Baltimore County, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°24′N 76°36′W / 39.4°N 76.6°W / 39.4; -76.6Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 789,814. 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. 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. Of the 41,100 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.
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. Towson was voted as the county seat on February 13, 1854.The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.
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 and Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MdTA); Marcus L. Brown, Chief 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.) 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 is currently Chief of the Baltimore County Fire Department.
Fire Department Support
The Maryland State Police Aviation Division 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 ElectionThe 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 current county council as of the 2006 elections are as follows:A new county board was elected on November 2nd, 2010. Republicans picked up an additional seat in District 5, although Democrats will retain a 5-2 majority.
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 runs northwest of the city to Owings Mills; the Light Rail 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 and regional 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 (1,766.4 km2), of which 599 square miles (1,551.4 km2)(87.83%) is land and 83 square miles (215.0 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. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP.
Demographics
As of the census 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'[citation needed].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 . 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
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 ofLansdowneandBaltimore Highlandsrecognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
Lochearn
Lutherville-Timonium(a combination of the communities ofLuthervilleandTimoniumrecognized 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 aCDP 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
Colleges and universities
The University System of Maryland maintains two universities in Baltimore County:Towson UniversityinTowson
University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyinCatonsville
There are also two private colleges in Baltimore County:Goucher College(inTowson)
Stevenson University, formerlyVilla Julie College(campuses inStevensonandOwings Mills)
Other schools having a campus in Baltimore County:Loyola College in Maryland(inHunt Valley, main campus inBaltimore)
TheCommunity College of Baltimore County(CCBC), with campuses inCatonsville,Essex, andDundalk.
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
TheBoys' Latin School of Maryland
ThePark 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) (), a private nonprofit organization. The FCS Baltimore County office is located in Woodlawn 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, formerVice President of the United States, formerBaltimore County Executive, Agnew was also the 55thgovernor of Maryland(1967–1969)
A. J. Burnett,Major League Baseballplayer
David Byrne, lead singerTalking Heads
Tom Clancy, well known author of political thrillers
Samuel Durrance, Astronaut/Physicist
Kevin Clash, puppeteer most famous for Sesame Street's Elmo.
Robert Ehrlich60th Governor of Maryland
Jane Frank, (1918–1986) artist (born inBaltimore, lived inOwings MillsandTowsonmost of her adult life)
Lee Gatch, artist (born in a small rural community nearBaltimore)
Emily Spencer Hayden, photographer
Foxhall P. Keene, (1867–1941), horse breeder andOlympic goldmedalist polo player
Harvey Ladew, designer ofLadew Topiary Gardens
G. E. Lowman, clergyman and early radio evangelist
Carol Mann, golfer
Jim McKay,ABC-TVsportscaster
John Merryman, Civil War militia officer, Maryland politician, and subject of the landmarkhabeas corpuscase,Ex parte Merryman
Glenn Milstead, known as the actor'Divine'
Elaine Hamilton,abstract expressionistartist andFulbright scholar
Michael Phelps,OlympicGold-Medalist swimmer
Rosa Ponselle, opera singer
Charles Carnan Ridgely, (1760–1829), governor of Maryland and master of theHampton estate
Eliza Ridgely, (1803–1867), third mistress of theHampton estateand the subject of the well-knownportrait paintingLady with a Harp
Mike Rowe, T.V show host forDirty Jobs
Pam Shriver, ProfessionalTennisPlayer,OlympicGold MedalistTennis
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, politician and member of theKennedy family
Johnny Unitas, former Baltimore Colt and Hall of Fame football player
John Waters, Filmmaker
Singer-songwriterCheryl Wheeler
Former Baltimore OriolesJim Gentile,Gus Triandos, andMark Belanger
Former major league baseball shortstop and managerBilly Hunter
Former major league baseball pitcherBob Turley
Former Baltimore Orioles andHall of FamersBrooks RobinsonandJim Palmer
FormerBaltimore ColtsDick SzymanskiandDon Shula(later coach of theMiami Dolphins)
Professional lacrosse playersRyan BoyleandConor Gill
Evan Taubenfeldan up-and-comingrecording artistand ex-guitarist ofAvril Lavigne
Mo'nique-Comedienne and Golden-Globe-winning actress, starred in the moviePrecious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Pop-punk bandAll Time Low
Experimental bandAnimal Collective