Maryland Route 208
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 208 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The route runs 1.82 mi (2.9 km) from U.S. Route 1 Alt (Bladensburg Road) in Cottage City
north to Maryland Route 500
(Queens Chapel Road) in Hyattsville
.
. The road heads north as a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through a densely-populated residential area. Shortly after its terminus, MD 208 crosses the railroad tracks of the Capital Subdivision of CSX
and MARC Train
's Camden Line
. The road enters the town of Brentwood
on a bridge completed in 1955 and the road's name changes to 38th Street. After passing some commercial establishments, the road arrives at its intersection with U.S. Route 1
.
After crossing U.S. 1, MD 208 becomes maintained by the town of Brentwood. The road is a two-lane road with a speed limit of 25 mph (40.2 km/h) as it passes through residential areas. MD 208 hits its first stop sign at Utah Avenue, which provides access to the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Department and Brentwood Town Hall. The road then encounters stop signs at Volta Avenue and Windom Road. State maintenance resumes and ample signage begins as MD 208 enters the city of Hyattsville
by crossing Northwest Branch
on a bridge completed in 1932. Soon afterwords, the road reaches the intersection of Hamilton Avenue.
MD 208 turns west onto Hamilton Avenue, which is a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through a mix of residences and commercial interests. Soon after, MD 208 reaches its northern terminus at Maryland Route 500
(Queens Chapel Road). Hamilton Avenue continues straight to provide access to Ager Road and the West Hyattsville
station of the Washington Metro
.
by heading north on 34th Street for four blocks, east on Varnum Street, north on 37th Street for three blocks, east on Allison Street, then north on its present 38th Street to cross Northwest Branch. By 1946, Taylor Street was used to connect 34th Street and 38th Street in Mount Rainier and Brentwood. MD 208 was assigned to its current routing by 1970.
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The route runs 1.82 mi (2.9 km) from U.S. Route 1 Alt (Bladensburg Road) in Cottage City
Cottage City, Maryland
Cottage City is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue , Brentwood, Colmar Manor, and the Anacostia River...
north to Maryland Route 500
Maryland Route 500
Maryland Route 500 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Queens Chapel Road, the state highway runs from Michigan Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border in Chillum east to MD 410 in Hyattsville. MD 500 is a commuter route between the District of Columbia and Hyattsville...
(Queens Chapel Road) in Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
.
Route description
Maryland Route 208 begins as 38th Avenue at its intersection with U.S. Route 1 Alt in Cottage CityCottage City, Maryland
Cottage City is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue , Brentwood, Colmar Manor, and the Anacostia River...
. The road heads north as a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through a densely-populated residential area. Shortly after its terminus, MD 208 crosses the railroad tracks of the Capital Subdivision of CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and MARC Train
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
's Camden Line
Camden Line
The Camden Line is a MARC commuter rail line that runs between Union Station, Washington, D.C. and Camden Station, Baltimore, Maryland over the CSX Capital Subdivision. Service began along this route in 1835 as part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , making it the oldest passenger rail line in...
. The road enters the town of Brentwood
Brentwood, Maryland
Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,844 at the 2000 census. Brentwood is less than away from Washington, DC...
on a bridge completed in 1955 and the road's name changes to 38th Street. After passing some commercial establishments, the road arrives at its intersection with U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maryland
U.S. Route 1 is the easternmost and longest of the major north–south routes of the United States Numbered Highway System, running from Key West, Florida to Fort Kent, Maine. In the U.S...
.
After crossing U.S. 1, MD 208 becomes maintained by the town of Brentwood. The road is a two-lane road with a speed limit of 25 mph (40.2 km/h) as it passes through residential areas. MD 208 hits its first stop sign at Utah Avenue, which provides access to the Brentwood Volunteer Fire Department and Brentwood Town Hall. The road then encounters stop signs at Volta Avenue and Windom Road. State maintenance resumes and ample signage begins as MD 208 enters the city of Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
by crossing Northwest Branch
Northwest Branch Anacostia River
Northwest Branch Anacostia River is a free-flowing stream in Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland. It is a tributary of the Anacostia River, which flows to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay.-Course:...
on a bridge completed in 1932. Soon afterwords, the road reaches the intersection of Hamilton Avenue.
MD 208 turns west onto Hamilton Avenue, which is a two-lane road with a speed limit of 30 mph (48.3 km/h) through a mix of residences and commercial interests. Soon after, MD 208 reaches its northern terminus at Maryland Route 500
Maryland Route 500
Maryland Route 500 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Queens Chapel Road, the state highway runs from Michigan Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border in Chillum east to MD 410 in Hyattsville. MD 500 is a commuter route between the District of Columbia and Hyattsville...
(Queens Chapel Road). Hamilton Avenue continues straight to provide access to Ager Road and the West Hyattsville
West Hyattsville (Washington Metro)
West Hyattsville is a Washington Metro station in Prince George's County, Maryland on the Green Line. It is the first station in Maryland going northeast on the Green Line....
station of the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
.
History
Maryland Route 208 was paved in its entirety by 1927, but it did not follow all of the same streets it does today. At its northern end, it continued along Hamilton Street to Ager Road, which was then Maryland Route 209. At its southern end, the route followed its present course, with the exception of the 1955 bridge over the railroad tracks, and was known as Maryland Route 206. In the middle, MD 208 started at what is now U.S. Route 1 in Mount RainierMount Rainier, Maryland
Mount Rainier is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,498 at the 2000 census. Bordering Washington, DC, Mount Rainier got its start as a streetcar suburb. According to local tradition, surveyors from the Pacific Northwest named the town, giving the...
by heading north on 34th Street for four blocks, east on Varnum Street, north on 37th Street for three blocks, east on Allison Street, then north on its present 38th Street to cross Northwest Branch. By 1946, Taylor Street was used to connect 34th Street and 38th Street in Mount Rainier and Brentwood. MD 208 was assigned to its current routing by 1970.
Junction list
The entire route is in Prince George's CountyPrince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
.
| Location | Mile | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cottage City Cottage City, Maryland Cottage City is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census. Cottage City is a small, quiet community lying between Eastern Avenue , Brentwood, Colmar Manor, and the Anacostia River... |
0.00 | , Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
Southern terminus |
| Brentwood Brentwood, Maryland Brentwood is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,844 at the 2000 census. Brentwood is less than away from Washington, DC... |
0.40 | , Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution.... |
|
| 0.66 | Utah Avenue | ||
| 0.80 | Volta Avenue / Varnum Street | ||
| 0.97 | Windom Road | ||
| Hyattsville Hyattsville, Maryland Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845... |
1.41 | Hamilton Street |  continues west on Hamilton Street |
| 1.86 | Hamilton Street |
Northern terminus | |