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Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 763,181. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland colony, Cćcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, in County Longford, Ireland. Baltimore County does not actually include the city of Baltimore, which left the county to become an independent city in 1851. The northern regions of Baltimore County are primarily rural, featuring a "Piedmont Plateau" landscape of rolling hills and deciduous forests. The southern and south-central regions of the county lie on the Atlantic coastal plain are primarily suburban in character. Among the county's major employers are the Social Security Administration, which has its national headquarters in Woodlawn, and Black & Decker in Towson. During World War II, the Glenn L. Martin Company in Middle River had 53,000 employees manufacturing airplanes for the war effort and Bethlehem Steel had more than 30,000 workers at its sprawling Sparrows Point steel mill. Of the 411,000 persons in the county's workforce as of 2009, 25% are employed in the fields of education, health, and human services, and 10% in retailing, with less than 1% in agriculture. HistoryThe origin of Baltimore County is not known; the earliest known record of the county politically is January 12, 1659, when a writ was issued to its sheriff. Previously, Baltimore County was more known as a geographical entity than a political one, with its territorial limits consisting of the present day Baltimore City, Cecil and Harford Counties, as well as parts of Carroll, Anne Arundel, Frederick, Howard and Kent Counties. In 1674, a portion of Baltimore County, as well as a portion of Kent County, was split off to form Cecil County. In 1748, a portion of Baltimore County, as well as a portion of Prince George's County, was split off to form Frederick County. In 1773, Harford County was split off from Baltimore County. In 1837, a part of Baltimore County was combined with a part of Frederick County to form Carroll County. The separation of Baltimore County from Baltimore City occurred on July 4, 1851. Towson was voted as the county seat on February 13, 1854. The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. Law and governmentBaltimore County has had a charter government since 1956. The government consists of a County Executive and a seven-member County Council. The County Executive and Councilmen are elected in years of gubernatorial elections, and the County Executive may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. State's attorneyThe Baltimore County State's Attorney is responsible for prosecuting the felony, misdemeanor and juvenile cases occurring in the county. The current State's Attorney is Scott Shellenberger, a Democrat. His predecessor was Sandra A. O'Connor, a Republican who served eight terms before retiring in 2006. Law EnforcementThe Baltimore County Police Department is responsible for policing the county. The current head of the department is Chief James W. Johnson. The Baltimore County Sherriff's Department is responsible for security of the County Circuit Courts and courtrooms as well as process and warrant service. Sherriff's Deputies are sworn police officers and share the same powers of the Pollice Department. Currently, R. J. Fisher is the Baltimore County Sheriff. The Maryland State Police (MSP); Terrence B. Sheridan, Superintendent and Maryland Transportation Authority Police (MdTA); Marcus L. Brown, Chief are responsible for law enforcement on Interstate highways and toll facilities that traverse Baltimore County. Fire DepartmentThe Baltimore County Fire Department (B.Co.F.D.) provides fire protection, emergency medical services and emergency rescue to residents of the county and surrounding areas, including Baltimore City, through mutual-aid pacts with those jurisdictions. The department consists of both paid and volunteer companies that provide services to overlapping territories. Currently, there are 25 career (paid) stations and 33 volunteer stations. There are more than 1,000 paid personnel and more than 2,000 volunteers. The department also conducts annual fire inspections on commercial properties, fire investigation and fire prevention education activities as well as water and tactical rescue in the region. John J. Hohman is currently Chief of the Baltimore County Fire Department. Fire Department SupportThe Maryland State Police Aviation Division provides helicopter airlift support to the Fire Department for rescue/serious medical transport to regional trauma and medical centers. Central Alarmers (Station 155) is a private organization that provides fireground rehab support to firefighters (personal relief stations and refreshments) during large or prolonged response incidents in the central and eastern regions of the county. County executivesThe County Executive oversees the executive branch of the County government that consists of a number of offices and departments. The executive branch is charged with implementing County law and overseeing the operation of the County government. County councilThe County Council, as the legislative branch, adopts ordinances and resolutions, and has all of the County's legislative powers. The County Council elections of 2006 returned the following members:
TransportationRoadSeveral major interstate highways run through the county, including I-95, I-83, I-195, I-795 and I-70; the latter has its eastern terminus in the county. The majority of the McKeldin Beltway, I-695, is contained within the county as well. TransitThe Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) operates three rail systems—one light rail, one rapid transit, and one commuter rail—in the Baltimore area; all three systems have stations in Baltimore County. The heavy-rail Metro Subway[6] runs northwest of the city to Owings Mills; the Light Rail system runs north of the city to Hunt Valley and south of the city through Baltimore Highlands with some routes terminating at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport located in Linthicum (Anne Arundel County), Maryland. Commuter MARC Train service is available in the county at Halethorpe and St. Denis stations. The MTA's local and regional bus services also serve Baltimore County. RailBoth CSX Transportation and Amtrak mainlines run through the county. Former rail lines, now abandoned, were the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad and the Northern Central Railway (part of the old Pennsylvania Railroad). GeographyAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 682 square miles (1,766 km˛), of which, 599 square miles (1,550 km˛)(87.83%) of it is land and 83 square miles (216 km˛) of it (12.17%) is water. The highest elevation is approximately 960 feet (292.6 m) above sea level, along the Pennsylvania state line near Steltz. The lowest elevation is sea level along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay. Adjacent counties
National protected areaState protected areaGovernmentThe Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services is headquartered at Suite 1000 at 300 East Joppa Road in the Towson CDP. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP. DemographicsAs of the census of 2000, there were 754,292 people, 299,877 households, and 198,518 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,260 people per square mile (487/km˛). There were 313,734 housing units at an average density of 524 per square mile (202/km˛). The racial makeup of the county was 74.39% White, 20.10% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 3.17% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. 1.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.4% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 7.3% English, 7.0% Italian, 6.1% United States or American and 5.4% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. There is also a large Jewish population that migrated from Park Heights into the communities of Pikesville, Owings Mills and Reisterstown, referred to by Jewish residents as "100,000 Jews in three zip codes". There were 299,877 households out of which 30.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.40% were married couples living together, 12.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00. In the county the population was spread out with 23.60% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 14.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.00 males. The median income for a household in the county was $50,667, and the median income for a family was $59,998. Males had a median income of $41,048 versus $31,426 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,167. About 4.50% of families and 6.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.20% of those under age 18 and 6.50% of those age 65 or over. Baltimore County's Population History from the U.S. Census BureauThe following is a population history for Baltimore County. The ranking compares the population of Baltimore County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.
Of note:
Unincorporated communities (Census-Designated Places)Baltimore County has no incorporated municipalities located entirely within its boundaries. The county contains many unincorporated communities which are listed in many collections of towns. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define these communities according to their own criteria. Unincorporated areas have no local government or defined boundaries, other than the following census-designated places recognized by the Census Bureau:
Other communities (non-Census-Designated Places)Although not formally Census-Designated Places, these other communities are known locally and, in many cases, have their own post offices and are shown on roadmaps: EducationColleges and universitiesThe University System of Maryland maintains two universities in Baltimore County: There are also two private colleges in Baltimore County:
Other schools having a campus in Baltimore County:
Public schoolsAll public schools in Baltimore County are operated by Baltimore County Public Schools, with the exception of the Imagine Me Charter School which opened August 2008. Private SchoolsBaltimore County has a number of highly regarded private schools at the K-12 grade levels. Among them are:
Family Support ServicesGeneral counseling, trauma-based therapy, comprehensive support for victims of domestic violence, and in-home assistance for the adult disabled, are offered to Baltimore County residents by Family and Children's Services of Central Maryland (FCS) , a private nonprofit organization. The FCS Baltimore County office is located in Woodlawn Some services are offered without charge; others are offered on a sliding-fee scale based on income.
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