North Bethesda, Maryland | |
|---|---|
.jpg) North Bethesda skyline | |
 Location of North Bethesda, Maryland | |
 Boundaries of the North Bethesda CDP, as of 2003 | |
| Coordinates:39°02′12″N77°07′23″W / 39.03667°N 77.12306°W /39.03667; -77.12306 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Montgomery |
| Area | |
• Total | 8.90 sq mi (23.04 km2) |
| • Land | 8.87 sq mi (22.98 km2) |
| • Water | 0.023 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 354 ft (108 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 50,094 |
| • Density | 5,646.1/sq mi (2,179.96/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 20814, 20817, 20851, 20852, 20906[3] |
| Area codes | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-56337 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2389566[2] |
North Bethesda is acensus-designated place inMontgomery County,Maryland, United States, located just north-west of the U.S. capital ofWashington, D.C. It had a population of 50,094 as of the2020 census.[4] Among itsneighborhoods, the centrally located, urbanizing district of White Flint is the commercial and residential hub of North Bethesda. ThePike & Rose development and the Pike District is an initiative of Montgomery County to brand and market this region as "North Bethesda's Urban Core". TheWMATANorth Bethesda (formerly White Flint) metro station andGrosvenor-Strathmore metro station serve the region.
Four of theNational Institutes of Health as well other federal agencies, including theNuclear Regulatory Commission, theHealth Resources and Services Administration, and theUnited States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, are headquartered in North Bethesda. A number of corporate headquarters are headquartered in North Bethesda, as well as nonprofits such as theAmerican Kidney Fund, theSociety of American Foresters andUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP).
The region is also known for a number of its long-standing institutions, such as theNeo-Georgian Mansion atStrathmore and theGeorgetown Preparatory School. The Music Center at Strathmore is also located in North Bethesda.
As an unincorporated area four miles (6.4 km) northwest ofWashington, D.C., North Bethesda's boundaries are not officially defined. North Bethesda is, however, recognized by theUnited States Census Bureau and by theUnited States Geological Survey as acensus-designated place for statistical purposes.[5] North Bethesda borders the city ofRockville to the north,[6] and the unincorporated census-designated places ofBethesda andPotomac to the south and west respectively.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the North Bethesda CDP has a total area of 8.9 square miles (23 km2), all land.
Significant through-roads in North Bethesda include Interstates270 and495 and Maryland State Highways187 (Old Georgetown Road),355 (Rockville Pike), and547 (Strathmore Avenue). TheTwinbrook,North Bethesda (formerly White Flint), andGrosvenor-StrathmoreWashington Metro stations all serve the area, as does theRide On andMetrobus bus systems. TheMARC train services stations in neighboring Garrett Park and Rockville, with a future station planned for North Bethesda as well.[7]
Other landmarks in the area are theCharles E. Smith Jewish Day School, theKennedy-Shriver Aquatic Center (formerly the Montgomery Aquatic Center), the Jewish Community Center, theLinden Oak tree, from which the metro was diverted from in an effort to preserve it, andNorth Bethesda Market, the tallest building inMontgomery County.[8]
Major shopping centers include Pike & Rose (formerly Mid-Pike Plaza), Montrose Crossing, and Federal Plaza. The formerWhite Flint Mall, demolished in 2016, was also a major shopping center.
North Bethesda shares a common history with most of itsMontgomery County neighbors. Archaeological evidence suggests that Paleo, Archaic, and Woodland Native Americans lived nearby, along the banks of thePotomac River. These peoples traveled along an ancient route known as theSeneca Trail (which is today approximately followed in North Bethesda by Old Georgetown Road). Like many ancient roads, the Seneca Trail followed a ridge line – in this case, the high ground between thePotomac River andRock Creek. Much later, development would spring up along this route.
The recorded history of the area commences with the colonial era. Settlements formed along Rock Creek and theSeneca Trail in the 17th century, with recorded land grants in this area known originally as “Dan” and “Leeke Forest.” The far southern edge of the North Bethesda CDP was originally the country estate of theGrosvenor family, whose lineage includesAlexander Graham Bell and a former President of theNational Geographic Society. That region continues to bear the family's name, and is the location of the headquarters of the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation. Also in the southern sector of the census designated area, located in the triangle between the two limbs of I-270 and I-495, is a business district that includes several corporate and government agency headquarters.
In the early 19th century, much of the area was part of a 3,700-acre (15 km2) tobacco plantation owned by a slaveowning family with the surname of Riley. One of the Rileys' slaves,Josiah Henson, is thought by historians to be the inspiration forHarriet Beecher Stowe'sUncle Tom's Cabin. In 1806, theWashington Turnpike Company was chartered to improve the old Seneca route, by then known as the Georgetown-Frederick Road. The road was opened in 1828, but had nearly washed away by 1848. TheRiley plantation house was located on this road, and the plantation house's kitchen (in which Henson is known to have slept) still stands near the course of this road.
By the late 19th century, the area was privileged with stops along a train route, and by the early 20th century with its own trolley tracks on the line connecting Georgetown and Rockville (along current-day Fleming Avenue). During this time, development bloomed around train and trolley stops, and a number of wealthy families, including those of CaptainJames F. Oyster andCharles I. Corby (who developed methods that revolutionized the baking industry), lived or summered in the area. Nonetheless, the area remained sparsely populated through the 1920s.
The arrival of the automobile eventually transformed the area into a commuter suburb ofWashington, D.C. By the 1950s, the area had sprouted a number of developer-conceived neighborhoods with tract houses for the middle-class.
While some traditional neighborhoods remain, other areas have struggled with issues related tosuburban sprawl.[clarification needed] Like most other suburbs in Montgomery County, theMaryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) engages in master planning for all development. The White Flint Master Plan is designed to alleviate negative aspects of future high-density development in North Bethesda.[9]
The use of the name North Bethesda for this census-designated region has in the past been questioned by local residents and online commenters.[10] Skeptics have dismissed the census-designated place as just a southern portion of Rockville or the region north of Bethesda rather than a defined place[11] and the name as aneologism coined by realtors to bestow the cache of Bethesda on a less well-known area.[12]
The reason for the misconception includes its location between more well-known areas, especially as most of North Bethesda lies in the 20852 ZIP code it shares with Rockville[10] and uses the Rockville postal address, whereas the eastern part of the CDP uses theKensington address and ZIP code, and the southern regions has the 20814 zip code of Bethesda proper.[13]
Adding to the confusion, the county's growth plan for the area was titled "White Flint," the name used by the demolishedWhite Flint Mall and the since renamed White Flint (nowNorth Bethesda) station of theWashington Metro Red Line.[13] Beginning in the mid-2010s, developers sought to rebrand the area around the metro station as "Pike District".[10] In addition, North Bethesda Middle School is located inBethesda.[10]
Despite the accusation that the real estate business uses "North Bethesda" to associate the area with the ritzier Bethesda rather than Rockville, some realtors point out that customers and agents don't always search for "North Bethesda", and the inconsistency between the place name and postal address can be a liability.[11]
Montgomery County Public Schools serves North Bethesda. Public schools include:[14]
Catholic schools (under theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington) include:[14]
Other private schools in the CDP include:[14]
The Washington Japanese Language School, the oldestsupplementary weekend Japanese school in the United States,[26] previously held classes at Holy Cross School and Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda.[27]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 22,671 | — | |
| 1990 | 29,656 | 30.8% | |
| 2000 | 38,610 | 30.2% | |
| 2010 | 43,828 | 13.5% | |
| 2020 | 50,094 | 14.3% | |
| source:[28] 2010–2020[4] | |||
As of thecensus[29] of 2000, there were 38,610 people, 17,286 households, and 9,662 families residing in the area. The population density was 4,281.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,653.1/km2). There were 18,071 housing units at an average density of 2,003.9 per square mile (773.7/km2). The racial makeup of the area was 77.24%White, 4.96%African American, 0.29%Native American, 11.97%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 2.61% fromother races, and 2.88% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 9.53% of the population.
There were 17,286 households, out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% weremarried couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.1% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the area, the population was spread out, with 17.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
According to survey conducted between 2005 and 2009,[30] the median income for a household in the area was $87,324, and the median income for a family was $113,719. Males had a median income of $79,085 versus $61,793 for females. Theper capita income for the area was $51,254. About 2.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
The corporateheadquarters ofLockheed Martin,Coventry Healthcare,Host Hotels & Resorts, andTotal Wine & More are in North Bethesda. Four of theNational Institutes of Health: theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities,National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and theNational Center for Advancing Translational Sciences are also headquartered here. Several units of theUnited States Public Health Service have headquarters in North Bethesda: theAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality, theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, theIndian Health Service, theHealth Resources and Services Administration, and theUnited States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Other government agencies based in North Bethesda include theNuclear Regulatory Commission. Nonprofits based in North Bethesda include theAmerican Kidney Fund, theSociety of American Foresters andUnited States Pharmacopeia (USP). Locally, the Marriott-operated Montgomery County Conference Center, located near the North Bethesda metro station, hosts a number of large national conferences every year.
White Flint Mall, now closed, was for decades a major retail mall here anchored byBloomingdale's andLord & Taylor,[31] whilePike & Rose nearby is a major newmixed-use development designated by local planning authorities as a dense hub of offices, retail, hotels, residential and entertainment for the area.
Neighborhoods within the North BethesdaCDP include the following:
850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850- Compare to theMap of Garrett Park
6201 Tilden Lane Rockville, MD 20852- Compare address and location to CDP map.
11211 Old Georgetown Road Rockville, MD 20852- Compare address and location to CDP map.
4920 Strathmore Avenue Kensington, MD 20895- Despite the Kensington address it is in North Bethesda CDP.
4900 Strathmore Ave., Garrett Park, MD- Compare to theMap of Garrett Park
10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20852
Lower School 1901 East Jefferson Street Rockville, MD 20852 [...] Upper School 11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD 20852
11701 Danville Drive North Bethesda, MD 20852
5100 Randolph Rockville, MD 20852
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