455/km² (1,177/mi²). There were 186,937 housing units at an average density of 174/km² (449/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.24% White, 13.57% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. 2.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 178,670 households out of which 34.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 11.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the county the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 99.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $61,768, and the median income for a family was $69,019. Males had a median income of $43,747 versus $32,348 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,578. About 3.60% of families and 5.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.30% of those under age 18 and 5.80% of those age 65 or over.

Anne Arundel County's Population History from the U.S. Census Bureau

The following is a population history of Anne Arundel County*. T he ranking compares the population of Anne Arundel County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.

  • 1900.......39,620......6th (after Allegany, Balt. Cty and City, Frederick, Washington)
  • 1910.......39,553......6th
  • 1920.......43,408......6th
  • 1930.......55,167......6th (Frederick fewer, Prince George's more)
  • 1940.......68,375......7th (Montgomery more)
  • 1950......117,392......5th (Allegany and Washington fewer, now only Balt. Cty and City, Montgomery and Prince George's more)
  • 1960......206,634......5th
  • 1970......297,539......5th
  • 1980......370,775......5th
  • 1990......427,239......5th
  • 2000......489,656......5th
  • 2004......508,572......5th

Cities and towns

Anne Arundel County contains only two incorporated municipalities: the city of Annapolis, incorporated in 1708, and the town of Highland Beach, incorporated 1922.

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. Arden-on-the-Severn
  2. Arnold
  3. Brooklyn Park
  4. Cape Saint Claire
  5. Crofton
  6. Crownsville
  7. Deale
  8. Ferndale
  9. Fort Meade
  10. Glen Burnie
  11. Green Haven
  12. Herald Harbor
  13. Hillsmere Shores
  14. Jessup (This CDP is shared between Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.)
  15. Lake Shore
  16. Linthicum
  17. Londontowne
  18. Maryland City
  19. Mayo (also known as Edgewater)
  20. Millersville
  21. Naval Academy
  22. Odenton
  23. Parole
  24. Pasadena
  25. Pumphrey
  26. Riva
  27. Riviera Beach
  28. Selby-on-the-Bay
  29. Severn
  30. Severna Park
  31. Shady Side
  32. South Gate

Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:

  1. Beverly Beach
  2. Churchton
  3. Davidsonville
  4. Fairhaven
  5. Friendship
  6. Gambrills
  7. Galesville
  8. Gibson Island
  9. Hanover (a portion is also in Howard County)
  10. Harmans
  11. Harwood
  12. Linthicum Heights
  13. Lothian
  14. Russett
  15. Tracy's Landing
  16. West River

Other areas or neighborhoods include:

  1. Germantown
  2. Harundale
  3. Jacobsville
  4. Owensville
  5. Riverdale
  6. Sherwood Forest
  7. Sudley
  8. Winchester-on-the-Severn
  9. Woodland Beach

Miscellaneous

Education

External links

Maryland counties | Anne Arundel County, Maryland | 1650 establishments

Condado de Anne Arundel (Maryland) | Condado de Anne Arundel

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Anne Arundel County, Maryland".

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