Derwood, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Derwood is an unincorporated area
of about 15,600 people in east-central Montgomery County, Maryland
. It is a relatively dense area. It lies just east of Rockville
, south east of Gaithersburg
, south west of Olney
, and north west of the greater Silver Spring, Maryland
area. Residents of Derwood have the zip code
20855. The area was originally referred to as "Deer Park" and probably became "Deer Wood" which soon turned into "Derwood."
It includes the neighborhoods of Derwood Station (the original Derwood, located in the southwest of the area today), Mill Creek Towne, Needwood Estates, Muncaster Manor, Muncaster View, Hollybrooke, Granby Woods, Park Overlook, Redland, Candlewood Park, Cashell Estates, Avery Lodge, Avery Village, Bowie Mill Estates, Bowie Mill Park, Winters Run, Redland Station, Rolling Knolls, Emory Grove, and Shady Grove Crossing.
Between 2009 and 2011, Maryland Route 200 (also known as the Inter-county Connector or ICC) was constructed directly through central Derwood. Areas that were affected by its construction include Cashell Estates and other areas near Shady Grove Road.
, in the what is now known as the Derwood Station neighborhood.
A second, larger railroad station was built there from 1886-1889. In the early 1900s, a small community with a store, homes, and a church was thriving in the area surrounding the station. However, because it was located between two larger cities, Derwood did not grow much. Its population leveled off with the invention of the automobile, since people did not need to use trains as much as they did before.
On January 7, 1954, Schwartz Mill caught fire and both it and the Derwood railroad station were destroyed. Derwood station was never rebuilt, since there were not enough passengers traveling through the area.
In 1965, the man-made Lake Needwood
was created by impounding Rock Creek
, and the lake has become a popular recreation area.
In 1974, the Derwood post office relocated to Redland Shopping Center. It kept the name "Derwood Branch," designating the entire 20855 zip code area as Derwood, thus greatly increasing the size of Derwood from one neighborhood to the present size. This area began to expand in population, especially after the Shady Grove Metro station
opened in 1984.
.
Students who are residents of Derwood are either in the Magruder or Richard Montgomery cluster and attend the following schools:
Derwood has a humid subtropical climate
similar climate to nearby Washington D.C.. It lies in hardiness zone 7b, with chilly winters, where the daily maximum is mostly above freezing, and the minimum is generally below freezing.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of about 15,600 people in east-central Montgomery County, Maryland
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...
. It is a relatively dense area. It lies just east of Rockville
Rockville, Maryland
Rockville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a major incorporated city in the central part of Montgomery County and forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The 2010 U.S...
, south east of Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
, south west of Olney
Olney, Maryland
Olney, a census-designated place and an unincorporated area of Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, is located in the north central part of the county, twenty miles north of Washington, D.C. It was largely agricultural until the 1960s, when growth of the Washington suburbs led to its conversion into...
, and north west of the greater Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
area. Residents of Derwood have the zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
20855. The area was originally referred to as "Deer Park" and probably became "Deer Wood" which soon turned into "Derwood."
It includes the neighborhoods of Derwood Station (the original Derwood, located in the southwest of the area today), Mill Creek Towne, Needwood Estates, Muncaster Manor, Muncaster View, Hollybrooke, Granby Woods, Park Overlook, Redland, Candlewood Park, Cashell Estates, Avery Lodge, Avery Village, Bowie Mill Estates, Bowie Mill Park, Winters Run, Redland Station, Rolling Knolls, Emory Grove, and Shady Grove Crossing.
Between 2009 and 2011, Maryland Route 200 (also known as the Inter-county Connector or ICC) was constructed directly through central Derwood. Areas that were affected by its construction include Cashell Estates and other areas near Shady Grove Road.
History
Derwood was first recognized in the 1880s as a train stop on the B&O Railroad at the present intersection of Indianola Drive and Maryland Route 355Maryland Route 355
Maryland Route 355 is a north–south road in western central Maryland in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at the Washington, D.C. border in Friendship Heights, Montgomery County, where it continues south as Wisconsin Avenue into Washington. The northern terminus is...
, in the what is now known as the Derwood Station neighborhood.
A second, larger railroad station was built there from 1886-1889. In the early 1900s, a small community with a store, homes, and a church was thriving in the area surrounding the station. However, because it was located between two larger cities, Derwood did not grow much. Its population leveled off with the invention of the automobile, since people did not need to use trains as much as they did before.
On January 7, 1954, Schwartz Mill caught fire and both it and the Derwood railroad station were destroyed. Derwood station was never rebuilt, since there were not enough passengers traveling through the area.
In 1965, the man-made Lake Needwood
Lake Needwood
Lake Needwood is a reservoir in Derwood, Maryland just east of Rockville, in the eastern part of Montgomery County that is located on Rock Creek. The lake was created to provide flood control. It also protects the water quality of the creek by functioning as a retention basin to trap sediment from...
was created by impounding Rock Creek
Rock Creek (Potomac River)
Rock Creek is a free-flowing tributary of the Potomac River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean via the Chesapeake Bay. The creek is long, with a drainage area of about...
, and the lake has become a popular recreation area.
In 1974, the Derwood post office relocated to Redland Shopping Center. It kept the name "Derwood Branch," designating the entire 20855 zip code area as Derwood, thus greatly increasing the size of Derwood from one neighborhood to the present size. This area began to expand in population, especially after the Shady Grove Metro station
Shady Grove (Washington Metro)
Shady Grove is an island platformed Washington Metro station in Derwood, Maryland, United States. The station was opened on December 15, 1984, and is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority . Serving as the northwestern terminus of the Red Line, it is the station most distant...
opened in 1984.
Public schools
Residents are zoned to Montgomery County Public SchoolsMontgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools ' is a school district that serves Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. It is the largest school district in Maryland. As of the 2009–2010 school year, the district had 11,500 FTE teachers serving 141,777 students at 200 schools.Students in the district score among the...
.
Students who are residents of Derwood are either in the Magruder or Richard Montgomery cluster and attend the following schools:
- Elementary Schools
- Washington Grove Elementary School
- Mill Creek Towne Elementary School
- Sequoyah Elementary School
- Candlewood Elementary School
- Jack Kitchen Elementary School
- College Gardens Elementary School
- Middle Schools
- Redland Middle School
- Shady Grove Middle SchoolShady Grove Middle SchoolShady Grove Middle School is located near Gaithersburg in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland.Shady Grove is one of the two middle schools in the Magruder High School Cluster, along with Redland Middle School. It serves students from Candlewood Elementary, Flower Hill Elementary, and Mill...
- Julius West Middle SchoolJulius West Middle SchoolJulius West Middle School is a public school for students in grades 6, 7 and 8 located in Rockville, Maryland. The school was established in 1961 as West Rockville Junior High. In 1963, the school changed names to Julius West to honor local farmer and benefactor of education, Mr. Julius West...
- High Schools
- Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High SchoolColonel Zadok A. Magruder High SchoolColonel Zadok A. Magruder High School is a secondary public school located in Rockville , Maryland.Magruder is named for Colonel Zadok Magruder, a Revolutionary War patriot and farmer. He was colonel in command of part of the Maryland militia and helped establish Montgomery County's government in...
- Richard Montgomery High SchoolRichard Montgomery High SchoolRichard Montgomery High School is a secondary public school located in Rockville, Maryland.Richard Montgomery High School is named for Richard Montgomery, an American General who died while attempting to capture the British-held city of Quebec...
- Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School
Geography & Climate
Derwood is located in the South-East part of Montgomery county, it lies in the Atlantic coastal plane, and is not far from the start of the Appalachian highlands.Derwood has a humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
similar climate to nearby Washington D.C.. It lies in hardiness zone 7b, with chilly winters, where the daily maximum is mostly above freezing, and the minimum is generally below freezing.