Frederick County, Maryland

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Frederick County, Maryland
County
Downtown Frederick in June 2014
Downtown Frederick in June 2014
Flag of Frederick County, Maryland
Flag
Official seal of Frederick County, Maryland
Seal
Nicknames: 
"Frederick", "FredCo"
Location in the State of Maryland
Location in the State of Maryland
Country United States
State Maryland
FoundedJune 10, 1748
County seatFrederick
Government
 • County ExecutiveJan Gardner
 • County CouncilPresident M.C. Keegan-Ayer (D-MD)
Vice President Michael Blue (R-MD)
Jerry Donald (D-MD)
Steve McKay (R-MD)
Jessica Fitzwater (D-MD)
Kai Hagen (D-MD)
Phil Dacey (R-MD)[1][2]
Area
 • Total1,730 km2 (667 sq mi)
 • Land1,700 km2 (660 sq mi)
 • Water19 km2 (7.2 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total271,717
 • Density160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Time zoneEastern (EST)
 • Summer (DST)EDT
ZIP
21701, 21702, 21703, 21704, 21705, 21709
Area codes301, 240
Congressional districts6th, 8th
Websitehttp://www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/

Frederick County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 240,336.[3] The county seat is Frederick.[4]

Frederick County is included in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Like other outlying sections of the Washington metropolitan area, Frederick County has experienced a rapid population increase in recent years.[5][6] It borders the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia.

The county is home to Catoctin Mountain Park (encompassing the presidential retreat Camp David) and to the U.S. Army's Fort Detrick. Notable persons from here include Francis Scott Key, Chris Rose, Zach Taylor, Matt Bennett, Thomas Johnson, Roger B. Taney, and Barbara Fritchie.

Etymology[]

The namesake of Frederick County and its county seat is unknown, but it probably was either Frederick, Prince of Wales, or Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore.[7]

History[]

Frederick County was created in 1748 by the Province of Maryland from parts of Prince George's County and Baltimore County.

In 1776 following Independence, Frederick County was divided into three parts. The westernmost portion became Washington County, named after George Washington, the southernmost portion became Montgomery County, named after another Revolutionary War general, Richard Montgomery. The northern portion remained Frederick County.

In 1837 a part of Frederick County was combined with a part of Baltimore County to form Carroll County which is east of current day Frederick County.

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[8]

Geography[]

Frederick County, Maryland is located in Washington Metropolitan Area
Calvert
Calvert
Charles
Charles
Frederick
Frederick
Montgomery
Montgomery
Prince George's
Alexandria
Alexandria
Arlington
Arlington
Clarke
Clarke
Fairfax
Fairfax
Fairfax County
Fairfax County
Falls Church
Falls Church
Fauquier
Fauquier
Loudoun
Loudoun
Manassas
Manassas
Manassas Park
Manassas Park
Prince William
Prince William
Spotsylvania
Spotsylvania
Stafford
Stafford
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg
Warren
Warren
Washington
Washington
Jefferson
Jefferson
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area[9]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 667 square miles (1,730 km2), of which 660 square miles (1,700 km2) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km2) (1.1%) is water.[10] It is the largest county in Maryland in terms of land area.[11]

Frederick County straddles the boundary between the Piedmont Plateau Region and the Appalachian Mountains. The county's two prominent ridges, Catoctin Mountain and South Mountain, form an extension of the Blue Ridge. The Middletown Valley lies between them.

Attractions in the Frederick area include the Clustered Spires, a monument to Francis Scott Key, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Monocacy National Battlefield and South Mountain battlefields, and the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum.

Adjacent counties[]

  • Adams County, Pennsylvania (north)
  • Carroll County (east)
  • Howard County (southeast)
  • Franklin County, Pennsylvania (northwest)
  • Montgomery County (south)
  • Washington County (west)
  • Loudoun County, Virginia (southwest)

National protected areas[]

Major highways[]

I-70 and US 40 in Frederick County

Demographics[]

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
179030,791—
180031,5232.4%
181034,4379.2%
182040,45917.5%
183045,78913.2%
184036,405−20.5%
185040,98712.6%
186046,59113.7%
187047,5722.1%
188050,4826.1%
189049,512−1.9%
190051,9204.9%
191052,6731.5%
192052,541−0.3%
193054,4403.6%
194057,3125.3%
195062,2878.7%
196071,93015.5%
197084,92718.1%
1980114,79235.2%
1990150,20830.9%
2000195,27730.0%
2010233,38519.5%
2020271,71716.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010–2018[3]

Frederick County has experienced a rapid increase in population in recent years, including that of minority groups.[5][6]

2000 census[]

The summary statistics for Frederick County from the 2000 U.S. Census are provided to compare and contrast with the more current data from the 2010 Census. The following table includes the total persons, sex and self-designated ethnicity based on 2000 Census; additional details are archived at the Maryland State Government website.

2000 Census total population: 195,277

Male: 96,079 (49.2%) Female: 99,198 (50.8%)

Ethnicity as percent total population: White: 176,965 (90.6%) Black or African American: 13,605 (7.0%) American Indian and Alaskan: 1,083 (0.6%) Asian: 4,066 (2.1%) Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 156 (0.1%) Some other ethnicity: 2,434 (1.2%) The total (all races) of those self-identifying as Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4%, and those persons who were white alone made up 88.1%.

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 233,385 people, 84,800 households, and 61,198 families residing in the county.[16] The population density was 353.5 inhabitants per square mile (136.5/km2). There were 90,136 housing units at an average density of 136.5 per square mile (52.7/km2).[17] The racial makeup of the county was 81.5% white, 8.6% black or African American, 3.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.9% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. The total (all races) of those self-identifying as Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3%, and those persons who were white alone made up 77.8% of the population.[16] In terms of ancestry, 26.3% were German, 17.4% were Irish, 12.1% were English, 7.2% were Italian, and 6.3% were American.[18]

Of the 84,800 households, 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.8% were non-families, and 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age was 38.6 years.[16]

The median income for a household in the county was $81,686 and the median income for a family was $95,036. Males had a median income of $62,494 versus $46,720 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,172. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.[19]

2014[]

The United States Census Bureau estimates Frederick County's population at 245,322, marking a 5.1% increase since 2010.[3] The racial makeup was estimated to be the following in 2014: 75% White (67.0% Non-Hispanic White), 9.7% Black, 4.6% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.8% Two or more races, and 8.7% were Hispanic or Latino, of any race.[3]

Law, government, and politics[]

Charter government[]

Effective December 1, 2014, Frederick County transitioned to a "charter home rule government".[20] The voters approved this governmental change on November 6, 2012 election with 62,469 voting for the transition and 37,368 voting against.[21]

Previously, Frederick County had been governed by a five-member county commission that could only legislate in local matters with the prior consent of the Maryland General Assembly. Even that authority was limited to areas authorized by the General Assembly, enabling legislation, or public local laws. As a charter county, Frederick County is now governed by a seven-member county council, with five elected from districts and two elected at-large. A popularly elected county executive is responsible for providing direction, supervision, and administrative oversight of all executive departments, agencies, and offices. The council has broad power to act on most local matters.[21]

Jan H. Gardner was elected the first Frederick County Executive in 2014.[22] Gardner was reelected in 2018.[23]

County Executive
  Name Affiliation Term
  Jan H. Gardner Democrat 2014—

The members of the second Frederick County Council for the term beginning 2018 are:[24][25]

County Council
  Name Affiliation District Region First elected
  Democrat At-large At-large 2018
  Republican At-large At-large 2018
  Jerry Donald[26] Democrat 1 Braddock Heights, Middletown, Brunswick 2014
  Steve McKay Republican 2 Monrovia, Urbana, New Market, Mount Airy 2018
  M.C. Keegan-Ayer Democrat 3 Frederick, Clover Hill 2014
  Jessica Fitzwater Democrat 4 Frederick, Ballenger Creek, Linganore 2014
  Michael Blue Republican 5 Myersville, Emmitsburg, Thurmont 2018

The Frederick County State's Attorney, elected November 2, 2010, is Republican Charlie Smith. Smith was reelected in 2018.[24]

The sheriff of Frederick County is Republican Chuck Jenkins.[24]

The Executive Director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development is Helen Propheter. The Office of Economic Development is located at 118 North Market Street, Suite 300, Frederick, MD 21701.

Frederick County's fire and rescue service is handled by a combination career and volunteer service delivery system. Frederick County employs over 450 career firefighters. Volunteers of the 26 volunteer fire and rescue corporations number approximately 300 active operational members. Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Medical Services, including Advanced Life Support are handled by career staffing supplemented by volunteers. Frederick County has a Maryland State Police Medevac located at the Frederick Municipal Airport and is designated "Trooper 3". Trooper 3 handles calls all throughout the state, but provides immediate assistance to local police, fire and rescue services.

Politics[]

Historically a strong Republican county, Frederick County has trended toward the Democratic Party in recent elections. No Democratic presidential candidate had carried Frederick County since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide until Joe Biden won the county in 2020, although it just narrowly voted for Republicans John McCain in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012, and Donald Trump in 2016. McCain edged out Barack Obama by only 1,157 votes out of over one hundred thousand cast in the 2008 election.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment of Frederick County[27]
Party Total Percentage
Democratic 71,364 38.66%
Republican 68,459 37.09%
Independents, unaffiliated, and other 44,775 24.25%
Total 184,598 100.00%
Presidential election results

In state-level elections, Republicans in Frederick rebounded to more historical levels in the 2010 Maryland Gubernatorial & Senatorial Elections, giving the Republican Ehrlich/Kane ticket 55% to Democrat O'Malley/Brown's 45. Frederick voters also supported Republican Senate challenger Eric Wargotz over incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski by a margin of 51–46, even as Mikulski was winning statewide by a landslide 61–37. Despite its conservative reputation, Frederick County voted in favor of Maryland Question 6, which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland. In the 2014 Maryland Gubernatorial race Republican Larry Hogan won Frederick County strongly with 63 percent of the vote compared to Democrat Anthony Brown's 35 percent.[29] In the 2018 elections, despite increased support for Hogan, the Democrats experienced significant gains, securing a majority on the County Council and winning District 3B in the House of Delegates.[30][31][32] The election also saw incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin win Frederick County with 51.7% of the vote.[33]

Public safety[]

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, jail management, and morgue operation for the entire county. It provides police patrol and detective services within the unincorporated areas of Frederick County. The entire county entails a population of 222,938 residents within 662.88 square miles (1,717 km2). Frederick City, Brunswick, Mt.Airy, Emmitsburg, and Thurmont have municipal police departments. Middletown contracts with the Sheriff's Office for its policing.[34]

Crime[]

The following table includes the number of incidents reported for each type of offense from 2012-2019.[35]

Year Homicide Forcible sex offense Assault Robbery Burglary Theft Motor vehicle theft Fraud Arson
2012 0 71 45 9 153 198 5 41 11
2013 Negative increase4 Positive decrease50 Positive decrease36 Negative increase23 Positive decrease139 Positive decrease85 Negative increase10 Negative increase46 Negative increase17
2014 Positive decrease0 Negative increase61 Positive decrease30 Steady23 Negative increase169 Negative increase161 Positive decrease3 Positive decrease42 Positive decrease9
2015 Negative increase4 Positive decrease56 Negative increase32 Steady23 Positive decrease150 Positive decrease124 Negative increase4 Negative increase47 Negative increase10
2016 Positive decrease1 Positive decrease53 Positive decrease31 Negative increase26 Positive decrease134 Negative increase142 Negative increase12 Negative increase62 Positive decrease4
2017 Negative increase3 Negative increase64 Negative increase35 Positive decrease24 Steady134 Negative increase145 Negative increase18 Positive decrease57 Negative increase8
2018 Positive decrease1 Positive decrease52 Positive decrease33 Positive decrease16 Positive decrease103 Negative increase158 Positive decrease7 Negative increase85 Positive decrease4
2019 Steady1 Negative increase56 Negative increase45 Negative increase17 Positive decrease97 Positive decrease147 Negative increase18 Positive decrease77 Negative increase9

Economy[]

The United States Census Bureau has reported the following data for Frederick County.[36]

Metric Frederick County Maryland
Per capita money income in past 12 months (2013 dollars), 2009-2013 $36,917 $36,354
Median household income, 2009-2013 $84,570 $73,538
Persons below poverty level, percent, 2009-2013 6.1% 9.8%
Private nonfarm establishments, 2013 5,955 135,4211
Private nonfarm employment, 2013 83,799 2,182,2601
Private nonfarm employment, percent change, 2012-2013 1.1% 1.4%
Nonemployer establishments, 2012 16,843 442,314
Total number of firms, 2007 21,430 528,112
Black-owned firms, percent 5.9% 19.3%
Asian-owned firms, percent 3.3% 6.8%
Hispanic-owned firms, percent, 2007 3.6% 4.9%
Women-owned firms 31.1% 32.6%
Manufacturers shipments, 2007 ($1000) 3,003,696 41,456,097
Merchant wholesaler sales, 2007 ($1000) 1,252,142 51,276,797
Retail sales, 2007 ($1000) 3,066,281 75,664,186
Retail sales per capita, 2007 $13,629 $13,429
Accommodation and food services sales, 2007 ($1000) 356,482 10,758,428
Building permits, 2013 1,220 17,918

According to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the following are the principal employers in Frederick County. This list excludes U.S. post offices and state and local governments, but includes public institutions of higher education.[37]

Employer Employees
(Nov. 2014)[37]
Fort Detrick
(including Frederick National Laboratory
for Cancer Research) 		4,600
Frederick Memorial Healthcare System 2,696
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 1,881
Leidos Biomedical Research 1,836
Bechtel 1,578
Frederick Community College 1,055
State Farm Insurance 900
Walmart/Sam's Club 700
AstraZeneca 595
Lonza Walkersville 520
Hood College 519
Mount St. Mary's University 511
UnitedHealthcare 500
McDonald's 499
Giant Food 490
Way Station 480
Costco Wholesale 452
Life Technologies 450
NVR 450
Wegmans Food Markets 445
Home Depot 444
Plamondon Companies 400
Stulz Air Technology Systems 375
Weis Markets 363
RR Donnelley 359
YMCA of Frederick County 350
Canam Steel 333
Giant Eagle 330
Homewood Retirement Centers 300
Toys "R" Us 260
Trans-Tech 260

Frederick County leads Maryland in milk production; the county's dairy herds account for one-third of the state's total.[38] However, the dairy market is unstable, and the Frederick County, like the state more broadly, has lost dairy farms.[39]

Communities[]

Map of urban areas in Frederick County
Brunswick
Burkittsville
Emmitsburg
Frederick, the county seat and largest community in Frederick County.
Middletown

Cities[]

  • Brunswick
  • Frederick (county seat)

Towns[]

Village[]

Census-designated places[]

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

Unincorporated communities[]

Notable people[]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "Frederick County Council". frederickcountymd.gov. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "2018 Frederick County Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Frederick County QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b "Population Change in Suburban Maryland" (PDF). George Mason University. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Metropolitan sprawl puts urban in suburban". 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  7. ^ "Frederick County, Maryland – Government". Maryland State Archives. March 5, 2008. Retrieved August 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  9. ^ "Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV". U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "Frederick News-Post Local Section". The Frederick News-Post. Archived from the original on March 16, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2007.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  14. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  15. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  17. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  18. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  19. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  20. ^ "Charter Government Transition". Frederick County, MD Government. Archived from the original on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Depies, Lori (March 18, 2013). "Charter Government and Transition: What it means to you and to Frederick County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 7, 2014. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  22. ^ McManus, Kevin (November 5, 2014). "Gardner Elected Frederick County's First Executive". WFMD-AM. Frederick, Maryland: Aloha Station Trust, LLC. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014.
  23. ^ "2018 county election results in Maryland". WTOP. November 7, 2018.
  24. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Election Summary Report Gubernatorial General Election, Frederick County, Maryland, November 4, 2014: Summary For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races, Unofficial Results, Early Voting, Polling Place, and Absentee 1 Canvass" (PDF). Frederick County Board of Elections. November 6, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 8, 2014.
  25. ^ "2014 Council Districts" (PDF). Frederick County Board of Elections. November 19, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2014.
  26. ^ Rodgers, Bethany (November 15, 2014). "Donald takes County Council seat by 25 votes". Frederick News-Post. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  27. ^ "Summary of Voter Activity Report" (PDF). Maryland State Board of Elections. August 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  28. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  29. ^ http://www.frederickcountymd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/277460
  30. ^ "2018 Maryland Election Results: Governor's race, statewide offices". WTOP. November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  31. ^ "2018 county election results in Maryland". WTOP. November 7, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  32. ^ "2018 Maryland House of Delegates Election Results". WTOP. November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  33. ^ "Maryland Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". www.politico.com. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  34. ^ Frederick County Sheriff office website
  35. ^ "2019 Frederick County Sheriff's Office Annual Report". WTOP. November 6, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  36. ^ State & County QuickFacts, Frederick County Archived June 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Maryland, United States Census Bureau.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b Major Employers in Frederick County, Maryland, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.
  38. ^ Maryland at a Glance: Agriculture, Maryland Manual (April 2015).
  39. ^ Associated Press, Frederick County Dairy Farm Closes Its Doors (October 1, 2012).

References[]

External links[]

Coordinates: 39°28′N 77°24′W / 39.47°N 77.40°W / 39.47; -77.40

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