Ellicott City, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place
in Howard County
, Maryland
, United States
. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Howard County. Founded in 1772, the town features the B&O Railroad Museum
Ellicott City Station
, built in 1830, and a downtown historic district which is a very popular destination among antiques
shoppers, with restaurants, eclectic boutique shops, coffee shops, a tea room and many historic sites. As of the 2000 Census
, Ellicott City surpassed Towson
, Maryland, as the largest unincorporated county seat
in the country.
Ellicott City is listed amongst America's most affluent communities and is located in Howard County, the third wealthiest county in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Since 2005, Ellicott City has been ranked four times among the top "20 Best Places to Live in the United States" by Money
and CNNMoney.com
.
The downtown area is often called "Historic Ellicott City" or "Old Ellicott City", to distinguish it from the unincorporated area that extends north to the Baltimore County line, south to Columbia
, and west to West Friendship
.
, chose the picturesque wilderness, upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (known today as Elkridge, Maryland
) to establish a flour
mill. John, Andrew
, and Joseph Ellicott
founded Ellicott's Mills, which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East.
The Ellicott brothers helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat
instead of tobacco
and also by introducing fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. Charles Carroll
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a wealthy landowner, was an early influential convert from tobacco to wheat.
In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
outside Baltimore
. The station
, built of huge blocks of locally quarried granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark
by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America". The famous race between Peter Cooper's
iron engine, the Tom Thumb
, and a horse-drawn carriage took place at Relay
on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills in August 1830. Even though the horse won the race due to a broken drive belt on the Tom Thumb, steam engines steadily improved, and the railroad became a vital link in the town's economy.
By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area. The site of the courthouse, which was built from 1840-1843 when the Howard District of Anne Arundel County, Maryland
, was so designated in 1839. Howard County, Maryland
, became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851. On July 10, 1864 Federal troops under the command of General Lew Wallace
retreated down the National Pike from the Battle of Monocacy
to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Ellicott's Mills station. Homes and churches in Ellicott's Mills were temporarily used as hospitals for the Union wounded. In 1867, a city charter was secured for Ellicott's Mills, and the name was changed to "Ellicott City". The only chartered city in the county, Ellicott City lost its charter in 1935 and was designated a historic district by the county in 1973. Ellicott City today serves as the county seat for Howard County.
In the early summer of 1972, the downtown Main Street area was extensively flooded by Hurricane Agnes
; the Ellicott brothers' house on the mill property was also destroyed. A more severe flood in 1868 wiped most early industry from the valley, but spared the flour mill.
Historic Main Street has also been the site of several devastating fires, most notably in November 1984 and again on November 9, 1999. The former was started by Leidig's Bakery's faulty air conditioning unit and destroyed six buildings; the latter, a 6-alarm blaze which destroyed five businesses and caused an estimated $2 million in damage, was accidentally started behind a restaurant by a discarded cigarette.
The Ellicott City area was the home to the fairy tale
-themed amusement park known as the Enchanted Forest
. The park has been closed to the general public since the early 1990s, and a shopping center (called the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center) was built on its parking lot. Many of the attractions have been moved to Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicott City, where they are being restored. The Enchanted Forest was featured in the 1990 John Waters
-directed film Cry-Baby
, starring Ricki Lake
and Johnny Depp
.
Ellicott City has been called one of the most haunted small towns on the east coast. The Howard County Tourism Council runs a Ghost Tour that visits several places with reputations for paranormal
activity. Among these are the mansions Lilburn, Hayden House, and Mt. Ida; the B&O railroad bridge that crosses over Main Street in the center of the town; the old Ellicott City Firehouse; and the Patapsco Female Institute
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.1 km²), of which 32 square miles (82.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.19%, is water.
Like Rome
, Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic District, which is on the banks of the Patapsco River. Continuing the Rome analogy, the small tributary of the Patapsco that forms the narrow valley followed by Main Street is named the Tiber River.
of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 20,250 households, and 15,288 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,760.9 people per square mile (679.8/km²). There were 20,789 housing units at an average density of 649.1 per square mile (250.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 78.33% White, 7.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races
, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.
There were 20,250 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples
living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $103,464, and the median income for a family was $120,064. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $29,287. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Ellicott City is at present part of Maryland's 7th congressional district
, currently represented by Democrat Elijah Cummings
.
and Centennial High School in the Howard County public school system
; Marriotts Ridge High School
serves most of the rest of the CDP area.
Two of the system's special schools, along with the central offices, also have Ellicott City addresses, though in fact they are on the northern edge of Columbia.
Middle schools serving the CDP are Burleigh Manor, Dunloggin, Mount View, Ellicott Mills and Patapsco; the elementary schools include Veterans, Northfield, Centennial Lane, Manor Woods, St. Johns Lane, Worthington, and Hollifield Station.
St. John's Parish Day School is located in 1.5 miles from Main Street, and Glenelg Country School
is located at the western edge of the CDP.
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...
in Howard County
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, 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...
. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a combined statistical area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Jefferson County in the Eastern Panhandle of West...
. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Howard County. Founded in 1772, the town features the B&O Railroad Museum
B&O Railroad Museum
The B&O Railroad Museum is a museum exhibiting historic railroad equipment in Baltimore, Maryland, originally named the Baltimore & Ohio Transportation Museum when it opened on July 4, 1953. It has been called one of the most significant collections of railroad treasures in the world and has the...
Ellicott City Station
Ellicott City Station
The Ellicott City Station is the oldest remaining passenger train station in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. At the time of its construction it was the terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, Maryland and it incorporated features...
, built in 1830, and a downtown historic district which is a very popular destination among antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
shoppers, with restaurants, eclectic boutique shops, coffee shops, a tea room and many historic sites. As of the 2000 Census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, Ellicott City surpassed Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
, Maryland, as the largest unincorporated county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
in the country.
Ellicott City is listed amongst America's most affluent communities and is located in Howard County, the third wealthiest county in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Since 2005, Ellicott City has been ranked four times among the top "20 Best Places to Live in the United States" by Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
and CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com is the world's largest business website. The site is the online home of Fortune and Money, and serves as CNN.com's exclusive business site. The site, edited by Chris Peacock, together with the three titles, is part of the Fortune|Money Group, and attracts more than 10.8 million unique...
.
The downtown area is often called "Historic Ellicott City" or "Old Ellicott City", to distinguish it from the unincorporated area that extends north to the Baltimore County line, south to Columbia
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, and west to West Friendship
West Friendship, Maryland
West Friendship is an affluent semi-rural community in western Howard County, Maryland. West Friendship is located at the junction of Interstate 70/U.S. Highway 40/Maryland Route 144 and Maryland Route 32.- History :...
.
History
In 1772, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, PennsylvaniaBucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, chose the picturesque wilderness, upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (known today as Elkridge, Maryland
Elkridge, Maryland
Elkridge is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The population was 22,042 at the 2000 census. Founded early in the 18th century, Elkridge is located at the confluence of three counties, the other two being Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties...
) to establish a flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
mill. John, Andrew
Andrew Ellicott (1733 - 1809)
Andrew Ellicott was one of three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania who chose the picturesque wilderness up river from Elk Ridge Landing to establish a flour mill...
, and Joseph Ellicott
Joseph Ellicott (1732 - 1780)
Joseph Ellicott was one of three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania who purchased land on the Patapsco River and set up a new milling business there...
founded Ellicott's Mills, which became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East.
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
instead of tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and also by introducing fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. Charles Carroll
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from Great Britain. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as United States Senator for Maryland...
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a wealthy landowner, was an early influential convert from tobacco to wheat.
In 1830, Ellicott's Mills became the first terminus 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...
outside Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. The station
Ellicott City Station
The Ellicott City Station is the oldest remaining passenger train station in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. At the time of its construction it was the terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, Maryland and it incorporated features...
, built of huge blocks of locally quarried granite, stands today as a living history museum, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It bears the designation as the "Oldest surviving railroad station in America". The famous race between Peter Cooper's
Peter Cooper
Peter Cooper was an American industrialist, inventor, philanthropist, and candidate for President of the United States...
iron engine, the Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb (locomotive)
Tom Thumb was the first American-built steam locomotive used on a common-carrier railroad. Designed and built by Peter Cooper in 1830, it was designed to convince owners of the newly formed Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to use steam engines...
, and a horse-drawn carriage took place at Relay
Arbutus, Maryland
As of the 2010 Census Arbutus had a population of 20,583. The racial and ethnic compositon of the population was 76.6% non-Hispanic white, 9.5% non-Hispanic black, 0.2% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 6.5% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% non-Hispanic from some other race, 2.3% from...
on the return trip from Ellicott's Mills in August 1830. Even though the horse won the race due to a broken drive belt on the Tom Thumb, steam engines steadily improved, and the railroad became a vital link in the town's economy.
By 1861, Ellicott's Mills was a prosperous farming and manufacturing area. The site of the courthouse, which was built from 1840-1843 when the Howard District of Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
, was so designated in 1839. Howard County, Maryland
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, became an official independent jurisdiction in 1851. On July 10, 1864 Federal troops under the command of General Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
retreated down the National Pike from the Battle of Monocacy
Battle of Monocacy
The Battle of Monocacy was fought on July 9, 1864, just outside Frederick, Maryland, as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864, in the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early defeated Union forces under Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace...
to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Ellicott's Mills station. Homes and churches in Ellicott's Mills were temporarily used as hospitals for the Union wounded. In 1867, a city charter was secured for Ellicott's Mills, and the name was changed to "Ellicott City". The only chartered city in the county, Ellicott City lost its charter in 1935 and was designated a historic district by the county in 1973. Ellicott City today serves as the county seat for Howard County.
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
; the Ellicott brothers' house on the mill property was also destroyed. A more severe flood in 1868 wiped most early industry from the valley, but spared the flour mill.
Historic Main Street has also been the site of several devastating fires, most notably in November 1984 and again on November 9, 1999. The former was started by Leidig's Bakery's faulty air conditioning unit and destroyed six buildings; the latter, a 6-alarm blaze which destroyed five businesses and caused an estimated $2 million in damage, was accidentally started behind a restaurant by a discarded cigarette.
The Ellicott City area was the home to the fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
-themed amusement park known as the Enchanted Forest
Enchanted Forest (Maryland)
thumb|240px|Enchanted Forest entrance in 1955The Enchanted Forest is a now-closed theme park in Ellicott City, Maryland, on U.S. Route 40 near the intersection with Bethany Lane...
. The park has been closed to the general public since the early 1990s, and a shopping center (called the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center) was built on its parking lot. Many of the attractions have been moved to Clark's Elioak Farm in Ellicott City, where they are being restored. The Enchanted Forest was featured in the 1990 John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
-directed film Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby
Cry-Baby is a 1990 American teen musical film written and directed by John Waters. It stars Johnny Depp as 1950s teen rebel "Cry-Baby" Wade Walker, and also features an expansive ensemble cast that includes Amy Locane, Iggy Pop, Traci Lords, Ricki Lake, Kim McGuire, David Nelson, Susan Tyrrell, and...
, starring Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
and Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
.
Ellicott City has been called one of the most haunted small towns on the east coast. The Howard County Tourism Council runs a Ghost Tour that visits several places with reputations for paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
activity. Among these are the mansions Lilburn, Hayden House, and Mt. Ida; the B&O railroad bridge that crosses over Main Street in the center of the town; the old Ellicott City Firehouse; and the Patapsco Female Institute
Patapsco female institute
Patapsco Female Institute is a former girls' boarding school, now a rebuilt historical site, sitting at the top of the hill in Ellicott City, Maryland, United States...
.
Geography
Ellicott City is located at 39°16′5"N 76°47′56"W (39.26806, 76.79889).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...
, the CDP has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83.1 km²), of which 32 square miles (82.9 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²), or 0.19%, is water.
Like Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Ellicott City is claimed to be built on seven hills. These hills lie southeast of the Historic District, which is on the banks of the Patapsco River. Continuing the Rome analogy, the small tributary of the Patapsco that forms the narrow valley followed by Main Street is named the Tiber River.
Culture and attractions
- Ellicott City StationEllicott City StationThe Ellicott City Station is the oldest remaining passenger train station in the United States, and one of the oldest in the world. At the time of its construction it was the terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line from Baltimore to Ellicott's Mills, Maryland and it incorporated features...
- The Chesapeake Shakespeare CompanyThe Chesapeake Shakespeare CompanyThe Chesapeake Shakespeare Company was founded in 2002 and quickly received a great deal of attention for its high-energy approach to the works of Shakespeare and other classics...
- The Enchanted ForestEnchanted Forest (Maryland)thumb|240px|Enchanted Forest entrance in 1955The Enchanted Forest is a now-closed theme park in Ellicott City, Maryland, on U.S. Route 40 near the intersection with Bethany Lane...
- Shrine of St. Anthony
- Trolley Line Number 9 Trail
Demographics
As of the 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...
of 2000, there were 56,397 people, 20,250 households, and 15,288 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,760.9 people per square mile (679.8/km²). There were 20,789 housing units at an average density of 649.1 per square mile (250.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 78.33% White, 7.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.14% of the population.
There were 20,250 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% 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, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 28.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $103,464, and the median income for a family was $120,064. Males had a median income of $63,938 versus $41,721 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 CDP was $29,287. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Ellicott City is at present part of Maryland's 7th congressional district
Maryland's 7th congressional district
Maryland's 7th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The seat is currently represented by Elijah Cummings . It encompasses the majority African American sections of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland, in addition to the...
, currently represented by Democrat Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Eugene Cummings is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of Baltimore City, as well as most of Howard County...
.
Climate
Education and schools
Ellicott City proper is served by Mount Hebron High SchoolMount Hebron High School
Mount Hebron High School is a public high school located in Ellicott City, Maryland. It is part of the Howard County Public School System.-About the School:...
and Centennial High School in the Howard County public school system
Howard County Public Schools
The Howard County Public School System is the school district that manages the public schools of Howard County, Maryland, USA. It operates under the supervision of an eight-member Board of Education. The Superintendent is Sydney L...
; Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriotts Ridge High School
Marriotts Ridge High School is a secondary school located in Marriottsville, Maryland. It is part of the Howard County Public School System. It is known for academic excellence, character growth, and its athletic teams...
serves most of the rest of the CDP area.
Two of the system's special schools, along with the central offices, also have Ellicott City addresses, though in fact they are on the northern edge of Columbia.
Middle schools serving the CDP are Burleigh Manor, Dunloggin, Mount View, Ellicott Mills and Patapsco; the elementary schools include Veterans, Northfield, Centennial Lane, Manor Woods, St. Johns Lane, Worthington, and Hollifield Station.
St. John's Parish Day School is located in 1.5 miles from Main Street, and Glenelg Country School
Glenelg Country School
Glenelg Country School is a nonsectarian, co-educational independent day school in Howard County, Maryland, adjacent to Columbia, Maryland and between Baltimore and Washington, D.C...
is located at the western edge of the CDP.
Notable people
- Benjamin BannekerBenjamin BannekerBenjamin Banneker was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer.-Family history and early life:It is difficult to verify much of Benjamin Banneker's family history...
, African-American self-educated scientist, astronomer, inventor, writer, and antislavery publicist, born in Ellicott's Mills, November 9, 1731 - Beatrice CapraBeatrice CapraBeatrice "Trice" Capra is an amateur American tennis player. Her highest WTA singles ranking is 201, which she reached on September 20, 2010...
, amateur tennis player who won several rounds at the US Open in 2010 - James A. Clark, president of the Maryland State SenateMaryland State SenateThe 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...
from 1979 to 1983 - Divine, actor who briefly rented an apartment in Ellicott City as a young adult in the summer of 1968
- Mantle HoodMantle HoodMantle Hood was an American ethnomusicologist. Among other areas, he specialized in studying gamelan music from Indonesia. Hood pioneered, in the 1950s and 1960s, a new approach to the study of music, and the creation at UCLA of the first American university program devoted to ethnomusicology...
, American ethnomusicologist, died in Ellicott City - Thomas Watkins LigonThomas Watkins LigonThomas Watkins Ligon , a Democrat, was the 30th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1854 to 1858. He also a member of the United States House of Representatives, serving Maryland's third Congressional district from 1845 until 1849...
, 30th Governor of Maryland; died in Ellicott City in 1881 and is buried at St. John's Cemetery - Suzanne MalveauxSuzanne MalveauxSuzanne M. Malveaux , is an American television news reporter.She is currently the anchor of CNN Newsroom 11am to 1pm. Before that she was White House correspondent for CNN and primary substitute host on CNNs "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer"...
, CNN reporter; went to high school in Ellicott City - Aaron MaybinAaron Maybin-Buffalo Bills:On August 21, 2009, Maybin agreed to a five-year deal with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted with the 11th pick in the first round. He finished the season with 18 tackles and zero sacks while playing in all 16 regular season games during his 2009 rookie year.In his second season,...
, professional football player for the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
; went to high school in Ellicott City - Ryan Aiken, former Survivor contestant and model
- Brendan Mondorf, professional lacrosse player for the Denver Outlaws
- Babe RuthBabe RuthGeorge Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
, baseball player; married at St. Paul's Church in Ellicott City to Helen Woodford on October 17, 1914 - The indie band The Dangerous SummerThe Dangerous Summer (band)The Dangerous Summer is an Indie / Rock band from Ellicott City, Maryland. The band formed in the summer of 2006 to write their first EP, There Is No Such Thing as Science, which drew the attention of Hopeless Records and other labels in 2007. They signed with Hopeless Records within 8 months of...
originates from Ellicott City.