Harford County is located in the U.S. state of
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 to ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 260,924.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Bel Air.
Harford County is included in the
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As of the 2010 Census, t ...
, which is also included in the
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area.
History
In 1608 the area was settled by
Massawomecks and
Susquehannocks.
The first European to see the area was
John Smith in 1608 when he traveled up the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
from
Jamestown.
In 1652, the English and Susquehannocks signed a
treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal pe ...
at what is now
Annapolis for the area now called Harford County.
Harford County was formed on March 22, 1774 from the eastern part of
Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
with a population of 13,000 people.
On March 22, 1775, Harford County hosted the signers of the
Bush Declaration, a precursor document to the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
.
On January 22, 1782, Bel Air became the county seat.
Havre de Grace, a city incorporated in 1785 within Harford County, was once under consideration to be the
capital of the United States rather than Washington, D.C.
It was favored for its strategic location at the top of the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
; this location would facilitate
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
while being secure in time of war. Today, the waterways around Havre de Grace have become adversely affected by silt runoff, which is one of the primary environmental issues of Harford County. While today the site is a Maryland
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
military reservation, the land was used as the Havre de Grace Racetrack where racehorse
Man o' War
Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...
ran in 1919 and 1920.
![Sion Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Sion_Hill.jpg)
During the 1900s the Bata Shoe Company employed numerous Eastern European
refugees at the
Belcamp factory.
In the 1940s the
Susquehanna River tributary
Broad Creek was dammed to form the at what is now the
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation
Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation, more commonly called just Broad Creek, is the sum of eight separate areas in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The reservation is from the Maryland and Pennsylvania border within Harford County, from the Mary ...
. In June 1972
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...
overflowed the dam and flooded areas in many states. On the ''County Health Rankings & Roadmaps'' by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is an American philanthropic organization. It is the largest one focused solely on health. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, the foundation focuses on access to health care, public health, health equity, ...
with the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
Population Health Institute, "prior to the 2016 report ... Harford's yearly rankings typically fell between ninth and 10th place, primarily because of the percentage of county residents who were obese or who smoked." Scenes from ''
Tuck Everlasting
''Tuck Everlasting'' is an American children's novel about immortality written by Natalie Babbitt and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1975. It has sold over 5 million copies and has been called a classic of modern children's literature ...
'', ''
From Within'', and ''
House of Cards
A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...
'' were all filmed in Harford County.
In 2011 the Office of National Drug Control Policy deemed Harford County a designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
The county was named for
Henry Harford
Henry Harford (5 April 1758 – 8 December 1834), 5th Proprietor of Maryland, was the last proprietary owner of the British colony of Maryland. He was born in 1758 the eldest — but illegitimate — son of Frederick Calvert 6th Baron Bal ...
(ca. 1759–1834), the illegitimate son of
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore
Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore (6 February 1731 – 4 September 1771), styled The Hon. Frederick Calvert until 1751, was an English nobleman and last in line of the Barons Baltimore. Although he exercised almost feudal power in the Pr ...
. Henry Harford was born to Calvert's mistress, Hester Whelan, whose residence still stands as part of a private residence on Jarretsville Pike, in Phoenix, Maryland. Harford served as the last Proprietary Governor of
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 to ...
but, because of his illegitimacy, did not inherit his father's title.
There are 79 properties and districts listed on the National Register in the county, including one
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
called
Sion Hill
Sion Hill is a National Historic Landmark in Havre de Grace, Maryland, notable as an example of high-style Federal architecture and as the home of a family of prominent officers of the United States Navy.
Work began at Sion Hill around 1785 ...
.
Environmental history
Harford County has environmental issues in three major areas:
land use
Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as settlements and semi-natural habitats such as arable fields, pastures, and managed woods. Land use by humans has a long ...
,
water pollution
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. ...
/
urban runoff
Urban runoff is surface runoff of rainwater, landscape irrigation, and car washing created by urbanization. Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots and sidewalks) are constructed during land development. During rain , storms and other precip ...
, and
soil contamination
Soil contamination, soil pollution, or land pollution as a part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity ...
/
groundwater contamination.
As the county sits at the headwaters of the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
along the
Susquehanna River, it plays a key role in controlling
sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...
and
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
runoff
Runoff, run-off or RUNOFF may refer to:
* RUNOFF, the first computer text-formatting program
* Runoff or run-off, another name for bleed, printing that lies beyond the edges to which a printed sheet is trimmed
* Runoff or run-off, a stock marke ...
into the bay as well as fostering
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) regrowth. The county has had to balance the needs of land owners to practice agriculture and/or pave land (creating
impervious surface
Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, as well as industrial areas such as airports, ports and logistics and distribution centres, all of which use considerable p ...
s) with effects of runoff into the bay.
Harford County has been burdened by soil contamination and groundwater contamination since the creation of the
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving ''Grounds'') is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work a ...
in 1917. The military installation performs research for the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, including weapons testing, and has released various chemical agents into soil and groundwater, including
mustard gas and
perchlorate
A perchlorate is a chemical compound containing the perchlorate ion, . The majority of perchlorates are commercially produced salts. They are mainly used as oxidizers for pyrotechnic devices and to control static electricity in food packaging. Per ...
. The bordering towns of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
,
Edgewood Edgewood may refer to:
Places Canada
*Edgewood, British Columbia
South Africa
*Edgewood, a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus in Pinetown, South Africa
United States Cities and towns
*Edgewood, California
*Edgewood, Florida
*Edgewood, Illinois, a ...
and
Joppatowne have been affected by this contamination.
Aberdeen Proving Ground contains three
Superfund priority sites . Groundwater contamination by
MTBE
Methyl ''tertiary''-butyl ether (MTBE), also known as methyl tert-butyl ether and ''tert''-butyl methyl ether, is an organic compound with a structural formula (CH3)3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is sparingly sol ...
, a mandatory
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...
additive, has also affected
Fallston.
Harford County also faces controversy from residents living near
Scarboro Landfill and Harford Waste Disposal Center, the only municipal
landfill. The landfill, approved to triple in size in 2007, is the subject of complaints by neighbors of operating violations, such as large areas of open trash and blown litter;
leachate breaks which contaminate area residential wells and flow into
Deer Creek, a tributary of the Susquehanna River; and increased health problems.
Geography
According to the
U.S. 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 the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (17%) is water.
Harford County straddles the border between the rolling hills of the
Piedmont Plateau
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the Eastern United States. It is situated between the Atlantic coastal plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New York in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont ...
and the flatlands of the
Atlantic Coastal Plain along the
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
and its tributaries. The county's development is a mix of rural and suburban, with denser development in the larger towns of
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
and
Bel Air and along
Route 40
The following highways are numbered 40:
International
* European route E40
Argentina
* National Route 40
Australia
* NSW State Route 40 (Windsor Road and Victoria Road in Sydney)
* Victorian State Route 40
* Mulligan Highway (Queensland)
Br ...
and other major arteries leading out of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. The highest elevations are in the north and northwest of the county, reaching 805 ft. near the Pennsylvania border in the county's northwestern corner. The lowest elevation is sea level along the Chesapeake Bay.
Adjacent counties
*
York County, Pennsylvania
York County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Yarrick Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster ...
(north)
*
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
*
Cecil County (east)
*
Kent County (south)
*
Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
(west)
National protected area
*
Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge
Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge is located on a small island in size located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River in Harford County, Maryland. It is a satellite refuge managed by Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. In the 1920s, the ...
Communities
Cities
*
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
*
Havre de Grace
Town
*
Bel Air (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
*
Aldino
*
Benson
*
Berkley
*
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
*
Castleton
*
Churchville
*
Clayton
*
Constant Friendship
*
Creswell
*
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
*
Darlington
*
Emmorton
*
Fairview
*
Forest Hill
*
Fountain Green
*
Glenwood
*
Hess Hess or Heß may refer to:
* Hess (surname), also ''Heß'' in German, people with the surname Hess
* Hess, Oklahoma, a community in the United States
* Hess Educational Organization, the largest private provider of English instruction in the Rep ...
*
Hickory
*
Hopewell Village
*
Joppa
*
Kalmia
''Kalmia'' is a genus of about ten species of evergreen shrubs from 0.2–5 m tall, in the family Ericaceae. They are native to North America (mainly in the eastern half of the continent) and Cuba. They grow in acidic soils, with different spe ...
*
Level
*
Madonna
*
Norrisville
*
Shawsville
*
Street
*
Taylor
Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to:
People
* Taylor (surname)
** List of people with surname Taylor
* Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah
* Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron
* Justice Taylor (disambiguation)
Pl ...
*
Whiteford
Census-designated places
*
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) (sometimes erroneously called Aberdeen Proving ''Grounds'') is a U.S. Army facility located adjacent to Aberdeen, Harford County, Maryland, United States. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work a ...
*
Abingdon
*
Bel Air North
*
Bel Air South
*
Darlington
*
Edgewood Edgewood may refer to:
Places Canada
*Edgewood, British Columbia
South Africa
*Edgewood, a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus in Pinetown, South Africa
United States Cities and towns
*Edgewood, California
*Edgewood, Florida
*Edgewood, Illinois, a ...
*
Fallston
*
Jarrettsville
Jarrettsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,888 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named for the Jarrett family, who farmed the area during t ...
*
Joppatowne
*
Perryman
*
Pleasant Hills
*
Pylesville
*
Riverside
Populated places
*
Glenville
Climate
The January freezing isotherm runs across the northern part of the county and divides it into a
humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') and a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Dfa''.) Average monthly temperatures in Bel Air range from 32.6 °F in January to 76.6 °F in July, while in Aberdeen they range from 33.5 °F in January to 77,2 °F in July
Politics and government
Harford County is, like the
Pennsylvania Dutch Country
The Pennsylvania Dutch Country ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Deitscherei'' Dutchery', also called Pennsylvania Dutchland ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Pennsylvania Deitschland'', german: Pennsylvania Deutschland), or simply the Dutch Country or Dutchland ( ...
to its north, a strongly Republican region. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Harford County since
Lyndon Johnson’s landslide of 1964. In the period before World War II Harford leaned strongly Democratic as it had sizeable Confederate sympathies, but during and since
the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
the county has turned away from its traditional allegiances.
Harford County was granted a
charter form of
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
in 1972. This means that the county is run by a County Executive and Council President, both elected at large, as well as Council Members, elected from districts. Currently, there are six districts in Harford County. Also elected at large is the Sheriff, who runs the
Harford County Sheriff's Office
The Harford County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is the second largest sheriff's office in Maryland and is the primary law enforcement agency servicing a population of 241,402 persons within within Harford County, MD.
History
The HCSO was created on ...
, the Register of Wills and the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Executive
The Harford County Executive is
Robert Cassilly (Republican). Primary law enforcement in the county is handled by the
Harford County Sheriff's Office
The Harford County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is the second largest sheriff's office in Maryland and is the primary law enforcement agency servicing a population of 241,402 persons within within Harford County, MD.
History
The HCSO was created on ...
, which has precincts in
Jarrettsville
Jarrettsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,888 at the 2020 census.
History
The town was named for the Jarrett family, who farmed the area during t ...
,
Edgewood Edgewood may refer to:
Places Canada
*Edgewood, British Columbia
South Africa
*Edgewood, a University of KwaZulu-Natal campus in Pinetown, South Africa
United States Cities and towns
*Edgewood, California
*Edgewood, Florida
*Edgewood, Illinois, a ...
and
Bel Air. The current Sheriff is Jeffrey Gahler (R). The
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police (MSP), officially the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP), is the official state police force of the U.S. state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesvill ...
also have a barrack located in Bel Air which serves the citizens of Harford County. Municipal police needs are provided by the
Bel Air Police Department
The Bel Air Police Department (BAPD) is a full-service agency servicing the incorporated Municipality of Bel Air, Maryland. The department is located in the Harford county seat of Bel Air at 39 North Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, Maryland 21014. B ...
, the
Aberdeen Police Department
The Aberdeen Police Department (APD) is the primary police agency servicing a population of 14,130 within of the municipality of Aberdeen, Maryland.
History
The Bailiff provided the police function for the Town. Apparently there had been some p ...
and the
Havre De Grace Police Department
The Havre De Grace Police Department (HDGPD) is a full-service agency servicing the incorporated municipality of Havre De Grace, Maryland. Established in 1981, HDGPD is Havre De Grace's primary law enforcement agency.
Chief
The Chief is Teresa ...
. The current State's Attorney is Al Peisinger. Directors are nominated by the Executive and approved by the Council. The Volunteer Fire & EMS Association department is led by Russell Eyre.
Council
Patrick Vincenti is the council president. Dion F. Guthrie represents district A which includes Joppa and Edgewood. Aaron David Penman represents district B which includes Abingdon and Fallston. Tony "G" Giangiordano represents district C which includes Bel Air and Forest Hill. James Reilly represents district D which includes Jarrettsville, Street, and Darlington. Jessica Boyle-Tsottles represents district E which includes Churchville and Aberdeen. Jacob D. Bennett represents district F which includes Belcamp and Havre de Grace.
Demographics
2000 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 218,590 people, 79,667 households, and 60,387 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile (192/km
2). There were 83,146 housing units at an average density of 189 per square mile (73/km
2). The racial makeup of the county was 86.77%
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 o ...
, 9.27%
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 ensl ...
, 0.23%
Native American, 1.52%
Asian, 0.06%
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 ...
, 0.69% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.47% from two or more races. 1.91% of the population were
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 forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race. 22.5% were of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 13.1%
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 9.8%
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, 9.2% English, 8.1% "American" and 6.0% Polish ancestry.
By 2006 the population of Harford County had risen 10.4% to 241,402.
[Harford County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau](_blank)
The 2005 report on race and ethnicity indicated the county's population was 82.8% non-Hispanic whites. The proportion of African-Americans in the county had risen to 11.5%. Hispanics were now 2.4% of the total population.
In 2000 there were 79,667 households, out of which 38.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.90% were married couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.20% were non-families. 19.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the county, the age distribution of the population shows 27.90% under the age of 18, 6.80% from 18 to 24, 31.60% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $57,234, and the median income for a family was $63,868. Males had a median income of $43,612 versus $30,741 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 county was $24,232. About 3.60% of families and 4.90% 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 t ...
, including 5.80% of those under age 18 and 6.70% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the
2010 United States Census
The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...
, there were 244,826 people, 90,218 households, and 66,335 families residing in the county.
The population density was . There were 95,554 housing units at an average density of .
The racial makeup of the county was 81.2% white, 12.7% black or African American, 2.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.9% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.5% of the population.
In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 19.8% were Irish, 12.2% were English, 9.9% were Italian, 6.8% were Polish, and 6.2% were American.
Of the 90,218 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 26.5% were non-families, and 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.13. The median age was 39.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $77,010 and the median income for a family was $88,370. Males had a median income of $59,734 versus $44,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,559. About 4.0% of families and 5.6% 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 t ...
, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
According to the
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the following were the top employers in Harford County:
Culture
The
Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra, formerly the Harford Community Orchestra, is an orchestra that is based in Harford County. The group is made up of about 80 musicians from many professions.
Th
Havre De Grace Decoy Museumis a museum dedicated to working and decorative decoys used on the Chesapeake Bay.
Harford Community College hosts many cultural spots. The Student Center hosts the Chesapeake Gallery, a collection of artwork from established artists, as well as students and faculty, and the Chesapeake Theater, a theater venue used by the Phoenix Festival Theater Company, a student run theater group.
Harford Community College also has the Joppa Hall, which houses the Blackbox Theatre, an additional theater venue used by the Harford Dance Theater Company and the HCC Actors Guild. The Joppa Hall also houses the Joppa Recital Halls, a venue for musical performances.
Also at HCC is the Hays-Heighe House, a museum dedicated to the history of Harford County.
The Historical Society of Harford County one of the oldest county historical societies in Maryland, was established in 1885 to preserve, promote, and interpret the history of the county and its people. Today, it is headquartered on Main Street in downtown Bel Air in the historic 1936 Old Bel Air Post Office Building, where it maintains an archive, exhibit space, and research library.
Sports
No major league sports teams are based in Harford County. The list of sports teams and organizations are shown below:
Harford County is the hometown of many sports icons, including
Kimmie Meissner, a
2006 Olympic figure skating competitor,
Cal Ripken
Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed " The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his posit ...
, a former
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 ...
Hall of Famer and former
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
linebacker
EJ Henderson.
Infrastructure
The
Conowingo Dam
The Conowingo Dam (also Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant, Conowingo Hydroelectric Station) is a large hydroelectric dam in the lower Susquehanna River near the town of Conowingo, Maryland. The medium-height, masonry gravity dam is one of the large ...
is on the eastern border of Harford County.
Transportation
Major highways
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Mass transportation
Buses are run by the county-owned
Harford Transit. The state-operated
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 o ...
Penn Line
The Penn Line is a MARC commuter rail service running from Union Station in Washington, D.C., to Perryville, Maryland, along the far southern leg of the Northeast Corridor. However, the great majority of trains terminate at Baltimore's Penn ...
serves Edgewood and Aberdeen.
Airport
The
Harford County Airport
Harford County Airport is a public airport located in the unincorporated community of Churchville, in Harford County, Maryland, United States.
Harford County Airport is a general aviation (GA) airport in northern Maryland that serves primarily ...
is a small airport in
Churchville. Its available for recreational pilots & flight training, as well as sight seeing, balloon rides, hang gliding and sky diving.
Health
Health services are provided by
Upper Chesapeake Health System. Harford Memorial Hospital located in
Havre De Grace and Upper Chesapeake Medical Center located in
Bel Air form the two hospital system. UCHS is a member of the
University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (also known as UMMS) is a private, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1984 and based in Baltimore, Maryland. It owns and operates 13 hospitals (as of 2018) in Maryland, and has more than 2,500 licensed ...
.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Harford County Public Schools
The Harford County Public Schools system is the public school system serving the residents of Harford County. It includes thirty-two elementary schools, nine middle schools, ten high schools and one charter school.
Private schools
* Harford Christian School, a Christian school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
*
The John Carroll School
The John Carroll School Inc., established in 1964 and incorporated in 1971, is a private Catholic school for grades 9–12. It is located in Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, United States in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore.
History
...
, a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
school for 9th through 12th grade.
*
Trinity Lutheran School, a
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
school for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
*
Harford Day School, a private school for Kindergarten through 8th grades.
*
Harford Friends School, a
Quaker school for Kindergarten through 8th grades.
* Saint Margaret School, a Catholic school for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
*
Grace Classical Academy, formerly Oak Grove Classical Christian School, is a
Classical Christian school for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
*
The Highlands School is a private, independent, AIMS accredited, K-12 program designed for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and language-based learning differences.
Colleges
Harford Community College, located in Churchville, offers 2-year associate degrees and vocational programs. Recently, Harford County Community College has entered into several partnerships with local four-year colleges for enhanced offerings, for credit at those institutions, to be taught on campus and at the surrounding buildings. Towson University Harford Campus, located across from Harford Community College, offers a select amount of four-year degrees that students can obtain after completing the required credits at Harford Community College.
Media
The newspaper of record is ''
The Aegis''. Several radio stations are located in Harford County.
WAMD at 970 AM licensed to Aberdeen follows the format of
Top40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
.
WHFC at 91.1 FM licensed to Bel-Air follows the format of
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
.
WHGM
WHGM (1330 AM) is a radio station broadcasting an Oldies/Classic Hits format. Licensed to Havre De Grace, Maryland, United States, its daylight signal covers from the Eastern Baltimore area, including Towson and Bel Air to Elkton and Newark. ...
at 1330 AM/104.7 FM licensed toHavre De Grace follows the format of
Adult hits.
WXCY-FM
WXCY-FM (103.7 FM) is a radio station in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Owned by Forever Media, it broadcasts a country music format serving the I-95 corridor from Wilmington, Delaware, to Baltimore, Maryland.
In 2019, Delmarva Broadcasting Co ...
at 103.7 FM licensed to Havre De Grace follows the format of
Country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while ...
. Th
Harford Cable Network or HCN, provides local TV. It shows local government events, high school and Fighting Owl sporting events and religious programming, among others.
References
{{authority control
Maryland counties
1773 establishments in Maryland
Populated places established in 1773
Maryland counties on the Chesapeake Bay