Elkridge, Maryland | |
|---|---|
 Elkridge Furnace Inn, Furnace Avenue | |
 Location of Elkridge, Maryland | |
| Coordinates:39°12′57″N76°42′33″W / 39.21583°N 76.70917°W /39.21583; -76.70917 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Howard |
| Jansen Town | 1734 |
| Elk Ridge Landing | 1825 |
| Elk Ridge | 1884 |
| Elkridge | 1895[1] |
| Government | |
| • Type | County council |
| • Councilman | Elizabeth Walsh (D)[2] District 1 (North Elkridge) |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.37 sq mi (21.68 km2) |
| • Land | 8.36 sq mi (21.65 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Elevation | 92 ft (28 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 25,171 |
| • Density | 3,011.0/sq mi (1,162.55/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 21075 |
| Area codes | 410 and443 |
| FIPS code | 24-25750 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0590149 |
| Website | www |
Elkridge is an unincorporated community andcensus-designated place (CDP) inHoward County,Maryland, United States. Elkridge is a rapidly growing area; between the 2010[4] and the 2020 census, the population had grown from 15,593 to 25,171.[5] Founded early in the 18th century, Elkridge is adjacent to two other counties,Anne Arundel andBaltimore.
Elkridge qualifies as the oldest settlement in its present county, when Howard was a part of Anne Arundel County. Its location on thePatapsco River was a key element in its growth. TheMaryland General Assembly elected a law to erect a 30-acre (120,000 m2), forty-lot town at the pre-existing settlement ofElkridge Landing to be called "Jansen Town" in 1733.[6] In 1738 an attempt to formalize the town failed with the death of the commissioners before passage. In 1750 a second attempt to formalize the town was attempted around the lands of Phillip Hammond. By comparison,Baltimore Town consisted of only 25 dwellings at that time.[non sequitur] A third petition was filed in 1762.[7]
The settlement was founded as a place where planters, who each had a wharf along the river, could bring theirtobacco crop to be loaded on English trading ships. Later, Elkridge Landing was built as the seaport dock for the community. In 1755 the Elkridge Furnace was founded at theElkridge Furnace Complex, a historic iron works located on approximately 16 acres (65,000 m2) and including six remaining buildings of an iron furnace which operated into the 1860s.[8] The millrace that fed water to the furnace was filled in during the 1920s to create the current "Race Road".[9] TheHockley Forge and Mill were created upstream in 1760.[10] In 1781,Lafayette camped light infantry at Elkridge Landing en route toVirginia during theRevolutionary war.[11] In 1825, Jansen Town burned, taking out all of the oldest buildings at the Landing and 9 out of 10 houses in the village. The same year, on October 12, 1825, the Elkridge Landing postal stop was created.[1]
Elkridge has historic churches, including Melville Church on Furnace Avenue. Its original building was the firstMethodist church built (1772) and was visited on the circuit rides ofFrancis Asbury. Saint Augustine Church, on Old Washington Road, was built in 1845 and opened its parochial school in 1870.[12]
Elkridge had a rich history of industries, includingpig-iron forging, basket weaving, paper, cotton and grist milling, as well as employment from theB&O Railroad. TheThomas Viaduct, located over Levering Avenue at the entrance to thePatapsco Valley State Park, is the oldest multiple-arched curved stone railroad bridge in the world. Built in 1833, its architect wasBenjamin Latrobe, Jr. The B&O first used horse-drawn coaches in relays, hence Relay Station was added. The viaduct also carried theTom Thumb, and the firsttelegraph message fromWashington, D.C., stating "What hath God wrought?" was wired across.
Elkridge did not escape theCivil War.Union troops guarded the Thomas Viaduct and the thoroughfare toBaltimore with a capturedWinans Steam Gun[13] while camping on Lawyers Hill, a community of summer estates built over the years by residents such as Caleb Dorsey ("Belmont"), Baltimore City Supreme Bench Judge George Washington Dobbin ("the Lawn"), Thomas Donaldson ("Edgewood"), John Latrobe ("Fairy-Knowe"), and the Penniman family home ("Wyndhurst"). Some of these families hadslaves.
Their estate cottages were built along the top of the Lawyers Hill, including along Old Lawyers Hill Road, on which at one corner stands the Elkridge Assembly Rooms. This community hall, built in 1871, was a neutral meeting place for entertainments for Northern and Southern sympathizers of the neighborhood and owned by them as stockholders. Neighbors did not betray neighbors and each protected others' property from advancing troops. Many homes remain, while others burned and have not been rebuilt, such Fairie Knowe in 1850 and 1900.[clarification needed][14] TheLawyers Hill Historic District was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1993.[15][16]
The Washington Turnpike Road Company built what is now Washington Boulevard between 1796 and 1812, creating a major north–south land route that is nowU.S. Route 1. As automobiles became a popular alternative to rail, the corridor became the key road and commercial corridor between Baltimore and Washington. With increased travel speeds, Elkridge was the location of "Dead Man's Curve" near Ducketts Lane.[17][18][19][20][21][22] In 1915, bus service was started between Elkridge and the terminal adjacent to theMontgomery Ward Warehouse and Retail Store in Baltimore.[23]
In 1939, the Andrews Brothers opened the firstmobile home park in Elkridge.[24] In 1987, Howard County commissioned studies to develop commercial properties that were not detailed in the 1980 general plan.[25]
Elkridge is located in the eastern corner of Howard County at39°12′7″N76°45′1″W / 39.20194°N 76.75028°W /39.20194; -76.75028 (39.202057, −76.750157).[26] It is bordered to the north byIlchester, to the northwest byColumbia, to the southwest byJessup, to the southeast byAnne Arundel County, and to the northeast, across thePatapsco River, byHalethorpe (part of theArbutus CDP) inBaltimore County.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2), or 0.12%, is water.[4]
The following neighborhoods and communities are within the Elkridgecensus-designated place:
Northern Elkridge (Historic Elkridge Landing): north of Bonnie View Lane and Hanover Road to the county line.
Western Elkridge: west ofI-95 and north ofMaryland Route 100.
Central Elkridge: east ofI-95, south of Bonnie View Ln, north of Howard Ln.
Southern Elkridge: south ofMaryland Route 100, north of Montevideo Road, east ofWaterloo Road to the county line.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7,262 | — | |
| 1970 | 9,613 | 32.4% | |
| 1980 | 8,008 | −16.7% | |
| 1990 | 12,953 | 61.8% | |
| 2000 | 11,643 | −10.1% | |
| 2010 | 15,593 | 33.9% | |
| 2020 | 25,171 | 61.4% | |
| source:[4][30][31][32][33][34] | |||
As of thecensus of 2000,[32] there were 22,042 people, 8,324 households, and 5,793 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,799.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,081.0/km2). There were 8,719 housing units at an average density of 1,107.5 per square mile (427.6/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.58%White, 9.59%African American, 0.21%Native American, 6.47%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.95% fromother races, and 2.16% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.22% of the population.
There were 8,324 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% weremarried couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 29.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 44.4% from 25 to 44, 15.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $65,835, and the median income for a family was $71,923. Males had a median income of $47,329 versus $35,802 for females. Theper capita income for the CDP was $27,629. About 2.0% of families and 2.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Elkridge is included in three congressional districts:2,3, and7.[36] Congressional District 7 occupies areas north of Montgomery Road and west of Interstate 95, and is represented by CongressmanKweisi Mfume (D). Congressional District 3 covers central Elkridge; from south of Montgomery Road and east of Interstate 95 to roughly US Route 1 and the Anne Arundel County border. CongresswomanSarah Elfreth (D) represents District 3. Lastly, Congressional District 2, represented by CongressmanJohnny Olszewski (D), spans southward of Adcock Lane and Route 100.[37]
Elkridge comprises two county council districts: 1 and 2. CouncilpersonLiz Walsh represents central Elkridge from approximately westward from the Anne Arundel County boundary and northward from Ducketts Lane and Harwood Park. The second council district runs southward from Harwood Park and Ducketts Lane is represented by CouncilpersonOpel Jones.[36]
Elkridge has several K–12 educational facilities: Hanover Hills Elementary school,Rockburn Elementary School,Elkridge Elementary School, theDucketts Lane Elementary School. Elkridge middle schools include: Thomas Viaduct Middle school,Elkridge Landing Middle School on Montgomery Road andMayfield Woods Middle School off of Mayfield Avenue. High school students in Elkridge usually attend eitherHoward High School in Ellicott City orLong Reach High School in Columbia.
Nearby secondary-level institutions include theUniversity of Maryland Baltimore County, theCommunity College of Baltimore County Catonsville Campus,Anne Arundel Community College Arundel Mills Campus, andHoward Community College.
In 1984,Howard County Public Library opened the Elkridge Community Branch Library in a storefront onU.S. Route 1.[38]
TheElkridge Branch opened in August 1993. The library was replaced by an innovative, 33.1 million dollar building on the same site in 2018.
Elkridge includes a range of recreational areas throughout the town.Patapsco Valley State Park runs along thePatapsco River in North Elkridge, with entrances on Landing Road, River Road, and South Street in nearbyRelay.Rockburn Branch Park in West Elkridge provides athletic fields, playgrounds, and nature trails. Also in West Elkridge,Belmont Manor and Historic Park hosts private events as well as nature programs with theHoward County Conservancy and surrounding schools.
Troy Park is under construction surroundingTroy Hill Manor.[39]
Elkridge is home to a number of small tributaries of the main waterway, thePatapsco River, that are used for recreation. They include:
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Elkridge's main corridor is defined byWashington Boulevard, a historical road traveled byGeorge Washington and known for "Dead Man's Curve" during early automotive travel.[42]Interstate 95 forms the northwestern edge of the Elkridge census-designated place, andInterstate 895 crosses the northern corner of the community.Interstate 195 passes just east of Elkridge, with access from its Exit 3 with Washington Boulevard.Maryland Route 100 runs through the southern part of Elkridge, providing access toEllicott City andGlen Burnie. TheBaltimore-Washington Parkway travels just to the east of Elkridge, and will eventually include an interchange with Hanover Road, providing another method of travel to Elkridge from the south.
The historic B&O rail line owned by CSX provides the eastern border for most of Elkridge. The combination freight and passenger corridor overrides the water supply for Elkridge and Howard County, which is electronically monitored to detect precursors of explosive failures in the aging system.[43][44] Water transportation has ceased since decreasing water levels on the Patapsco have made it unnavigable.[45]
TheRegional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland Line 409 (Purple) travels fromLaurel Town Center to Elkridge. The line follows Washington Boulevard, and circles Rowanberry Drive and Montgomery Road, terminating at Elkridge Corners Shopping Center. Also,Maryland Transit Administration has commuter bus service on Line 320 along Washington Boulevard.
Dorsey Station, located in southern Elkridge, providesMARC Camden Line service.Saint Denis Station in nearby Baltimore County also provides MARC service. TheBaltimore Light Rail can be accessed by theBWI Business District Station 6 miles (10 km) away inLinthicum.
Major north-south routes in Elkridge include:
U.S. Route 1 (Washington Boulevard) south to north fromLaurel toHalethorpe.
Interstate 95 traveling south to north fromWashington, D.C. toBaltimore.Major east-west routes in Elkridge include:
Interstate 195 (Metropolitan Boulevard) traveling east to west fromCatonsville toBWI Airport.
Maryland Route 100 traveling east to west fromEllicott City toGlen Burnie.
Maryland Route 103 (Meadowridge Road) traveling east to west fromEllicott City toDorsey.{{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help){{cite news}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)
Places adjacent to Elkridge, Maryland | |
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Municipalities and communities ofHoward County, Maryland,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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