Abingdon is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in Harford County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, United States. It lies 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 ...

Maryland Route 7 Maryland Route 7 (MD 7) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for much of their length as Philadelphia Road, there are five disjoint mainline sections of the highway totaling that parallel U.S. R ...

, near the Bush River, between Exits 77 ( MD 24) and 80 ( MD 543) of Interstate 95. The region is known for its proximity to key attractions such as the Aberdeen Proving Ground, a major U.S. Army facility, and the nearby town of Bel Air, which serves as the county seat of Harford County. Abingdon's location, combined with its historical roots and modern amenities, makes it an appealing place to live for those seeking a balance between suburban comfort and easy access to urban conveniences.

Demographics

History

Abingdon was named after Abingdon,

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The town was founded by and is the birthplace of

William Paca William Paca ( or ; October 31, 1740 – October 13, 1799) was a Founding Father of the United States who was a signatory to the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence. He was a Maryland delegate to the First ...

, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

and the third

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 ...

. Abingdon was the site of

Cokesbury College Cokesbury College was a college in Abingdon, Maryland, and later Baltimore, Maryland, that existed from 1787 until 1796. Cokesbury College was founded as the first Methodist college in the United States. Its name was a combination of the names o ...

, the first Methodist college in the United States. Woodside was 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 ...

in 1979. The Nelson-Reardon-Kennard House was listed in 1991. Abingdon changed from an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

to a

for the 2020 census.

Schools

Since it is located in Harford County, the community of Abingdon is served by the Harford County Board of Education, which consists of an elected-appointed Board of six elected members and three members appointed by the Governor of the State of Maryland. Most students in the Abingdon area who enter kindergarten and progress to the fifth grade attend William S. James Elementary School or Abingdon Elementary School. Upon the opening of Patterson Mill High School in 2007, a majority of students attending William S. James Elementary School began to attend this new facility. Additionally, all of the students at Abingdon Elementary School subsequently attend Edgewood High School. A third primary school, Old Post Road Elementary School, is located on the border of Abingdon and Edgewood. These students also attend the Edgewood or Joppatowne secondary schools. The older Deerfield Elementary and Edgewood High school buildings were replaced by newer, updated facilities by the same name in 2010. Prior to Kindergarten, children can attend various child care and preschool programs such as Kiddie Academy whose headquarters are also located in the community of Abingdon. At a Board of Education meeting on the July 13, 2020, it was discussed to change the name of the William S. Paca elementary school as many families protest attending a school named after a slave holder.

References

Census-designated places in Harford County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland {{HarfordCountyMD-geo-stub