Howard County, Maryland

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

The county was named for John Eager Howard, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and Governor of Maryland. As of 2000, the population was 247,842. Its county seat is Ellicott City.

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

History

Howard District was formed in 1838 by the splitting of Anne Arundel County. 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.

Law and government

Howard County was granted a charter form of government in 1968.

Geography

Howard County's largest community is Columbia (though, in fact, this in 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, or Washington, D.C.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 657 km² (254 mi²). 653 km² (252 mi²) of it is land and 4 km² (2 mi²) of it (0.60%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

Demographics

As of the census ² 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/mi²). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 142/km² (368/mi²). 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.

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.

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

The following is a population history for Howard County^*. 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

Education

Howard County Public Schools system manages 69 schools and serves approximately 47,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district is an above average 92%.

Unincorporated Census Designated Places

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:

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

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

Clarksville
Cooksville
Daniels
Dayton
Fulton
Glenelg
Glenwood
Granite
Hanover (a portion is also in Anne Arundel County)
Henryton (a portion is also in Carroll County)
Highland
Ilchester
Marriottsville
Scaggsville
Simpsonville
West Friendship
Woodbine
Woodstock (a portion is also in Carroll County)

Other neighborhoods and areas with no ZIP code include:

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.

Trivia

Howard County, MD is the only county in the state of Maryland that does not border another state or a major body of water.

As of the 1800 Census, Howard County was the mean center of U.S. population as calculated by the US Census Bureau.

Several of the September 11th terrorists stayed at a low priced motel (Motel Valencia, Laurel) 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.

The name of Howard County is often abbreviated to "HoCo" by young people hailing from the county.

The Mt. Hebron Girls Lacrosse team in Howard County has been ranked #1 in the country for the last few years. They have a winning streak of 97 games.

Five Men Sit On The County Council:

District One-Christopher Merdon(R)-County Executive Candidate District Two-Calvin Ball(D)-Running For Re-Election District Three-Guy Guzzone(D)-Running For Maryland House of Delagates District Four-Kenneth Ulman(D)-County Executive Candidate District Five-Charles Feaga(R)-Term Limited County Executive-James Robey(D)

External links

Howard County, Maryland | Maryland counties

Condado de Howard (Maryland) | Condado de Howard (Maryland)

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