Severn, Maryland

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For other uses of and places with the name "Severn", see Severn (disambiguation).

Severn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 35,076 at the 2000 census. The zipcode is 21144.

1 Geography
2 Transportation
3 Demographics
4 Education
5 Natives and residents of note
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Severn is located at 39°7′58″N, 76°41′38″W (39.132841, -76.694002).^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 36.2 km² (14.0 mi²), all land.

Severn has gone from a small rural town, prior to the 1980s, to a town straining to contain its population growth. Property values have risen exponentially (more than doubled between 1998 and 2004) because the town is located fifteen miles southwest of Baltimore City and twenty-eight miles northeast of Washington, DC, allowing residents to work in either city. Traffic gridlock has become a major concern and aggravation for long-time Severn residents who were used to the rural setting it once was. There is a small but significant culture shock between these long time Severn residents and affluent professionals moving in to the area as real estate development continues to boom.^{[citation needed]} The town originally was zoned rural resident and commercial. Most of the farms in Severn have recently been rezoned residential. There are no major retail sales outlets in Severn. Shopping is done in nearby larger towns. One of the largest malls in the U.S., Arundel Mills Mall, is located just four miles away, allowing for convenient shopping for Severn residents. A few U.S. government facilities, such as the National Security Agency and Fort Meade, are located on the edge of Severn.

[edit] Transportation

During rush hour, driving to DC takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour each way. Baltimore, fifteen miles to the northeast, is only a twenty-minute drive. There is one major highway adjacent to Severn, Baltimore-Washington Parkway which leads to points North and South. And the I-95 entrance is about ten minutes away (a little further along MD Route 175 past the B/W Pkwy exits). While routes I-295 and I-95 provide fast access north and south, MD Route 100 provides rapid east and west travel from Pasadena, Md., west to Columbia, Md.. MD Route 32 runs parallel to MD-100 connecting Annapolis, Md., to Columbia, Md., through Severn as well. Severn is a very strategic location for affluent families looking to escape the oversaturation and inflation of Washington, Baltimore and some other suburbs-mainly Montgomery County suburbs. It is a fifteen minute drive to BWI airport and has several highways passing through the area, including access to the MARC Train commuter rail service in Odenton only ten minutes away. It is poised to be the next sought-after community just as many Montgomery County suburbs were ten to fifteen years ago.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 35,076 people, 12,003 households, and 9,506 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 969.4/km² (2,511.3/mi²). There were 12,362 housing units at an average density of 341.7/km² (885.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 56.25% White, 34.56% African American, 0.42% Native American, 4.29% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 3.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.96% of the population.

There were 12,003 households out of which 43.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 5.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,204, and the median income for a family was $68,424. Males had a median income of $42,933 versus $31,751 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $24,640. About 5.4% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

[edit] Public schools

Students may attend public school within the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district.

Center of Applied Technology North - vocational education classes for 9th through 12th grade
Severn Elementary School - kindergarten through 5th grade
Ridgeway Elementary School - kindergarten through 5th grade
Van Bokkelen Elementary School - pre-kindergarten through 5th grade
Quarterfield Elementary School - pre-kindergarten through 5th grade