Clarksburg, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Clarksburg is a census-designated place
and an unincorporated area in Northern Montgomery County
, Maryland
, United States
, located along the Interstate 270 technology corridor about 4 miles north of Germantown, MD. As of Census 2010 its population is 13,766.
as a Census-designated Place
, and by the United States Geological Survey
as a populated place located at 39°13′10"N 77°17′17"W (39.219488, -77.288001).
According to the United States Census Bureau
, it has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.
, there were 13,766 people and 4,352 households residing in the area. The population density
was 1,667.9 people per square mile (51.2/km²). The population is roughly 44.1% White, 14.7% African-American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 33.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, including 9.8% of the population Hispanic or Latino origin of any race.
In 2000 there were 604 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.0% were married couples
living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the area, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $88,419, and the median income for a family was $91,216. Males had a median income of $63,125 versus $42,283 for females. The per capita income
for the area was $33,174. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
and an old Seneca trail. One of its earliest white inhabitants was a man named Ashford Dowden, who in 1752 received a patent for 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) from the colonial government, and two years later permission to build an inn. The inn itself is a footnote in history, hosting the army of General Edward Braddock
during the French and Indian War
, serving as a meeting place for local Sons of Liberty
in the years before the American Revolution
, and possibly serving dinner to President Andrew Jackson
on his way to his inauguration. Jamie, grandson of the trader, built a general store in the area around 1770, and over the next thirty years enough people moved to the area that Clark was appointed postmaster for the community. By 1875, Clarksburg was a major town in the northern part of the county, but the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
undermined its economy, and by the late 20th century Clarksburg was barely a shell of its former self. Most of the original buildings are gone, but the area has been rebuilt as a suburban bedroom community, and is again a major population center.
|-
! School Name
! School Enrollment Capacity
! School Enrollment
As of 2006-2007
! Projected Enrollment (2011–2012)
According to MCPS
! Percent Increase
From '06-'07 to '11-'12
! Percent Above/Below
School Enrollment Capacity
For 2011-2012
|-
| Clarksburg Elementary School
| 335 students
| 385 students
| 469 students
| 21.8% increase
| 40.0% above capacity
|-
| Clarksburg High School
| 1629 students
| 999 students
| 1479 students
| 48.0% increase
| 10.1% below capacity
|-
| Little Bennett Elementary School
| 685 students
| 531 students
| 1174 students
| 121.1% increase
| 71.4% above capacity
|-
| Rocky Hill Middle School
| 956 students
| 977 students
| 1250 students
| 27.9% increase
| 30.8% above capacity
|}
The table shows that the two newest schools, Little Bennett Elementary School and Clarksburg High School, have the largest increase of students, with Little Bennett at 71.4% above building capacity in the projections of 2011-2012. This has led to a moratorium
in issuance of permits for new projects, but not issuance of permits in existing projects, for new homes in the Clarksburg, MD area. The majority of planned housing units will be built in existing projects. All four of the largest neighborhoods are exempt from the moratorium.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and an unincorporated area in Northern Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located along the Interstate 270 technology corridor about 4 miles north of Germantown, MD. As of Census 2010 its population is 13,766.
Geography
As an unincorporated area, Clarksburg's boundaries are not officially defined. Clarksburg is, however, recognized by the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
as a Census-designated Place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
, and by the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
as a populated place located at 39°13′10"N 77°17′17"W (39.219488, -77.288001).
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, it has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.
Demographics
As of the 2010 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, there were 13,766 people and 4,352 households residing in the area. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,667.9 people per square mile (51.2/km²). The population is roughly 44.1% White, 14.7% African-American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 33.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, including 9.8% of the population Hispanic or Latino origin of any race.
In 2000 there were 604 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the area, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $88,419, and the median income for a family was $91,216. Males had a median income of $63,125 versus $42,283 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the area was $33,174. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
Clarksburg is named for Native American trader John Clarke, and was established at the intersection of the main road between Georgetown and FrederickFrederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
and an old Seneca trail. One of its earliest white inhabitants was a man named Ashford Dowden, who in 1752 received a patent for 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) from the colonial government, and two years later permission to build an inn. The inn itself is a footnote in history, hosting the army of General Edward Braddock
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, serving as a meeting place for local Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
in the years before the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, and possibly serving dinner to President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
on his way to his inauguration. Jamie, grandson of the trader, built a general store in the area around 1770, and over the next thirty years enough people moved to the area that Clark was appointed postmaster for the community. By 1875, Clarksburg was a major town in the northern part of the county, but the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
undermined its economy, and by the late 20th century Clarksburg was barely a shell of its former self. Most of the original buildings are gone, but the area has been rebuilt as a suburban bedroom community, and is again a major population center.
Development
Since 2000 there has been major growth in the area of Clarksburg. A new town center is being built in the heart of Clarksburg, near the historic center. 2010 Census data show that there are now over 13,677 residents and 4,352 households currently residing in Clarksburg, which consists of a diverse population with a high level of education attainment. Several public parks and schools have also been developed to help accommodate the growth. In recent years it was discovered that many new houses have had been built closer together than the minimum distance required by zoning laws, roads built too narrow for firetrucks to pass, homes and community facilities built without adequate permits or approvals by local authorities. This was found to be the fault of inadequate county oversight and lax enforcement of building codes and laws combined with a building boom in the early 2000s.School enrollment issue
{| class="wikitable"|-
! School Name
! School Enrollment Capacity
! School Enrollment
As of 2006-2007
! Projected Enrollment (2011–2012)
According to MCPS
! Percent Increase
From '06-'07 to '11-'12
! Percent Above/Below
School Enrollment Capacity
For 2011-2012
|-
| Clarksburg Elementary School
| 335 students
| 385 students
| 469 students
| 21.8% increase
| 40.0% above capacity
|-
| Clarksburg High School
| 1629 students
| 999 students
| 1479 students
| 48.0% increase
| 10.1% below capacity
|-
| Little Bennett Elementary School
| 685 students
| 531 students
| 1174 students
| 121.1% increase
| 71.4% above capacity
|-
| Rocky Hill Middle School
| 956 students
| 977 students
| 1250 students
| 27.9% increase
| 30.8% above capacity
|}
The table shows that the two newest schools, Little Bennett Elementary School and Clarksburg High School, have the largest increase of students, with Little Bennett at 71.4% above building capacity in the projections of 2011-2012. This has led to a moratorium
Moratorium (law)
A moratorium is a delay or suspension of an activity or a law. In a legal context, it may refer to the temporary suspension of a law to allow a legal challenge to be carried out....
in issuance of permits for new projects, but not issuance of permits in existing projects, for new homes in the Clarksburg, MD area. The majority of planned housing units will be built in existing projects. All four of the largest neighborhoods are exempt from the moratorium.