Mount Airy is a town in Carroll and

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Given name Nobility = Anhalt-Harzgerode = * Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) = Austria = * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria fro ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

. It is part of both the

Washington Metropolitan Area The Washington metropolitan area, also referred to as the National Capital Region, Greater Washington, or locally as the DMV (short for Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), is the metropolitan area comprising Washing ...

and

Baltimore Metropolitan Area The Baltimore–Columbia–Towson Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Central Maryland, is a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Maryland as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). It is part of the larger ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,654.

History

The community was first settled in 1830 and continued to develop throughout the decade, beginning with the construction of house settlements along Parr's Ridge. A man named Henry Bussard built the first of these houses. This town was known for its

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...

on the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the oldest railroads in North America, oldest railroad in the United States and the first steam engine, steam-operated common carrier. Construction of the line began in 1828, and it operated as B&O from 1830 ...

(B&O) at Parr's Ridge. The railroad ran from

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 ...

, cities to the east and west, respectively, of Mt. Airy. Following 1830, the town received its official name after the suggestion of "Mount Airy" from an Irish B&O worker who complained about his freezing ears on a windy work day. Over the years,

milling Milling may refer to: * Milling (minting), forming narrow ridges around the edge of a coin * Milling (grinding), breaking solid materials into smaller pieces by grinding, crushing, or cutting in a mill * Milling (machining), a process of using ro ...

canning Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although under ...

and

sewing Sewing is the craft of fastening pieces of textiles together using a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fabric, archaeo ...

industries initially helped support Mt. Airy's economy. The town's proximity to the

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

contributed to its growth. The National Road ran west from Baltimore to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. By the 1890s, the town's growth had increased significantly and three new churches were built (one Episcopal and two

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

). In 1901, a very important bridge was constructed. It's known by residents as the Twin Arch, and it helped with railroad transportation. Three great fires (1903, 1914, and 1925) caused setbacks in growth, but the town rebuilt every time. When Carroll County defined its permanent boundaries in 1837, Mount Airy was divided between two counties, Carroll and Frederick; the town has remained in two counties since that time. About one mile south of the town is the junction of Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery counties at the source of the South Branch of the

Patapsco River The Patapsco River ( ) mainstem is a river in central Maryland that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore. With its South Branch, the Patapsco forms the northern border of Howar ...

. The town was originally settled in the early 1830s by a core group of six families. Dorsey, Davis and Bussard were the most prominent names in that first settlement, which was followed closely by the construction of the B & O railroad line in 1831. Because Mount Airy sits at an elevation of , a series of four

inclined plane An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...

s were constructed in order for the trains to climb the steep hills. Locomotives and cars were lifted with the assistance of horses and steam winches. Passengers had to disembark during this process. Plane #4, located west of the town at the intersection of Woodville Road and MD Route 144, is still a recognized location today. In 1839 the planes were abandoned, and the new line was constructed north of where Mount Airy is today. This was a result of more powerful locomotives that had been constructed and heavier loads were being hauled. In 1901, a railroad tunnel was constructed on the south side of town and the existing line into town became a spur line into the center of Mount Airy. The town named the first resident, Henry Bussard, the station agent for the new train station. Mr. Bussard was the first major landowner in Mount Airy. By 1846, the town was sparsely settled with several houses, a store, barber shop and shoemaker shop. Pine Grove Chapel, circa 1846, now a historic monument, was constructed to fill the need for a community church. From the time it was constructed, the chapel basement functioned as a private school. The chapel remained open during the early part of 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 ...

despite soldier encampments in proximity. The school and church were closed later because of distracting soldier activity around the vicinity of the school. After the war ended, the church reopened in 1867 after undergoing a renovation. In 1893, the Carroll County Board of Education funded the construction of a three-room schoolhouse which was completed in September 1894. The building, approximately in size, was located on the east side of Main Street, 1/4 mile south of the railroad tracks. It is now part of the Calvary United Methodist Church property. With the incorporation of the town in 1894 came the establishment of the town government structure, including a mayor and council. The first Mount Airy mayor was Byron S. Dorsey, who served ten years in that office between 1894 and 1904. In 1900, the town population had grown to 332 residents. By 1910, the town population was 428, and it was determined that the town had enough student population to justify a state-accredited high school. A high school with classes was organized, but an official high school building to house all eleven grades was not constructed at that time. The town of Mount Airy endured three disastrous fires during the first quarter of the 20th century. The first fire occurred in 1902 and destroyed the business section of the southern side of the downtown area. The second fire was in 1914 and consumed the north side of the downtown business section. The third fire took place about ten years later, in 1925, and again, the northern side of the downtown business district was destroyed. As a result of the 1925 fire, the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company was organized in 1926. During the late 1920s and early 1930s the town continued to flourish despite the onset of the Great Depression. The 1930 U.S. Census tallied the town population at 845 persons, an increase of 91 people since 1920. The railroad company largely contributed to the growth of not only the population, but the town's economy as well. As a result, expanded town services included necessary public utilities such as electric service when Potomac Edison was established in Mount Airy. The thriving economy supported the initiation of several large businesses in the 1930s, such as a poultry operation, two automobile garages, an ice factory, and the creation of the Mount Airy Canning Company, which provided about 250 jobs. In 1932, the first motion picture theater opened in Mount Airy, establishing a core business district. During that time, the town also saw the purchase of land for a town park, the opening of a grocery store and a lumberyard, and the dedication of Pine Grove Chapel for use as a

nonsectarian Nonsectarian institutions are secular institutions or other organizations not affiliated with or restricted to a particular religious group. Academic sphere Many North American universities identify themselves as being nonsectarian, such as B ...

chapel. The Mount Airy Historic District that includes the railroad station was added to 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 1984. Currently, Mt. Airy is no longer economically dependent on the railroad, as citizens work a variety of different jobs. Many of its citizens work in

Washington, DC 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, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

, or

; the city is a part of both of those cities' metropolitan areas. Mt. Airy is a neighborhood community for these job centers. Mt. Airy is similar to back in the day with the National Road but now with Interstate 70 bordering the southern end of the city with an interchange with MD-27. In the last few decades Mount Airy has seen significant growth, as laid out in the Mount Airy Master Plan from the 1994 to 2003 update. In 2007, President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

made a speech in Mount Airy. Mt. Airy hosts townwide events each year including the Main Street Chili Cookoff, Celebrate Mount Airy in August, Mount Airy Oktoberfest in September, Shop Small and A Main Street Christmas in December.

Geography

Mount Airy is located on the border between Frederick and Carroll counties, in the far eastern part of Frederick County and the southwest corner of Carroll County. Mount Airy's Main Street, formerly MD 27 and now Maryland Route 808, runs atop Parrs Ridge in a northeast–southwest direction with elevations ranging between . Numerous valleys that extend outward toward the east and west from this ridge give the town its unusually hilly topography. Mount Airy straddles the division of two major drainage basins. Within the Frederick County portion of the town are the headwaters of Woodville Branch and Ben's Branch which are parts of the Linganore Creek watershed, as well as the headwaters of Bush Creek in the southwestern part of the town. The Linganore watershed drains into Lake Linganore, a secondary source of public water for Frederick County. The Linganore and Bush Creek watersheds are part of the Lower

Monocacy River The Monocacy River () is a free-flowing left tributary to the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The river is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data ...

watershed, with eventual drainage to 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 ...

. The east side of Mount Airy drains via tributaries of Middle Run and the South Branch of the

Baltimore Harbor The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's largest port facil ...

. Both the Potomac and the Patapsco are part 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. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town of Mount Airy has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.29%, is water.

Transportation

The primary means of travel to and from Mount Airy are by road. The most prominent highway serving the town is

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 ...

and

U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America (a nickname shared with U.S. Route 66), is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid- ...

, which forms the southern border of Mount Airy and leads east to

and west to

Maryland Route 27 Maryland Route 27 (MD 27) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Ridge Road, the highway runs from Maryland Route 355, MD 355 in Germantown, Maryland, Germantown north to Maryland Route 30, MD 30 in ...

(Ridge Road) runs through the east side of the town, leading northeast to

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, the Carroll County seat, and southwest to Interstate 270 in Germantown. Maryland Route 808 follows the original route of Maryland Route 27 through downtown Mount Airy.

Climate

Mount Airy is similar to Westminster in its position astride Parrs Ridge, and has a humid, temperate climate, more specifically a

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 ...

falling short of a

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 ...

, with four rather well defined seasons. The general atmospheric flow is from west to east but alternate surges of cold air from the north and of warm humid air from the south occurs in the area, causing highly variable weather. Nearness to the Atlantic Coast allows coastal storms to make up any deficiency of precipitation resulting from the passage of weather systems over the mountains to the west. The average annual temperature is approximately 54 degrees, with January generally the coldest month and July the warmest. Temperatures exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit an average of 27 days a year. The Town of Mount Airy is in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a for an annual extreme minimum temperature of 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit. The average annual precipitation totals about 45 inches, with February the driest and August the wettest month. During the growing season, which averages about 177 days from April through to September, the last part of July through to the first part of August is the driest, with an average of 85-90 degrees. The average seasonal snowfall in Mount Airy per year is 28 inches, which is equal to the U.S. national average.

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 9,288 people, 3,107 households, and 2,453 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 3,225 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.1%

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 ...

, 2.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.2% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 2.1% 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 4.7% of the population. There were 3,107 households, of which 50.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% 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, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 21.0% were non-families. 16.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.36. The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 32% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 6,425 people, 2,123 households, and 1,717 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,179 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.71%

, 2.58%

, 0.23% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. 24% of Mount Airy's residents were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 19% Irish, 12% English, 7%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 4%

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

, 3% French, 3% Black or African-American, 2%

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

, 2%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...

and 2% Welsh. People of Scotch-Irish,

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

, Ukrainian, Yugoslavian,

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

, Swedish and Norwegian descent each comprised 1% of the population. There were 2,123 households, out of which 51.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were

living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.37. In the city the population was spread out, with 34.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $66,967, and the median income for a family was $76,214. Males had a median income of $52,177 versus $35,054 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 $25,380. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% 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 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Mount Airy is home to three elementary schools and one middle school. The first, Mount Airy Elementary, was built and occupied in 1935. In the mid-1980s, the school received major renovations both inside and out. The school has a natural-gas-fired heating system, school-wide air conditioning, and Internet access from the classrooms and computer lab. Parr's Ridge Elementary School was built in 2005 due to serious overcrowding at Mount Airy Elementary. Parr's Ridge enrolls students from kindergarten through Grade 2, while Mount Airy Elementary School enrolls students in grades 3–5. Mount Airy Elementary is located next to Mount Airy Middle, which is located next to Parr's Ridge Elementary. Twin Ridge Elementary School is located on the western edge of Mount Airy and unlike the other schools is run by Frederick County Public Schools. Mount Airy Middle School was originally constructed in 1958 and served as a high school until 1965 (when South Carroll High School was completed), then served as a middle school until 2013. Construction began on a new middle school in June 2011 and was opened for the school year starting in the fall of 2013. The old middle school building was demolished in the same year. Students in grades 9 through 12 in the Carroll County portion attend South Carroll High School northeast of town, while students in the Frederick County portion of Mount Airy attend Linganore High School west of town. Mount Airy is also home to a private school, Mount Airy Christian Academy, which offers pre-school - 12th grade education.

Notable people

Joe Alexander Joseph Anthony Alexander (; born December 26, 1986) is a Taiwan-born American-Israeli professional basketball player who last played for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Alexander, who at plays both forward position ...

(born 1986), American-Israeli professional basketball player for

Maccabi Tel Aviv Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...

* Josh Boone (born 1984), NBA player * Phil Breno (born 1995), soccer player * John M. Gaver Sr. (1900–1982), thoroughbred trainer in Racing Hall of Fame * Rob Havenstein (born 1992), NFL player

References

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in Carroll County, Maryland Towns in Frederick County, Maryland