University Park, Maryland

University Park, Maryland
—  Town  —

Seal
Location of University Park, Maryland
Town Hall of University Park
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Maryland
County Prince George's
Area
 • Total 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
 • Land 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 72 ft (22 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,548
 • Density 5,076.4/sq mi (1,960/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 20782
Area code(s) 240/301
FIPS code 24-79675
GNIS feature ID 0598206

University Park is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.[1] The population was 2,548 at the 2010 census.[2]

Contents

Geography

University Park is located at (38.971381, -76.943399)[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), all of it land.

University Park is bordered by the cities of College Park and Hyattsville, the town of Riverdale Park, and certain unincorporated parts of Prince George's County, such as Adelphi.

The town includes a public park and a portion of Wells Run, a small tributary of the Northeast Branch of the Anacostia River.

Demographics

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 2,318 people, 877 households, and 637 families residing in the town. The population density was 4,677.5 people per square mile (1,790.0/km²). There were 898 housing units at an average density of 1,812.1 per square mile (693.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.46% White, 7.29% African American, 0.26% Native American, 3.67% Asian, 1.04% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.57% of the population.

There were 877 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $89,450, and the median income for a family was $96,349. Males had a median income of $62,375 versus $43,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,402. About 1.2% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town was incorporated in 1936 and has expanded several times since then. The town has its own town council, police department, and sanitation services.

The current mayor of University Park is John Tabori. The Chief of Police is Michael Wynnyk, appointed by the mayor with approval of the town council.

University Park is served by several voluntary organizations, including the University Park Civic Association (UPCA), the University Park Women's Club (UPWC), and the Lewisdale-University Park Boys and Girls Club (LUP).

Law enforcement

The town is serviced by the University Park Police Department (UPPD). The UPPD was created in 1962 with a single officer acting as chief and patrolman. The UPPD currently has an authorized force of eight certified, sworn officers that provided 24-hour service to a population of over 2,300 within the municipality and adjoining streets and roadways. The UPPD provides vehicular, foot, and bicycle patrol and is aided by the Prince George's County Police and Sheriff's Office for other incidents deemed appropriate by authority.[5]

Historical items

Like many towns incorporated in this period, until the United States Supreme Court decision in Shelley v. Kraemer made such restrictive covenants unconstitutional in 1948, University Park town codes prohibited the sale of property to black people.

Since 1997, there has been a registered town historic district in University Park, known as the University Park Historic District. Residents who own homes that are "contributing structures" to the University Park Historic District may participate in the Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Program, administered through the Maryland Historical Trust. Participants in this program receive a tax credit for a portion of the cost of certified work that maintains or rehabilitates the contributing structures. One such structure identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is Bloomfield (Deakins House), an early 19th-century plantation house located at 6404 Queens Chapel Road.[6]

Notable inhabitants

September 11, 2001

The town of University Park suffered greatly on September 11, 2001, not by terrorist attacks on the town itself, but by the loss of five of its residents: The Falkenberg/Whittington family - Charles, Zoe, and Dana Falkenberg and Leslie Whittington, died on September 11 aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon during a flight from Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. They were headed to Australia for a two-month stay.[8] Sheila Hein died when Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, in which she worked.[9]

Schools

University Park is served by University Park Elementary School (in University Park), Hyattsville Middle School (in Hyattsville), and Northwestern High School (in Hyattsville).

Many University Park high school students choose to attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt [1].

References

External links