Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area | |
|---|---|
| Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–VA–MD–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area | |
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| Coordinates:38°58′N77°19′W / 38.97°N 77.32°W /38.97; -77.32 | |
| Country | United States |
| State or area | |
| Constituent metropolitan & micropolitan areas | Core areas: Outlying areas:
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| Principal cities |
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| Population (2023) | |
| • CSA | 10,069,592 (3rd) |
| GDP | |
| • CSA | $941.502 billion (2022)[failed verification] |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 202/771,301/240/227,304/681,410/443/667,540/826,703/571,717/223 |
TheWashington–Baltimore combined metropolitan statistical area is astatistical area, including the overlapping metropolitan areas ofWashington, D.C. andBaltimore. The region includes CentralMaryland,Northern Virginia, three counties in theEastern Panhandle of West Virginia, andone county in south-centralPennsylvania. It is the most educated, highest-income, andthird-most populous combined statistical area in the United States behindNew York City–Newark, NJ andLos Angeles–Long Beach.[2][3]
The area is designated by theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB) as theWashington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area. It is composed primarily of two majormetropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), theWashington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV MSA and theBaltimore–Columbia–Towson, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area. Five smaller urban areas not contiguous to the main urban area but having strong commuting ties with the main area are included in the metropolitan area:[4]Hagerstown–Martinsburg, Maryland–West Virginia MSA, theChambersburg–Waynesboro, Pennsylvania MSA, theWinchester, VA–WV MSA, theCalifornia–Lexington Park, Maryland MSA, and theEaston, Marylandmicropolitan statistical area (μSA).
Some counties, such asCaroline andKing George County, Virginia, are not officially designated by OMB as members of this metropolitan area but still consider themselves members anyway.[5][6][7][8][9] This is mostly due to their proximity to the area, the size of their commuter population, and by the influence of local broadcasting stations. The population of the entire Washington–Baltimore Combined Statistical Area as of the2020 census was 9,973,383. The area's most-populous city is Washington, D.C. with a population of 689,545, and the area's most populous county isFairfax County, Virginia, with a population of 1,150,309.[10]
The counties and independent cities and their groupings that comprise the area are listed below with their 2012 population estimates. Central counties/cities (designated as such by OMB) for each MSA are shown in italics.
Founded in 1957, theMetropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a regional organization of 23 Washington-area local governments, members of theMaryland andVirginia state legislatures, theU.S. Senate, and theU.S. House of Representatives. MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding the environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development.[11]
The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a component of MWCOG, is the federally designatedMetropolitan Planning Organization for the metropolitan Washington area.[12]
The Baltimore Metropolitan Council is the equivalent organization for the Baltimore portion of the combined Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area.[13] The BMC, which was created in 1992 as the successor to the Regional Planning Council and Baltimore Regional Council of Governments, consists of the Baltimore region's elected executives, representing Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties.[14]
The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board is the federally recognized Metropolitan Planning Organization for transportation planning in theBaltimore region.[14]
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Maryland's Washington suburbs are a major center forbiotechnology. Prominent local biotechnology companies includeMedImmune,United Therapeutics,The Institute for Genomic Research,Human Genome Sciences, and theHoward Hughes Medical Institute.
Many defense contractors are based in Northern Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland to be close tothe Pentagon in Arlington. Local defense contractors includeLockheed Martin, the largest, as well asNorthrop Grumman,General Dynamics,BAE Systems Inc.,Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC),Booz Allen Hamilton,Leidos,Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC),Orbital Sciences Corporation, andAAI Corporation.
Numbers denoteFortune 500 ranking.
Baltimore area:
Washington area:
_from_the_overpass_for_Virginia_State_Route_796_(Oak_Street)_on_the_edge_of_Idylwood_and_Dunn_Loring_in_Fairfax_County%2c_Virginia.jpg)
| Airport | IATA code | ICAO code | County | State | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore/Washington International Airport | BWI | KBWI | Anne Arundel County | Maryland | The closest airport toBaltimore and region's busiest[19] airport |
| Dulles International Airport | IAD | KIAD | Loudoun County | Virginia | Most international traffic in region |
| Hagerstown Regional Airport | HGR | KHGR | Washington County | Maryland | ServesWestern Maryland, the Eastern Panhandle ofWest Virginia, and portions of south-centralPennsylvania and northwesternVirginia along theInterstate 81 corridor |
| Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport | DCA | KDCA | Arlington County | Virginia | Region's second-busiest[19] airport and its closest airport toWashington, D.C. |
Interstates
Interstate 66
Interstate 70
Interstate 81
Interstate 83
Interstate 95
Interstate 97
Interstate 195
Interstate 270
Interstate 295
Interstate 370
Interstate 395 (District of Columbia-Virginia)Interstate 395 (Maryland)
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 595 (Unsigned)
Interstate 695 (District of Columbia)Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway)
Interstate 795
Interstate 895U.S. Routes
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 11
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 29
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 340State Routes
District of Columbia Route 295[note 1] (Anacostia Freeway)
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 4
Maryland Route 5
Maryland Route 26
Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 97
Maryland Route 100
Maryland Route 200 (Intercounty Connector)
Maryland Route 410 (East-West Highway)
Baltimore–Washington Parkway[note 2] (Maryland Route 295)
Maryland Route 355
Virginia State Route 3
Virginia State Route 7
Virginia State Route 9
Virginia State Route 28
Virginia State Route 267
Virginia State Route 286 (Fairfax County Parkway)
Virginia State Route 289 (Franconia–Springfield Parkway)
West Virginia Route 9| Topics | |
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