| Howard County, Maryland | |||
|
|||
Location in the state of Maryland |
|||
Maryland's location in the U.S. |
|||
| Founded | 1838 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Named for | John Eager Howard | ||
| Seat | Ellicott City | ||
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
253.55 sq mi (657 km²) 252.04 sq mi (653 km²) 1.51 sq mi (4 km²), 0.60% |
||
| Population - (2010) - Density |
287,085 1,139/sq mi (439.6/km²) |
||
| Congressional districts | 3, 7 | ||
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | ||
| Website | www.co.ho.md.us | ||
Howard County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It is considered part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.
In 2010, its population was 287,085. Its county seat is Ellicott City. The center of population of Maryland is located on the county line between Howard County and Anne Arundel County, in the unincorporated town of Jessup.[1]
Due to the proximity of Howard County's population centers to Baltimore, the county has traditionally been considered a part of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. Recent development in the south of the county has led to some realignment towards the Washington, D.C. media and employment markets. The county is also home to Columbia, a major planned community of 100,000 founded by developer James Rouse in 1967.
Howard County is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. For 2011, it was ranked the fifth wealthiest county by median household income in the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau. Many of the most affluent communities in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, such as Clarksville, Glenelg, Glenwood and West Friendship, are located along the Route 32 corridor in Howard County. The main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City was named 2nd among Money magazine's 2010 survey of "America's Best Places to Live."[2] Howard County's schools frequently rank first in Maryland as measured by standardized test scores and graduation rates.[3]
Contents |
In 1800, the mean center of U.S. population as calculated by the US Census Bureau was found in what is now Howard County.[4]
To honor John Eager Howard, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and later the fifth Governor of Maryland,[5], the area was designated the Howard District when Anne Arundel County was divided in 1839. The Howard District had the same status as a county except that it was not separately represented in the Maryland General Assembly. In 1851, the district became Howard County.
The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
Howard County is located in the Maryland Piedmont region, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. Its largest community is Columbia, which is not an incorporated city under Maryland law; in fact, Howard County has no incorporated municipalities. The northern portion of Howard County is part of the outskirts of Baltimore, while the southern is more oriented toward Washington, D.C.
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 253.55 square miles (656.7 km2), the smallest county in Maryland, of which 252.04 square miles (652.8 km2) (or 99.40%) is land and 1.51 square miles (3.9 km2) (or 0.60%) is water.[7]
Most of Howard County lies in Humid subtropical climate zone, with the western edge of the county approaching the transition between the Humid subtropical climate zone and the Humid continental climate zone. As one travels west in the county away from the Baltimore area, the winter temperatures get lower and winter snow is more common. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches (1,100 mm) throughout the county.[8] Over a 50 year period from 1950 to 2010, there were 394 National Climatic Data Center reportable events causing 617 injuries, and 99 fatalities. There were 9 reported tornadoes, reaching a maximum of F2 with no recorded fatalities.[9]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 13,338 |
|
|
| 1870 | 14,150 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 16,140 | 14.1% | |
| 1890 | 16,269 | 0.8% | |
| 1900 | 16,715 | 2.7% | |
| 1910 | 16,106 | −3.6% | |
| 1920 | 15,826 | −1.7% | |
| 1930 | 16,169 | 2.2% | |
| 1940 | 17,175 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 23,119 | 34.6% | |
| 1960 | 36,152 | 56.4% | |
| 1970 | 61,911 | 71.3% | |
| 1980 | 118,572 | 91.5% | |
| 1990 | 187,328 | 58.0% | |
| 2000 | 247,842 | 32.3% | |
| 2010 | 287,085 | 15.8% | |
Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 247,842 people, 90,043 households, and 65,821 families residing in the county. The population density was 983 people per square mile (380/km²). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 368 per square mile (142/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.33% White, 14.42% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 7.68% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.1% were of German, 11.0% Irish, 9.3% English, 6.6% Italian and 5.7% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 90,043 households out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $101,003, and the median income for a family was $117,186 in 2009[11]). The per capita income was $44,120. About 2.70% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line.
The following is a population history for Howard County from the U.S. Census Bureau.[12] The ranking compares the population of Howard County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.[13][14]
The Howard County Public School System manages 71 schools and serves approximately 49,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district is an above-average 92%, and the county's schools are ranked among the best in the state. Student test scores consistently top the list for all Maryland school districts. Public school construction has kept pace with the county’s growth in recent years in an effort to safeguard against crowded classrooms. Howard High School is currently the largest school in the county with over 1,600 students.
Since 2005, Howard County Library has consistently been ranked among the top 5 libraries in its size category by HAPLR (Hennen's American Public Library Ratings). (Under the library's sponsorship, a campaign called "Choose Civility" started in Howard County in 2006. According to its website, "Choose Civility is an ongoing community-wide initiative, led by Howard County Library, to position Howard County as a model of civility. The project intends to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance in Howard County." The campaign's distinctive green bumper stickers are often seen in Howard County and neighboring areas.)
| Year | GOP | Dem | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 38.14% 55,393 | 59.99% 87,120 | 1.87% 2,720 |
| 2004 | 44.69% 59,724 | 54.07% 72,257 | 1.25% 1,666 |
| 2000 | 44.17% 49,809 | 51.92% 58,556 | 3.91% 4,411 |
| 1996 | 42.77% 40,849 | 49.81% 47,569 | 7.42% 7,090 |
| 1992 | 38.67% 38,594 | 44.85% 44,763 | 16.47% 16,441 |
| 1988 | 56.22% 44,153 | 43.30% 34,007 | 0.47% 370 |
Howard County has developed a reputation for being a reliably Democratic stronghold, though not as reliable as Baltimore, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. Howard County usually supports Democrats at the state and federal level, though it voted for Republican Bob Ehrlich in the 2002 gubernatorial election over Democrat Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The last time that Howard County voted for a Republican candidate for President was 1988.
Howard County is governed by a County Council and a County Executive. The current Howard County Executive is Kenneth Ulman, who was initially elected in 2006. Parts of Howard County are located in Maryland's 3rd congressional district and Maryland's 7th congressional district, which are represented by Democrats John Sarbanes and Elijah Cummings respectively.
Current and past County Executives:
| Name | Affiliation | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omar J. Jones | Democrat | 1969–1973 | |
| Edward L. Cochran | Democrat | 1974–1978 | |
| J. Hugh Nichols | Democrat | 1978–1986 | |
| William E. Eakle | Democrat | 1986 | |
| Elizabeth Bobo | Democrat | 1986–1990 | |
| Charles I. Ecker | Republican | 1990–1998 | |
| James N. Robey | Democrat | 1998–2006 | |
| Kenneth Ulman | Democrat | 2006 – |
The current members of the County Council are:
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Courtney Watson | Democrat | 1 | |
| Chair | Calvin Ball | Democrat | 2 | |
| Vice-Chair | Jen Terrasa | Democrat | 3 | |
| Member | Mary Kay Sigaty | Democrat | 4 | |
| Member | Gregory Fox | Republican | 5 | |
According to Howard County's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[15] the top employers in the county are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard County Public School System | 7,850 |
| 2 | Applied Physics Laboratory | 4,400 |
| 3 | Howard County | 2,869 |
| 4 | Verizon Wireless | 2,028 |
| 5 | Giant | 1,953 |
| 6 | Howard County General Hospital | 1,720 |
| 7 | Columbia Association | 1,600 |
| 8 | SAIC | 1,058 |
| 9 | Wells Fargo | 842 |
| 10 | MICROS Systems | 815 |
Other companies based in Howard County include Arbitron.
Howard County has no incorporated municipalities.
Unincorporated areas are 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:
Other entities, such as the United States Postal Service, use a different selection of local place names. In all these cases, since the places are unincorporated, the boundaries are determined by the classifying authority. Unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
Howard County does not have any public or commercial airport facilities. There are two privately owned airstrips, Glenair in Glenwood, Maryland, and Haysfield Airport in Ellicott City, Maryland.[16]
Bus routes that operate in Howard County are managed by multiple services, including Howard Transit, Connect a Ride, The Maryland Transit Administration, Commuter Solutions of Howard County, and Neighbor Ride.[17]
| Frederick County | Carroll County | Baltimore County | ||
| Montgomery County | ||||
| Howard County, Maryland | ||||
| Prince George's County | Anne Arundel County |
|
|||||||||||||||||
