The town of Bel Air is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Harford County Harford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Stati ...

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 ...

. According to the 2020 United States census, the population of the town was 10,661. 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 ...

defines an

urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...

in northeast Maryland in which Bel Air is the principal settlement: the Bel Air–

Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...

, MD urban area had a population of 214,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the 180th most-populous in the United States.

History

Bel Air's identity has gone through several incarnations since 1780. Aquilla Scott, who had inherited land known as "Scott's Improvement Enlarged," planned the town on a portion that he called "Scott's Old Fields." Four years later, the town had expanded as local politicians, merchants, and innkeepers purchased lots from Scott, and the county commissioners decided to change its name to the more appealing "Belle Aire." In his deeds, Scott dropped one letter, renaming the town, "Bell Aire." Around 1798, court records dropped two more letters, and "Bel Air" was born. During this period, Bel Air began to rise in prominence. In 1782, just two years after its founding, it became Harford's county seat, and Daniel Scott (Aquilla's son) started building a courthouse on Main Street. Although the town limits in the late 18th century encompassed nothing more than the two sides of Main Street, the days following the Civil War saw a building and land-development boom that remains in full swing to this day. Bel Air was part of a land grant issued to Daniel Scott in 1731. In March 1782 "Belle Aire" was designated the county seat of Harford County. At the turn of the 20th century the "e" was dropped and the second "l" and its companion "e" gave way a few years later. The town's incorporation was effective in 1874. The town began with just 42 lots along Main Street centering on the Court House and the county jail and sheriff's house. Over the years, the population grew slowly to about 200 residents by 1865. The introduction of the canning industry, the Ma & Pa railroad and related financial businesses jump started the growth after the Civil War. Although the town experienced periods of rapid growth followed by extremely slow growth over the next century, Bel Air's role as the center of government and commerce continued to expand. Since 1980, the town and its surrounding suburbs have grown substantially. Today, Bel Air is the center for governmental, educational, cultural, medical, and commercial institutions in the county. In the early 20th century, several fires swept through the downtown area, notably in 1900 and 1942. In 1972, another fire struck, decimating the east side of Main Street and causing $2 million in damage. In 1970, H. Rap Brown, a member of the

Black Panthers The Black Panther Party (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a Marxist–Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, California ...

and the fourth chairman of the

Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and later, the Student National Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced ) was the principal channel of student commitment in the United States to the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Emer ...

(SNCC), was charged with instigating a riot after a rally in Cambridge, Maryland; a change in venue brought his trial to Bel Air. Two black militants drove to Bel Air in a truck laden with plastic explosives, intending to attack the courthouse. Due to heavy security at the courthouse, the two men driving the truck fled on

Route 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered S ...

. The explosives subsequently detonated and killed both men. The blast left a crater in the road and blew out the windows of a nearby toll house. Brown would go on to escape the night of his trial. Into the 1950s, the town hosted horse racing at Bel Air Racetrack, which stood where the Harford Mall is today. The Bel Air Armory, Bel Air Courthouse Historic District, Broom's Bloom, D. H. Springhouse, Dibb House, Graham-Crocker House, Graystone Lodge, Harford Furnace Historic District,

Harford National Bank Harford National Bank is a historic bank building located at Bel Air, Harford County, Maryland. It is a one-story, with day-light basement built in a modified Richardson Romanesque style of glazed red brick and rusticated brownstone. It was de ...

, Hays House, Hays-Heighe House, Heighe House, Joshua's Meadows,

Liriodendron ''Liriodendron'' () is a genus of two species of characteristically large trees, deciduous tree, deciduous over most of their populations, in the magnolia family (biology), family (Magnoliaceae). These trees are widely known by the common name ...

, Mount Adams, Norris-Stirling House, Odd Fellows Lodge, Priest Neal's Mass House and Mill Site, Proctor House, Thomas Run Church, Tudor Hall, The Vineyard, and Woodview 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 ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Bel Air lies within the humid subtropical climate zone. Bel Air features hot, often humid summers, mild, wet springs, pleasant falls and cool to chilly winters. The average precipitation for Bel Air is around 40-43 inches while snowfall averages 19–24 inches.

Demographics

2010 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 2010, there were 10,120 people, 4,491 households, and 2,568 families living in the town. 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 4,744 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 89.8%

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 ...

, 4.4%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 1.7% from other races, and 2.0% 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 4.3% of the population. There were 4,491 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.8% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the town was 40.3 years. 20.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 10,080 people, 4,235 households, and 2,511 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 4,444 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.82%

, 4.38%

, 0.20% Native American, 1.41% Asian, 0.03%

, 0.27% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population. There were 4,235 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.94. In the town the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $44,135, and the median income for a family was $58,299. Males had a median income of $42,412 versus $29,207 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 town was $23,737. 6.4% of the population and 4.0% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.6% are under the age of 18 and 6.5% are 65 or older.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

The primary means of transportation to and from Bel Air is by road, and the most prominent highway serving the town is

Maryland Route 24 Maryland Route 24 (MD 24) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from an entrance to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood, Maryland, Edgewood north to the Pennsylvania state line near Fawn Grov ...

. MD 24 provides the most direct link between Bel Air and the nearest U.S. Highway,

U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border, ...

, and the nearest

Interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...

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 ...

. US 1 formerly ran through the town, but now follows a bypass around the northwest side, with U.S. Route 1 Business following US 1's former alignment through Bel Air. Maryland Route 924 also follows MD 24's old alignment through downtown Bel Air. Finally, Maryland Route 22 provides a direct connection between Bel Air and the city of

. By road, Bel Air is 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 ...

, northeast 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 ...

, southwest of

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 ...

and southwest of

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 ...

Airports

The three small plane airports in the metropolitan area are: * Forest Hill Industrial Airpark *

Fallston Airport Fallston Airport is an airport located southeast of Fallston, Maryland Fallston is a census-designated place (CDP) in Harford County, Maryland, Harford County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,958 at the 2010 United States Cen ...

* Harford County Airpark

Railroads

In the mid 20th century the

Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad , colloquially known as the "Ma and Pa", was an American short-line railroad between York, Pennsylvania, York and Hanover, Pennsylvania, formerly operating passenger and freight trains on its original line be ...

("Ma and Pa") ran through town, but the tracks were dismantled in 1958. The station was located (at milepost 26.5) on Rockspring Ave. between Broadway and Ellendale St. Much of the railroad's former route in and around Bel Air is now the Ma and Pa walking trail, which cuts through various wooded sections of town in and around Heavenly Waters Park.

Bus service

Harford Transit LINK is the primary means of transportation through Bel Air and to other areas of Harford County. The service operates 7 routes throughout the county, including the Orange Line, or the Bel Air Circulator. Other routes include the Blue Line to Edgewood, and the Green Line to Aberdeen and Havre De Grace. The Blue Line connects to the Edgewood MARC train station, and the Green Line connects with the Aberdeen Amtrak and MARC train station. The Harford Mall serves as the major transfer hub in the town. Nearby, the MTA operates the 410 and 411 lines, which connect into downtown Baltimore.

Law enforcement

Bel Air's primary law enforcement agency is the

Bel Air Police Department The Bel Air Police Department (BAPD) is the public police department of Bel Air, Maryland, the county seat of Harford County. Its offices are at 39 North Hickory Avenue, Bel Air. BAPD is Bel Air's primary law enforcement agency. It was establ ...

which was established in 1874. Its headquarters is located at 39 N. Hickory Avenue. Overseeing the department is Charles Moore, lifelong Harford County resident and former Maryland State Police captain.

Culture

Bel Air includes one of Maryland's 24 designated arts and entertainment districts. The district consists of 99 acres, which includes most of the city's downtown. It is used for concerts, art galleries, and other venues and events.

Publications

'' The Aegis'' is the main daily print news publication for Bel Air and surrounding Harford County. Bel Air News and Views is a popular online community news publication started in 2006.

Government

Bel Air is governed by a Council-Manager form of government. It is led by a five-member Board of Town Commissioners. The Board appoints a Town Administrator, who is responsible for the daily functions of municipal government. The chair of the Board, elected by its members each year, is given the ceremonial title of Mayor of Bel Air. All five Bel Air Town Commissioners are Republicans, though municipal elections are officially nonpartisan.

Notable people

* John Archer,

United States representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and physician, recipient of first medical diploma issued in United States, from what is now

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine The Perelman School of Medicine (commonly known as Penn Med) is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a Private university, private, Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of M ...

; 1741–1810 *

Lisa Aukland Lisa Aukland (born September 16, 1958) is an American professional female bodybuilder and amateur powerlifter. Early life and education Lisa Aukland was born in 1958 in Bay Shore, New York. She has two sisters, one older and one younger. Her c ...

, professional bodybuilder and powerlifter * Andrew Berry, professional football manager *

Elijah Bond Elijah Jefferson Bond (January 23, 1847 – April 14, 1921) was an American lawyer and inventor. He is best known for patenting the ouija board. Early life Elijah Jefferson Bond was born on January 23, 1847, in Bel Air, Maryland, to Charlotte ...

, inventor of the

ouija board The Ouija ( , ), also known as a Ouija board, spirit board, talking board, or witch board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the Latin alphabet, the numbers 0–9, the words "yes", "no", and occasionally "hello" and "goodbye", along ...

Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American stage actor and theatrical manager who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Th ...

, brother of

John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...

and son of

Junius Brutus Booth Junius Brutus Booth (1 May 1796 – 30 November 1852) was an English-born American actor. He was the father of actor John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. His other children included Edwin Booth, one of the foremost t ...

; considered one of the great Shakespearean actors of the 1800s *

, American stage actor and assassin of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

Augustus Bradford Augustus Williamson Bradford (January 9, 1806 – March 1, 1881), a Democrat, was the 32nd Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1862 to 1866. He served as governor during the Civil War. Biography Augustus Williamson Bradford was bor ...

, 32nd Governor of Maryland, 1862–1866 *

Richard Chizmar Richard Thomas Chizmar (born 1965) is an American writer, the publisher and editor of '' Cemetery Dance'' magazine, and the owner of Cemetery Dance Publications. He also edits anthologies, produces films, writes screenplays, and teaches writi ...

, ''New York Times'' bestselling author, publisher and editor of '' Cemetery Dance'' magazine, and the owner of

Cemetery Dance Publications Cemetery Dance is an American company known for their specialty press publisher of horror and dark suspense and their horror magazine of the same name. Cemetery Dance was founded by Richard Chizmar, a horror author, while he was in college. Ce ...

* Pat Healey, midfielder for

Crystal Palace Baltimore Crystal Palace Baltimore was an American professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Founded in 2006, the club was originally named Crystal Palace USA and was affiliated with English side Crystal Palace. The club was a member of t ...

and

Baltimore Blast The Baltimore Blast are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, that competes in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). Including one championship victory as the original Baltimore Blast, the team has won 10 c ...

Julienne Irwin Julienne Irwin (born March 14, 1993) is an American singer from Bel Air, Maryland, United States. Irwin was a finalist on the second season of ''America's Got Talent''. Biography Prior to her ''America's Got Talent'' debut, Irwin has stated sh ...

, ''

America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...

'' finalist, singer *

Chase Kalisz ] Chase Tyler Kalisz ( ; born March 7, 1994) is an American Swimming (sport), swimmer who specializes in individual medley events. He is an Olympic gold medalist in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, an Olymp ...

, swimmer, gold medalist at

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

Howard Atwood Kelly Howard Atwood Kelly (February 20, 1858 – January 12, 1943) was an American gynecologist. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts, B.A. degree and Doctor of Medicine, M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He, William Osler, William Stewart ...

, pioneering

gynecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, which focuses on pre ...

, one of "big four" founding staff members of

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a Private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Established in 1893 following the construction of the Johns Ho ...

Kimmie Meissner Kimberly Claire Meissner (born October 4, 1989) is an American former competitive figure skater. She is the 2006 World champion, the 2007 Four Continents champion, and the 2007 U.S. national champion. She is the first American and the first wo ...

, figure skating Olympian, 2006 World Champion and 2007 U.S. Champion *

Melvin Mora Melvin Mora Diaz (born February 2, 1972) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He played for the New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). From his ...

, 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 ...

player, lived in Bel Air *

Herman Stump Herman Stump Jr. (August 8, 1837 – January 9, 1917) was an American politician and lawyer. He is most notable for his service in the Maryland Senate and as a member of the United States House of Representatives. Early life Herman Stump Jr. wa ...

, Congressman; U.S. Commissioner-General of Immigration under President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

* Drew Westervelt, professional lacrosse player for

Chesapeake Bayhawks The Chesapeake Bayhawks were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland. They played in the greater Baltimore metro area beginning with the MLL's inaugural 2001 season, as the Baltimore Bayhaw ...

and

Colorado Mammoth The Colorado Mammoth are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team has played its home games at Ball Arena since the 2003 season. They are owned by Stan ...

Jay Witasick Gerald Alphonse "Jay" Witasick Jr. (; born August 28, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or parts of 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 2007, primarily as a relief pitcher. High school a ...

, MLB pitcher *

Brandon Scott Jones Brandon Scott Jones (born June 6, 1984) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his role as Captain Isaac Higgintoot in the CBS series ''Ghosts'' and as Donny in the Warner Bros./Netflix film ''Isn't It Romantic''. Life ...

, American actor on ''Ghosts'' (CBS)

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Maryland Towns in Harford County, Maryland County seats in Maryland 1780 establishments in Maryland Populated places established in 1780