Aquasco, Maryland Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Aquasco, Maryland
Census-designated place
View along Aquasco Road at Croom Road in Aquasco, MD
Aquasco, Maryland Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland Aquasco, Maryland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Prince George's
Area
• Total	22.11 sq mi (57.27 km²)
• Land	19.78 sq mi (51.23 km²)
• Water	2.33 sq mi (6.04 km²)
Population (2020)
• Total	913
• Density	46.16/sq mi (17.82/km²)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
FIPS code	24-01925
GNIS feature ID	597013

Aquasco is a small community in Prince George's County, Maryland. It is not an official town but a "census-designated place." This means it's an area grouped together for counting people.

In 2020, about 913 people lived in Aquasco. It is a quiet, rural area. Aquasco was once home to the Aquasco Speedway, a place where car races were held.

Where is Aquasco?
Who Lives in Aquasco?
A Look at Aquasco's Past
Schools in Aquasco
Famous People from Aquasco
Images for kids
See also

Where is Aquasco?

Aquasco is in the southeastern part of Prince George's County. It is located where two main roads meet. These roads are Maryland Route 381, called Aquasco Road, and Maryland Route 233, called Dr. Bowen Road.

The Patuxent River forms the eastern border of the community. Aquasco covers about 22 square miles (57 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, but about 2.3 square miles (6 square kilometers) is water. This water mostly comes from the Patuxent River.

Aquasco also includes the Chalk Point Generating Station. This is a large power plant. The tiny town of Eagle Harbor is completely surrounded by Aquasco.

Who Lives in Aquasco?

In 2020, the population of Aquasco was 913 people. This was a small decrease from 2010, when 981 people lived there.

The community is made up of people from different backgrounds. In 2020, about half of the residents were White. About 39% were Black or African American. There were also smaller numbers of Native American, Asian, and people of mixed races. About 5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

A Look at Aquasco's Past

Aquasco got its name from an old Native American word, Aquascake. This name was used for a piece of land surveyed in 1650.

Farming and Early Life

Aquasco grew as a farming area. Farmers mainly grew tobacco. In the 1700s, roads were built to connect the many large tobacco farms.

In the early 1800s, a small village began to form. It was called Woodville. The Wood family, who were early settlers, gave the village its name. By the mid-1800s, Woodville had many useful places. These included a mill for grinding grain, several small stores, a tavern, and a blacksmith shop. There was also a school, a post office, and two churches. These were a Methodist church and an Episcopal church.

After Slavery Ended

Because of the large farms, many enslaved people lived in this part of Prince George's County. After slavery ended, a school for African Americans was started in Woodville in 1867. This school later became the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church.

African Americans also worshipped at St. Mary's Episcopal Church. This church was started in 1848. It later became St. Phillip's Episcopal Church.

Historic Places

Aquasco has several historic sites. These places help us learn about the past. Some of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important to the history of the United States.

St. Mary's Rectory was listed in 1987.
Sunnyside was also listed in 1987.
Villa DeSales was listed in 1988.

Schools in Aquasco

Students living in Aquasco go to schools in the Prince George's County Public Schools system.

The elementary school for Aquasco is Baden Elementary School. For middle school, students go to Gwynn Park Middle School. High school students attend Gwynn Park High School.