Baltimore County, Maryland
| Baltimore County, Maryland | ||
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 Location in the state of Maryland |
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 Maryland's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1659 | |
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| Seat | Towson | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
682 sq mi (1,766 km²) 599 sq mi (1,551 km²) 83 sq mi (215 km²), 12.23% |
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| PopulationEst. - (2005) - Density |
786,113 1,261/sq mi (487/km²) |
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| Website | www.baltimorecountymd.gov | |
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 763,181.[1] It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland colony, Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, in County Longford, Ireland. Baltimore County does not actually include the city of Baltimore, which left the county to become an independent city in 1851.
The northern regions of Baltimore County are primarily rural, featuring a "Piedmont Plateau" landscape of rolling hills and deciduous forests. The southern and south-central regions of the county lie on the Atlantic coastal plain are primarily suburban in character.
Among the county's major employers are the Social Security Administration, which has its national headquarters in Woodlawn, and Black & Decker in Towson.[2] During World War II, the Glenn L. Martin Company in Middle River had 53,000 employees manufacturing airplanes for the war effort and Bethlehem Steel had more than 30,000 workers at its sprawling Sparrows Point steel mill.[3] Of the 411,000 persons in the county's workforce as of 2009, 25% are employed in the fields of education, health, and human services, and 10% in retailing, with less than 1% in agriculture.[3]
Contents |
History
The origin of Baltimore County is not known; the earliest known record of the county politically is January 12, 1659, when a writ was issued to its sheriff. Previously, Baltimore County was more known as a geographical entity than a political one, with its territorial limits consisting of the present day Baltimore City, Cecil and Harford Counties, as well as parts of Carroll, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard and Kent Counties.
In 1674, a portion of Baltimore County, as well as a portion of Kent County, was split off to form Cecil County. In 1748, a portion of Baltimore County, as well as a portion of Prince George's County, was split off to form Frederick County. In 1773, Harford County was split off from Baltimore County. In 1837, a part of Baltimore County was combined with a part of Frederick County to form Carroll County. The separation of Baltimore County from Baltimore City occurred on July 4, 1851.[4] Towson was voted as the county seat on February 13, 1854.[4]
The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]
Law and government
Baltimore County has had a charter government since 1956. The government consists of a County Executive and a seven-member County Council. The County Executive and Councilmen are elected in years of gubernatorial elections, and the County Executive may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.
State's attorney
The Baltimore County State's Attorney is responsible for prosecuting the felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases occurring in the county. The current State's Attorney is Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat. His predecessor was Sandra A. O'Connor, a Republican who served eight terms before retiring in 2006.
Law Enforcement
The Baltimore County Police Department is responsible for policing the county. The current head of the department is Chief James W. Johnson.
The Baltimore County Sherriff's Department is responsible for security of the County Circuit Courts and courtrooms as well as process and warrant service. Sherriff's Deputies are sworn police officers and share the same powers of the Police Department. Currently, R. J. Fisher is the Baltimore County Sheriff.
The Maryland State Police (MSP); Terrence B. Sheridan, Superintendent [1] and Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MdTA); Marcus L. Brown, Chief [2] are responsible for law enforcement on Interstate highways and toll facilities that traverse Baltimore County.
Fire Department
The Baltimore County Fire Department (B.Co.F.D.) [3] provides fire protection, emergency medical services and emergency rescue to residents of the county and surrounding areas, including Baltimore City, through mutual-aid pacts with those jurisdictions. The department consists of both paid and volunteer companies that provide services to overlapping territories. Currently, there are 25 career (paid) stations and 33 volunteer stations. There are more than 1,000 paid personnel and more than 2,000 volunteers. The department also conducts annual fire inspections on commercial properties, fire investigation and fire prevention education activities as well as water and tactical rescue in the region. John J. Hohman [4] is currently Chief of the Baltimore County Fire Department.
Fire Department Support
The Maryland State Police Aviation Division [5] provides helicopter airlift support to the Fire Department for rescue/serious medical transport to regional trauma and medical centers.
Central Alarmers (Station 155) is a private organization that provides fireground rehab support to firefighters (personal relief stations and refreshments) during large or prolonged response incidents in the central and eastern regions of the county.
County executives
See Also: Baltimore County Executive, 2006 Baltimore County Executive Election
The County Executive oversees the executive branch of the County government that consists of a number of offices and departments. The executive branch is charged with implementing County law and overseeing the operation of the County government.
County council
The County Council, as the legislative branch, adopts ordinances and resolutions, and has all of the County's legislative powers.
The County Council elections of 2006 returned the following members:
| District | Name | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| District 1 | Samuel Moxley | Democrat | |
| District 2 | Kevin B. Kamenetz | Democrat | |
| District 3 | T. Bryan McIntire | Republican | |
| District 4 | Kenneth M. Oliver | Democrat | |
| District 5 | Vincent J. Gardina | Democrat | |
| District 6 | Joseph Bartenfelder | Democrat | |
| District 7 | John A. Olszewski, Sr. | Democrat | |
Transportation
Road
Several major interstate highways run through the county, including I-95, I-83, I-195, I-795 and I-70; the latter has its eastern terminus in the county. The majority of the McKeldin Beltway, I-695, is contained within the county as well.
Transit
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operates three rail systems—one light rail, one rapid transit, and one commuter rail—in the Baltimore area; all three systems have stations in Baltimore County. The heavy-rail Metro Subway [6] runs northwest of the city to Owings Mills; the Light Rail [7] system runs north of the city to Hunt Valley and south of the city through Baltimore Highlands with some routes terminating at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport located in Linthicum (Anne Arundel County), Maryland. Commuter MARC Train service is available in the county at Halethorpe and St. Denis stations.
The MTA's local [8] and regional [9] bus services also serve Baltimore County.
Rail
Both CSX Transportation and Amtrak mainlines run through the county. Former rail lines, now abandoned, were the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad and the Northern Central Railway (part of the old Pennsylvania Railroad).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 682 square miles (1,766 km²), of which 599 square miles (1,550 km²)(87.83%) is land and 83 square miles (216 km²) (12.17%) is water.
The highest elevation is approximately 960 feet (292.6 m) above sea level, along the Pennsylvania state line near Steltz. The lowest elevation is sea level along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay.
Adjacent counties
- York County, Pennsylvania (north)
- Carroll County (west)
- Harford County (east)
- Anne Arundel County (south)
- Howard County (southwest)
- Baltimore City (independent city, surrounded by Baltimore County except to the south)
National protected area
- Hampton National Historic Site
State protected area
- Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area
Government
The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is headquartered at Suite 1000 at 300 East Joppa Road in the Towson CDP.[6][7][8] The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP.[9][10]
Demographics
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 754,292 people, 299,877 households, and 198,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,260 people per square mile (487/km²). There were 313,734 housing units at an average density of 524 per square mile (202/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.39% White, 20.10% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 3.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 1.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.4% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 7.3% English, 7.0% Italian, 6.1% United States or American and 5.4% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. There is also a large Jewish population that migrated from Park Heights into the communities of Pikesville, Owings Mills and Reisterstown, referred to by Jewish residents as "100,000 Jews in three zip codes".
There were 299,877 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.40% were married couples living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,667, and the median income for a family was $59,998. Males had a median income of $41,048 versus $31,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,167. About 4.50% of families and 6.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.20% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over.
Baltimore County's Population History from the U.S. Census Bureau
The following is a population history for Baltimore County [10]. The ranking compares the population of Baltimore County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.
- 1900........90,755......2nd (after Balt. City)
- 1910.......122,349......2nd
- 1920........74,817......2nd (Baltimore City annexed 46.5 square miles (120 km2) from the county in 1917)
- 1930.......124,565......2nd
- 1940.......155,825......2nd
- 1950.......270,273......2nd
- 1960.......492,428......2nd
- 1970.......621,077......3rd (after Prince George's)
- 1980.......655,615......2nd (Prince George's fewer)
- 1990.......692,134......4th (Montgomery 2nd, Prince George's 3rd)
- 2000.......754,292......3rd (Balt. City drops to 4th)
- 2004.......763,181......3rd [11]
Of note:
- Until 1950, only Baltimore City and County crossed the 100,000 population threshold.
Unincorporated communities (Census-Designated Places)
Baltimore County has no incorporated municipalities located entirely within its boundaries. The county contains many unincorporated communities which are listed in many collections of towns. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define these communities according to their own criteria. Unincorporated areas have no local government or defined boundaries, other than the following census-designated places recognized by the Census Bureau:
- Arbutus
- Bowleys Quarters
- Carney
- Catonsville
- Cockeysville
- Dundalk
- Edgemere
- Essex
- Garrison
- Hampton
- Kingsville
- Lansdowne-Baltimore Highlands (a combination of the communities of Lansdowne and Baltimore Highlands recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
- Lochearn
- Lutherville-Timonium (a combination of the communities of Lutherville and Timonium recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
- Mays Chapel
- Middle River
- Milford Mill
- Overlea
- Owings Mills
- Parkville
- Perry Hall
- Pikesville
- Randallstown
- Reisterstown
- Rosedale
- Rossville
- Towson
- White Marsh
- Woodlawn (note: this is also the name of a CDP in Prince George's County)
Other communities (non-Census-Designated Places)
Although not formally Census-Designated Places, these other communities are known locally and, in many cases, have their own post offices and are shown on roadmaps:
- Baldwin
- Boring
- Brooklandville
- Butler
- Chase
- Fork
- Fort Howard
- Germantown
- Glen Arm
- Glencoe
- Glyndon
- Halethorpe
- Hereford
- Hunt Valley
- Hydes
- Jacksonville
- Long Green
- Maryland Line
- Monkton
- Nottingham
- Oella
- Parkton
- Phoenix
- Ruxton
- Sparks
- Sparrows Point
- Stevenson
- Turners Station
- Upper Falls
- Upperco
- White Hall
Education
Colleges and universities
The University System of Maryland maintains two universities in Baltimore County:
- Towson University in Towson
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville
There are also two private colleges in Baltimore County:
- Goucher College (in Towson)
- Stevenson University, formerly Villa Julie College (campuses in Stevenson and Owings Mills)
Other schools having a campus in Baltimore County:
- Loyola College in Maryland (in Hunt Valley, main campus in Baltimore)
- The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), with campuses in Catonsville, Essex, and Dundalk.
Public schools
All public schools in Baltimore County are operated by Baltimore County Public Schools, with the exception of the Imagine Me Charter School which opened August 2008.
Private Schools
Baltimore County has a number of highly regarded private schools at the K-12 grade levels. Among them are:
- Arlington Baptist High School
- Loyola Blakefield
- The Boys' Latin School of Maryland
- The Park School
- Maryvale Preparatory School
- Our Lady of Grace School
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
- McDonogh School
- Mount de Sales Academy
- Garrison Forest School
- St. Paul's School
- Notre Dame Preparatory School
- Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School
- Baltimore Actors Theatre Conservatory
- Calvert Hall College High School
- Baltimore Lutheran School
- St. Timothy's School (all-girls')
- Oldfields School (all-girls')
- Ruxton Country School
- St. James Academy in Monkton
- St. Ursula School
Family Support Services
General counseling, trauma-based therapy, comprehensive support for victims of domestic violence, and in-home assistance for the adult disabled, are offered to Baltimore County residents by Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland (FCS) ([12]),[12] a private nonprofit organization. The FCS Baltimore County office is located in Woodlawn [13] Some services are offered without charge; others are offered on a sliding-fee scale based on income.
While victims of domestic violence on the west side of Baltimore County turn to FCS, TurnAround, Inc. (turnaroundinc.org) serves victims of domestic violence on the east side of Baltimore County.
Notable persons
- Peter Angelos, prominent attorney and owner, Baltimore Orioles
- Spiro Agnew, former Vice President of the United States, former Baltimore County Executive, Agnew was also the 55th governor of Maryland (1967-1969)
- A. J. Burnett, Major League Baseball player
- David Byrne, lead singer Talking Heads
- Tom Clancy, well known author of political thrillers
- Samuel Durrance, Astronaut/Physicist
- Kevin Clash, puppeteer most famous for Sesame Street's Elmo.
- Robert Ehrlich 60th Governor of Maryland
- Jane Frank, (1918-1986) artist (born in Baltimore, lived in Owings Mills and Towson most of her adult life)
- Lee Gatch, artist (born in a small rural community near Baltimore)
- Emily Spencer Hayden, photographer
- Foxhall P. Keene, (1867–1941), horse breeder and Olympic gold medalist polo player
- Harvey Ladew, designer of Ladew Topiary Gardens
- G. E. Lowman, clergyman and early radio evangelist
- Carol Mann, golfer
- Jim McKay, ABC-TV sportscaster
- John Merryman, Civil War militia officer, Maryland politician, and subject of the landmark habeas corpus case, Ex parte Merryman
- Glenn Milstead, known as the actor "Divine"
- Elaine Hamilton, abstract expressionist artist and Fulbright scholar
- Michael Phelps, Olympic Gold-Medalist swimmer
- Rosa Ponselle, opera singer
- Charles Carnan Ridgely, (1760–1829), governor of Maryland and master of the Hampton estate
- Eliza Ridgely, (1803–1867), third mistress of the Hampton estate and the subject of the well-known portrait painting Lady with a Harp
- Mike Rowe, T.V show host for Dirty Jobs
- Pam Shriver, Professional Tennis Player, Olympic Gold Medalist Tennis
- Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, politician and member of the Kennedy family
- Johnny Unitas, former Baltimore Colt and Hall of Fame football player
- John Waters, Filmmaker
- Singer-songwriter Cheryl Wheeler
- Former Baltimore Orioles Jim Gentile, Gus Triandos, and Mark Belanger
- Former major league baseball shortstop and manager Billy Hunter
- Former major league baseball pitcher Bob Turley
- Former Baltimore Orioles and Hall of Famers Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer
- Former Baltimore Colts Dick Szymanski and Don Shula (later coach of the Miami Dolphins)
- Professional lacrosse players Ryan Boyle and Conor Gill
- Evan Taubenfeld an up-and-coming recording artist and ex-guitarist of Avril Lavigne
- Mo'nique-Comedienne and Golden-Globe-winning actress, starred in the movie Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
- Pop-punk band All Time Low
- Experimental band Animal Collective
References
- ↑ Baltimore County demographics
- ↑ Lanman, Barry A. (2009). Baltimore County: Celebrating a Legacy 1659–2009. Cockeysville, Md.: Baltimore County Historical Society. p. 178. ISBN 978-1-60743-522-8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lanman, p. 115.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Historical marker, Towson Courthouse, Baltimore County Historical Society.
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ↑ "Contact Information by Agency." Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ↑ "Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services." Maryland State Archives. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ↑ "Towson CDP, Maryland." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ↑ Home page. Maryland State Police. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ↑ "Pikesville CDP, Maryland." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 23, 2009.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_and_Children%27s_Services_of_Central_Maryland
- ↑ http://www.fcsmd.org/locations/woodlawnOffice.htm
External links
- Baltimore County Government
- Baltimore County Public Library system
- Baltimore Co. Public Schools
- Baltimore Weather - Provided by the weather station at UMBC.
- Baltimore County Timeline
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| Howard County | Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City | Chesapeake Bay |
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