Hagerstown is a city in

Washington County, Maryland Washington County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. The population was 154,705 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its county seat and largest city is Hagerstown, Maryland, Hagerstown. The ...

, United States, and its

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 ...

. The population was 43,527 at the 2020 census. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's sixth-most populous incorporated city and is the most populous city in the Maryland Panhandle. Hagerstown anchors the Hagerstown metropolitan area extending into

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. It makes up the northwesternmost portion of the

Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area The Washington–Baltimore combined metropolitan statistical area is a combined statistical area, statistical area, including the overlapping metropolitan areas of Washington metropolitan area, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan area, B ...

in the heart of the

Great Appalachian Valley The Great Appalachian Valley, also called The Great Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough, including a chain of valley lowlands, and the central feature of the Appal ...

. The population of the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

in 2020 was 293,844. Greater Hagerstown was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state of Maryland and among the fastest growing in the United States, as of 2009.Table 7. Cumulative Estimates of Population Change for Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Rankings: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008
, Census Bureau 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009. Hagerstown has a distinct topography, formed by stone ridges running from northeast to southwest through the center of town. Geography accordingly bounds its neighborhoods. These ridges consist of upper Stonehenge Limestone. Many of the older buildings were built from this stone, which is easily quarried and dressed onsite. It whitens in weathering and the edgewise conglomerate and wavy laminae become distinctly visible, giving an appearance unique to the

Cumberland Valley The Cumberland Valley is a northern constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley, within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Appalachian Trail crosses through the valley. Geography The valley is bound t ...

as seen in the architecture of St. John's Episcopal Church. Despite its semi-rural Western Maryland setting, Hagerstown is a center of transit and commerce. Interstates 81 and 70,

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

, and the Winchester and Western railroads, as well as Hagerstown Regional Airport form an extensive transportation network for the city. Hagerstown is also the chief commercial and industrial hub for a greater tri-state area that includes much of Western Maryland as well as significant portions of South Central

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and the Martinsburg Panhandle Area. Hagerstown has often been referred to as, and is nicknamed, the ''Hub City''.

History

Founding

In 1739,

Jonathan Hager Jonathan Hager (1714 – November 6, 1775) is the founder of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. He was born in Germany and fought in the French and Indian War serving out of Fort Frederick."What God Does Is Well Done" The Jonathan Hager Files ...

, a German immigrant from

and a volunteer Captain of Scouts, purchased of land in the Great Appalachian Valley between the Blue Ridge and

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...

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 ...

and called it Hager's Fancy. In 1762, Hager officially founded the town of Elizabethtown which he named after his wife, Elizabeth Kershner. Fourteen years later, Jonathan Hager became known as the "Father of Washington County" after his efforts helped Hagerstown become the county seat of newly created Washington County, which Hager also helped create from neighboring Frederick County. The City Council changed the community's name to Hager's-Town in 1813 because the name had gained popular usage, and in the following year, the Maryland State Legislature officially endorsed the changing of the town's name. In 1794, government forces arrested 150 citizens during a draft riot which was staged by protesters in response to the

Whiskey Rebellion The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...

American Civil War

Hagerstown's strategic location at the border between the North and the South made the city a primary staging area and supply center for four major campaigns during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. In 1861, General Robert Patterson's troops used Hagerstown as a base to attack

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 ...

troops in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

. In the

Maryland Campaign The Maryland campaign (or Antietam campaign) occurred September 4–20, 1862, during the American Civil War. The campaign was Confederate States Army, Confederate General (CSA), General Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the Northern United Stat ...

of 1862, General

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Ho ...

's command occupied the town while en route to the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain, known in several early Southern United States, Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles ...

and Antietam. In 1863, the city was the site of several military incursions and engagements as Gen.

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

's army invaded and retreated in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1864, Hagerstown was invaded by the

Confederate army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

under Lt. Gen.

Jubal Early Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was an American lawyer, politician and military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his ...

. On Wednesday, July 6, Early sent 1,500 cavalry, commanded by Brig. Gen. John McCausland, into Hagerstown. The Confederates levied a ransom of $20,000 and a large amount of clothing, in retribution for

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

destruction of farms, feed and cattle in the

. This is in contrast to neighboring

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, in the South Central Pennsylvania, South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Gre ...

, which McCausland razed on July 30 when the borough failed to supply the requested ransom of $500,000 in U.S. currency, or $100,000 in gold. Following the war, in 1872 Maryland and Virginia cooperated to re-inter Confederate dead from their impromptu graves to cemeteries in Hagerstown, Frederick and

Shepherdstown, West Virginia Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley along the Potomac River. Home to Shepherd University, the town's population was 1,531 at the time of the 2020 census. The town wa ...

. Roughly 60% however, remained unidentified. In 1877, 15 years after the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, approximately 2,800 Confederate dead from that battle and also from the battles on South Mountain were re-interred in Washington Confederate Cemetery, within Rose Hill Cemetery in Hagerstown.

Railroads

Little Heiskell

One of the most recognizable symbols of Hagerstown is the

weathervane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an list of weather instruments, instrument used for showing the wind direction, direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ' ...

known as "Little Heiskell". Named after the German tinsmith Benjamin Heiskell who crafted it in 1769 in the form of a Hessian soldier.

Geography

Location and topography

Hagerstown is situated south of the

Mason–Dixon line The Mason–Dixon line, sometimes referred to as Mason and Dixon's Line, is a demarcation line separating four U.S. states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia. It was Surveying, surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason ...

and north of 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 ...

and between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains in a part of the Great Appalachian Valley known regionally as

and locally as Hagerstown Valley. The community also lies within proximity of

, and

. Hagerstown, by driving distance, is approximately northwest 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 ...

, west-northwest 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 southwest of

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg ( ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger of the two pr ...

. 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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Major waterways within Hagerstown include Hamilton Run and

Antietam Creek Antietam Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the ...

that are tributaries of the Potomac River. Natural landscape around Hagerstown consists of low, rolling hills with elevations of to above sea level and rich, fertile land that is well-suited and utilized for dairy farming, cornfields, and fruit orchards typical of Mid-Atlantic agriculture.

Climate

Hagerstown is situated in the transition between the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

zone (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa'') and the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

zone (Köppen ''Dfa''), with hot, humid summers and cool to moderately cold winters. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from in January to in July, while record temperatures range from on January 13, 1912, up to on July 23, 1999. Precipitation is moderate, averaging annually, and is somewhat evenly distributed throughout the year, with a slight winter minimum and a maximum in May and June.

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 39,662 people, 16,449 households, and 9,436 families residing in the city. 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 18,682 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.8%

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 ...

, 15.5%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% 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 ...

, 2.1% from other races, and 5.1% 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 5.6% of the population. There were 16,449 households, of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.6% 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, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 12.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female. Between 2011 and 2015, 26.8% of the population lived in poverty.

2000 census

As of the U.S.

of 2000, there were 36,687 people, 15,849 households, and 9,081 families residing in the city. Updated July 1, 2008, census estimates reflect Hagerstown having 39,728 people, an increase of 8.3% from the year 2000. According to Census 2000 figures, the population density was . There were 17,089 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.95%

, 10.15%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 1.77%

or Latino, 0.25% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.83% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. There were 17,154 males and 19,533 females residing in the city. There were 15,849 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were

living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,796, and the median income for a family was $38,149. Males had a median income of $31,200 versus $22,549 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 city was $17,153. About 15.1% of families and 18.1% 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 27.0% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Metropolitan area

Hagerstown–Martinsburg, MD–WV MSA consists of three counties: *

Berkeley County, West Virginia Berkeley County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the eastern panhandle region of West Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Hagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, t ...

* Morgan County, West Virginia The primary cities are Hagerstown and

Martinsburg, West Virginia Martinsburg is a city in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 18,773 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making Martinsburg the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia a ...

. The metropolitan area's population in 2000 was 222,771. The 2008 estimate is 263,753, making Greater Hagerstown the 169th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The growth rate from 2000 to 2008 is +18.4%, the 48th highest among metropolitan areas in the entire country and the highest in Maryland (and in West Virginia). The growth is mostly due to the influx of people from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, MD.

Economy

Once primarily an industrial community, Hagerstown's economy depended heavily on railroad transportation and manufacturing, notably of aircraft, trucks, automobiles, textiles, and furniture. Today, the city has a diversified, stable business environment with modern service companies in various fields as well as continued strength in manufacturing and transportation in railroads and highways. Surrounding Hagerstown, there has been and continues to be a strong agricultural presence while tourism, especially with respect to the retail sector, also provides support to the local economy. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, e-commerce brands began searching for new places to do business. Due to high property prices near Interstate 95 businesses looked to develop along Interstate 81. The Hagerstown-Washington County area is attractive since it intersects Interstate 81 and Interstate 70, and because of this, numerous warehouses have been built in Hagerstown and the surrounding area. Manufacturing, which was never entirely removed from the Hagerstown economy, returned to Hagerstown when Hitachi Rail began construction of a $70 million factory in Hagerstown.

Healthcare

* Meritus Medical Center (a part of Meritus Health), acute care inpatient and outpatient facility. * Western Maryland Hospital Center, chronic-care state-run health center. * Brook Lane Psychiatric Center, private mental health facility.

Shopping

Hagerstown has 2 major shopping malls: * Hagerstown Premium Outlets, a 100+ store outlet mall which attracts visitors from Washington and Baltimore as well as nearby counties. * Valley Mall, anchored by

JCPenney Penney OpCo LLC , Trade name, doing business as JCPenney (colloquially Penney's and abbreviated JCP) is an American department store chain store, chain with 649 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. It is managed as part of the Catalys ...

Belk Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, a ...

Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay, San Francisco, Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of t ...

, and

Regal Cinemas Regal Cinemas (also Regal Entertainment Group) is an American movie theater chain that operates the second-largest theater circuit in the United States, with 5,720 screens in 420 theaters as of December 31, 2024. Founded on August 10, 1989, it ...

16.

Culture

Historical sites

Hagerstown's location at the center of the Western Maryland region makes it an ideal starting point for touring, especially with respect to the

Antietam National Battlefield Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service-protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Washington County, northwestern Maryland. It commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 186 ...

, the site of the bloodiest single day in American history, is located in nearby Sharpsburg. South Mountain State Battlefield is also located in Washington County in Boonsboro. Gettysburg, Monocacy, and

Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

battlefields are all located within a 30-minute drive of Hagerstown. Fort Frederick State Park, which features a restored fort used in the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

, is west of the city in nearby

Big Pool, Maryland Big Pool is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in western Washington County, Maryland, United States. Its population was 82 as of the 2010 census. It is between Clear Spring, Maryland and Hancock, Maryland along Interstate ...

. Washington Monument State Park, near Boonsboro, pays tribute to the country's first president,

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 ...

. It is the oldest structure to honor the 'father of our country.' Hagerstown is also home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Headquarters. The city and surrounding vicinity also has a number of sites and districts 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 ...

. They include the Antietam Furnace Complex Archeological Site, Antietam Hall, Brightwood, Colonial Theatre, Ditto Knolls, Dorsey-Palmer House, Elliot-Bester House, Jacob M. Funk Farm, Garden Hill, Good-Hartle Farm, Hager House, Hagerstown Armory, Hagerstown Charity School, Hagerstown City Park Historic District, Hagerstown Commercial Core Historic District, Hagerstown Historic District, Houses At 16-22 East Lee Street, Lantz-Zeigler House, Lehman's Mill Historic District, Long Meadows, Maryland Theatre, Henry McCauley Farm, Oak Hill Historic District, Old Forge Farm, Old Washington County Library, Paradise Manor, Potomac-Broadway Historic District, Price-Miller House, Rockland Farm, Rockledge, Rohrer House, South Prospect Street Historic District, Trovinger Mill, Valentia, Washington County Courthouse, Western Maryland Railway Station, Western Maryland Railway Steam Locomotive No. 202, and Wilson's Bridge.

Parks and museums

Within the city, there are numerous parks including Hagerstown City Park, which is home to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Mansion House Art Gallery, Western Maryland 202 Locomotive Display and Museum, and the Hager House and Museum (once home of

, founder of Hagerstown). Outside of the Park, Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum showcases exhibits of Hagerstown's early railroad history. Discovery Station, located downtown, is a hands-on science and technology museum featuring exhibits in numerous galleries and display areas, including the Hagerstown Aviation Museum.

Fairgrounds Park Fairgrounds Park (formerly known as Hagerstown Fairgrounds) is an open land park restored from fairgrounds located off Cleveland Avenue in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. Attractions The park is home tHagerstown BMX a biking trackHagerstown I ...

is the city's largest active recreation park. It features a baseball field, a BMX track, exercise equipment, an in-line hockey rink, a skatepark, soccer fields, softball fields, and walking trails.

Theater and arts

Hagerstown is home to the Maryland Theatre, a symphony house that plays host to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the annual Miss Maryland USA Beauty Pageants. The city also has the Washington County Playhouse, which does dinner theater performances. The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts is a

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

for gifted art students, located in downtown Hagerstown's arts and entertainment district on South Potomac Street.

Festivals and events

Downtown Hagerstown recently has enjoyed a resurgence and now hosts several popular annual events. The Quad State Beer Fest is a craft beer and music festival that features regional breweries, rock music and entertainment held at various times throughout the year. The Interstate BBQ Festival is a Kansas City Barque Society sanctioned competition which hosts dozens of professional and backyard teams and draws thousands of spectators as a huge regional event. The city draws thousands every year around May–June to the Western Maryland Blues Fest, which showcases blues artists from around the country. The Augustoberfest celebrates Hagerstown's German heritage. The Alsatia Mummers Parade is an annual parade during the Halloween season. It is run by Alsatia Club Inc. and was first run in 1921.

hosts various events throughout the year like the annual Hagerstown Hispanic Festival held in mid-September and the cities annual July 4 firework show.

Professional sports

Professional baseball

= Blue Ridge League (1915–1929)

= From 1915 to 1929, Hagerstown's Class D minor league team played in the Blue Ridge League at Willow Lane Park, now the site of Bester Elementary School, under several names: Blues (1915), Terriers (1916–18, 1922–23), Champs (1920–21), and Hubs (1924–1930). In 1930, Municipal Stadium was constructed and the Hubs played their final season there. In 1931, prior to the next season beginning, the Blue Ridge League folded due to financial losses and the Hagerstown Hubs moved to

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's List of municipalities in West Virginia ...

= Various Negro Leagues (1935–1955)

= From 1935 to 1955, various barnstorming Negro League teams played in Hagerstown on at least seven occasions; however, there is no complete history of Black baseball in Hagerstown as local news rarely covered it.

= Interstate League and Piedmont League (1941–1955)

= In 1941, professional baseball returned to Hagerstown when the Detroit Tigers moved their minor league affiliate there. The Hagerstown Owls competed in the Class B Interstate League. In 1950, the Owls were renamed the Hagerstown Braves as they became a minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves. In 1953, the Braves joined the Class B Piedmont League. In 1954, the Braves were renamed the Hagerstown Packets and became a minor league affiliate of the Washington Senators. The Piedmont League ceased operations in 1955 and Hagerstown was left without a team until 1981.

= Hagerstown Suns (1981–2020)

= From 1981 to 2020, the

Hagerstown Suns The Hagerstown Suns were a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland. They were a member of the South Atlantic League and, from 2007 through 2020, were the Class A (baseball), Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They pl ...

played in Municipal Stadium and were initially the Class A affiliate of the

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 ...

. The Suns became the Double-A affiliate of the Orioles in 1989. They were affiliated with the Orioles until 1992 when the Suns moved to

Bowie, Maryland Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County; i ...

and became the Bowie Baysox. Shortly after the Suns departure in 1992, the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes relocated to Hagerstown, became the Hagerstown Suns, and became the Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They would remain Class A for the remainder of their existence. In 2001, they affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. They affiliated with the New York Mets in 2005, and then with the Washington Nationals in 2007. The Suns folded in 2021 when Minor League Baseball was restructured and reduced to 120 teams. Municipal Stadium was demolished in 2022 to make way for an indoor turf complex.

= Hagerstown Flying Boxcars (2024–present)

= On September 1, 2021, the Atlantic League announced approval for a new baseball team in Hagerstown. The team will play in the new Meritus Park. The team was initially set to begin play in 2023, but delays in stadium construction pushed the inaugural season to 2024. Groundbreaking was held in October 2022 for the new stadium. On July 20, 2023, the team name was announced as the

Hagerstown Flying Boxcars The Hagerstown Flying Boxcars are a professional baseball team that began play in 2024 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The franchise competes in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball in the North Division and play their home games at Meritus Par ...

after fan submissions and voting. The other options for voting were Haymakers, Battling Swans, Diezel Dogs, and Tin Lizards. The team opened their inaugural season on April 25, 2024 on the road against the

York Revolution The York Revolution is an American professional minor-league baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. It is a member of the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent "partner league" of Major League Basebal ...

, and had their home opener at Meritus Park with limited attendance on May 4, 2024.

Other professional sports

To the west of the city lies Hagerstown Speedway, a nationally known dirt-track racing venue. Another professional racing track, Mason-Dixon Dragway, is located just southeast of Hagerstown.

Government

Mayor

The current city executive or mayor of Hagerstown is Bill McIntire. The mayor is a

nonpartisan Nonpartisan or non-partisan may refer to: __NOTOC__ General political concepts * Nonpartisanship, also known as Nonpartisanism, co-operation without reference to political parties * Non-partisan democracy, an election with no official recognition ...

position. Past mayors: * 2023–2024 Tekesha Martinez ( D) * 2020–2023 Emily Keller ( D) * 2016–2020 Robert E. Bruchey II ( R) * 2012–2016 David S. Gysberts ( D) * 2006–2012 Robert E. Bruchey II ( R) * 2005–2006 Richard F. Trump ( R) * 2001–2005 William M. Breichner ( D) * 1997–2001 Robert E. Bruchey II ( R) * 1985–1997 Steven T. Sager ( D) * 1981–1985 Donald R. Frush ( R) * 1973–1981 Varner L. Paddock ( R) * 1965–1973 Herman L. Mills ( R) * 1953–1965 Winslow F. Burhans * 1949–1953 Herman L. Mills ( R) * 1941–1949 Richard H. Sweeney * 1937–1941 W. Lee Elgin * 1933–1937 I. M. Wertz

City Council

The

representative body of Hagerstown is known as the City Council. Its current members are Kristin Aleshire, Caroline Anderson, Erika Bell, Tiara Burnett, and Sean Flaherty. Florence Murdock served as the city's first female councilperson after being appointed in 1985. There have been two times since then where a majority of the council's five seats have been held by women; when there were three councilwomen during a period from 2005 to 2009, and from 2020 to 2023, where three councilwomen were inaugurated in November 2020. The council became three men and two women in March 2023 when Matthew Schindler was selected to fill the vacant council seat after Tekesha Martinez was selected to become mayor to fill the seat left by Emily Keller. In 2005, Alesia Parson was elected as the first person of color to serve on city council. Since then, Tiara Burnett and Tekesha Martinez have been elected in 2020 as the second and third black city councilmembers. Councilwomen Burnett and Martinez were the first black councilmembers to serve concurrently. In February 2023, Martinez became the city's first black mayor after being unanimously selected by the city council to become mayor after Emily Keller resigned to take a position in Governor

Wes Moore Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American politician, businessman, author, and former U.S. Army officer serving as the 63rd governor of Maryland since 2023. Moore was born in Maryland and raised primarily in New York. ...

's cabinet.

Other representation

Paul D. Corderman ( R) serves the Hagerstown area in the

Maryland Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single ...

while Brooke Grossman ( D) represents Hagerstown in the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly, legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House ...

. April McClain Delaney ( D) serves Maryland's 6th congressional district which includes Hagerstown.

Education

Initially Hagerstown had one high school known as Hagerstown High School located on Potomac Avenue between 1927 and 1958. It later became North Potomac Middle School after North Hagerstown High School was built on Pennsylvania Avenue and opened in 1958. South Hagerstown High School had already been built and was opened in 1956.

High schools

Public high schools (Administered by

Washington County Public Schools Washington County Public Schools (''WCPS'') is a U.S. school system run for the residents of Washington County, Maryland. The central offices of WCPS are collectively known as the Washington County Board of Education, which is located on 10435 D ...

) * Antietam Academy * Barbara Ingram School for the Arts * Evening High School * North Hagerstown High School * South Hagerstown High School * Washington County Technical High School In addition, many Hagerstown students attend the following: * Boonsboro High School, Boonsboro * Clear Spring High School, Clear Spring * Smithsburg High School, Smithsburg * Williamsport High School, Williamsport Private high schools * Broadfording Christian Academy * Emmanuel Christian School * Gateway Academy * Grace Academy * Heritage Academy * St. Mary's Catholic School * Highland View Academy * St. James School * Truth Christian Academy Closed private high schools * St. Maria Goretti High School-closed 2024

Colleges and universities

* Hagerstown Community College, 2-year public community college *

University System of Maryland at Hagerstown The University System of Maryland at Hagerstown (USMH) is a facility located in the Commercial Core Historic District in Hagerstown, Maryland It offers upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs to residents of Hagerstown and its surroundi ...

, a regional higher education center of the University System of Maryland offering various bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in connection with other state colleges and universities in Maryland

Former colleges and universities

* Antietam Bible College, Biblical Seminary, and Graduate School * Kaplan University, Hagerstown Campus, formerly known as Kaplan College and Hagerstown Business College *

Kee Mar College Kee Mar College was a private Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Hagerstown, Maryland. It was founded in 1853 as the Hagerstown Female Seminary under the auspices of the Lutheranism, Lutheran church. The college conferred B ...

, former women's college * Mount Saint Mary's University, Hagerstown Campus, offered Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees

Media

Radio

Hagerstown shares a radio market, the 166th largest in the United States, with Chambersburg and Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. The following box contains all of the radio stations in the area:

Television

Hagerstown is the base for three television stations and shares a

Designated Market Area A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

, the sixth largest in the United States, with Washington, D.C. * WDVM-TV 25 (

Ind Ind or IND may refer to: General * Independent (politician), a politician not affiliated to any political party * Independent station, used within television program listings and the television industry for a station that is not affiliated with ...

) * WWPB 31 ( MPT/

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

) * WWPX 60 (

ION An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

)

Infrastructure

Highways

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...

(runs east to Baltimore and west to Utah) *

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

(runs north to Northern New York and south to Eastern Tennessee) * US 11

U.S. Route 11 (runs parallel to I-81) * US 40

U.S. Route 40 (runs parallel to I-70) * Alt plate

U.S. Route 40 Alternate (runs parallel to US 40 in Western Maryland) * MD Route 58

Maryland Route 58 * MD Route 60

Maryland Route 60 * MD Route 64

Maryland Route 64 * MD Route 65

Maryland Route 65 * MD Route 144

Maryland Route 144 Maryland Route 144 (MD 144) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 in Maryland, U.S. Route 40 (US 40) between Cumberland, Maryland, Cumberland and Baltimo ...

Maryland Route 632

Mass transportation

* Washington County Transit buses provide transportation within the city. More limited service is available to surrounding communities in Washington County. * The

Maryland Transit Administration The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). The MTA operates a comprehensive transit system throughout the Washington� ...

operates the 505 Commuter Bus on weekdays to Shady Grove Metro Station, where riders can transfer to WMATA Red Line to reach

* Miller Cabs and Turner Vans service the Hagerstown area but are usually available only upon request. Downtown Taxi! offers cab service people can hail in the downtown vicinity. *

Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of Intercity bus service, intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as interci ...

and Atlantic Charter Buses provide coach bus service to major cities near and far including directly to

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

, and Washington. * Hagerstown Regional Airport , also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is located approximately due north of Hagerstown off U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 81. It is a frequent landing site for the

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

on the way to

Camp David Camp David is a country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont, Maryland, Thurmont and Emmitsburg, Maryland, Emmitsburg, a ...

. The airport is commercially serviced by

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air is an American ultra low-cost carrier, ultra-low cost airline headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The airline focuses on serving leisure traffic from small and medium-sized cities which it considers to be underserved, using an ult ...

with flights to and from

Orlando Sanford International Airport Orlando Sanford International Airport is a commercial, public use airport in Sanford, Florida, United States, near Orlando. It was built as Naval Air Station Sanford, a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance aircraft, ...

Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the East Coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as the " Grand Strand” in the northeastern part of the state. It ...

, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Alternatively, Washington Dulles International Airport, Washington National Airport, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Harrisburg International Airport offer more extensive flight destinations and are all within to of Hagerstown. * Despite being at the crossroads of CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Winchester and Western railroads, there is no passenger rail service in Hagerstown. The Maryland Transit Authority began a feasibility study in February 2023 on expanding the MARC Train Brunswick line into Hagerstown.

, offers

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

and MARC Train service to

Union Station A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...

in Washington, D.C., while Frederick offers MARC commuter rail service as well.

Notable people

* See '' People from Hagerstown''.

Sister cities and municipal partnerships

Wesel Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel (district), Wesel district. Geography Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine. Division of the city Suburbs of Wesel i ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

, Germany (since March 10, 1952) * Hagerstown,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, United States (since October 1, 2013) * Xinjin,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(since March 22, 2016)

Notes

References

External links

* * *
City of Hagerstown website

Hagerstown Downtown Directory

Washington County Free Library - Historic Newspaper Indexing Project
{{Authority control County seats in Maryland Populated places established in 1762 Cities in Washington County, Maryland 1762 establishments in Maryland Cities in Maryland Cities in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area