Fort Washington is an

unincorporated area 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 ...

and

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 Prince George's 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 borders the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

, situated 20 miles south of downtown Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 24,261. The Fort Washington community is located west of Maryland Route 210, with some additional area to the east of the highway.

History

The Fort

The community is named for Fort Washington. The first Fort Washington was completed in 1809, and it was the only defensive fort protecting Washington, D.C. until the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. It consisted of a small earthwork near the shore of the Potomac River. The failure of that fort to stop a British fleet from invading the national capital during the War of 1812 led to the construction of the current, larger, stone fortification. In 1844, a cannon exploded on the USS ''Princeton'' as it was passing Fort Washington. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the US Army's Adjutant General's School was located at the fort, and had billeting for 362 officers and 2,526 enlisted persons. The site is now part of a park with views of the Potomac River and hiking paths.

War of 1812

During 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 ...

Fort Washington, built to protect the capital from enemy advances on the

, was captured by the British under the command of Admiral Gordon, three days after the burning of the capital.

Civil War

Upon the outbreak of the

, fearing for the safety of Washington in case of attack,

Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...

Isaac Toucey ordered a detachment of US Marines to garrison the fort. In May 1865 Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered the Potomac Flotilla reduced to half strength due to cessation of hostilities. This included the removal of the Marines from Fort Washington.

Twentieth century to present

Near the fort are many riverfront homes, two

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

s, two community pools, and National Golf Club. The area was

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

until about 1960, when suburban growth began. Until the founding of the Oxon Hill post office about 1960, the Fort Washington area generally used the mailing address Washington, D.C., except for the few years that Friendly had a post office. In 1980, the

postal service The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sy ...

split the Fort Washington area from Oxon Hill, defining it as a separate town name. At that time, to make mail sorting easier, they drew the boundary between the two communities to conform to already existing zip code boundaries. The end result sometimes confuses people, since the northern end of the Fort Washington postal area (near the Beltway) identifies more with the communities of Oxon Hill or Temple Hills / Camp Springs but still uses a Fort Washington mailing address.

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 CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 16.8%, is water. First-time visitors are often confused by the several "Livingston Roads", which repeatedly cross Route 210, as well as by the two separate "Old Fort Roads", causing them to make wrong turns off of Maryland Route 210. Eventually, all roads intersecting Route 210 in the Fort Washington area (from the Beltway as far south as the Highway 210 curve at Piscataway Creek) will be upgraded to controlled-access interchanges (eliminating all traffic signals) gradually during the 2020s. The fort's land originally included 347 acres, which was last surveyed in June 1944.

Community institutions

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) maintains the Harmony Hall Regional Cente

including the John Addison Concert Hall, site of community theater ("Tantallon Community Players"), art shows, frequent concerts, and a variety of classes for all ages. A

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

fitness center operated from 2005 until 2016, and a community center facility opened in 2013 in Fort Washington Forest. The 12,000-member Ebenezer A.M.E. Church is a large nursery/landscaping business and a popular motorcycle shop. There is a small 50-bed hospital (Fort Washington Hospital).

Government

Prince George's County Police Department District 7 Station in Fort Washington CDP serves the community.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Fort Washington CDP, MD
" U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Note that the CDP previously covered a different set of territory:
CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: FORT WASHINGTON CDP
with page
1
an
2
In the 1990 U.S. Census Bureau maps of Prince George's County, Maryland
index map
Fort Washington CDP is on page
262732
an
33
The U.S. Postal Service operates the Fort Washington Post Office in Fort Washington CDP. The Interagency Training Center, a training center for the National Security Agency, is based in Fort Washington CDP.

Demographics

2020 census

Per the 2020 census, the population was 24,261.

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 2010, there were 23,717 people, 8,135 households, and 6,319 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 8,681 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 70.6%

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 ...

, 13.40%

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 ...

, 9.2% Asian (mostly Filipino), 0.2% Native American, 0.00%

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 ...

, 3.3% from other races, and 2.38% 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 6.6% of the population. There were 8,135 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.24. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 20 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $105,475, and the median income for a family was $111,227. In 2000, males had a median income of $46,656 versus $42,450 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 CDP was $30,871. About 2.8% of families and 3.7% 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 5.0% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over. By the end of 2020, the CDP ranks # 5 among top 10 richest black communities in US, with an average family income of $114,234.

Transportation

Potomac Airfield is in Friendly CDP, with a Fort Washington address.2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Friendly CDP, MD
" U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Previously Friendly had a different shape:
CENSUS 2000 BLOCK MAP: FRIENDLY CDP
" In the 1990 U.S. Census Bureau maps of Prince George's County, Maryland
index map
Friendly CDP is on page
2728
an
33
Several Metrobus routes serve the area.

Education

Fort Washington is under the Prince George's County Public Schools district. Zoned elementary schools serving the CDP are: *Fort Foote Elementary School *Fort Washington Forest Elementary School *Indian Queen Elementary School *

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; – ) was an Americans, American diplomat, and army officer who was the 65th United States secretary of state from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African-American to hold the office. He was the 15th National Security ...

Academy (a merger of Isaac J. Gourdine Middle School and Potomac Landing Elementary School done in 2023) *Rose Valley Elementary School *Tayac Elementary School Zoned middle schools serving the CDP are: *Oxon Hill Middle School *Colin Powell Academy *Accokeek Middle School Zoned high schools serving the CDP are: * Friendly High School * Oxon Hill High School The following private schools are located in Fort Washington
National Christian Academy
*

The Beddow Montessori School The Beddow Schools is a private school in Maryland serving elementary school through high school with campuses in Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's and Charles County, Maryland, Charles counties: a secondary school in the Accokeek, ...

, Fort Washington Campus
Maryland International Day School

Notable people

* Riddick Bowe, 2 time world heavyweight boxing champion * Seven Craft, participant of Bad Girls Club Season 17 * Donna Edwards, former U.S. Representative for * Charles Gittens, first black United States Secret Service agent * George O. Gore II, actor previously seen on '' My Wife and Kids'' * Mike Gravel, former Senator (D-Alaska) and presidential candidate, previously lived in Tantallon. * Joe Haden, Florida Gators cornerback and former cornerback for the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

; attended Friendly High School * Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader,

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

, at one time lived in Friendly * Jarrett Jack, NBA player * Jeff Kinney, writer of the '' Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' series * Martin Lawrence, Hollywood actor, attended Friendly High School * G. Gordon Liddy, presidential aide convicted in the

Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the Presidency of Richard Nixon, administration of President Richard Nixon. The scandal began in 1972 and ultimately led to Resignation of Richard Nixon, Nix ...

, author, and later

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

host * Senator John Melcher of Montana * Tim Miller, movie director and visual effects artist, animator * Rev. C. Anthony Muse, Maryland State Senato

pastor of Ark of Safety Churc

in Upper Marlboro, Maryland * Reisha Raney, business executive, engineer, and first black woman to serve as a DAR state officer in Maryland * Stanley Turrentine, jazz musician, lived on Piscataway Drive * Brian Westbrook, former Villanova football star (1997–2001) and former running back for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

and

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

* Byron Westbrook, former Salisbury University and

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

football player.

References

External links

Fort Washington Park
{{authority control Census-designated places in Prince George's County, Maryland Census-designated places in Maryland Maryland populated places on the Potomac River Washington metropolitan area