Washington County, Maryland

Washington County
County
Burnside's Bridge in Washington County, site of heavy combat during the Battle of Antietam
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
Maryland's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°36′N77°49′W / 39.6°N 77.81°W / 39.6; -77.81
Country	United States
State	Maryland
Founded	September 6, 1776
Named for	George Washington
Seat	Hagerstown
Largest city	Hagerstown
Area
• Total	467 sq mi (1,210 km2)
• Land	458 sq mi (1,190 km2)
• Water	9.6 sq mi (25 km2)  2.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	154,705
• Estimate  (2023)	155,813
• Density	330/sq mi (130/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	6th
Website	www.washco-md.net

Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 154,705 as of the 2020 census. ^[1] Its county seat and largest city is Hagerstown. ^[2] The county is part of the Western Maryland region of the state.

Washington County was the first county in the United States to be named for the Revolutionary War general (and later President) George Washington. Washington County is one of three Maryland counties recognized by the Appalachian Regional Commission as being part of Appalachia. ^[3] The county borders southern Pennsylvania to the north, Northern Virginia to the south, and the Martinsburg Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. Washington County is included in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area.

History

The Washington County seal from 1950 to 1988; de facto as it was never officially adopted.

The western portions of the Province of Maryland (including present Washington County) were incorporated into Prince George's County in 1696. This original county included six current counties. The first to be created was Frederick, separated from Prince George's County in 1748.

Following independence, the sovereign State of Maryland formed Washington County on September 6, 1776, by the division of Frederick County. At the same time, a portion of Frederick County became part of the newly created Montgomery County along with portions from Prince George's County and Charles' County, and was named for General Richard Montgomery. Washington County as created included land later to become Allegany County (created in 1789) and Garrett County (included in Allegany County when it was created in 1789, but separated from Allegany County in 1872). Washington County thus originally included the entire western part of the state. ^[4]

A number of properties in the county are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 467 square miles (1,210 km²), of which 458 square miles (1,190 km²) is land and 9.6 square miles (25 km²) (2.0%) is water. ^[6]

Washington County is located in the Appalachian Mountains, stretching from the Ridge-and-Valley Country in the west to South Mountain in the east, which is an extension of the Blue Ridge. Much of the county lies in the broad Hagerstown Valley between these two zones; the valley is part of the Great Appalachian Valley that continues southward into Virginia and West Virginia as the Shenandoah Valley and northward into Pennsylvania as the Cumberland Valley.

The county is bordered to the north by the Mason–Dixon line with Pennsylvania, to the south by the Potomac River and the states of Virginia and West Virginia, to the west by Sideling Hill Creek and Allegany County, Maryland, and to the east by Frederick County and South Mountain.

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)

Major highways

View south along I-81 from I-70 in Washington County

• Interstate 68
• Interstate 70
• Interstate 81
• U.S. Route 11
• U.S. Route 40
• 
  U.S. Route 40 Alternate
• 
  US 40 Scenic
• U.S. Route 340
• U.S. Route 522
• Maryland Route 34
• Maryland Route 56
• Maryland Route 57
• Maryland Route 58
• Maryland Route 60
• Maryland Route 62
• Maryland Route 63
• Maryland Route 64
• Maryland Route 65
• Maryland Route 66
• Maryland Route 67
• Maryland Route 68
• Maryland Route 77
• Maryland Route 144
• Maryland Route 180
• Maryland Route 418
• Maryland Route 491
• Maryland Route 494
• Maryland Route 550
• Maryland Route 615
• Maryland Route 632

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	15,822		—
1800	18,650		17.9%
1810	18,730		0.4%
1820	23,075		23.2%
1830	25,268		9.5%
1840	28,850		14.2%
1850	30,848		6.9%
1860	31,417		1.8%
1870	34,712		10.5%
1880	38,561		11.1%
1890	39,782		3.2%
1900	45,133		13.5%
1910	49,617		9.9%
1920	59,694		20.3%
1930	65,882		10.4%
1940	68,838		4.5%
1950	78,886		14.6%
1960	91,219		15.6%
1970	103,829		13.8%
1980	113,086		8.9%
1990	121,393		7.3%
2000	131,923		8.7%
2010	147,430		11.8%
2020	154,705		4.9%
2023 (est.)	155,813	[7]	0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010–2018 [12]

2000 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 147,430 people, 49,726 households, and 34,112 families residing in the county. The population density was 315 inhabitants per square mile (122/km²). There were 52,972 housing units at an average density of 116 per square mile (45/km²). 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% identified as being of German ancestry, 21.4% American, 8.8% Irish, and 8.4% English ancestry.

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.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 147,430 people, 55,687 households, and 37,506 families residing in the county. ^[13] The population density was 322.1 inhabitants per square mile (124.4/km²). There were 60,814 housing units at an average density of 132.8 per square mile (51.3/km²). ^[14] The racial makeup of the county was 85.1% white, 9.6% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population. ^[13] In terms of ancestry, 31.7% were German, 14.1% were Irish, 9.8% were English, 8.5% were American, and 5.1% were Italian. ^[15]

Of the 55,687 households, 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.6% were non-families, and 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.01. The median age was 39.7 years. ^[13]

The median income for a household in the county was $52,994 and the median income for a family was $65,811. Males had a median income of $47,622 versus $34,225 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,588. About 7.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. ^[16]

Communities

Hagerstown

Williamsport

City

• Hagerstown (county seat)

Towns

• Boonsboro
• Clear Spring
• Funkstown
• Hancock
• Keedysville
• Sharpsburg
• Smithsburg
• Williamsport

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

• Antietam
• Bagtown
• Bakersville
• Beaver Creek
• Big Pool
• Big Spring
• Breathedsville
• Brownsville
• Cavetown
• Cearfoss
• Charlton
• Chewsville
• Dargan
• Downsville
• Eakles Mill
• Edgemont
• Ernstville
• Fairplay
• Fairview
• Fort Ritchie
• Fountainhead-Orchard Hills
• Gapland
• Garretts Mill
• Greensburg
• Halfway
• Highfield-Cascade
• Indian Springs
• Jugtown
• Kemps Mill
• Leitersburg
• Mapleville
• Maugansville
• Mercersville
• Middleburg
• Mount Aetna
• Mount Briar
• Mount Lena
• Paramount-Long Meadow
• Pecktonville
• Pinesburg
• Pondsville
• Reid
• Ringgold
• Robinwood
• Rohrersville
• Saint James
• San Mar
• Sandy Hook
• Tilghmanton
• Trego-Rohrersville Station
• Wilson-Conococheague
• Yarrowsburg

Hancock

Unincorporated communities

Sharpsburg

• Appletown
• Benevola
• Broadfording
• Burtner
• Huyett
• Pen Mar
• Samples Manor
• Spielman
• Trego
• Van Lear
• Weverton
• Woodmont
• Zittlestown

Politics and government

Federal representation

The county is located within Maryland's 6th congressional district. The representative of the district currently is David Trone (D).

Like most of Appalachia, German-influenced and Unionist Western Maryland, ^[17] Washington County is solidly Republican. The last Democrat to carry Washington County at a Presidential level was Lyndon Johnson during his 1964 landslide win over Barry Goldwater, although between 1888 and 1940 the county was a consistent bellwether for all Presidential elections.

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024 [18]
	Republican	44,200	43.9%
	Democratic	30,839	30.63%
	Unaffiliated	23,794	23.63%
	Libertarian	655	0.65%
	Other parties	1,187	1.18%
Total		100,675	100%

United States presidential election results for Washington County, Maryland ^{[19] [20]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	44,054	60.07%	27,260	37.17%	2,018	2.75%
2020	40,224	59.35%	26,044	38.42%	1,511	2.23%
2016	40,998	62.13%	21,129	32.02%	3,864	5.86%
2012	36,074	57.48%	25,042	39.90%	1,639	2.61%
2008	34,169	55.47%	26,245	42.61%	1,186	1.93%
2004	36,917	63.76%	20,387	35.21%	600	1.04%
2000	27,948	58.88%	18,221	38.38%	1,301	2.74%
1996	21,434	50.86%	16,481	39.11%	4,227	10.03%
1992	21,977	47.56%	16,495	35.70%	7,736	16.74%
1988	25,912	63.76%	14,408	35.45%	318	0.78%
1984	27,118	66.68%	13,329	32.78%	219	0.54%
1980	22,901	58.60%	14,118	36.12%	2,064	5.28%
1976	20,194	55.95%	15,902	44.05%	0	0.00%
1972	24,234	69.27%	10,039	28.70%	712	2.04%
1968	16,050	47.13%	11,266	33.08%	6,737	19.78%
1964	12,756	39.11%	19,858	60.89%	0	0.00%
1960	17,828	53.28%	15,632	46.72%	0	0.00%
1956	19,455	62.72%	11,562	37.28%	0	0.00%
1952	17,653	58.08%	12,657	41.64%	84	0.28%
1948	11,887	52.53%	10,588	46.79%	155	0.68%
1944	12,227	51.83%	11,365	48.17%	0	0.00%
1940	11,054	43.76%	14,125	55.91%	83	0.33%
1936	10,619	42.96%	14,050	56.84%	49	0.20%
1932	8,929	43.50%	11,370	55.39%	228	1.11%
1928	12,404	67.78%	5,816	31.78%	81	0.44%
1924	7,460	54.21%	4,620	33.57%	1,682	12.22%
1920	8,757	54.75%	6,852	42.84%	386	2.41%
1916	5,093	45.88%	5,642	50.83%	365	3.29%
1912	1,907	19.99%	4,589	48.10%	3,044	31.91%
1908	4,650	49.59%	4,518	48.18%	209	2.23%
1904	4,581	51.86%	4,064	46.01%	188	2.13%
1900	5,475	52.05%	4,862	46.22%	182	1.73%
1896	5,428	53.57%	4,382	43.24%	323	3.19%
1892	4,373	47.16%	4,667	50.33%	233	2.51%

State representation

Washington County is represented by two senators in the Maryland State Senate. Member Mike McKay (R), serves the 1st district in Maryland and Paul D. Corderman (R), serves in the 2nd district. The county also is represented in Maryland General Assembly’s other primary division, the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegates who stand for Washington County include: Terry Baker (R) for District 1C, William Valentine (R) and William J. Wivell (R) for District 2A and Brooke Grossman (D) for District 2B. ^[21]

County government

Washington County’s “leader” is known as the County Administrator. Currently, Kirk C. Downey serves as the Interim Administrator. However, Washington County's County Commissioners exercise executive powers as they exist in the government of the county.

The County Commissioners in Washington County comprise the traditional form of county government in Maryland. Current members include: Terry Baker (Vice President), Randall Wagner, Cort Meinelschmidt, Jeffrey A. Cline (President), and Wayne K. Keefer. ^[22]

Boonsboro

Economy

In 2000, 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.

According to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the following were the major employers in the county (excluding post offices, state government, and local governments, but including public institutions of higher education): ^[23]

Employer	Employees (Nov. 2014) [23]
Meritus Health	2,730
Citi	2,700
First Data	2,322
Volvo Group	1,350
The Bowman Group	718
FedEx Ground	648
Staples Inc.	597
Hagerstown Community College	594
Merkle Response Management Group	545
Arc of Washington County	500
Direct Mail Processors	500
Walmart/Sam's Club	500
Sierra Nevada Corp.	486
Giant Food Stores/ Martin's Food Markets	420
Weis Markets	400
Brook Lane Health Services	395
Lehigh Phoenix	360
A.C.&T	350
Susquehanna Bancshares	345
Dot Foods	312
JLG Industries	300
Home Depot	296
Lowe's	276
Thompson's Gas & Electric Service	275
United Parcel Service (UPS)	274
CertainTeed	250
Darden Restaurants	250
Sheetz	250
Tractor Supply	250
Homewood Retirement Centers	249
NMS Healthcare of Hagerstown	240
Horizon Goodwill Industries	229
C. William Hetzer	225
FedEx Freight	225

Washington County is top in the state for commercial production of fruits, tree nuts, and berries. ^[24]

Parks and recreation

Sideling Hill man-made mountain pass on I-68/U.S. 40 near Hancock

National parks

• Antietam National Battlefield
• Appalachian National Scenic Trail
• Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
• Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

State parks

• Fort Frederick State Park
• Fort Tonoloway State Park
• Gathland State Park
• Greenbrier State Park
• South Mountain State Park
• Washington Monument State Park

Museums, historic sites, and other points of interest

• Bowman House, Boonsboro
• Crystal Grottoes, the only show caves in Maryland.
• Discovery Station, Hagerstown
• Hager House, Hagerstown
• Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, Hagerstown
• Price-Miller House, Hagerstown
• Sideling Hill, man-made mountain pass on Interstate 68/U.S. Route 40 roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Hancock shows off 100 million years+ of rock formation with Information Center and walkways on the premises.
• Springfield Farm, Williamsport
• Stoney Creek Farm, Boonsboro
• Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Hagerstown
• Washington County Rural Heritage Museum, Boonsboro

Education

Washington County Public Schools administers public schools in the county. See Washington County Public Schools – School Directory for a detailed listing of elementary, middle, high, and other schools.

High schools

Public high schools Antietam Academy, Hagerstown Barbara Ingram School for the Arts, Hagerstown Boonsboro High School, Boonsboro Clear Spring High School, Clear Spring Evening High School, Hagerstown Hancock High School, Hancock North Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown Smithsburg High School, Smithsburg South Hagerstown High School, Hagerstown Washington County Technical High School, Hagerstown Williamsport High School, Williamsport

Private high schools Broadfording Academy, Hagerstown Emmanuel Christian School, Hagerstown Gateway Academy, Williamsport Grace Academy, Hagerstown Heritage Academy, Hagerstown Highland View Academy, Hagerstown St. James School, Saint James St. Maria Goretti High School, Hagerstown Truth Christian Academy, Hagerstown

Colleges and universities

• Antietam Bible College, Biblical Seminary, and Graduate School
• Hagerstown Community College, two-year public community college
• Kaplan College (formerly Hagerstown Business College)
• Mount Saint Mary's University, Hagerstown Campus, offers Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
• University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, branch of the University System of Maryland; offers various associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree programs in connection with other state colleges and universities in Maryland.

Notable residents and natives

• See People from Washington County.

See also

• Maryland portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Maryland
• Washington County Closed-Circuit Educational Television Project

References

1. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Washington County, Maryland". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Counties in Appalachia - Appalachian Regional Commission". www.arc.gov. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
4. , Washington County, Maryland History and Genealogy, 2006. Retrieved 2008.
5. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 24, 2008.
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
13. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
14. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
15. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
16. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
17. Levine, Mark V.; ‘Standing Political Decisions and Critical Realignment: The Pattern of Maryland Politics, 1872-1948’; The Journal of Politics , volume 38, no. 2 (May 1976), pp. 292-325
18. "Maryland Board of Elections Voter Registration Activity Report March 2024" (PDF). Maryland Board of Elections. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
19. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
20. "Géographie électorale" [Electoral geography] (in French). Archived from the original on November 18, 2005. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
21. "Maryland General Assembly - Washington County Members". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
22. "County Commissioners".
23. Major Employers in Washington County, Maryland, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (Nov. 2014 data).
24. "Census of Agriculture - State and County Profiles - Maryland". USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service . 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2022.

External links

• Washington County government
• Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce
• Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitor's Bureau
• Washington County Free Library
• WHILBR – Western Maryland's Historical Library
• Washington County Free Library – Historic Newspaper Indexing Project
• Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
• Washington County Economic Development Commission

39°36′N77°49′W / 39.60°N 77.81°W / 39.60; -77.81