Howard County, Maryland

Howard County, Maryland
The Howard County Courthouse in May 2008
Flag Seal
Location in the state of Maryland
Maryland's location in the U.S.
Founded	May 13, 1838
Named for	John Eager Howard
Seat	Ellicott City
Largest community	Columbia
Area
• Total	253 sq mi (655 km2)
• Land	251 sq mi (650 km2)
• Water	2.7 sq mi (7 km2), 1.0%
Population (Est.)
• (2014)	309,284
• Density	1,145/sq mi (442/km²)
Congressional districts	2nd, 3rd, 7th
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.howardcountymd.gov

Howard County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 census, the population was 287,085.^[1] Its county seat is Ellicott City.^[2]

Howard County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area. However, 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 home to Columbia, a major planned community of approximately 100,000 founded by developer James Rouse in 1967.

Howard County is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. With an estimated median household income of $108,844 in 2012, Howard County had the second-highest median household income of any U.S. county in 2013.^[3] Many of the most affluent communities in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, such as Clarksville, Dayton, 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 second among Money magazine's 2010 survey of "America's Best Places to Live."^[4] Howard County's schools frequently rank first in Maryland as measured by standardized test scores and graduation rates.^[5]

In 2010, the center of population of Maryland was located in the Howard County town of Jessup.^[6]

Etymology

The name of the county honors Colonel John Eager Howard,^[7] an officer in the "Maryland Line" of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, commander notably at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina in 1781, among others. He was the fifth governor of Maryland from 1788 to 1791. His home was the mansion "Belvedere", located at the present-day intersection of East Chase and North Calvert streets, north of Baltimore Town in an area also called "Howard's Woods", where Baltimore's Washington Monument was later erected and the neighborhood of Mount Vernon was developed in the 1820s.^[8]

History

The lands of prehistoric Howard County were populated by Native Americans. The Maryland Historical Trust has documented sites along the Patapsco, Patuxent, Middle and Little Patuxent River valleys.^[9] In 1652, the Susquehannock tribes signed a peace treaty with Maryland, giving up their provenance over the territory that is now Howard County.^[10] In 1800, the mean center of U.S. population as calculated by the US Census Bureau was found in what is now Howard County.^[11]

In 1838, Dr. William Watkins of Richland Manor proposed the "Howard District" of Anne Arundel County.^[12] After several adjournments, the area of western Anne Arundel County was designated the Howard District in 1839.^[13] The district had the same status as a county except that it was not separately represented in the Maryland General Assembly. In 1841, the county built its first courthouse in Ellicott City.^[14] At the January 1851 constitutional convention, Thomas Beale Dorsey submitted a petition led by James Sykes. A committee was formed with Dorsey, Bowie, Smith, Harbine and Ricaud. After several postponements, the district became erected officially as Howard County on March 7, 1851.^[15]

The plantations of modern Howard County used slave labor as early as 1690. At the time of the Underground Railroad, some Howard County residents assisted slaves who were escaping to freedom. This was particularly risky, as many prominent plantation families were confederate sympathizers during the civil war, contributing militiamen to the South to protect local interests.^[16] Maryland was exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation, later abolishing slavery in the update of the Maryland Constitution in November 1864.^[17]

By 1899, Howard County contained 400 miles (640 km) of dirt and 48 miles (77 km) of stone roads, including three paid turnpikes maintained by 118 men. Most traffic consisted of loads delivered to rail crossings.^[18] In 1909, County Commissioners Hess, Werner and O'Neil were charged with malfeasance regarding contract bids.^[19]

In 1918, a deadly flu pandemic swept the county starting with an early outbreak in Camp Meade in adjacent Anne Arundel County.^[20][21] The 1930s saw a shift from one-room schoolhouses to centralized schools with bus service. By 1939 wheat harvesting fell to just 18,800 acres (7,600 ha).^[22] The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 eventually led to the construction of Interstate 70 across northern Howard County and Interstate 95 across the eastern part of the county.^[23] The sparsely populated county hosted population centers in Ellicott City, Elkridge, Savage, North Laurel and Lisbon with W.R. Grace and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab as the largest new employers. Residents elected officials that campaigned to keep the county rural while planners prepared public works to support a quarter million residents by the year 2000. Race relations and desegregation became major issues of the time.^[24]

From 1963 to 1966 the Rouse Company bought 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land and rezoned it for the Columbia Development. In 1972, the Marriott company proposed to build a regional theme park on Rouse-owned land but was denied zoning.^[25]

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.^[26]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 253 square miles (660 km²), of which 251 square miles (650 km²) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) (1.0%) is water.^[27] It is the second-smallest county in Maryland by land area and smallest by total area.

Howard County is located in the Piedmont Plateau region of Maryland, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the Patapsco River, on the southwest by the Patuxent River, and on the southeast by a land border with Anne Arundel County. Both the Patapsco and Patuxent run largely through publicly accessible parkland along the county borders. The Patuxent border includes the Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge reservoirs.

Adjacent counties

• Anne Arundel County (southeast)
• Baltimore County (northeast)
• Carroll County (north)
• Frederick County (northwest)
• Montgomery County (southwest)
• Prince George's County (south)

	Frederick County	Carroll County	Baltimore County, Baltimore City
		Howard County
	Montgomery County, Washington, D.C.	Prince George's County	Anne Arundel County

Climate

Howard County lies in the humid subtropical 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.^[28] 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.^[29]

Demographics

Historical population
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%
Est. 2014	309,284		7.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[30] 1790-1960[31] 1900-1990[32] 1990-2000[33] 2010-2014[1]

2010

The ethnic makeup of the county according to the 2010 U.S. Census:

• 62.2% White
• 17.5% Black
• 0.3% Native American
• 14.4% Asian
• 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• 3.6% Two or more races
• 2.0% Other races
• 5.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2000

As of the census^[34] 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, 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. The per capita income was $44,120. About 2.70% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line.

Education

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. Howard High School is currently the largest school in the county with over 1,700 students.

Library

Since 2005, Howard County Public Library has consistently been ranked among the top five 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.

Politics and government

Howard County vote
by party in presidential elections

Year	GOP	Dem	Others
2012	37.88% 57,758	59.94% 91,393	2.18% 3,334
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 reliably Democratic. However, it is slightly more moderate than 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 and Larry Hogan over Democrat Anthony G. Brown in the 2014 gubernatorial election. The last time that Howard County voted for a Republican candidate for President was 1988.

Starting in 1914, Howard County was governed by a system of three elected commissioners with four-year terms.^[35] Prior to 1962, the only polling location for Howard County voters was in Ellicott City. In May 1962, voters were offered a second location to vote, also in Ellicott City at the National Armory on Montgomery Road.^[36] Senator James Clark proposed a five-person County Council and a County Executive in 1965.^[37] In 1968, the county implemented a charter form of government.^[38] In 1984 a councilmanic referendum was approved, switching council from at-large representation to district representation.^[39] The County Council serves as the county's legislative branch; members also provide constituent service and sit as members of the Zoning Board and Liquor Board. The current Howard County Executive is Allan H. Kittleman, who was elected in November 2014 and took office December 2014. Most of the county is in Maryland's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat Elijah Cummings. A small portion is in Maryland's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat John Sarbanes.

County Commissioners

^[40]

	Chairman name	Affiliation	Term	Commissioner name	Affiliation	Term	Commissioner name	Affiliation	Term
	George Howard[41]		1840	Zedekiah Moore		1840	Charles Worthington Dorsey		1840
	William H. Worthington		1841-1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841-1845	Perry Gaither		1841
	William H. Worthington		1841-1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841-1845	George W. Hobbs		1842-1845
	William H. Worthington		1841-1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841-1845	George W. Hobbs, Perry Gaither, William Welling		1845
	Samuel Brown		1846	William Hughes		1846	Reuben P. Hammond		1846
	William H. Worthington		1847	William Hughes		1847	George W. Hobbs, Charles R. Simpson		1847
	William Hughes		1848-1849	George Howard		1848	Charles R. Simpson, John Hood, Theodore Tubman		1848
	William Hughes		1848-1849	Theodore Tubman		1848-1853	Littleton Maclin, Thomas Burgess		1849
	Littleton Maclin		1850	Theodore Tubman		1848-1853	David E. Hopkins, David Feelemyer, Samuel Brown		1850
	Thomas B. Hobbs[42]		1851	Theodore Tubman		1848-1853	Samuel Nichols, Samuel Brown, David Clark, David Feelemyer		1851
	Theodore Tubman		1848-1853	David Clark		1853	David Feelemyer, George Bond		1853
	Slingsby Linthicum		1854	George Bond		1854	Steven B. Dorsey		1854
	George Bond		1855	Slingsby Linthicum		1855	Steven B. Dorsey, Theodore Tubman		1855
	Samuel Hopkins[43]	Republican	1865
	John T. Ridgely[44]		1885–1888	Ephraim Collins		1885–	B. C. Sunderland		1885–
	Benjamin F. Hess[45]		1901–1904	Thomas O' Neill		1901–1904	Jacob J. Werner		1901–1904
	Jacob J. Werner[46]		1905–1907	Benjamin F. Hess		1905–1907	Henry A Penny[42]		1905–1911
	Benjamin F. Hess[47]		1908–1909	Amos Howard Earp		1908–1911	Jacob J. Werner		1908–1913
	Amos Howard Earp[48][49]		1911–1917	Grosvenor Hanson		1911–1915	William H. Davis		1911–1915
	Amos Howard Earp[50]		1915–1917	Grosvenor Hanson		1915–1917	De Wilton C. Partlett		1915–1917
	Amos Howard Earp[51]		1917–1919	John H. Shaab		1917–1919	De Wilton C. Partlett		1917–1919
	Amos Howard Earp[52]		1920–1926	Daniel H. Gaither		1920–1926	De Wilton C. Parlett		1920–1926
	DeWilton C. Parlett[53]		1926–1930	H. Thomas Glimes		1926–1930	Daniel H. Gaither		1926–1930
	H. Grafton Penny[54]	Democrat	1930–1934	J. Frank Curtis		1930–1934	Daniel H. Gaither		1930–1934
	H. Grafton Penny[55]	Democrat	1935–1938	Robert H. Mercer	Democrat	1935–1938	Hart B. Noll	Republican	1935–1938
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1938–1942
	James Franklin Curtis	Republican	1942–1949	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1942–1949
	Norman E. Moxley	Democrat	1949–1957	Roby H. Mullinix	Democrat	1949–1954	E. Walter Scott	Democrat	1949–1954
	Norman E. Moxley[56]	Democrat	1958–1959	Howard W. Clark	Democrat	1957–1958	Charles E. Harman	Democrat	1957–1958
	Charles M. Scott[57]	Democrat	1959–1962	Norman E. Moxley	Democrat	1959–1962	Arthur K. Pickett	Democrat	1959–1962
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1962–1966	J. Hubert Black	Republican	1962–1966	David W. Force	Republican	1962–1966
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1966–1970	J. Hubert Black	Republican	1966–1970	Ridgley Jones	Democrat	1968–1970

County Executives and Council Members

	Name	Affiliation	Term	Council
	Omar J. Jones	Democrat	1969–1973	Alva S. Baker, Edward L. Cochran, J. Hugh Nichols, Charles E. Miller, William S. Hanna[58]
	Edward L. Cochran	Democrat	1974–1978	Richard Anderson (Elizabeth Bobo - appointed),[59] Ruth Keeton, Lloyd Kowles, Virginia Thomas, Thomas Yeager[60]
	J. Hugh Nichols[61]	Democrat	1978–1982	Ruth U. Keeton, Elizabeth Bobo, Lloyd G. Knowles, Virginia M. Thomas, Thomas M. Yeager
	William E. Eakle[62]	Democrat	1982-1986	Ruth U. Keeton, Elizabeth Bobo, James C. Clark, C. Vernon Gray, Lloyd G. Knowles
	Elizabeth Bobo	Democrat	1986–1990	Angela Beltram, C. Vernon Gray, Shane Pendergrass, Ruth Keeton, Charles Feaga
	Charles I. Ecker[63]	Republican	1990–1994	Darrel E. Drown, C. Vernon Gray, Shane Pendergrass, Paul R. Farragut, Charles Feaga
	Charles I. Ecker	Republican	1994–1998	Darrel E. Drown, C. Vernon Gray, Dennis R. Schrader, Mary C. Lorsung, Charles Feaga
	James N. Robey[64]	Democrat	1998–2002	Christopher J. Merdon, C. Vernon Gray, Guy Guzzone, Mary C. Lorsung, Allan H. Kittleman
	James N. Robey	Democrat	2002–2006	Christopher J. Merdon, David A. Rakes (Calvin Ball-appointed), Guy Guzzone, Ken Ulman, Allan H. Kittleman (Charles C. Feaga-appointed)[65][66]
	Kenneth Ulman	Democrat	2006–2010	Courtney Watson, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox
	Kenneth Ulman	Democrat	2010–2014	Courtney Watson, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox
	Allan H. Kittleman	Republican	2014–2018	Jon Weinstein, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox

Departments

Department	External link
Howard County government	County Official Website
Howard County Public School System	Howard County Public Schools Official Website
Howard County Housing and Community Development	Howard County Housing and Community Development Official Website
Howard County Board of Elections	Howard County Board of Elections Official Website
Howard County Library	Howard County Library Official Website
Howard County Fire and Rescue	Howard County Fire Department Official Website
Howard County Hospital	Howard County Hospital Official Website
Howard County Police	Howard County Police Official Website
Howard County Department of Corrections	Department of Corrections Official Website
Howard County Community College	Howard County Community College Official Website
Howard County Animal Control	Howard County Animal Control Official Website
Howard County Office of Natural Resources	Howard County Office of Natural Resources Official Website
Howard County Department of Parks & Recreation	Howard County Parks & Recreation Official Website
Howard County Department Recycling Division	Howard County Recycling Division Official Website
Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning	Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning Website

Economy

Statistics for July 2014 indicate that Howard County's unemployment rate is at 5.2 percent (7,527 persons).^[67]

Howard County Public School System employs 8,136 of which 4,670 are teachers.^[68] The County Government employs 3,323 outside of the school system with 672 police, 482 public works, and 472 fire and rescue employees.^[69] The top ten private sector employers in Howard County are as follows:^[70]

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory	5,000
2	Verizon Wireless	2,028
3	Lorien Health Systems	2,000
4	Howard County General Hospital	1,777
5	Howard Community College	1,294
6	Leidos	1,195
7	Giant Food	1,050
8	The Columbia Association	900
9	Wells Fargo	842
10	Oracle Corporation subsidiary MICROS Systems	815

Awards

Awards and recognitions achieved by Howard County or locations within it include the following:

• "Best American Values", Newsmax Magazine: Ellicott City #17 (2009).^[71]
• "Best Place to Live", CNN/Money: Ellicott City/Columbia (#8 in 2012;^[72] #2 in 2010;^[73] #8 in 2008;^[74] #4 in 2006.^[75])
• "Best Places to Live for Pet Lovers", CNN/Money: Ellicott City, one of 10 (2009).^[76]
• "Best Place to Raise a Family", Forbes: #17 (2008).^[77]
• "Good Sports Community of the Year", Sports Illustrated (2005)^[78]
• "Great Public Library System", Hennen's American Public Library Ratings: #4 in population category in 2010; 8 times appearing in top 10 in a 10-year range.^[79][80]
• "Healthiest Maryland County", University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010)^{[81][82][83][84]}
• "Heart Safe Community of the Year", International Association of Fire Chiefs. (2012)^[85]
• "Library of the Year", Library Journal. (2013)^[86]
• "Preserve America Community", Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. (2013)^[87]
• Top Outdoor Concert Venue for Merriweather Post Pavilion (a top five) by Pollstar (2012).^[88]
• "Tree City Community", Arbor Day Foundation. (23 years)^[89]
• "Venues that Rock", Rolling Stone: #4 outdoor venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion (2013).^[90]
• "Winning Community", National Civic League. (2001)^[91]

Culture and attractions

• Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland
• Blandair, an open space preserve
• Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge
• The Candlelight Concert Society
• The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Clark's Elioak Farm
• The Columbia Orchestra
• Ellicott City Historic Main Street
• Ellicott City Station
• The Enchanted Forest (closed – some features relocated to Clark's Elioak Farm)
• Howard County Center for the Arts
• Howard County Library
• Larriland Pick-Your-Own Farm
• Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Rep Stage
• James and Anne Robinson Nature Center
• Savage Mill
• Shrine of St. Anthony
• Toby's Dinner Theatre

Transportation

Airports

Howard County does not have any public or commercial airport facilities. A 1967 Airport Study Commission recommended a facility for 150-250 aircraft to provide economic development, but was not initiated.^[92] With the closure of Haysfield Airport, there is one privately owned airstrip, Glenair Airport in Glenelg.^[93] Commercial air service is provided by Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.

Public transportation

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.^[94]

Roads

Howard County contains two primary Interstate highways: Interstate 70 which runs east-west across the northern portion of the county and Interstate 95 which enters the county in Elkridge and runs north-south to North Laurel, then crossing into Prince George's County.

Other major routes include U.S. Route 29, which runs from its northern terminus at MD 99 in Ellicott City into Montgomery County, Maryland Route 100 which provides quick access to BWI Airport from Ellicott City and Columbia, and Maryland Route 32 which links the northwest suburbs of West Friendship, Glenelg, and Clarksville with Columbia and Fort Meade.

Communities

Howard County has no incorporated municipalities.

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following Census-designated places in the county:

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated places not listed as Census-designated places but known in the area include:

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Howard County, Maryland

References

External links

• Official website
• Howard County, Maryland at the Wayback Machine (archived September 26, 2003)
• Howard County, Maryland at the Wayback Machine (archived November 1, 1996)

Coordinates: 39°15′N 76°56′W / 39.25°N 76.93°W / 39.25; -76.93

	Frederick County	Carroll County	Baltimore County
	style="width:33% rowspan=3 | Montgomery County
	Howard County
		Prince George's County	Anne Arundel County

Howard County, Maryland Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area Administration Howard County Fire Department Howard County Police Department Howard County Department of Corrections Howard County Housing and Community Development Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning County Council County Executive Allan H. Kittleman District 1: Jon Weinstein (Ellicott City/Elkridge) District 2: Calvin Ball, III (East Columbia/Jessup) District 3: Jen Terrasa (South Columbia/North Laurel) District 4: Mary Kay Sigaty (West Columbia) District 5: Greg Fox (Western Howard County) Landmarks Historic Districts Ellicott City Historic District Lawyers Hill Historic District Savage Mill Historic District Historic Landmarks Belmont Estate Clark's Elioak Farm Dorsey Hall Doughoregan Manor Elkridge Furnace Inn Savage Mill Thomas Viaduct Waverley Transportation Howard Transit Maryland Transit Administration MARC (Dorsey, Jessup, Savage, Laurel Race Track) Haysfield Airport Attractions Merriweather Post Pavilion The Mall in Columbia Education Howard Community College Howard County Public School System Parks Patapsco Valley State Park Patuxent River State Park Blandair Park Centennial Park Lake Elkhorn Columbia Lakefront Park Wilde Lake Park Nature Centers Howard County Conservancy Middle Patuxent Environmental Area Robinson Nature Center

Municipalities and communities of Howard County, Maryland, United States County seat: Ellicott City CDPs Columbia Elkridge Ellicott City Fulton Highland Ilchester Jessup‡ North Laurel Savage Scaggsville Other communities Annapolis Junction Benson Clarkson Clarksville Cooksville Daisy Daniels Dayton Dorsey Dorsey's Search Glenelg Glenwood Guilford Hanover Harper's Choice Henryton Heights Hickory Ridge High Ridge Hopewell Kings Contrivance Linwood Lisbon Long Reach Marriottsville Oakland Mills Owen Brown Paternal Gift Farm Pfeiffers Corner River Hill Simpsonville Town Center, Columbia West Friendship Wilde Lake Woodbine‡ Woodstock‡ Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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