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Clinton, Maryland
Census-designated place
The Surratt House in 2006
The Surratt House in 2006
Location of Clinton, Maryland
Location of Clinton, Maryland
Country  United States
State  Maryland
County Prince George's
Area
 • Total 25.09 sq mi (64.99 km2)
 • Land 25.02 sq mi (64.79 km2)
 • Water 0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
249 ft (76 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 38,760
 • Density 1,549.35/sq mi (598.21/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
20735
Area code(s) 301, 240
FIPS code 24-17900
GNIS feature ID 0597253

Clinton is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the Civil War. The population of Clinton was 38,760 at the 2020 census. Clinton is historically known for its role in the American Civil War concerning the Abraham Lincoln assassination. Clinton is adjacent to Camp Springs, Rosaryville, Melwood, and Andrews Air Force Base.

Geography

Clinton is located at 38°45′49″N 76°53′44″W / 38.76361°N 76.89556°W / 38.76361; -76.89556 (38.763711, −76.895458). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 25.1 square miles (64.9 km2), of which 25.0 square miles (64.7 km2) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km2), or 0.31%, is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1980 16,438 —
1990 19,987 21.6%
2000 26,064 30.4%
2010 35,970 38.0%
2020 38,760 7.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010 2020

2020 census

Clinton CDP, Maryland – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 3,508 2,286 9.75% 5.90%
Black or African American alone (NH) 28,784 29,916 80.02% 77.18%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 103 99 0.29% 0.26%
Asian alone (NH) 903 958 2.51% 2.47%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 11 9 0.03% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 57 259 0.16% 0.67%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 739 1,258 2.05% 3.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,865 3,975 5.18% 10.26%
Total 35,970 38,760 100.00% 100.00%

History

See also: Mary Surratt § Married life

Clinton was founded in the 1770s. The town, then named Surratt's Villa, was actually a simple crossroads with a few buildings. In the 1800s, it became known as Surrattsville. The main building served as the post office, an inn and tavern, and a polling place. This main residence was one of two properties owned by the widowed Mary Surratt; the second property was in Washington, D.C.

On 14 and 15 April 1865, John Wilkes Booth, who had two hours earlier assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, stopped by the Surrattsville tavern to pick up weapons and supplies. The U.S. government alleged that Mary Surratt had gone there earlier with these supplies, and was in collusion with the conspirators, one of whom was her son, John Surratt. Because she was found guilty of complicity in the Lincoln assassination, Mary Surratt was hanged at the Capitol Prison in Washington D.C., on 7 July 1865. (Her house is now the Surratt House Museum, with a focus on the assassination.) The U.S. Post Office renamed the town Robeystown, due to the notoriety of the Surratt name, and in keeping with naming towns after the postmaster.

In 1879, Robeystown was renamed Clinton. The local high school, however, retains the name of Surrattsville, and some locals continue, in common usage, to call the town "Surattsville".

The Wyoming house, a historic frame house built in three phases between the 18th and early 19th centuries, is also a part of Clinton's history. The house consists of a main block with gambrel roof (late 18th century), kitchen (c. 1800), and connecting block (c. 1850). The Wyoming house is listed in the Maryland Inventory of Historical Properties and the Historic American Buildings Survey.

In 1913, Blossie Keubeth Miller founded a general store at the town's main intersection. The current commercial property, built in the 1950s, houses a liquor store and is still owned by the Miller family.

Clinton has mostly single-family housing, but includes a few townhouse developments and one retirement mid-rise. Southern Maryland Regional Hospital is in Clinton, as is a private airfield. Louise F. Cosca Regional Park, a public facility operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, offers camping, hiking, fishing in a lake, an excellent playground, and a nature museum with nature activities. Clinton boasts a major shopping complex as well, and has a large fringe parking lot nearby where Metro buses take passengers a few miles to the Branch Avenue station of the Washington Metrorail system. Clinton is also home to the James O. Hall Research Center which is located on the premises of the Surratts House.

Major local growth began in the 1950s, spurred partly by the expansion of adjacent Andrews Air Force Base, home of the Air Force Systems Command and the President's plane Air Force One.

Yuri Nosenko a KGB defector, was confined and interrogated at a safehouse in Clinton from April 4, 1964 to August 13, 1965.

A movie titled The Photon Effect was filmed in the town and also in Baltimore. A movie titled Safehouse was filmed in Clinton in 2007. Among the actors who flew out from Los Angeles to act in the film was Luke Barnett, who grew up in Clinton and graduated from Grace Brethren Christian School in 2000.

Education

In the 2016 budget, Clinton schools spent approximately $14,000 per student.

By average, there are 18 pupils per teacher, 789 students per librarian, and 431 children per counselor in Clinton (zip 20735), MD schools.

Primary and secondary schools

Prince George's County Public Schools operates public schools serving the census-designated place. The CDP is served by the following schools:

Elementary:

  • Clinton Grove Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
  • James Ryder Randall Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
  • Waldon Woods Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
  • Francis T. Evans Elementary School - Adjacent to the Clinton CDP in the Andrews AFB CDP
  • Melwood Elementary School
  • Rose Valley Elementary School
  • Tayac Elementary School

Middle:

  • Stephen Decatur Middle School - in the Clinton CDP
  • James Madison Middle School
  • Gwynn Park Middle School
  • Isaac J. Gourdine Middle School

High:

  • Surrattsville High School - in the Clinton CDP
  • Frederick Douglass High School
  • Gwynn Park High School
  • Dr. Henry A. Wise High School
  • Friendly High School

Other:

  • Tanglewood Regional

Private schools

  • Clinton Christian School
  • Grace Brethren Christian Church and School
  • Henson Valley Academy
  • Independent Baptist Academy
  • Jabez Christian Academy
  • Outreach Christian Center Academy
  • St. John the Evangelist School
  • St. Mary's of Piscataway Catholic School and Church

Public libraries

The Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates the Surratts-Clinton Branch in Clinton.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Clinton (Maryland) para niños

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