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Bowie () is a city in
Prince George's County ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrooks ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
in Prince George's County, and the fifth most populous city and third largest city by area in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2014, CNN Money ranked Bowie 28th in its Best Places to Live (in the United States) list.


History


19th century

The city of Bowie owes its existence to the railway. In 1853, Colonel William Duckett Bowie obtained a charter from the Maryland legislature to construct a rail line into Southern Maryland. In 1869, the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad Company began the construction of a railroad from Baltimore to Southern Maryland, terminating in Pope's Creek. The area had already been dotted with small farms and large tobacco plantations in an economy based on agriculture and slavery. In 1870, Ben Plumb, a land speculator and developer, sold building lots around the railroad junction and named the settlement Huntington City. By 1872, the line was completed, together with a "spur" to Washington, D.C. and the entire line through Southern Maryland was completed in 1873. In 1880, Huntington City was rechartered as Bowie, named for Colonel Bowie's son and business partner Oden Bowie, the former
Governor of Maryland The Governor of the State of Maryland is the head of government of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers ...
and then-president of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad. In the early days the land was subdivided by developers into more than 500 residential building lots, to create a large town site at a junction of the Baltimore and Potomac's main line to southern Maryland, and the branch line to Washington, D.C.


20th century

By 1902 the Baltimore & Potomac was purchased by the powerful Pennsylvania Railroad. A second railroad entered the community when the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway electric trolley line commenced service in 1908. The large interurban cars brought rapid transit to the area, with trains running hourly. Bowie area stations included High Bridge, Hillmeade, and the Race Track. The convergence of the two rail systems induced the Southern Maryland Agricultural Society to build the
Bowie Race Track The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. The one mile oval racetrack, known as Prince George's Park, was opened October 1, 1914 under the auspices of the Southern Maryland Agricultural ...
in 1914. The track enabled the Belair Stud to become one of Maryland's premier areas for thoroughbreds. Also in 1914, a teacher-training college, or normal school as it was referred to then, was built for African-Americans, just outside the town. This now has become Bowie State University. The town of Bowie was incorporated in 1916.


Belair at Bowie

In 1957, the firm of Levitt and Sons acquired the nearby Belair Estate, the original colonial plantation of the Provincial Governor of Maryland, Samuel Ogle, and developed the residential community of Belair at Bowie. Two years later the town of Bowie annexed the Levitt properties and then re-incorporated the now-larger area as a city in 1963. The overwhelming majority of Bowie residents today live in this 1960s Levitt planned community, whose street names are arranged in alliterative sections. Levitt & Sons had a long history of prohibiting the sale of houses (including resale by owners) to African Americans which led to protests during the Civil Rights Movement in Bowie in 1963.Suburban Legend WILLIAM LEVITT
/ref>


Belair Estate

The original Belair Estate contains the Belair Mansion (circa 1745), the five-part Georgian plantation house of Governor Samuel Ogle and his son Governor
Benjamin Ogle Benjamin Ogle (January 27, 1749 – July 7, 1809) was the ninth Governor of Maryland from 1798 to 1801. Early life The Ogle family was quite prominent for many centuries in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, England, dating from the medieva ...
. It was purchased in 1898 by the wealthy banker
James T. Woodward James Thomas Woodward (September 27, 1837 – April 10, 1910) was an American banker and owner of a major thoroughbred horse dynasty. Early life Woodward was born on September 27, 1837 at Edgewood Plantation in Gambrills Station in Anne A ...
who, on his passing in 1910, left it to his nephew,
William Woodward, Sr. William Woodward Sr. (April 7, 1876 – September 25, 1953) was an American banker and major owner and breeder in thoroughbred horse racing. __TOC__ Early life Woodward was born in New York City on April 7, 1876. He was a son of Sarah Abagail ( ...
, who became a famous horseman. Restored to reflect its 250-year-old legacy, the Mansion is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. Belair Stable, on the Estate, was part of the famous Belair Stud, one of the premier racing stables in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Owned and operated by
William Woodward, Sr. William Woodward Sr. (April 7, 1876 – September 25, 1953) was an American banker and major owner and breeder in thoroughbred horse racing. __TOC__ Early life Woodward was born in New York City on April 7, 1876. He was a son of Sarah Abagail ( ...
(1876–1953), it closed in 1957 following the death of his son, Billy Woodward. Belair had been the oldest continually operating thoroughbred horse farm in the country.


21st century

Bowie has an area of and about 50,000 residents with nearly set aside as parks or open space. It has 72 ball fields, three community centers, an ice arena at Allen Pond Park, the
Bowie Town Center Bowie Town Center is an outdoor shopping mall located in Bowie, Maryland that opened in November 2001. The mall is located on Emerald Way near the interchange of US Route 301 and US Route 50. Bowie Town Center has 79 stores including Macy's, Saf ...
, the 800-seat Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, a 150-seat theatrical playhouse, a golf course, and three museums. Bowie's rail town history is on display via the Huntington Railroad Museum, within the local rail station's restored railroad buildings. In 2006, the city reopened the Bowie Building Association building, a small brick and block structure constructed circa 1930, as a Welcome Center; it originally housed the Bowie Building Association, which helped finance much of the community's early development. Bowie is home to the Bowie Baysox, a Class AA
Eastern League Eastern League may refer to: Baseball in the United States ''Most recent leagues listed first'' * Eastern League (1938–present), a minor league established in 1923 and renamed Eastern League in 1938, at the Double-A level * Eastern League (1916� ...
professional baseball team affiliated with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
. The Baysox moved to Bowie from Hagerstown in 1993 and began to play at Prince George's Stadium in 1994. In 2015, the Baysox captured their first Eastern League Championship, defeating the Reading Fightin Phils in five games. The city operates a senior citizens center and a gymnasium for community programs.


Geography

Bowie is located at (38.964727, −76.744531). According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Adjacent areas

* Glenn Dale (northwest) * South Laurel (northwest) * Crofton (northeast) * Davidsonville (east) * Queen Anne (southeast) * Brock Hall (south) *
Kettering Kettering is a market and industrial town in North Northamptonshire, England. It is located north of London and north-east of Northampton, west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place (or territory) ...
(southwest) * Woodmore (southwest) * Fairwood (west)


ZIP codes

ZIP codes for mail delivery in Bowie are: 20715, 20716, 20717, 20718, 20719, 20720, 20721


Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
system, Bowie has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.


Demographics


2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''


2010 census

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...
of 2010, there were 54,727 people, 19,950 households, and 14,264 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
was . There were 20,687 housing units at an average density of . The ethnic makeup of the city was 41.4%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...
, 48.7%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3% Native American, 4.1% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.9% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population. There were 19,950 households, of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 40.1 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $99,105, and the median income for a family was $109,157. Males had a median income of $52,284 versus $40,471 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the city was $30,703. About 0.7% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over. * Rank by per capita income in Prince George's County: 7 * Rank by per capita income in Maryland: 65


Government

The City of Bowie operates under a council-manager government as established by the city charter. This means that the mayor and council are responsible for making policy, passing ordinances, voting appropriations, and having overall supervisory authority in the city government. The U.S. Postal Service operates multiple post offices including Mitchellville, West Bowie, and Bowie/Mitchellville Carrier Annex (adjacent to the city limits).


Law enforcement

The primary law enforcement agency for the city is the Bowie Police Department aided by the Prince George's County Police, the Maryland-National Capital Park Police Department, and the
Sheriff's Office A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transl ...
as directed by authority. Prince George's County Police Department District 2 Station in Brock Hall CDP, with a Bowie postal address, serves the community.


Transportation

Bowie is served by several significant highways. The most prominent of these is Interstate 595/ U.S. Route 50, the John Hanson Highway, which follows an east–west route through the city. Via I-595/US 50, Bowie has direct connections westward to Washington, D.C. and eastward to Annapolis and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. U.S. Route 301 and Maryland Route 3 skim the eastern edge of the city, providing connections southward to Waldorf and La Plata and northward to
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. Other state highways serving the city include Maryland Route 197,
Maryland Route 214 Maryland Route 214 (MD 214) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Central Avenue, the highway runs from Southern Avenue and East Capitol Street at the District of Columbia boundary in Capitol Heights ...
,
Maryland Route 450 Maryland Route 450 (MD 450) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 Alternate (US 1 Alternate) in Bladensburg east to US 50, US 301, and MD 2 near Arnold. MD 450 forms a local complement ...
and
Maryland Route 564 Maryland Route 564 (MD 564) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Lanham Severn Road, the state highway runs from MD 450 in Lanham east to a dead end near a connection to MD 197 in Bowie. MD 564 was ...
. It is served by Bowie State station on
MARC Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system of ...
's Penn Line.


Economy


Largest employers

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:


Education


Primary and secondary schools


Public schools

Bowie is within the Prince George's County Public Schools system.Bowie Neighborhoods
" City of Bowie. Retrieved on August 28, 2018. This map indicates the locations of schools.
Area residents are zoned to Benjamin Tasker Middle School or Samuel Ogle Middle School, and Bowie High School. Some Bowie residents also attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School in their STEM program. Elementary schools in Bowie include Heather Hills, Kenilworth, Northview, Pointer Ridge, Rockledge, Tulip Grove, Whitehall, and Yorktown Elementary Schools. Elementary schools not in Bowie and serving Bowie include High Bridge and Woodmore. Two special education centers are Chapel Forge and C. Elizabeth Reig. A voc/tech school is located at Tall Oaks High School. Samuel Ogle was previously a junior high school, then an elementary school; around 2005, PGCPS planned to convert it into a middle school. From 1950 to 1964, during the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from Bowie attended
Fairmont Heights High School Fairmont Heights High School (est.1950) is an American public comprehensive secondary school located in Landover, Maryland,Fairmount Heights.


Private schools

Bowie is home to several private schools:


Colleges and universities

Bowie State University, located north of Bowie, has been open since 1865.


Public libraries

Prince George's County Memorial Library System The Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) is the public library system of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, in the Washington metropolitan area. Its headquarters are in the Largo-Kettering Branch in Largo. Br ...
operates two public libraries in Bowie: Bowie Branch and South Bowie Branch.


Notable people

* Richard (Ricky) Arnold,
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedin ...
astronaut * Michael Bray, convicted conspirator in numerous bombings * Eva Cassidy, singer and songwriterSongbird
Sherri Dalphonse, ''Washingtonian'', May 1, 2001. Retrieved on September 3, 2013.
* Daniel "Jungleman" Cates, professional poker player *
JC Chasez Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and occasional actor. He started out his career as a cast member on '' The Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to stardom with NSYNC, and ...
, singer and former member of *NSYNC * Anthony Cowan Jr., professional basketball player for the Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League * Francis B. Francois, engineer and politician *
Kathie Lee Gifford Kathryn Lee Gifford ( née Epstein; born August 16, 1953) is an American television presenter, singer, songwriter, actress and author. From 1985 to 2000, she and Regis Philbin hosted the talk show ''Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee''. Gifford is ...
, television host, singer, songwriter, comedian, and actress * Benny Williams,
college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
player for the Syracuse Orange * YungManny, American rapper


Sports


Historic sites

The following is a list of historic sites in the city of Bowie and vicinity identified by the
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a bi-county agency that administers parks and planning in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. History The commission was formed in 1927 by the Maryland G ...
:


Parks

* Allen Pond Park * Foxhill Park *Buckingham Park *Somerset Park *Whitemarsh Park *Jericho Park


Sister Cities

In June 2016, Mayor Robinson gave honorary Bowie citizenship to Mayor Luigi Lucchi of
Berceto Berceto (Parmigiano: , or ; lij, Bercèi) is a village and '' comune'' in Italy, located in the Apennine Mountains on the main road between La Spezia and Parma, in the Taro River valley, in the region of Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) e ...
, Italy as part of an International Youth Festival being held there.


References


External links

*
John Zug surveys
at the University of Maryland Libraries. Zug surveyed the land that was to become Bowie {{Authority control 1870 establishments in Maryland Cities in Maryland Populated places established in 1870 Cities in Prince George's County, Maryland Washington metropolitan area Levittown