The county has the highest percentage (29.2%) of residents over 25 years of age who holdpost-graduate degrees.[12] Like other counties in the Washington metropolitan area, the county has severalU.S. government offices,scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.[13][14]
The Maryland state legislature named Montgomery County afterRichard Montgomery; the county was created from lands that had at one point or another been part ofFrederick County.[15] On September 6, 1776,[4]Thomas Sprigg Wootton from Rockville, Maryland, introduced legislation, while serving at the Maryland Constitutional Convention, to create lower Frederick County as Montgomery County. The name, Montgomery County, along with the founding of Washington County, Maryland, afterGeorge Washington, was the first time in American history that counties and provinces in theThirteen Colonies were not named after British referents.
The name use of Montgomery and Washington County were seen as further defiance toGreat Britain during theAmerican Revolutionary War. The county's nickname of "MoCo" is derived from "MontgomeryCounty",[16][17] in use as early as 2001.[18]
The county's motto, adopted in 1976, is "Gardez Bien", aFrench phrase meaning "Watch Well". The county's motto is also the motto of its namesake's family.[19][20][21]
Prior to 1688, the first tract of land in what is now Montgomery County was granted byCharles I in acharter to thefirst Lord Baltimore, the head of the Calvert family. The county's creation was a focus ofThomas S. Wootton who, on August 31, 1776, introduced a measure to form a new county fromFrederick County, Maryland to aid area residents in simplifying their business affairs. The measure passed, creating the new political entity of Montgomery County in what was then thecolonial-eraProvince of Maryland.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 507 square miles (1,310 km2), of which 491 square miles (1,270 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (3.1%) is water.[23] Montgomery County lies entirely inside thePiedmont plateau. The topography is generally rolling. Elevations range from a low of near sea level along the Potomac River to about 875 feet in the northernmost portion of the county north of Damascus. Relief between valley bottoms and hilltops is several hundred feet. Earthquakes are rare; the most recent one, on June 24, 2024, had a 1.8 magnitude and was centered nearSpencerville, Maryland.[24]
When Montgomery County was created in 1776, its boundaries were defined as "beginning at the east side of the mouth ofRock Creek onPotomac river [sic], and running with the said river to the mouth ofMonocacy, then with a straight line to Par's spring, from thence with the lines of the county to the beginning".[5]
The county's boundary forms a sliver of land at the far northern tip of the county that is several miles long and averages less than 200 yards wide. In fact, a single house on Lakeview Drive and its yard is sectioned by this sliver into three portions, each separately contained within Montgomery, Frederick and Howard counties. These jurisdictions and Carroll County meet at a single point at Parr's Spring onParr's Ridge.
Montgomery County lies within the northern portions of thehumid subtropical climate. It has four distinct seasons, including hot, humid summers and cool winters.
Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, with an average of 43 inches (110 cm) of rainfall.[25] Thunderstorms are common during the summer months, and account for the majority of the average 35 days with thunder per year. Heavy precipitation is most common in summer thunderstorms, but drought periods are more likely during these months because summer precipitation is more variable than winter.
The mean annual temperature is 55 °F (13 °C). The average summer (June–July–August) afternoon maximum is about 85 °F (29 °C) while the morning minimums average 66 °F (19 °C). In winter (December–January–February), these averages are 44 °F (7 °C) and 28 °F (−2 °C). Extreme heat waves can raise readings to around and slightly above 100 °F (38 °C), and arctic blasts can drop lows to −10 °F (−23 °C) to 0 °F (−18 °C). ForRockville, the record high is 105 °F (41 °C) in 1954, while the record low is −13 °F (−25 °C).[25]
Lower elevations in the south, such asSilver Spring, receive an average of 17.5 inches (44 cm) of snowfall per year.[26] Higher elevations in the north, such asDamascus,[27] receive an average of 21.3 inches (54 cm) of snowfall per year.[28] During a particularly snowy winter, Damascus received 79 inches (200 cm) during the 2009–2010 season.[29]
Since the 1970s, the county has had in place a Moderately Priced Dwelling Unit (MPDU)zoning plan that requires developers to includeaffordable housing in any new residential developments that they construct in the county. The goal is to create socioeconomically mixed neighborhoods and schools so the rich and poor are not isolated in separate parts of the county. Developers who provide for more than the minimum amount of MPDUs are rewarded with permission to increase the density of their developments, which allows them to build more housing and generate morerevenue. Montgomery County was one of the first counties in the U.S. to adopt such a plan, and many other areas have since followed suit.
Montgomery County is by far one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse counties in the United States; four of the ten most culturally diverse cities and towns in the U.S. are in Montgomery County:Gaithersburg, ranking second;Germantown, ranking third;Silver Spring, ranking fourth; andRockville, ranking ninth. Gaithersburg, Germantown, and Silver Spring all rank as more culturally diverse thanNew York City,San Jose, andOakland.[37][38] Maryland overall is one of ninemajority-minority states.[39]
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 1,062,061. The median age was 39.5 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.5 males age 18 and over. 97.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.7% lived in rural areas.[40][41][42]
There were 386,931 households in the county, of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 28.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[41]
There were 404,423 housing units, of which 4.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 63.7% were owner-occupied and 36.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.[41]
Montgomery County, Maryland – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2010 United States census, there were 971,777 people, 357,086 households, and 244,898 families living in the county.[50][51] The population density was 1,978.2 inhabitants per square mile (763.8/km2). There were 375,905 housing units at an average density of 765.2 per square mile (295.4/km2).[52] The racial makeup of the county was 57.5% White, 17.2% Black or African American, 13.9% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 7.0% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 17.0% of the population.[50] In terms of ancestry, 10.7% wereGerman, 9.6% wereIrish, 7.9% wereEnglish, 4.9% wereItalian, 3.5% wereRussian, 3.1% werePolish, 2.9% wereAmerican and 2% wereFrench.[53] People ofCentral American descent made up 8.1% of Montgomery County, withSalvadoran Americans constituting 5.4% of the county's population. Over 52,000 people of Salvadoran descent lived in Montgomery County, with Salvadoran Americans comprising approximately 32% of the county's Hispanic and Latino population. People ofSouth American descent make up 3.8% of the county, withPeruvian Americans being the largest South American community, constituting 1.2% of the county's population.[54]
Of the 357,086 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 31.4% were non-families, and 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.22. The median age was 38.5 years.[50]
The median income for a household in the county was $93,373 and the median income for a family was $111,737. Males had a median income of $71,841 versus $55,431 for females. The per capita income for the county was $47,310. About 4.0% of families and 6.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.[55]
As of the2000 United States census, there were 873,058 people living in the county. Theracial makeup of the county was 65.0% white, 15.1% Black or African American, 11.3% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 11.5% of the population.[56]
There were 324,565 households, of which 35% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 24.4% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 3.19.
25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males.
In 2000, there were 334,632 housing units at an average density of 675 per square mile (261/km2).
Montgomery County has thetenth-highestmedian household income in the United States, and the second highest in the state afterHoward County as of 2011. The median household income in 2007 was $89,284 and the median family income was $106,093. Males had a median income of $66,415 versus $52,134 for females. The per capita income for the county was $43,073. About 3.3% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Montgomery County was named the most religiously diverse county in the United States in 2023 by thePublic Religion Research Institute's census.[58] Counties were given a diversity index between 0 and 1, with 0 signifying no diversity, and 1 signifying complete diversity. Montgomery County earned a .886, higher than the national average of .615.
Montgomery County has the largest Jewish population in the state of Maryland, accounting for 45% of Maryland Jews. According to theBerman Jewish DataBank, Montgomery County has a Jewish population of 105,400 people, around 10% of the county's population.[59] TheWashington metropolitan area, with 295,500 Jews, has become the third-largest Jewish population in the United States.[60]
As of 2020, Montgomery County is home to 776 religious congregations.[61]
According to the county'scomprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following. "NR" indicates the employer was not ranked among the top ten employers that year.
Montgomery County was granted a charter form of government in 1948.
The presentCounty Executive/County Council form of government of Montgomery County dates to November 1968 when the voters changed the form of government from aCounty Commission/County Manager system, as provided in the original 1948 home rule Charter. The County Commission/County Manager system was seen as inadequate for the growing population of the county who wanted more services assistance and accountability from the government.[70]
The Montgomery County government had a surplus of $654million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.[64]
The office of thecounty executive was established in 1970. The first executive was James P. Gleason. The current executive is Marc Elrich, who was sworn in for his first term on December 3, 2018.[71]
The County Council is thelegislative branch of Montgomery County. It haseleven members who serve four-year terms. All are elected at the same time by the voters of Montgomery County.[74][75] As of January 2023, all 11 members on the council are Democrats. The council meets weekly at the county seat of Rockville—the 6th Floor of the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building.[76][77]
The members of the County Council as of 2026 are:[78][79]
The most recent Republican serving on the Montgomery County Council, Howard A. Denis of District 1 (Potomac/Bethesda), lost re-election in 2006. Since then, all Council members have been Democrats.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) is anationally accredited U.S. law enforcement agency and acts as the enforcement arm of the courts in the county. All of its deputy sheriffs are fullycertified law enforcement officials with full authority of arrest. The office was created in July 1777 and is the oldest law enforcement agency in Montgomery County.[81] It is headquartered inRockville, Maryland.[82] It was nationally accredited in 1995, the first county sheriff's office in Maryland to be so. The MCSO has authorized over 165 employees consisting of sworn law enforcement officers and civilian support staff.[83] The office is headed by the sheriff, who has been elected every four years since the 1920s. The current Sheriff is Maxwell C. Uy (D), elected in 2022. Uy is the 62nd Sheriff and the firstAsian American to hold that office.[84]
Several cities including Rockville and Gaithersburg maintain their own police departments to complement MCPD. Maryland State Police patrolthe Beltway andI-270, and they assist county and city police in investigation of some major crimes.
Montgomery County has a budget of $2.3 billion. Approximately $1.48 billion are invested in Montgomery County Public Schools and $128 million inMontgomery College.[85]
In December 1933, whenprohibition was repealed in the United States, Montgomery County only allowed dispensaries located inBethesda,Rockville, andSilver Spring to sell alcoholic beverages. The dispensaries then could sell beer and light wine to retailers in the county for resale. The dispensaries were not allowed to sell hard liquor for on-premises consumption. Country clubs were also allowed to sell beer and light wine for on-premises and off-premises consumption.[91]
The first beer-and-wine license in Montgomery County was issued to Fred Salamy for Fred's Country Store. In 1961, the license was transferred to Henry J. Dietle to be used at Hank Dietle's.[92] Hank Dietle's originally opened in 1916 as a general store named Offutt's.[93]
Until 1964, only three restaurants in the county had liquor licenses to serve liquor by the drink.[94] The county stopped issuing liquor licenses to all other restaurants under a law that had existed sinceProhibition.[95]
Following a voter referendum,[96] restaurants and bars could apply for county permits to sell liquor by the drink.[95] Thedry towns ofKensington,Poolesville, andTakoma Park were allowed to keep their own bans in place.[95]
Anchor Inn inWheaton was the first establishment to serve liquor in the county under the new law.[94]
There are 24 judges of theCircuit Court for Montgomery County, who are appointed by theGovernor and elected by the voters to 15 year terms. James A. Bonifant has served as theCounty Administrative Judge since 2021. Karen A. Bushell (D) was appointed asClerk of the Circuit Court in 2021, and was elected to a full term in 2022. Joseph M. Griffin (D) has served as theRegister of Wills since 1998.[97] John J. McCarthy (D) has served as theState's Attorney since 2007.[98]
Montgomery County is one of the most consistently Democratic counties in Maryland. Before 1928, the County never voted Republican. In total, it has only voted Republican in eight presidential elections. The Democratic presidential candidate has won Montgomery County in every presidential election since1988.[101] In2020, Joe Biden won the county with 78% of the vote, and in2024 Kamala Harris won with 74% of the vote.[101]
United States presidential election results for Montgomery County, Maryland[101]
Poor transportation was a hindrance for Montgomery County's farmers who wanted to transport their crops to market in the early 18th century. Montgomery County's first roads, often barely adequate, were built by the 18th century.
The county's first turnpike was chartered in 1806, but its construction began in 1817. In 1828, the turnpike was completed, running from Georgetown toRockville. It was the first paved road in Montgomery County.[102][103]: 75–83
Montgomery County operates its own buspublic transit system, known asRide On.[104] Major routes closer to its rail service area are also covered byWMATA's Metrobus service.[105]
The Brunswick line of theMARCcommuter rail system makes stops at Silver Spring, Kensington, Garrett Park, Rockville, Washington Grove, Gaithersburg, Metropolitan Grove, Germantown, Boyds, Barnesville, and Dickerson, where the line splits into its Frederick and Martinsburg branches.
ThePurple Line, alight rail system, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2027.[107] The line will run in a generally east-west direction, connecting Montgomery and Prince George's Counties near theBeltway, with 21 stations. The Purple Line will connect directly with four Metro stations, MARC trains and Amtrak.[108]
Elementary and secondary public schools are operated by theMontgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). The county public school system is the largest school district in Maryland, serving about 162,000 students with 13,000 teachers and 10,000 support staff. The public school system operating budget for Fiscal Year 2019 was $2.6 billion (~$3.14 billion in 2024).[110]
MCPS operates under the jurisdiction of an elected board of education. Its current members are:[111]
Name
District
Term ends
Brenda Wolff
District 5
2026
Karla Silvestre
At-Large, President
2026
Grace Rivera-Oven
District 1
2026
Shebra L. Evans
District 4, Vice President
2024
Lynne Harris
At-Large
2024
Julie Yang
District 3
2026
Rebecca Smondrowski
District 2
2024
Anuva Maloo
Student Member
2026
Thomas Taylor
Superintendent
2028
MCPS conducted its first 'data deletion week' in 2019, purging its databases of unnecessary student information.[112] Parents said they hoped to shield children from being held accountable in adulthood for youthful mistakes, as well as to guard them from exploitation by what one parent termed "the student data surveillance industrial complex".The district also requires tech companies to annually delete data they collect on schoolchildren. In December 2019 it saidGoGuardian had sent formal certification that it had deleted its data, but the district was still waiting for confirmation fromGoogle.[113]
The county is also served byMontgomery College, a public, open access community college that had a budget of US$315 million for FY2020. The county has no public university of its own, but thestate university system does operate a facility calledUniversities at Shady Grove in Rockville that provides access to baccalaureate and Master's level programs from several of the state's public universities.
Montgomery County was named the most religiously diverse county in the United States in 2023 by thePublic Religion Research Institute's census.[58] Counties were given a diversity index between 0 and 1, with 0 signifying no diversity, and 1 signifying complete diversity. Montgomery County earned a .886, higher than the national average of .615.
According to the 2020ARDA census, there are 776 religious congregations. Their tradition and adherents are listed below, however not all religious bodies reported their adherents, so they are estimates.
The county was home to theNational Women's Soccer League teamWashington Spirit, a professional soccer team that played its home games at theMaryland SoccerPlex sports complex in Boyds.[116] In 2021, the Spirit will play its seven home games atAudi Field, in Washington, D.C., and five home games atSegra Field in Leesburg, Virginia.[117] Starting in 2022, the team began to play games at Audi Field.
Montgomery County is home of the Montgomery County Swim League, a youth (ages 4–18) competitive swimming league composed of ninety teams based at community pools throughout the county.
The King Farm Park in Rockville, open and accessible 24/7 without cost, provides a first-class 16-station Bankshot Playcourt, the Home Court for the Rockville based Bankshot Sports Organization advocating "Total-mix diversity based on Universal Design." Hundreds of communities provide Bankshot Playcourts mainstreaming differently-able participants in community sports. Bankshot basketball Playcourts are also at Montrose park, the JCC among other locations.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, mounted annually since 1949 in Gaithersburg, is the largestfarm show in the state. The event includes family events, carnival rides, animals, entertainment, and food. County farmers compete with displays of livestock, produce, canned and baked goods, clothing, and quilts.[118]
Occupying a middle ground between incorporated and unincorporated areas are Special Tax Districts, quasi-municipal unincorporated areas created by legislation passed by either theMaryland General Assembly or the county.[120] The Special Tax Districts generally have limited purposes, such as providing some municipal services or improvements to drainage or street lighting.[120] Special Tax Districts lack home rule authority and must petition their cognizant governmental entity for changes affecting the authority of the district. The four incorporated villages of Montgomery County and the town of Chevy Chase View were originally established as Special Tax Districts. Four Special Tax Districts remain in the county:
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 theUnited States Census Bureau, theUnited 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 followingcensus-designated places in the county:
^Although Gaithersburg is the most populous incorporated city in Montgomery County, Germantown, an unincorporated census-designated place, is the most populous locale in the county.
^These figures count adherents, meaning all full members, their children, and others who regularly attend services. In all of Montgomery County, 40% of the population is adherent to any particular religion.
^abMaryland. Convention (1836).Proceedings of the Conventions of the providence of Maryland, held at the city of Annapolis, in 1774, 1775, & 1776. Baltimore, Annapolis: Baltimore, James Lucas & E. K. Deaver; Annapolis, Jonas Green. p. 242.hdl:loc.gdc/scd0001.00117695347.LCCN10012042.OCLC3425542.OL7018977M.Resolved, That after the first day of October next, such part of the said county of Frederick as is contained within the bounds and limits following, to wit : beginning at the east side of the mouth of Rock creek on Potowmac river, and running with the said river to the mouth of Monocacy, then with a straight line to Par's spring, from thence with the lines of the county to the beginning, shall be and is hereby erected into a new county by the name of Montgomery county.
^The Going Out Gurus (May 24, 2001)."Got Plans?".With the Entertainment Guide Staff. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company.Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. RetrievedApril 15, 2024.I'm hoping to answer you and our Silver Spring questioner, who was looking for something this weekend in MoCo.
^Clan Montgomery Society (June 14, 2008)."Montgomery Motto".Clan Montgomery Symbols. Clan Montgomery Society. Archived fromthe original on September 5, 2008. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2008."Garde" (pronounced gard-uh) or "Gardez" (pronounced garday) means "watch", in the sense of "look out" or "on guard". "Bien" (pronounced bee-ann) means "good" to give the overall meaning of "Watch Well".
^"Places From the Past".Montgomery County Historic Sites. Silver Spring, Maryland: Montgomery County Planning Department. January 26, 2012. Archived fromthe original on April 30, 2012. RetrievedApril 30, 2012.Gardez Bien, adopted in 1976 as the county motto, means to guard well or take good care
^"Ride On Routes and Schedules". Rockville, Md.: Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT).Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. RetrievedOctober 21, 2018.
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