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Crofton 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 ...
and
planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
in
Anne Arundel County, Maryland 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, Mar ...
, United States, located west of the state 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 ...
, 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 east-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 ...
The community was established in 1964 and as of the 2020 census, it had a population of 29,136.


History


Development

In 1963, after the Crawford Corporation accumulated over of land, it announced that it would build a new community called Crofton. This new town and planned community was founded at the same time as
Reston, Virginia Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, and a principal city of both Northern Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Reston's population was 63,226. Founded in 1964, Rest ...
(April 17, 1964) and
Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States, consisting of 10 self-contained villages. With a population of 104,681 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most-populous community in Maryland ...
(1967). Crofton would be anchored by a community golf course, which later became the Crofton Country Club. Crofton was officially founded in the fall of 1964. The company considered picking an English name for the new town that "sounds well and implies that this is a pleasant place to live." It ended up picking the name "Crofton", named after a small township in
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...
County, England. ( Crofton, England was originally called ''Croft-town'', derived from the word "Croft", as the town standing upon the Crofts.) Crofton, Maryland was founded as a community for racial exclusion. Walker, Jesse,
The Radical 'Burbs
" ''
Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...
''


Crofton pond snakehead fish incident

Crofton was in the national news in late June and early July 2002 after a fish called the northern snakehead was discovered in a local pond. The infestation was found in water behind the Crofton post office and the adjacent shopping center, across Route 3 from local landmark Lake Louise. The snakehead species is highly aggressive and voracious. In order to ensure that the fish were eliminated, in September 2002 the main pond and two nearby ponds were dosed heavily with
rotenone Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine, and in the roots of several other members of the Fabaceae. It was the first-described member of the ...
and subsequently with
potassium permanganate Potassium permanganate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula KMnO4. It is a purplish-black crystalline salt, which dissolves in water as K+ and ions to give an intensely pink to purple solution. Potassium permanganate is widely us ...
. Six adult snakeheads and more than one thousand juvenile fish were found and destroyed. Ultimately, the incident initiated a national discussion on
invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...
. One comparison case was the
mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurasia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home to ...
, also an invasive and destructive species of 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 ...
watershed but, in comparison, quite beautiful, and which garnered support from some environmental and animal rights groups. Several movies were inspired by this incident. Syfy aired two movies in relation to the snakehead outbreak: in March 2004, a movie called '' Snakehead Terror'' was featured, and the movie '' Frankenfish'' was aired in June 2004. Ten Pound Films also produced a feature film titled '' Swarm of the Snakehead'' which related to this incident. In 2007, a documentary titled ''Fishzilla: Snakehead Invasion'' aired on the
National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Enter ...
, discussing the ecological damage that the snakeheads found in Crofton have done to surrounding areas.


Geography

The original community of Crofton was built on the Duvall family farm located within a triangle formed by three major roads: Crain Highway ( Maryland Route 3) to the northwest, Davidsonville Road ( Maryland Route 424) to the northeast, and Defense Highway (
Maryland Route 450 Maryland Route 450 (MD 450) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 Alternate (Bladensburg, Maryland), U.S. Route 1 Alternate (US 1 Alternate) in Bladensburg, Maryland, Bladensburg east to U ...
) to the south. Within the triangle, Crofton Parkway, a loop road long, encircles the center of the community. The Crofton CDP now extends north and east from the triangle, including Crofton Park and reaching northeast as far as St. Stephens Church Road. The Little Patuxent River borders Crofton on its southwest corner at the intersection of Route 3 and Route 450, providing a buffer between Anne Arundel and Prince Georges counties. 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 Crofton CDP has a total area of , all land.


Education


Schools

Crofton contains a number of public schools, administered by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools system: * Crofton Elementary School, grades K-5 * Crofton Meadows Elementary School, grades K-5 * Crofton Woods Elementary School, grades K-5 * Nantucket Elementary School, grades K-5 For grades 6–8, students from all four of these elementary schools attend Crofton Middle School in adjacent Gambrills, Maryland. Older students from Crofton attend Crofton High School, grades 9-12, also in adjacent Gambrills, Maryland. In response to overcrowding caused by continuing development in Bowie, the historical nemesis of Crofton and BRAC realignments, a redistricting proposal was approved for Crofton schools in 2013 and construction began in late 2018 on Crofton High School. A redistricting committee was formed in late 2018. In April 2019, the school board adopted a redistricting plan under which all students from the four local elementary schools will attend the new high school. Kathryn Feuerherd was appointed principal in May 2019. Crofton High School has been opened as of September 2020. There are also some private
preschool A preschool (sometimes spelled as pre school or pre-school), also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, play school, is an school, educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they ...
s in Crofton: * Beaver Creek Child Care * Crofton Children's Centre * Crofton Day School * Crofton Nursery School * Creative Garden Nursery School and Kindergarten


Demographics


2010 census data

As of the 2000
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 ...
, there were 20,091 people, 7,404 households, and 5,478 families residing in the Crofton census-designated place. The population density was . There were 7,573 housing units at an average density of . There were 7,404 households, out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% 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, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.13. In the community the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males. In 2010, Crofton had grown to 27,348, an increase of 36%. The median age remained at 35 years. Of the 10,203 housing units, most were households of families (71.5%) with an average household size of 2.67 people. Census data show an increase in the percentage of minorities living in Crofton. In 2000, the racial makeup of the community was 90.21%
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 ...
, 5.13%
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, 2.33% Asian, 0.04%
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 ...
, 0.60% from other races, and 1.44% 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 2.48% of the population. In the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the community was 79.8% White (−10.4%), 10.3% Black (+5.2%), 4.7% Hispanic (+2.2%), 3.3% two or more races (+1.9%), 4.9% Asian (+2.6%), .1% Native American (+.1%), and 1.4% "some other race".


Population history

The U.S. Census Bureau has recorded the following populations for the Crofton census-designated place.


Earnings data

Crofton has experienced a 33.99% income growth rate since 2000. This exceeds both the Maryland state average rate (30.24%) and the national average rate (19.17%). According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the area was $93,198, and the median income for a family was $101,644. Males had a median income of $56,819 versus $41,229 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 area was $33,518. About 2.0% of families and 2.7% 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 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over. Income has risen since then. Based on the
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
for 2008–2012, median incomes in the area were $104,279 for households and $120,316 for families. 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 area was $43,452. About 1.9% of families and 3.4% 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 1.9% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.


Governance

The original (old) section of Crofton is a Special Community Benefit District (SCBD) governed by the Board of Directors of the Crofton Civic Association. The Crofton SCBD staff includes a Town Manager, Non Governmental Figure Head Mayor Tip Conquick, Police, Recreation Coordinator, Maintenance Technician, A Director to the Office of the Mayor and administrative staff that provide for grounds and park maintenance, public safety, and community recreation programs and events. Town Hall is sometimes located in the older section of Crofton, at the corner of Crofton Parkway and Duke of Kent Drive. The structure was built as the sales center for the original Crawford development; it was donated to the community in 1973. Town Hall contains offices for the town manager, other Crofton SCBD staff, and the police department. Newer sections of Crofton area are not incorporated and include several HOAs.


Crime and law enforcement

The Crofton Special Community Benefit District is policed by the Crofton Police Department, which was founded in 1969. The department operates under the Anne Arundel County Charter, aided by the Anne Arundel County Police Department and Sheriff's Office as directed by authority.


Landmarks

* Katcef Archeological Site
archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or recorded history, historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline ...
with native camp sites ranging from the Paleo-Indian Clovis period to the late
Woodland period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BC to European contact i ...
. It 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 1991. * Linthicum Walks – a home built over 200 years ago by Thomas Linthicum III, a member of an influential family in Anne Arundel County. The original grant for the land was to Evan Davis in 1672 and obtained in 1699 by Thomas Linthicum, a Welsh immigrant. It was part of a medium-sized tobacco farm.
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
stayed here during his travels to and from
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 ...
and
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 his home at
Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the former residence and plantation of George Washington, a Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States, and his wife, Martha. An American landmar ...
,
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 ...
. Located next to Crofton Middle School and the new Crofton High School, Linthicum Walks is owned by Anne Arundel County, run by the Department of Recreation and Parks and maintained by the Friends of Linthicum Walks. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. * White's Hall – birthplace of
Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...
,
entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...
and
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
whose greatest legacy is the funding of
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
. Gerrard Hopkins came to America from England, settling in Crofton in 1660. The Hopkins family was in the Crofton area for 270 years and accumulated more than of land. The historic house – built in the late 1700s – still exists near the corner of Riedel Road and Johns Hopkins Road. It is privately owned but empty.


Notable people

*
Spiro Agnew Spiro Theodore Agnew (; November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second of two vice presidents to resign, the first being John C. ...
– Following his resignation as
Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
, Agnew ran Pathlite, Inc., a consulting firm in Crofton. * Kyle Beckerman
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
player for
Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
and 2014
World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...
star of the U.S. Team. Raised in Crofton and attended Crofton Woods Elementary School, Crofton Middle School, and DeMatha High School (in Hyattsville, MD) and Arundel High School in Gambrills, MD. * Bill Belichick – head coach of the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
was raised in Crofton and went to Annapolis High * Peter Bondra – hockey player *
Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland, where he remained for mos ...
– businessman involved in the building of the B&O Railroad, founded
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
and
Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...
* Chris Kubasik – former president and Chief Operating Officer of
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American Arms industry, defense and aerospace manufacturer with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta on March 15, 1995. It is headquartered in North ...
Corporation, now living in Potomac, MD, was raised in Crofton and went to Arundel High School * Tom McMillen – former Democratic congressman,
Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...
, and pro basketball player. * Gheorghe Mureșan – former pro basketball player for the Washington Bullets (1993–1998), holds the record as being the tallest man ever to play in the NBA. *
Edward Snowden Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is a former National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor and whistleblower who leaked classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs. Born in 1983 in Elizabeth ...
– Leaked sensitive government documents regarding mass surveillance. Attended Crofton Woods Elementary School, Crofton Middle School, and Arundel High School for years.


References


Sources

* Browne, Joseph L., ''From Sotweed to Suburbia: A History of the Crofton, Maryland Area, 40th Anniversary version'', 1660–1960. Baltimore: Gateway Press, Inc., published by the Crofton Rotary to fund the restoration of Linthicum Walks. *


External links


"Crofton, Maryland"
at City-Data.com {{authority control Populated places established in 1964 Census-designated places in Maryland Census-designated places in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Planned communities in the United States 1964 establishments in Maryland