Frederick County is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

. At the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 271,717. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

is Frederick. Frederick County is included in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Like other outlying sections of the Washington metropolitan area, Frederick County has experienced a rapid population increase in recent years.
It borders the southern border of

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

and the northeastern border of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

. The county is the location of

Catoctin Mountain Park Catoctin Mountain Park, located in north-central Maryland, is part of the forested Catoctin Mountain ridge−range that forms the northeastern rampart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the Appalachian Mountains System. Approximately 5120 acres ...

(encompassing the

presidential President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese fu ...

retreat

Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwes ...

) and the U.S. Army's Fort Detrick.

Etymology

The namesake of Frederick County and its

is unknown, but it was probably either Frederick, Prince of Wales, or Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore.

History

Frederick County was created in 1748 by the Province of Maryland from parts of Prince George's County and Baltimore County. In 1776, following US independence, Frederick County was divided into three parts. The westernmost portion became Washington County, named after George Washington, the southernmost portion became

Montgomery County Montgomery County may refer to: Australia * The former name of Montgomery Land District, Tasmania United Kingdom * The historic county of Montgomeryshire, Wales, also called County of Montgomery United States * Montgomery County, Alabama * Mon ...

, named after another Revolutionary War general, Richard Montgomery. The northern portion remained Frederick County. In 1837, a part of Frederick County was combined with a part of Baltimore County to form Carroll County which is east of current day Frederick County. The county has a number of properties on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. It is the largest county in Maryland in terms of land area. Frederick County straddles the boundary between the Piedmont Plateau Region and the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

. The county's two prominent ridges, Catoctin Mountain and

South Mountain South Mountain or South Mountains may refer to: Canada * South Mountain, a village in North Dundas, Ontario * South Mountain (Nova Scotia), a mountain range * South Mountain (band), a Canadian country music group United States Landforms * Sou ...

, form an extension of the Blue Ridge. The Middletown Valley lies between them. Attractions in the Frederick area include the Clustered Spires, a

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...

to Francis Scott Key, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, Monocacy National Battlefield and

battlefields, and the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum.

Adjacent counties

* Adams County, Pennsylvania (north) * Carroll County (east) * Franklin County, Pennsylvania (northwest) *

(south) * Washington County (west) * Loudoun County, Virginia (southwest)

National protected areas

* Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (part) * Monocacy National Battlefield

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Demographics

Frederick County has experienced a rapid increase in population in recent years, including that of minority groups.

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

2010 census

At the 2010 United States Census, there were 233,385 people, 84,800 households and 61,198 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 90,136 housing units at an average density of . The racial make-up of the county was 81.5% white, 8.6% black or African American, 3.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.9% from other races and 2.8% from two or more races. The total (all races) of those self-identifying as Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3%, and those persons who were white alone made up 77.8% of the population. 26.3% of the population cited German ancestry, 17.4% Irish, 12.1% English, 7.2% Italian, and 6.3% American. Of the 84,800 households, 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.8% were non-families, and 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age was 38.6 years. The median household income was $81,686 and the median family income was $95,036. Males had a median income of $62,494 and females $46,720. The per capita income was $35,172. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% 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 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

The summary statistics for Frederick County from the 2000 U.S. census are provided to compare and contrast with data from the 2010 census. The following table includes the total persons, sex and self-designated ethnicity based on the 2000 census; additional details are archived at the Maryland State Government website. 2000 Census total population: 195,277 :Male: 96,079 (49.2%) :Female: 99,198 (50.8%) Ethnicity as percent total population: :White: 176,965 (90.6%) :Black or African American: 13,605 (7.0%) :American Indian and Alaskan: 1,083 (0.6%) :Asian: 4,066 (2.1%) :Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 156 (0.1%) :Some other ethnicity: 2,434 (1.2%) :The total (all races) of those self-identifying as Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.4%, and those persons who were white alone made up 88.1%.

2014

The

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 An economy is an area of th ...

estimated Frederick County's population at 245,322, marking a 5.1% increase since 2010. The racial make-up was estimated to be 75%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

(67.0% Non-Hispanic White), 9.7%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, 4.6% Asian, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.8% Two or more races and 8.7% were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino, of any race.

Law, government, and politics

Charter government

On December 1, 2014, Frederick County changed to a "charter home rule government". Voters approved this governmental change at the November 6, 2012, election with 62,469 voting for the transition and 37,368 against. Previously, Frederick County had been governed by a five-member county commission that could only legislate in local matters with the prior consent of the

Maryland General Assembly The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower cham ...

. Even that authority was limited to areas authorized by the General Assembly, enabling legislation, or public local laws. As a charter county, Frederick County is now governed by a seven-member county council, with five elected from districts and two elected at-large. A popularly elected county executive is responsible for providing direction, supervision, and administrative oversight of all executive departments, agencies, and offices. The council has broad power to act on most local matters. Jan H. Gardner was elected the first Frederick County executive in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. The members of the third Frederick County Council for the term beginning 2022 are:
- The Frederick County state's attorney, first elected November 2, 2010, and re-elected in 2018 and 2022, is Charlie Smith, a Republican. The sheriff of Frederick County is Republican Chuck Jenkins. The executive director for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development is Helen Propheter. The Office of Economic Development is located at 118 North Market Street, Suite 300, Frederick, MD 21701. Frederick County's fire and rescue service is handled by a combination career and volunteer service delivery system. The county employs over 450 career firefighters. Volunteers of the 26 volunteer fire and rescue corporations number approximately 300 active operational members. Fire, rescue and emergency medical services, including advanced life support, are handled by career staffing supplemented by volunteers. The county has a Maryland State Police Medevac located at the Frederick Municipal Airport and is designated "Trooper 3". Trooper 3 handles calls throughout the state, but provides immediate assistance to local police, fire and rescue services.

Politics

Historically a strong Republican county, Frederick County has trended toward the Democratic Party following the 2008 elections. No Democratic presidential candidate had won the county since Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 landslide until Joe Biden won the county in 2020, although it just narrowly voted for Republicans John McCain in 2008, Mitt Romney in 2012 and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

in 2016. McCain edged out

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

by only 1,157 votes out of over one hundred thousand cast in the 2008 election. In state-level elections, Republicans in Frederick rebounded to more historical levels in the 2010 Maryland gubernatorial and senatorial elections, giving the Republican Ehrlich–Kane ticket 55% to Democrat O'Malley–Brown's 45. Frederick voters also supported Republican Senate challenger Eric Wargotz over incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski by a margin of 51–46, even as Mikulski was winning statewide by a landslide 61–37. Despite its conservative reputation, Frederick County voted in favor of

Maryland Question 6 Question 6 (colloquially called the Maryland same-sex marriage referendum) is a referendum that appeared on the general election ballot for the U.S. state of Maryland to allow voters to approve or reject the Civil Marriage Protection Act—a b ...

, which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland. In the 2014 gubernatorial race, Republican Larry Hogan won Frederick County strongly with 63 percent of the vote compared to Democrat Anthony Brown's 35 percent. In the 2018 elections, despite increased support for Hogan, the Democrats experienced significant gains, securing a majority on the County Council and winning District 3B in the House of Delegates. The election also saw incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin win Frederick County with 51.7% of the vote. After Biden's win in 2020, the trend towards Democrats continued in 2022, as Democrats increased their majority on the County Council by one seat and gubernatorial candidate

Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, investment banker, author, and television producer. He is the governor-elect of Maryland, after defeating Republican Dan Cox in the 2022 Maryland gubernatorial elec ...

won the county with over 53% of the vote compared to 43% for Republican and Emmitsburg resident

Dan Cox Daniel Lewis Cox (born August 9, 1974) is an American far-right politician. He is a Republican who represents the fourth district in the Maryland House of Delegates. He was also the secretary of the Frederick County Republican Central Commit ...

, the first time Frederick County voted for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate since William Donald Schaefer's landslide victory in 1986.

Public safety

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, jail management and morgue operation for the entire county. It provides police patrol and detective services within the unincorporated areas of Frederick County. The entire county entails a population of 222,938 within . Frederick City, Brunswick, Mount Airy, Emmitsburg and Thurmont have municipal police departments. Middletown contracts with the Sheriff's Office for its policing.

Crime

The following table includes the number of incidents reported for each type of offense from 2012 to 2019.

Economy

The United States Census Bureau reported the following data for Frederick County, June 6, 2011. According to the

Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development The Maryland Department of Commerce is a government agency in the state of Maryland in the United States. Although it was originally founded in 1884, the department came to be recognized as the Department of Commerce in 2015. The mission of th ...

, the following are the principal employers in Frederick County. This list excludes U.S. post offices and state and local governments, but includes public institutions of higher education.Major Employers in Frederick County, Maryland
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. Frederick County leads Maryland in

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

production; the county's dairy herds account for one-third of the state's total. However, the dairy market is unstable, and the county, like the state more broadly, has lost dairy farms.

Communities

Cities

* Brunswick * Frederick (county seat)

Towns

Burkittsville Burkittsville is a historic village in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. The village lies in the southern Middletown Valley along the eastern base of South Mountain. Burkittsville is a residential area with an economy based in agricultu ...

Emmitsburg Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town has two Catholic pilgrima ...

* Middletown * Mount Airy (partly in Carroll County) * Myersville * New Market * Thurmont * Walkersville * Woodsboro

Village

Rosemont Rosemont may refer to: * Rosemont (horse), an American Thoroughbred racehorse * ''Rosemont'', a 2015 film Places In Australia * Rosemont (Woollahra), located in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra and listed on the NSW State Heritage Register In Canada ...

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a 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 counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

s in the county: *

Adamstown Adamstown may refer to: Locations Australia * Adamstown, New South Wales, a suburb in New South Wales Ireland * Adamstown, Castletownkindalen, a townland in Castletownkindalen civil parish, barony of Moycashel, County Westmeath * Adamstown, Conr ...

* Ballenger Creek * Bartonsville * Braddock Heights * Buckeystown * Green Valley * Jefferson * Libertytown * Linganore * Monrovia *

Point of Rocks Point or points may refer to: Places * Point, Lewis, a peninsula in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Point, Texas, a city in Rains County, Texas, United States * Point, the NE tip and a ferry terminal of Lismore, Inner Hebrides, Scotland * Points ...

* Sabillasville * Spring Ridge * Urbana

Unincorporated communities

* Charlesville * Clover Hill * Creagerstown * Discovery * Garfield * Graceham * Ijamsville * Knoxville * Ladiesburg * Lewistown * Lake Linganore * Linganore *Mountaindale * Mount Pleasant * New Midway *

Petersville Petersville Australia Limited was an Australian food producer. History Petersville was founded in 1961 when Edgell and Peters Ice Cream merged. In May 1981, H.C. Sleigh Co. launched a successful takeover offer and rebranded the company Peter ...

* Rocky Ridge * Spring Garden * Sunny Side * Tuscarora * Unionville * Utica * Wolfsville

Notable people

Notable people from here include Thomas Johnson, Roger B. Taney, and Barbara Fritchie. * Shadrach Bond, first governor of Illinois (1818-1822) * Francis Scott Key, wrote U.S.

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europe ...

, " The Star-Spangled Banner"

References

External links

* *The newspaper of record is

The Frederick News-Post ''The Frederick News-Post'' is the local newspaper of Frederick County, Maryland. In addition to discussing local news, the newspaper addresses international, national, and regional news. The paper publishes six days a week. History On Octob ...

. *Fire Rescue Information
Frederick County Volunteer Fire Rescue Association
*
Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS)Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL)Frederick County Tourism
*
Frederick County RestaurantsFrederick County Board of County CommissionersConvention and Visitors Bureau
{{Coord, 39.47, -77.40, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MD_source:UScensus1990 1748 establishments in Maryland Maryland counties Washington metropolitan area Maryland counties on the Potomac River Populated places established in 1748