Arnold, 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 ...

(CDP) in

Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, wh ...

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, located just outside of the state's capital,

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

. It is located 18.78 miles south 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 ...

, and 29.97 miles east of

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 ...

The population was 23,106 at the 2010 census. Neighborhoods straddle College Parkway and

Maryland Route 2 Maryland Route 2 (MD 2) is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons, Maryland, Solomons Island in Calvert County, Maryland, Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 in Maryland, U ...

(Ritchie Highway). Arnold is located on the scenic Broadneck Peninsula. The ZIP code is 21012. It is bordered by Severna Park to the northwest, Cape Saint Claire to the southeast,

to the southwest, and Lake Shore (a CDP within Pasadena) to the northeast.

History

Native Americans are known to have resided in the region in pre-Columbian times based on artifacts found in the Ulmstead Point area dating back to the Archaic period (5000–1500 BC). Later tribes that have been in the area include the Algonquin tribes, among others. However, when Captain John Smith arrived in the area in 1608, he reported no Natives. The early settlement of Arnold, an area between the Magothy and Severn rivers, began with the farm of John Arnold. He was a veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, who acquired on the north side of the Severn River. One of his sons, Thomas Arnold, inherited the land, later working as the local station master for the Baltimore and Annapolis Short Line Railroad. Residents know the area to have been home to a racetrack in the present-day Revell-Downs planned community and even a rollercoaster and boardwalk in Mago Vista Beach.

Education

Children in Arnold are served by the following public schools in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools district: Elementary schools: * Belvedere Elementary * Broadneck Elementary * Arnold Elementary * Jones Elementary (Severna Park) * Windsor Farm Elementary * Cape St. Claire Elementary Middle schools: * Severn River Middle School * Magothy River Middle School * Severna Park Middle School (Severna Park) High school: * Broadneck High School * Severna Park High School Private schools: * Arnold Christian Academy * Severn School Post-secondary: * Anne Arundel Community College

Geography

Arnold is located at (39.047263, −76.496552). It is north of

, the state capital, and south of downtown

. 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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 20.18%, is water, consisting of the tidal Severn (to the southwest) and Magothy (to the northeast) rivers.

Demographics

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 2010, there were 23,106 people, 8,373 households, and 6,396 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 8,623 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 88.65%

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 ...

, 5.23%

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 ...

, 0.23% Native American, 2.41% Asian, 0.03%

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 ...

, 1.16% from other races, and 2.28% 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 of any race were 3.97% of the population. There were 8,373 households, of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 63.8% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.15. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.31% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 26.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males. According to a 2019 estimate, the median household income was $126,310.

Local attractions

Arnold contains many scenic riversides with cliffs and beaches, providing plenty of places for leisure and sightseeing. There are 12 marinas in Arnold. The Baltimore-Annapolis Bike Trail links Arnold to Annapolis and Severna Park with jogging and biking recreation. Arnold Park hosts a playground and provides open ball fields for sporting. Twin Oaks Park provides play equipment and a walking trail. Broadneck Park is located on the peninsula east of Arnold; this park has two enclosed areas for dogs (small and large). Bay Hills Golf Club was designed in 1969 by renowned golf course architect Ed Ault. The scenic 18-hole golf course finds its beauty in its wooded rolling terrain. Arnold is located from downtown Annapolis. Sandy Point State Park is east of Arnold and includes a beach on the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

in proximity to the

Chesapeake Bay Bridge The Gov. William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (informally called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and, locally, the Bay Bridge) is a major twin bridges, dual-span bridge in the U.S. state of Maryland. Spanning the Chesapeake Bay, it connects the ...

and the Sandy Point Lighthouse. Marshes and creeks in the park are home to wildlife found throughout the Chesapeake Bay, including blue crabs,

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

terrapin Terrapins are a group of several species of small turtle (order Testudines) living in freshwater, fresh or brackish water. Terrapins do not form a taxonomic unit and may not be closely related. Many belong to the families Geoemydidae and Emydid ...

s, rockfish, and

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

s. Anne Arundel Community College is located in Arnold along College Parkway, and is annually rated one of the top community colleges in the nation. Historic synagogue Temple Beth Shalom also calls Arnold its home. ;Maryland's State Tree The Wilmer Stone White Oak in Arnold Park is set to be dedicated as the Maryland State Tree. The 200-year-old tree scored 402 points under a system that awards points for a tree's height, circumference and crown. It was named for the late Wilmer Stone, a noted forester who once owned the Arnold Park property where it stands. With a height of , a crown spread of and a circumference of , the resulting score of 402 is higher than for any other

white oak ''Quercus'' subgenus ''Quercus'' is one of the two subgenera into which the genus ''Quercus'' was divided in a 2017 classification (the other being subgenus ''Cerris''). It contains about 190 species divided among five sections. It may be calle ...

in Maryland. The Wilmer Stone White Oak now stands as the Maryland Champion of its species. As such, it is now eligible to become the official State Tree. A portion of the oak was destroyed in 1988, making it jut out to the side in a broken Y formation, or it would have surpassed the National Champion in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, a 427 pointer. The honored tree stands proudly in the silent Arnold forest, broken only by the calls of ospreys, wrens, blue jays and cardinals. Deer and fox also populate the woodlands, darting among the black locust trees, wild grape vines and Virginia creeper. ;Tall Trees of Chase Creek Woods Chase Creek Woods in Arnold is the tallest privately owned woodland known in the eastern United States, having an index of for the ten tallest species. The variety of habitat supports large examples of nearly fifty native tree species. Chase Creek Woods is home to twelve of the tallest of their species on record in Maryland. Despite recent development, Chase Creek Woods is one of the county's outstanding natural areas. The 2003 study indicates that Chase Creek Woods is an important natural area worthy of protection. ;Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dr. King's memorial is the first in Maryland to be erected in his honor. It stands in Arnold's Anne Arundel Community College's west campus on a well-maintained terrace overlooking an outdoor amphitheater. Behind the statue, five bronze plaques mounted on a stone wall quote King's speeches calling for equal opportunities in education and a just society. The statue is nine feet six inches tall and mounted on a five-foot granite base.

Notable people

* Diane Black, congresswoman * Matthew Centrowitz Jr., Olympic

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

gold-medal winner

In popular culture

* A season 5 episode of the

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...

series '' A Haunting'', titled "Angels and Demons," takes place in Arnold in 2010–2011.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Maryland Census-designated places in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Maryland populated places on the Chesapeake Bay Suburbs of Annapolis, Maryland