Prince George's County, Maryland
| Prince George's County, Maryland | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Maryland |
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 Maryland's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1696 |
|---|---|
| Seat | Upper Marlboro |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
498 sq mi (1,290 km²) 485 sq mi (1,256 km²) 13 sq mi (34 km²), 2.61% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
801,515 1,652/sq mi (638/km²) |
| Website: www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/ | |
Prince George's County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland located immediately north, east, and south of Washington, D.C. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it had a population of 828,770[1] and is the wealthiest county in the nation with an African-American majority.[2][3]
The county was named for Prince George of Denmark (1653–1708), the brother of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway, and husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain. It is frequently referred to as 'P.G. County,' however this abbreviation is viewed as pejorative by some residents.[4]
The county is a part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Upper Marlboro.
On June 3, 2008, Prince George's County received Standard & Poor's AAA rating which, according to Prince George's officials, makes it one of 48 counties in the United States to receive such a rating.[5]
History
Pre-colonial history
Colonial history
Prince George's County was created by the Council of Maryland in 1696 [6] from portions of Charles and Calvert Counties and a portion was detached in 1748 to form Frederick County. Since Frederick County was subsequently divided to form the present Allegany, Garrett, Montgomery, and Washington counties, all of these counties in addition were derived from what had up to 1748 been Prince George's County.
The Revolution through the Civil War
In 1791, portions of Prince George's County were ceded to form the new District of Columbia, along with portions of Montgomery County, Maryland, as well as the parts of northern Virginia - that were later returned to Virginia.
The Civil War through World War I
In April 1865, John Wilkes Booth made his escape through Prince George's County after shooting President Abraham Lincoln. He was on his way to Virginia.
World War I through present
On July 1, 1997, the Prince George's County section of the city of Takoma Park, Maryland, which straddled the boundary between Prince George's and Montgomery counties, was transferred to Montgomery County. This was done after city residents voted to be under the sole jurisdiction of Montgomery County, and subsequent approval by both counties and the Maryland General Assembly. This was the first change in Prince George's County's boundaries since 1791, and the first alteration of the boundaries of any county in Maryland since the early 1900s.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 498 sq mi (1,291 km²). 485 sq mi (1,257 km²) of it is land and 13 sq mi (34 km²) of it (2.61%) is water.
The Patuxent River forms the county's eastern border with Howard, Anne Arundel, and Calvert Counties.
Adjacent jurisdictions
- Anne Arundel County (east)
- Calvert County (southeast)
- Charles County (south)
- Howard County (north)
- Montgomery County (northwest)
- Prince George's and Montgomery Counties share a bi-county planning and parks agency in the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and a public bi-county water and sewer utility in the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
- Fairfax County, Virginia (southwest)
- Alexandria, Virginia (southwest)
- Washington, DC (west)
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Montgomery County | Howard County |
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| District of Columbia |  |
Anne Arundel County | |||||
 Prince George's County, Maryland  |
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| Fairfax County, Virginia and City of Alexandria, Virginia | Charles County | Calvert County |
National protected areas
- Fort Washington Park
- Greenbelt Park
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge (part)
- Piscataway Park
Government
| Year | Republican | Democrat |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10.3% 34,246 | 89.1% 297,654 |
| 2004 | 17.4% 55,532 | 81.8% 260,532 |
| 2000 | 18.4% 49,987 | 79.5% 216,119 |
| 1996 | 21.9% 52,697 | 73.5% 176,612 |
| 1992 | 24.5% 62,955 | 65.7% 168,691 |
| 1988 | 38.8% 86,545 | 60.0% 133,816 |
| 1984 | 41.0% 136,063 | 58.6% 95,121 |
| 1980 | 40.7% 78,977 | 50.9% 98,757 |
| 1976 | 42.0% 81,027 | 58.0% 111,743 |
| 1972 | 58.5% 116,166 | 40.3% 79,914 |
| 1968 | 41.2% 73,269 | 40.3% 71,524 |
| 1964 | 36.2% 46,413 | 63.8% 81,806 |
| 1960 | 42.0% 44,817 | 58.0% 62,013 |
Since 1792, the county seat has been Upper Marlboro. Prior to 1792, the county seat was located at Mount Calvert, a 76 acre (308,000 m²) estate along the Patuxent River on the edge of what is now in the unincorporated community of Croom.
Prince George's County has become a stronghold for Democrats running in the state.
Prince George's County was granted a charter form of government in 1970.
County executive
| Name | Party | Term |
|---|---|---|
| William W. Gullett | Democrat | 1970-1974 |
| Win Kelly | Democrat | 1974-1978 |
| Lawrence Hogan | Republican | 1978-1982 |
| Parris N. Glendening | Democrat | 1982-1994 |
| Wayne K. Curry | Democrat | 1994-2002 |
| Jack B. Johnson | Democrat | 2002- |
Other officials
- State's Attorney: Glenn F. Ivey
- County Sheriff: Michael A. Jackson
- Chief of the County Police: Acting Chief, Roberto Hylton
- Superintendent of schools: John Deasy
State and national representation
The county is represented in the United States House of Representatives by Steny Hoyer (5th District) who was elected House Majority Leader in 2007, Donna Edwards (4th District), and Chris Van Hollen (8th District).
At the state level, the county is represented in the Maryland Senate and the Maryland House of Delegates by Districts 21, 22, 23 (A and B), 24, 25, 26, 27A, and 47 (23 delegates and 8 senators total).
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 29,898 |
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| 1910 | 36,147 | 20.9% | |
| 1920 | 43,347 | 19.9% | |
| 1930 | 60,095 | 38.6% | |
| 1940 | 89,490 | 48.9% | |
| 1950 | 194,182 | 117% | |
| 1960 | 357,395 | 84.1% | |
| 1970 | 660,567 | 84.8% | |
| 1980 | 665,071 | 0.7% | |
| 1990 | 729,268 | 9.7% | |
| 2000 | 801,515 | 9.9% | |
| Est. 2007 | 828,770 | 3.4% | |
As of the estimated census[7] of 2005, there were 846,123 people, 286,610 households, and 198,047 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,651/sq mi (638/km²). There were 308,929 housing units at an average density of 1,651.1/sq mi (241/km²).
The racial makeup of the county was:
- 62.70% African American
- 27.04% White
- 7.12% Hispanic or Latino
- 3.87% Asian
- 3.38% Other races
- 2.61% Two or More of any race
- 0.35% Native American
- 0.06% Pacific Islander
There were 286,610 households out of which 35.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.00% were married couples living together, 19.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.90% were non-families. 24.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 persons and the average family size was 3.25 persons.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.80% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 33.00% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 7.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,256, and the median income for a family was $62,467. Males had a median income of $38,904 versus $35,718 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,360. About 5.30% of families and 7.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over. Prince George's County is the most affluent county with an African-American majority in the United States.
Religion
The county is home to over 800 churches, as well as a number of mosques, synagogues, and Hindu temples. Property belonging to religious entities makes up 3,450 acres (14 km²) of land in the county. [8]
Crime and law enforcement
Prince George's County is serviced by multiple law enforcement agencies. The Prince George's County Police Department is the primary police service for county residents. In addition, the Prince George's County Sheriff's Office acts as the enforcement arm of the county court, and also shares some responsibility with the county police. County parks are serviced by the Maryland-National Capital Park Police. Besides the county-level services, many local municipalities maintain police departments that share jurisdiction with the county police services. Furthermore, the Maryland State Police enforces the law on state highways which pass through the county.
As of 2006, the county reportedly contains the highest crime rate for the Washington Metro area, comparable to Baltimore.[9][10]
Emergency medical and fire services
Prince George's County hospitals include "Bowie Health Center", "Doctors Community Hospital" in Lanham, "Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital & Nursing Center" in Cheverly, "Hospice of the Chesapeake" in Landover, "Laurel Regional Hospital", "Prince George's Hospital Medical Center" in Cheverly, "Southern Maryland Hospital Center" in Clinton, and "Washington Adventist Hospital" in Takoma Park.[11] "Fort Washington Medical Center" also provides a small medical facility for its community.[12]
The Prince George's County Volunteer Firemen's Association was formed in 1922 with several of the first companies organized in the county. The first members of the association were Hyattsville, Cottage City, Mount Rainier, and Brentwood.
In March 1966, the Prince George's County Government employed the firefighters who had been hired by individual volunteer stations and an organized career department was begun. The career firefighters and paramedics are represented by IAFF 1619.
Prince George's County became the first jurisdiction in Maryland to implement the 9-1-1 Emergency Reporting System in 1973. Advanced life support services began for citizens of the county in 1977. Firefighters were certified as Cardiac Rescue Technicians and deployed in what was called at the time Mobile Intensive Care Units to fire stations in Brentwood, Silver Hill, and Laurel.
As of 2007, the Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department operates a combination system staffed by over 800 career firefighters and paramedics, and nearly 1,100 active volunteers.
In August 2008, the County Sheriffs department came under scrutiny for killing two Labrador Retrievers during a drug raid on the house of the mayor of the town of Berwyn Heights.
Education
Colleges and universities
- Bowie State University, located in unincorporated area north of Bowie
- Capitol College, located in unincorporated area south of Laurel
- Prince George's Community College, located in unincorporated area (Largo)
- Strayer University, PG Campus, in unincorporated area (Suitland)
- TESST College of Technology, located in unincorporated area (Beltsville)
- University of Maryland, College Park, in College Park
- University of Maryland University College, in unincorporated area (Adelphi)
- Washington Bible College and Capital Bible Seminary, in unincorporated area (Lanham)
Public schools
The county's schools are managed by the Prince George's County Public Schools system.
Transportation
The County contains a large portion of the Capital Beltway. After a decades-long debate, construction began in late 2007 on an east-west toll freeway, the Intercounty Connector ("ICC"), which will extend Interstate 370 in Montgomery County in order to connect I-270 with Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 in Laurel. The ICC is expected to be complete in 2012.
Four terminus stations of the Washington Metro subway system are located in Prince George's County: Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Largo, and Branch Avenue. There has been much debate on the construction of the Purple Line, which would link highly-developed areas of both Montgomery and Prince George's Counties. Also worth noting is the potential expansion of the Green Line northward to Laurel and beyond.
The MARC Train (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) train service has two lines that traverse Prince George's County. The Camden Line runs between Baltimore Camden Station and Washington Union Station and has six stops in the county in Riverdale Park, College Park, Greenbelt, Muirkirk, Laurel and Laurel Racetrack. The Penn Line runs on the AMTRAK route between Baltimore Penn Station and Washington Union Station. It has three stops in the county: Bowie State, Seabrook, and New Carrollton.
The College Park Airport (est. 1909) is the world's oldest continuously operated airport, and has adjacent historical museum and an early aviation-themed restaurant.
Residents may use Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia, Baltimore-Washington Airport in Baltimore, and Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia.
Major highways
Interstate 95 enters the county at Laurel. It joins with Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) in College Park, Maryland where it continues and leaves at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River.
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) enters the county near Adelphi, and joins Interstate 95 at the College Park Interchange here it continues and leaves at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River.
U.S. 1 is a major north-south roadway running through the county, entering the county at Laurel and leaving at the state border with Washington, D.C. at Mount Rainier.
US 50 is a major limited-access highway that spans the county from east to west, entering at Cheverly and exiting at Bowie. This highway is also Interstate 595 but there are no signs. However, the reconstruction of this highway was funded as an Interstate highway: 90% Federal funds and 10% Maryland funds.
US 301 also called Crain Highway, is a major divided roadway, entering with MD 5 near Brandywine, and continuing north where it intesects with US 50 and turns into Route 3.
also called Pennsylvania Avenue, runs from the Maryland-DC border eastward into Anne Arundel County and south in Calvert County.
also called Branch Avenue, runs from Maryland-DC border southeast through Charles County into St. Mary's County.
also called Central Avenue, runs from Capitol Heights eastward through the center of the county, through Bowie, and into Anne Arundel County.
also called Landover Road, runs northward from the town of Upper Marlboro to Hyattsville.
also called Kenilworth Avenue, runs north from the Maryland-DC border in Cheverly. After the intersection with Cherrywood Lane in Greenbelt, the name changes to Edmonston Road, which continues north until it ends in Laurel.
also known as East-West Highway, stretches from the Prince George's County-Montgomery County border near Takoma Park to its end in Landover. In the town of Riverdale Park, it is called Riverdale Road.
also called Annapolis Road, runs laterally from Hyattsville to Route 3 in Bowie.
also called the Intercounty Connector (ICC) (Maryland Route 200), a long-planned toll road, is under construction as of late 2007,[13] and will run west from U.S. 1 just south of Laurel, crossing Virginia Manor Road, with a major new interchange at Interstate 95; then continuing west into Montgomery County and interchanging with U.S. 29, Maryland Route 97 (Georgia Avenue) and terminating at Interstate 370 near Shady Grove, Rockville and Gaithersburg, and providing a direct freeway connection to Interstate 270 via Interstate 370.
Enterprises and recreation
Prince George's County is home to the United States Department of Agriculture's Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the United States Census Bureau, Andrews Air Force Base, the National Archives and Records Administration's College Park facility, the University of Maryland's flagship College Park campus, Six Flags America and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, FedEx Field (home of the Washington Redskins), and the soon-to-be-completed National Harbor, which its developers, Peterson Companies and Gaylord Entertainment Company, bills the largest single mixed-use project and combined convention center–hotel complex on the East Coast.
Media
- WPGC-FM, Morningside, MD, take their P-G-C call letters from the name Prince George's County.
Recreation
Although Prince George's County isn't often credited for the Washington Redskins, the Redskins stadium lives in Landover. Besides the Redskins there are no other professional sports team, but Bowie is home to the Bowie Baysox, a semi-pro baseball team. PG County is also known for it's very successful youth in basketball. Many great prospects such as Ty Lawson, Kevin Durant, and Michael Beasley. AAU Basketball is the source of these great recruits. The county has many successful teams such as: the PG Jaguars, DC Assault, PG Elite Basketball and DC Blue Devils. Besides AAU, basketball has skyrocketed from local high schools such as DeMatha Catholic High School and Bishop McNamara High School. Both have found some great success locally and nationally.
Cities and towns
This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:
| 10 Cities | 17 Towns |
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The city of Takoma Park was formerly partly in Prince George's County, but since 1997 has been entirely in Montgomery County. The part of Takoma Park that changed counties is in a single residential neighborhood, Carole Highlands; part of this neighborhood is still in Prince George's County.
Unincorporated places
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 the United States Census Bureau, the United 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 following census-designated places in the county:
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Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
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And two localities: Muirkirk (near Montpelier) and Chapel Oaks (near Fairmount Heights)
Sister cities
Prince George's County has three sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Royal Bafokeng Nation, South Africa
Rishon LeZion, Israel
Ziguinchor, Senegal
Notable residents
- Chris Adler, American film actor, grew up in Greenbelt and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt.
- Dr. John Bayne, 19th-century founder of the University of Maryland, superintendent of county schools, Union Army physician, and one of the first Americans to grow and eat a tomato, proving they were not poisonous as had been thought, lived on Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill.
- Michael Beasley, professional basketball player for the Miami Heat.
- Len Bias, All-American Basketball star at the University of Maryland in the 1980s, grew up in Landover Hills and attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville
- Riddick Bowe, former world heavyweight boxing champion, and family lived in Sero Estates, Fort Washington.
- Sergey Brin, founder of Google, grew up in Adelphi and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt.
- John Carroll, S.J. (1735-1815), first Roman Catholic Bishop and Archbishop in the United States, and founder of Georgetown University, was born in Upper Marlboro.
- Frank Cho, award-winning cartoonist, grew up in Beltsville and attended community college and university in the county.
- Thomas John Claggett (1742 - 1816), first Episcopal Bishop consecrated in the United States and third Chaplain of the United States Senate, was from Upper Marlboro.
- Leonard Covington (1768-1813), born in Aquasco, United States Congressman from Maryland[14]
- Roger Easton, Sr., Naval scientist, the chief inventor of GPS (Global Positioning System through satellite tracking) and winner of the 2004 National Medal of Technology, lived on Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill.
- Francis B. Francois, lawyer and engineer, lived in Bowie, Maryland for over 40 years. In 1999, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his achievements in the field of engineering and policy leadership in surface transportation infrastructure and research. He served on the Prince George's County council as an elected official for 10 years.
- Kathie Lee Gifford, network television personality, grew up in Bowie.
- Mya Harrison, pop musician, known simply as Mya.
- Goldie Hawn, actress, director, and producer, grew up in Takoma Park before it was transferred to Montgomery County.
- Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets later used on Sesame Street, grew up in University Park, Maryland.
- Steny Hoyer, current Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, lived as a teenager in Suitland and Mitchellville, attended Suitland High School and Univ. Maryland - College Park, and later lived in Friendly before moving to St. Mary's County.
- Cathy Hughes, founder and manager of Radio One, the nation's largest African American broadcasting company.
- Martin Lawrence, actor and comedian, lived in Landover and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt.
- Sugar Ray Leonard, boxing champion, grew up in Palmer Park.
- G. Gordon Liddy, Presidential aide convicted in the Watergate scandal, later an author and radio personality, lives in Fort Foote, Fort Washington.
- Jan Scruggs, who conceived the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, grew up in Bowie.
- Sumner Welles, U.S. Undersecretary of State to Franklin Roosevelt, built and lived in Oxon Hill Manor, which is now a public facility.
- Morgan Wootten coached at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland from 1956 to 2002. The coach with the most wins in high school basketball history, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, the only high school basketball coach ever so honored. He currently resides in University Park, Maryland.
- Wale, a hip-hop artist, who often notes in his songs how he is from "PG County," and the "DMV" region (D.C, Maryland, Virginia).
- Isis Tsunami, First transgender contestant in America's Next Top Model (in cycle 11).
References
- ↑ "Prince George's County, Maryland." U.S. Census Bureau, 2007.
- ↑ Howell, Tom Jr. (2006-04-18). "Census 2000 Special Report. Maryland Newsline, Census: Md. Economy Supports Black-Owned Businesses". University of Maryland. Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
- ↑ Chappell, Kevin (November 2006). "America's Wealthiest Black County]". Ebony. Retrieved on 2007-02-14.
- ↑ ""'P.G.': Insult or Abbreviation?"". Washington Post (May 7, 2006). Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
- ↑ ""Prince George's scores AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's"". Washington Business Journal (June 3, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-07-10.
- ↑ "Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7:1698, Volume 23, Page 23". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved on 05/04/2007.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Harris, Sudarsan; Harris, Hamil R. (March 14, 2005), Tax Exempt and Growing, Churches Worry Pr. George's, The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32382-2005Mar13.html, retrieved on 2008-03-26]
- ↑ ""Baltimore, Prince George's Reign as State's Murder Capitals"". Southern Maryland Online (April 24, 2007).
- ↑ "Maryland Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data: 1985 - 2006". Governor's Office of Crime Prevention & Control. Retrieved on 2008-06-12.
- ↑ Hospitals in Prince George's County. Prince George's County official website. URL retrieved on February 11, 2007.
- ↑ Fort Washington Medical Center. Official website. URL retrieved on February 11, 2007.
- ↑ Melissa J. Brachfeld (2007-12-19). "Preliminary work on ICC gets under way". The Gazette. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ↑ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
External links
- Prince George's County Government, official site
- Prince George's County Historical Society
- The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission
- The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
- The Dilemma of the Black Middle Class, includes analysis of the county.
- The Barbershop, live Internet podcast for Prince George’s County social issues
- Prince Georgians Care site, for and about county residents
- P.G. County by Connie Briscoe, a novel set in Prince George's County
- Crimes in Maryland
- Prince George's County: Looking at the Past, Planning for the Future, a look at the history of development in Prince George's County
- Prince George’s County crime maps
- Prince George's County Memorial Library System
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