Aberdeen is a city located in

Harford County, Maryland Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland, Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Wa ...

, United States, northeast of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. The population was 16,254 at the 2020 United States census. Aberdeen is the largest municipality in Harford County. Aberdeen is part of the Baltimore-Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is the 20th-largest United States metropolitan area. The nearest city to Aberdeen is Havre de Grace, to the northeast.

History

Aberdeen was named after

Aberdeen, Scotland Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeenshire, but is now separate from the council area of Aberdeenshire. Aberd ...

, by immigrating Scots. The James B. Baker House, Chestnut Ridge, Griffith House, Poplar Hill, Sophia's Dairy, and Swansbury are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Early settlements

Aberdeen began as a farming community in 1720, when Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore, granted 1,140 acres of fertile land to Edward Hall. Located on the western edge of the Chesapeake on the main road between Alexandria and Philadelphia called the Old Post Road, the village at Halls Cross Road remained small until the

Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) was an American railroad, headquartered in Philadelphia, that operated in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland from 1836 to 1902. It was part of an 1838 merger of four state-chartered railr ...

scouted the area for a watering station in 1835. One of the railroad companies engineers was Edmund Law Rogers who saw the great potential in the place for development.

Village of Aberdeen

The Village of Aberdeen was a development by Edmund Law Rogers around 1800. The name originated from its mother city, Aberdeen, Scotland, as a result of the close relationship the Rogers family of Baltimore had with their cousin, the Earl of Aberdeen, who became

Prime Minister of Great Britain The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pr ...

in 1852. The area now known as Aberdeen is a cluster of three communitiesThe Aberdeen Room – Exhibits – Aberdeen: Its Three Components
/ref> * Hall's Cross Roads, located at the intersection of Old Philadelphia Road (MD-7, in some places known as Old Post Road, then known as Philadelphia Post Road) and Bush River Neck Road (then the main road from Swan Creek ) * Mechanicsville, located at *The Village of Aberdeen

As a town

In 1892, Aberdeen was incorporated as a town, under Chapter 136 of the Acts of 1892.

Board of commissioners

Upon incorporation as a town, the Aberdeen government was led by a

board of commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States. A county usually has three to five ...

. * From 1892 to 1905, a board

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

was elected annually by the commissioners. * From 1906 to 1954, this election was changed to be biennial. * From 1955 to 1992, the election of a board president was changed back to be annual. In 1992, the Town of Aberdeen revised its charter and became the City of Aberdeen with an elected mayor. The first mayor of the City of Aberdeen was Ruth Elliot. The second mayor was Doug Wilson, and Fred Simmons was elected mayor in 2005. Michael Bennett served as mayor from 2007 to 2015. In 2015, Patrick McGrady was elected mayor of Aberdeen and is currently serving a four-year term.

As a city

In 1992, Aberdeen was incorporated as a city.

2018 shooting

On September 20, 2018, 26-year-old Snochia Moseley opened fire at a

Rite Aid Rite Aid Corporation is an American drugstore chain based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1962 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, by Alex Grass under the name Thrift D Discount Center. Prior to its first bankruptcy in 2023, it was the th ...

warehouse where he temporarily worked. He killed three people and injured three others before turning the gun on himself.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The city of Aberdeen is located at the north end of Upper Chesapeake Bay.

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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Aberdeen has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Attractions

B.&.O. Railroad Station

The B.&.O. Aberdeen Station is a historic train station in downtown Aberdeen. It was designed by

Frank Furness Frank Heyling Furness (November 12, 1839 – June 27, 1912) was an American architect of the Victorian era. He designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area, and is remembered for his diverse, muscular, often inordinately scaled ...

and built in 1885 by the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

. The Historical Society of Harford County is currently in search of funding to save the station from being demolished.

Ripken Stadium

Ripken Stadium is the home of the

Aberdeen IronBirds The Aberdeen IronBirds are a Minor League Baseball team based in the city of Aberdeen in Harford County, Maryland. They are the High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and compete in the South Atlantic League. They were previously members of th ...

, located on Maryland Route 22, and named after former

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) 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 America ...

star player

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 his entire 21-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). ...

. Across the street is the Ripken Experience, a baseball complex with ten youth fields for tournaments, camps and clinics. The fields are scaled replicas of current and former MLB stadiums.

Aberdeen Festival Park

Aberdeen Festival Park is located in the heart of downtown on North Parke Street in Aberdeen. It is home to many city events such as the Aberdeen Farmers Market. It includes an outside field, a playground, and the APG Memorial.

Victory Street Park

Victory Street Park on Victory St. features a playground, basketball court, disc-golf, and a dog park.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 64.90%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 27.38%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.25% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.42% from other races, and 3.47% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino people of any race were 3.45% of the population. There were 5,475 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,190, and the median income for a family was $48,357. Males had a median income of $32,783 versus $26,025 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,940. About 9.0% of families and 11.9% 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 15.9% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 14,959 people, 5,801 households, and 3,897 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 6,191 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 58.9%

, 30.5%

, 0.4% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 0.3%

, 1.6% from other races, and 5.3% from two or more races.

or Latino people of any race were 5.4% of the population. There were 5,801 households, of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were

living together, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.8% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age in the city was 38 years. 24.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.9% were from 25 to 44; 28.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Several major highways serve Aberdeen, with the most prominent of these being

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

. I-95 briefly crosses the northwestern corner of Aberdeen and provides access to many major cities, including

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Access to Aberdeen is provided via an interchange with Maryland Route 22, which also connects directly to the

Aberdeen Proving Grounds Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) 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 at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...

as well as to Bel Air, the county seat.

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America (a nickname shared with U.S. Route 66), is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid- ...

also serves the city, running parallel to I-95 from Baltimore to Wilmington and serving as an alternate route. Other state highways serving Aberdeen include Maryland Route 7, Maryland Route 132, Maryland Route 159, Maryland Route 462 and Maryland Route 715.

Rail transport

The city of Aberdeen is located on the old

which is now operated by CSX. The new Aberdeen station is located on Amtrak's

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...

main line is served by Amtrak

Northeast Regional The ''Northeast Regional'' is an intercity rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States. In the past it has been known as the ''NortheastDirect'', ''Acela Regional'', or ''Regional''. It is Amtrak's busie ...

, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC)

Penn Line The Penn Line is a MARC passenger rail service operating between Union Station in Washington, D.C., and Perryville, Maryland, along the far southern leg of the Northeast Corridor; most trains terminate at Baltimore's Penn Station. It is MA ...

trains and local buses. Located just south of the

East Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991 with the goal to use the entire route with off-road, s ...

, the city has access to a walking and biking trail network linking the major cities along the U.S. east coast.

Local transportation

The city of Aberdeen is part of the Harford Transit LINK public bus system. Routes 1 (Green Line), 2 (Blue Line), 3 (Silver Line) and 5 (Teal Line) connect Aberdeen with Havre de Grace, Bel Air, Edgewood, Joppatowne and Perryville. Route 4 (Yellow Line) is the Aberdeen Circulator which services the different neighborhoods within the city of Aberdeen.

Government

Since its incorporation as a city, Aberdeen has had a council-manager form of government. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

and

council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

are elected to four-year terms in November, with terms beginning in November. The mayor and council define

policy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an or ...

and appoint the

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

, who may be dismissed at any time, by vote of the council. The city manager, with the approval of the council, appoints all officers and department heads, who may be dismissed for cause by action of the city manager.

Mayors of Aberdeen

*Ruth Elliott, 1992–1994 * Charles R. Boutin, 1994–1998 *Douglas S. Wilson, 1998–2005 *S. Fred Simmons, 2005–2007 *Michael E. Bennett, 2007–2015 *Patrick McGrady, 2015–present

Aberdeen City Council

The city council and mayor are elected by

voters Voting is the process of choosing officials or policies by casting a ballot, a document used by people to formally express their preferences. Republics and representative democracies are governments where the population chooses representatives ...

to four-year terms beginning in November 2011. Councilmember terms are staggered, with current terms ending in 2025 and 2027. * Patrick L. McGrady, mayor (2027) * Adam Hiob, council president (2027) * Timothy Lindecamp, councilman (2025) * Bill Montgomery, councilman (2025) * Tandra Ridgley, councilwoman (2027)

Harford County Council

Council District E * Jessica Boyle-Tsottles (Republican)

Maryland General Assembly

State Senate, District 34 *State Senator Mary-Dulany James (Democrat) House of Delegates, District 34A * Andre Johnson Jr (Democrat) * Steve Johnson(Democrat)

Congressional Delegation

US Senate * Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat) * Senator

Chris Van Hollen Christopher Van Hollen Jr. ( ; born January 10, 1959) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maryland, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. re ...

(Democrat) US House of Representatives, 1st Congressional District * Congressman Andy Harris (Republican)

Aberdeen Proving Ground

Aberdeen is home to the U.S. Army's

Aberdeen Proving Ground Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) 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 at APG. There are 11 major commands among the tenant units, ...

(APG). The proving ground was established by

Act of Congress An act of Congress is a statute enacted by the United States Congress. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called Public and private bills, private laws), or to the general public (Public and private bills, public laws). For a Bill (law) ...

and came into operation in January 1918. APG is headquarters of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC). The proving ground occupies more than in Harford County. More than 7,500 civilians and 5,000 military personnel work at APG.

Notable people and groups

* William Benjamin Baker, U.S. congressman for Maryland's 2nd District, 1895–1901 * Linwood Clark, U.S. congressman for Maryland's 2nd District, 1929–1931; born in Aberdeen on March 21, 1876 * Ballyhoo!, reggae rock band * Les German, Major League Baseball pitcher, trap-shooter * David Grace, UCLA and Oregon State University basketball coach (USAF retired) * Michael D. Griffin, head administrator of

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

* E. J. Henderson, Minnesota Vikings football player, former Maryland Terrapin * Erin Henderson, Minnesota Vikings football player, former Maryland Terrapin * Jai Lewis, college basketball player (

George Mason Patriots The George Mason Patriots are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing George Mason University (GMU), located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of th ...

) * Moor Mother, musician, poet, activist * Gary Neal, NBA player for

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

* Irv Pankey, Aberdeen High School, 2-time wrestling state champion (1975–1976);

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

offensive lineman (1976–1980); NFL:

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

(1980–1990)

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

(1991–1992) * Cal Ripken Sr., longtime coach and manager in the Baltimore Orioles organization; father of Cal Ripken Jr. and Billy Ripken * Billy Ripken, infielder for

and brother of Cal Ripken Jr. * Cal Ripken Jr., baseball Hall of Famer and

legend; grew up in Aberdeen and was a student at Aberdeen High School * Richard Slutzky, "Coach Slutzky", honoree of National Wrestling Hall of Fame, longtime Aberdeen High School coach * Lisa Welch, model, ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

Playmate of the Month A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

, September 1980 * Steven M. Wise, animal rights lawyer and scholar, inducted into Aberdeen High School Hall of Fame *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

, musician, lived in Aberdeen for a short period, father worked at APG

Aberdeen IronBirds

Cal Ripken Jr. and brother

Billy Billy may refer to: * Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name) * Billy (surname), a surname (and list of people with the surname) Animals * Billy (dog), a dog breed * Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 * Billy ( ...

are owners of the

minor league baseball team, which plays at Ripken Stadium.

Media

Aberdeen's local

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

station is WAMD, broadcasting at 970 on the AM dial. Local

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

coverage is provided by Harford County publications '' The Aegis'' and ''The Record''. Electronic media covering Aberdeen issues is Aberdeen Patch and The Dagger Press. Aberdeen is served by

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

stations, but it is not uncommon for residents to also get

and

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

Lancaster Lancaster may refer to: Lands and titles *The County Palatine of Lancaster, a synonym for Lancashire *Duchy of Lancaster, one of only two British royal duchies *Duke of Lancaster *Earl of Lancaster *House of Lancaster, a British royal dynasty ...

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

stations.

References

External links

City of Aberdeen
{{Authority control Cities in Maryland Cities in Harford County, Maryland Populated places established in 1852 Scottish-American culture in Maryland 1852 establishments in Maryland Cities in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area