Ashton, Maryland facts for kids
Ashton is a small community located in Montgomery County, Maryland, in the United States. It's called an unincorporated community, which means it's not officially a city or town with its own local government, but it's still a recognized place where people live. The main part of Ashton is found where two roads meet: Route 108 (also called Ashton Road) and New Hampshire Avenue (Route 650).
People aren't completely sure how Ashton got its name. Some older residents say it was named after a very large ash tree that once stood at the main crossroads. Others believe the name is a mix of two old family homes nearby, called Ashland and Clifton.
The United States Census Bureau groups Ashton together with a nearby community called Sandy Spring. They form a special area called a census-designated place (CDP), which is a region defined just for counting people and collecting information for the census. All the population numbers for Ashton are part of this larger Ashton-Sandy Spring CDP.
How Ashton is Growing
Ashton has a special plan called the "Ashton Master Plan" from 1998. This plan aims to keep the area looking like a historic, rural community, which means preserving its older, countryside feel. However, the area is also seeing new buildings and projects.
The plan itself noted that simply having large land lots and spreading out homes wasn't fully keeping the rural look as much as hoped. Since 2020, new building projects have started, following the Ashton Village Center Sector Plan.
Here are some of the projects that have been completed or are currently happening:
- CVS Ashton (2014) - This store is now open.
- Ashton Market (2019) - This project is still being built.
- Olive Branch Community Church - This church project is also in progress.
