Bowie, Maryland | |
|---|---|
 Old Town Bowie, as seen from the intersection of Maryland Route 564 and Chapel Avenue in January 2008 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Growth, Unity and Progress" | |
 Location of Bowie in Prince George's County and the State of Maryland | |
  Bowie Location within the State of Maryland Show map of Maryland Bowie Bowie (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Coordinates:38°57′53″N76°44′40″W / 38.96472°N 76.74444°W /38.96472; -76.74444 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County | Prince George's |
| Incorporated | 1882[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Timothy Adams (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 20.55 sq mi (53.22 km2) |
| • Land | 20.44 sq mi (52.95 km2) |
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2) |
| Elevation | 154 ft (47 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 58,329 |
| • Density | 2,853.3/sq mi (1,101.66/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 20715-20721 |
| Area codes | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-08775 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0597104 |
| Website | www.CityofBowie.org |
Bowie (/ˈbuːi/) is a city inPrince George's County, Maryland, U.S.[3] Per the2020 census, the population was 58,329.[4] Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largestmunicipality in Prince George's County; it is also the fifth most populous city[5] and third largest city by area in theU.S. state of Maryland. In 2014,CNN Money ranked Bowie 28th in its Best Places to Live (in the United States) list.[6] The city is home toBowie State University, Maryland's oldesthistorically black university.[7]
The city of Bowie owes its existence to the railway. In 1853, ColonelWilliam Duckett Bowie obtained a charter from theMaryland legislature to construct a rail line into Southern Maryland. In 1869, theBaltimore & Potomac Railroad Company began the construction of a railroad from Baltimore to Southern Maryland, terminating inPope's Creek. The area had already been dotted with small farms and large tobacco plantations in an economy based on agriculture and slavery. In 1870, Ben Plumb, a land speculator and developer, sold building lots around the railroad junction and named the settlement Huntington City. By 1872, the line was completed, together with a "spur" to Washington, D.C., and the entire line through Southern Maryland was completed in 1873.
In 1880, Huntington City was rechartered as Bowie, named for Colonel Bowie's son and business partnerOden Bowie,[8][9][10][11] the formerGovernor of Maryland[12] and then-president of theBaltimore & Potomac Railroad.[13] In the early days the land was subdivided by developers into more than 500 residential building lots, to create a large town site at a junction of the Baltimore and Potomac's main line to southern Maryland, and the branch line to Washington, D.C.
In 1957, the firm ofLevitt and Sons acquired the nearby Belair Estate, the original colonial plantation of theProvincial Governor of Maryland,Samuel Ogle, and developed the residential community of Belair at Bowie. Two years later the town of Bowie annexed the Levitt properties and then re-incorporated the now-larger area as a city in 1963. The overwhelming majority of Bowie residents today live in this 1960s Levitt planned community, whose street names are arranged in alliterative sections.[14] Levitt & Sons had a long history of prohibiting the sale of houses (including resale by owners) to African Americans which led to protests during theCivil Rights Movement in Bowie in 1963.[15]
The original Belair Estate contains theBelair Mansion (circa 1745), the five-part Georgian plantation house of GovernorSamuel Ogle and his son GovernorBenjamin Ogle. It was purchased in 1898 by the wealthy bankerJames T. Woodward who, on his passing in 1910, left it to his nephew,William Woodward Sr., who became a famous horseman. Restored to reflect its 250-year-old legacy, the Mansion is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
Belair Stable, on the Estate, was part of the famousBelair Stud, one of the premierracing stables in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s.[16] Owned and operated byWilliam Woodward Sr. (1876–1953), it closed in 1957 following the death of his son,Billy Woodward. Belair had been the oldest continually operating racing horse farm in the country.[17]
Bowie has an area of 16 square miles (41 km2) and about 50,000 residents with nearly 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) set aside as parks or open space. It has 72 ball fields, three community centers, an ice arena atAllen Pond Park, theBowie Town Center, the 800-seat Bowie Center for the Performing Arts,[18] a 150-seat theatrical playhouse, a golf course, and three museums.
Bowie is located at38°57′53″N76°44′40″W / 38.96472°N 76.74444°W /38.96472; -76.74444 (38.964727, −76.744531).[19]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.51 square miles (47.94 km2), of which 18.43 square miles (47.73 km2) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) is water.[20]
ZIP codes for mail delivery in Bowie are:20715, 20716, 20717, 20718, 20719, 20720, and 20721.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Bowie has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[21]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 677 | — | |
| 1930 | 694 | 2.5% | |
| 1940 | 767 | 10.5% | |
| 1950 | 860 | 12.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,072 | 24.7% | |
| 1970 | 35,028 | 3,167.5% | |
| 1980 | 33,695 | −3.8% | |
| 1990 | 37,589 | 11.6% | |
| 2000 | 50,269 | 33.7% | |
| 2010 | 54,727 | 8.9% | |
| 2020 | 58,329 | 6.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] 2010[23] 2020[24] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[23] | Pop 2020[24] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 21,287 | 16,182 | 38.90% | 27.74% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 26,199 | 30,832 | 47.87% | 52.86% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 115 | 105 | 0.21% | 0.18% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,229 | 2,616 | 0.08% | 4.48% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 15 | 20 | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 142 | 374 | 0.26% | 0.64% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,654 | 2,954 | 3.02% | 5.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,086 | 5,246 | 5.64% | 8.99% |
| Total | 54,727 | 58,329 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[25] of 2010, there were 54,727 people, 19,950 households, and 14,264 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,969.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,146.5/km2). There were 20,687 housing units at an average density of 1,122.5 per square mile (433.4/km2).
The ethnic makeup of the city was 41.4%White, 48.7%African American, 0.3%Native American, 4.1%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 1.9% fromother races, and 3.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 5.6% of the population.
There were 19,950 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% weremarried couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.
The median age in the city was 40.1 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $99,105, and the median income for a family was $109,157. Males had a median income of $52,284 versus $40,471 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $30,703. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.
The City of Bowie operates under acouncil-manager government as established by the city charter. This means that the mayor and council are responsible for making policy, passing ordinances, voting appropriations, and having overall supervisory authority in the city government.
TheU.S. Postal Service operates multiple post offices including Mitchellville,[26] West Bowie,[27] and Bowie/Mitchellville Carrier Annex (adjacent to the city limits).[28][29]
The primary law enforcement agency for the city is theBowie Police Department aided by thePrince George's County Police, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police Department, and theSheriff's Office as directed by authority.
Prince George's County Police Department District 2 Station inBrock Hall CDP, with a Bowie postal address, serves the community.[30]
_from_the_pedestrian_overpass_just_east_of_Maryland_State_Route_197_(Collington_Road)_in_Bowie%2c_Prince_George%2527s_County%2c_Maryland.jpg)
Bowie is served by several significant highways. The most prominent of these isInterstate 595/U.S. Route 50, the John Hanson Highway, which follows an east–west route through the city. Via I-595/US 50, Bowie has direct connections westward toWashington, D.C., and eastward toAnnapolis and theEastern Shore of Maryland.U.S. Route 301 andMaryland Route 3 skim the eastern edge of the city, providing connections southward toWaldorf andLa Plata and northward toBaltimore. Other state highways serving the city includeMaryland Route 197,Maryland Route 214,Maryland Route 450 andMaryland Route 564.
It is served byBowie State station onMARC'sPenn Line.
According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[31] the largest employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince George's County Public Schools | 1,178 |
| 2 | Inovalon | 605 |
| 3 | City of Bowie | 446 |
| 4 | Bowie Baysox | 260 |
| 5 | P.G. County Public Safety Communications Control | 195 |
Bowie is within thePrince George's County Public Schools system.[32]
Area residents are zoned toBenjamin Tasker Middle School orSamuel Ogle Middle School,[33] andBowie High School.[34]
Elementary schools in Bowie include Heather Hills, Kenilworth, Northview, Pointer Ridge, Rockledge, Tulip Grove, Whitehall, and Yorktown Elementary Schools. Elementary schools not in Bowie and serving Bowie include High Bridge andWoodmore.[32][35]
Samuel Ogle was previously a junior high school, then an elementary school; around 2005, PGCPS planned to convert it into a middle school.[36]
From 1950 to 1964, during the era of legally-required racialsegregation of schools, black students from Bowie attendedFairmont Heights High School, then nearFairmount Heights.[37]
Bowie State University, located north of Bowie, has been open since 1865.[38]
Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates two public libraries in Bowie: Bowie Branch and South Bowie Branch.[39][40]
| Team | Sport | League | Championships | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake Baysox | Baseball | Eastern League | 1 (2015) | Prince George's Stadium |
| Capital Seahawks | Basketball | The Basketball League | 0 | Bowie State University |
The following is a list of historic sites in the city of Bowie and vicinity identified by theMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:[68]
| Site Name | Image | Location | M-NCPPC Inventory Number | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belair |  | Tulip Grove and Belair Drives | 71B-004 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1977-09-16 |
| 2 | Belair Stables |  | Belair Drive | 71B-005 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1973-05-08 |
| 3 | Bowie Railroad Buildings |  | 8614 Chestnut Ave. | 71B-002-09 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1998-11-04 |
| 4 | Boyden House | 6501 Hillmeade Road | 71A-034 | ||
| 5 | Fair Running (Maenner House) | 7704Laurel-Bowie Road | 71B-015 | ||
| 6 | Fairview Plantation |  | 4600 Fairview Vista Drive | 71A-013 | |
| 7 | Don S. S. Goodloe House |  | 13809 Jericho Park Rd. | 71A-030 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1988-10-13; African American Heritage site |
| 8 | Governor's Bridge |  | Governors Bridge Road atPatuxent River | 74B-001 | Historic American Engineering Record,[69] |
| 9 | Harmon-Phelps House | 8706 Maple Avenue | 71B-002-08 | ||
| 10 | Holy Trinity Episcopal Church |  | 13104Annapolis Road | 71A-009a | |
| 11 | Holy Trinity Church Rectory | 13106Annapolis Road | 71A-009b | ||
| 12 | Ingersoll House | 9006Laurel-Bowie Road | 71A-003 | ||
| 13 | Knights of St. John Hall | 13004 12th Street | 71B-002-23 | ||
| 14 | Melford |  | 17107 Melford Boulevard | 71B-016 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1988-04-06; also listed atMitchellville |
| 15 | Mitchellville Storekeeper's House and Store Site | 2608 Mitchellville Road | 71B-007 | ||
| 16 | Ryon House | 13125 11th Street | 71B-002-03 | ||
| 17 | Sacred Heart Catholic Church |  | 16101Annapolis Road | 71A-019 | Site where the Catholic Church in America was first organized, and the first US Catholic Bishop, John Carroll was petitioned, then named by the Vatican. |
| 18 | Albert Smith House | 9201Laurel-Bowie Road | 71A-002 | ||
| 19 | St. James Episcopal Chapel | 13010 8th Street | 71B-002-05 | ||
| 20 | Straining House | 13005 7th Street | 71B-002-01 | ||
| 21 | Williams Plains |  | MD 3, White Marsh Recreational Park | 71B-003 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, 1980-11-28 |
| 22 | Pleasant Prospect |  | 12806 Woodmore Rd., Mitchellville, Maryland | 74A-006 | Listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, April 30, 1976 |
In June 2016, Mayor Robinson gave honorary Bowie citizenship to Mayor Luigi Lucchi ofBerceto, Italy, as part of an International Youth Festival being held there.[71]
As a kid in suburban Bowie, Md....
the Bowie native bounced back
When Kathie Lee was 4, the family... set up house in Bowie, Md.
Bowie resident and Bullis School rising junior Quincy Wilson
Places adjacent to Bowie, Maryland | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
