Carroll County, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carroll County
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Carroll County Courthouse in Westminster
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Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
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 Maryland's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Maryland |
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| Founded | January 19, 1837 | ||
| Named for | Charles Carroll of Carrollton | ||
| Seat | Westminster | ||
| Largest community | Eldersburg | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 453 sq mi (1,170 km2) | ||
| • Land | 448 sq mi (1,160 km2) | ||
| • Water | 5.1 sq mi (13 km2) 1.1% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 172,891 | ||
| • Density | 381.7/sq mi (147.36/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd | ||
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 172,891. Its county seat is Westminster.
Carroll County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area. While predominantly rural, the county has become increasingly suburban in recent years.
Contents
History
Prior to European colonization, the land that now makes up Carroll County was inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years. Numerous Native American archaeological sites and archeological artifacts have been located across the county. Native Americans used the land for permanent settlements, seasonal visits and journeys, and as hunting grounds. At the time of European colonization, the Susquehannock and the Lenape were the predominant indigenous nations in the area. What is now the city of Manchester was inhabited by the Susquehannock nation until around 1750 and was the location of the intersection of two important Native American trails. An ancient trail that was used by Algonquian and Iroquois nations, named the "Patapsco-Conewago (Hanover) Road" by colonists, stretched from the Susquehanna River to the Potomac River. Main Street in Westminster was built over a portion of the trail between the two rivers. By the end of the 1700s, most roads in Carroll County were trails established by Native Americans. Maryland Route 26 (Liberty Road) was built over top what was originally a Native American trail. This trail passed through the Freedom area of southern Carroll County and was used by Native Americans to travel from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. The trail was transformed into a road and renamed "Liberty" by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in the early 1800s. The land of what is now Sykesville was used by the Susquehannock and the Lenape as hunting grounds. Taneytown was inhabited by the Tuscarora people during the early to mid-1700s. The Tuscarora hunted deer, wolves, wildcats, and otters in the woodlands of what is now Taneytown. Due to the Six Nations land cessions, the Tuscarora were expelled westward across the South Mountain of the Cumberland Valley.
Carroll County was created in 1837 from parts of Baltimore and Frederick Counties, see Hundred (division). It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1832), signer of the American Declaration of Independence.
The earliest European settlers in Carroll County were predominantly Pennsylvania Dutch from southeast Pennsylvania and English from the Tidewater region of Maryland. German was the predominant language of Carroll County until the Civil War. German was most heavily spoken in the northern and western parts of the county. The towns of Hampstead, Manchester, and Taneytown had German majorities. English-speakers were a minority and were concentrated in southern Carroll.
During the American Civil War, the population of Carroll County was sharply divided between supporters of the Union and the Confederacy. In 1863, there were significant troop movements through the county as part of the Gettysburg campaign. On June 29, 1863, the cavalry skirmish known as Corbit's Charge was fought in the streets of Westminster, when two companies of Delaware cavalry attacked a much larger Confederate force under General J.E.B. Stuart.
During the 1970s, Carroll County was a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan and the Klan regularly held rallies and cross-burnings. The KKK held rallies and handed out leaflets on Main Street in Westminster and in Manchester until the late 1980s. In 2012, two minors were charged for a cross-burning in Westminster. In 2018, the KKK distributed fliers in southern Carroll County.
In 2013 the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to make English the official language of the county. In 2018, the Carroll County Public Schools announced that Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas would be banned from Carroll County schools, along with Ku Klux Klan and Aryan Nation symbolism and other messages that promote hatred or intolerance.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 453 square miles (1,170 km2), of which 448 square miles (1,160 km2) is land and 5.1 square miles (13 km2) (1.1%) is water.
Topographically, Carroll County is located within the Piedmont Plateau region, with characteristic upland terrain of rolling hills and deciduous forest. The most prominent relief is Parr's Ridge, which bisects the county from southwest to northeast. The highest point is an unnamed 1,120-foot (340 m) hilltop a half-mile south of the Pennsylvania state line in the northeastern part of the county off Harvey Yingling Road.
Carroll County is bordered on the north by the Mason–Dixon line with Pennsylvania, and on the south by Howard County across the South Branch of the Patapsco River. About half of the eastern border, with Baltimore County, is formed by the North Branch of the Patapsco River and by Liberty Reservoir, though the northern half near Manchester and Hampstead is a land border. Carroll County is bordered on the west by Frederick County, across the Monocacy River and Sam's Creek. Other major streams in the county include Big Pipe Creek, Little Pipe Creek, and Double Pipe Creek, Bear Branch, and the headwaters of the Gunpowder Falls. The Piney Run Reservoir is in the southern part of the county.
Three railroad lines cross Carroll County. The old Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Old Main Line crosses the southern part of the county from east to west, with former stations in Sykesville and Mount Airy. The original Western Maryland Railway (WM) main line track runs southeast to northwest through Carrollton, Westminster, New Windsor, and Union Bridge. The old Baltimore and Hanover Railroad (later acquired by WM) runs further to the east through Hampstead, Millers, and Lineboro. Two of these railroad lines are now operated by CSX Transportation; the former WM main line is now operated by Maryland Midland Railway.
Carroll County has two water reservoirs at present, Liberty and Piney Run; the county has also proposed a Union Mills Reservoir and Gillis Falls Reservoir.
Climate
The county is divided by the January freezing isotherm into a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa.) The hardiness zones are 6b and 7a.
| Climate data for Westminster, Maryland (1981−2010 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
44.9 (7.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
66.1 (18.9) |
75.2 (24.0) |
84.0 (28.9) |
87.6 (30.9) |
85.3 (29.6) |
78.4 (25.8) |
67.6 (19.8) |
56.0 (13.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
65.4 (18.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.9 (−5.1) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
40.4 (4.7) |
49.4 (9.7) |
58.8 (14.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
61.4 (16.3) |
54.9 (12.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
34.6 (1.4) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
42.4 (5.8) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.88 (73) |
2.49 (63) |
3.59 (91) |
3.50 (89) |
4.15 (105) |
3.92 (100) |
4.32 (110) |
3.72 (94) |
4.28 (109) |
3.64 (92) |
3.27 (83) |
3.64 (92) |
43.40 (1,102) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.3 (19) |
6.5 (17) |
2.7 (6.9) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
2.5 (6.4) |
20.0 (51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.4 | 8.1 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 11.9 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 108.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 7.6 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Adjacent counties
- York County, Pennsylvania (northeast)
- Baltimore County (east)
- Howard County (south)
- Frederick County (west)
- Adams County, Pennsylvania (northwest)
- Montgomery County (southwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 17,242 | — | |
| 1850 | 20,617 | 19.6% | |
| 1860 | 24,533 | 19.0% | |
| 1870 | 28,619 | 16.7% | |
| 1880 | 30,992 | 8.3% | |
| 1890 | 32,376 | 4.5% | |
| 1900 | 33,860 | 4.6% | |
| 1910 | 33,934 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 34,245 | 0.9% | |
| 1930 | 35,978 | 5.1% | |
| 1940 | 39,054 | 8.5% | |
| 1950 | 44,907 | 15.0% | |
| 1960 | 52,785 | 17.5% | |
| 1970 | 69,006 | 30.7% | |
| 1980 | 96,356 | 39.6% | |
| 1990 | 123,372 | 28.0% | |
| 2000 | 150,897 | 22.3% | |
| 2010 | 167,134 | 10.8% | |
| 2020 | 172,891 | 3.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 176,639 | 5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 152,428 | 146,701 | 91.20% | 84.85% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,229 | 6,361 | 3.13% | 3.68% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 288 | 268 | 0.17% | 0.16% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,402 | 3,766 | 1.44% | 2.18% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 47 | 36 | 0.03% | 0.02% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 150 | 601 | 0.09% | 0.35% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 2,227 | 7,413 | 1.33% | 4.29% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,363 | 7,745 | 2.61% | 4.48% |
| Total | 167,134 | 172,891 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 167,134 people, 59,786 households, and 45,163 families residing in the county. The population density was 373.4 inhabitants per square mile (144.2/km2). There were 62,406 housing units at an average density of 139.4 per square mile (53.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.9% white, 3.2% black or African American, 1.4% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.8% were German, 19.1% were Irish, 14.0% were English, 8.4% were American, 8.2% were Italian, 5.3% were Polish, 2.8% were French and 2.3% were Scottish.
Of the 59,786 households, 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.5% were non-families, and 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.15. The median age was 41.1 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $81,621 and the median income for a family was $95,825. Males had a median income of $62,322 versus $46,170 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,938. About 4.0% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
JoS. A. Bank Clothiers has its headquarters in an unincorporated area in the county, near Hampstead.
Carroll County Public Schools is the largest employer in Carroll County.
Top employers
According to the county's comprehensive annual financial reports, the top employers by number of employees in the county are the following. ("NR" indicates the employer was not ranked among the top ten employers that year.)
| Employer | Employees (2020) |
Employees (2011) |
|---|---|---|
| Board of Education of Carroll County | 3,334 | 3,769 |
| Carroll Hospital Center | 1,995 | 1,804 |
| Springfield Hospital Center | 833 | 833 |
| McDaniel College | 800 | 623 |
| Penguin Random House | 755 | 800 |
| Integrace Fairhaven | 700 | 700 |
| Carroll County Government | 628 | 656 |
| Carroll Community College | 580 | 509 |
| EVAPCO | 440 | NR |
| Carroll Lutheran Village | 425 | NR |
| Jos. A. Bank Clothiers | NR | 576 |
| General Dynamics Robotic Systems | NR | 490 |
Transportation
Major highways
_at_Exit_68_(Maryland_State_Route_27,_Damascus,_Mount_Airy)_in_Mount_Airy,_Carroll_County,_Maryland.jpg)
I-70 / US 40
MD 26
MD 27
MD 30
MD 30 Bus.
MD 31
MD 32
MD 75
MD 77
MD 84
MD 86
MD 88
MD 91
MD 97
MD 140
MD 194
MD 407
MD 482
MD 496
MD 808
MD 832
MD 833
MD 852
MD 854
Bus
Carroll County operates its own bus public transit system, known as the Carroll Transit System. After 40 years of service, the Carroll Area Transit System (CATS bus) ended its transportation services in the county at the end of July 2016. CATS was replaced by the Carroll Transit System, which is operated by Ride With Us. Carroll Transit Service offers five fixed-deviated routes that were previously operated by CATS, as well as demand-response, door-to-door service.
The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink in nearby Owings Mills, Baltimore County, is a short drive by car from Carroll County and provides subway access to downtown Baltimore. Due to longstanding opposition to mass transit from local residents and politicians, there is no inter-county bus or rail transit linking Carroll County to nearby suburban communities of Baltimore County. Due to a resolution passed by the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, the Carroll Transit System is prohibited from offering bus services into or out of the county. The Baltimore Sun editorial board has condemned Carroll County's "transit phobia" and excoriated the mass transit resolution as "thinly veiled racist provocation." The Baltimore City Paper declared the resolution "racist" and suggested adding toll booths for cars entering Baltimore County from Carroll County.
Education
The Carroll County Public Schools School system is the ninth largest school district in the state of Maryland.
McDaniel College, a small private liberal arts college, is located in Westminster.
Carroll Community College is a two-year community college serving the residents of Carroll County. It is located in Westminster, Maryland.
Media
The newspaper of record is the Carroll County Times. Carroll County has one AM radio station, WTTR, located in Westminster.
Infrastructure
Law enforcement
Law enforcement services for the county are provided by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, Maryland State Police, as well as several municipalities having their own police forces. In addition to providing police services, the Sheriff's Office also acts as an agent of the courts: serving warrants, enforcing child support laws, ensuring courthouse security, transporting prisoners, etc. On October 4, 2007, the County Commissioners voted to create a police department for the county. The police department would handle primary law enforcement duties while the Sheriff's office would continue to act under the arm of the courts. This move would give the Commissioners power to appoint or fire the chief of police instead of having a popularly elected Sheriff being in charge of all law enforcement. This move falls in line with Maryland's more populated counties who have such a dual system of law enforcement (Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Prince George's, Howard and Baltimore Counties), as Carroll County has begun to have a population increase. Municipal departments, such as Westminster Police, would be unaffected by the change.
Family support services
Communities
This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:
Cities
- Westminster (county seat)
- Taneytown
Towns
- Manchester
- Mount Airy (partly in Frederick County)
- New Windsor
- Union Bridge
- Hampstead
- Sykesville
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
- Alesia
- Carrollton
- Carrolltowne
- Detour
- Finksburg
- Frizzelburg
- Gamber
- Gaither
- Greenmount
- Harney
- Henryton
- Jasontown
- Keymar
- Lineboro
- Linwood
- Marriottsville (partly in Howard County and Baltimore County)
- Mayberry
- Middleburg
- Millers
- Patapsco
- Pleasant Valley
- Silver Run
- Union Mills
- Uniontown
- Woodbine (partly in Howard County.)
- Woodstock (partly in Howard County.)
Notable people
- Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner", was born at his family plantation of Terra Rubra, in what is now northwestern Carroll County
- Whittaker Chambers, former communist spy, testified against Alger Hiss
- Isaac Roop, first elected (provisional) governor of the newly proposed Nevada Territory; born in Carroll County
- Kyle Snyder, Olympic, World, NCAA wrestling champion
- Band Half Japanese was founded in Uniontown, Maryland by Jad and David Fair.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Carroll (Maryland) para niños
