Greenbelt, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greenbelt
City
Roosevelt Center in March 2011. The city's commercial center typifies the Art Deco style used during the original construction of Greenbelt.
Flag Seal
Location in Prince George's County and Maryland
Greenbelt, Maryland Location in Maryland
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Prince George's
Incorporated	June 1, 1937 (1937-06-01)
Area
• Total	6.29 sq mi (16.29 km2)
• Land	6.24 sq mi (16.15 km2)
• Water	0.06 sq mi (0.14 km2)  0.99%
Elevation	157 ft (48 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,921
• Density	3,996.95/sq mi (1,543.35/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	20768, 20770–20771
Area codes	301 & 240
FIPS code	24-34775
GNIS feature ID	2390596

Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C.. In 2020, about 24,921 people lived there.

Greenbelt is famous for being the first and largest of the three "Greenbelt Towns." These towns were special projects started by the federal government during the New Deal era. The idea was to create planned communities. The other two towns are Greenhills, Ohio, and Greendale, Wisconsin.

The project began in 1935, led by Rexford Tugwell, who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially started the Resettlement Administration to build these towns. Construction in Greenbelt began on January 13, 1936. The first residents moved in on September 30, 1937. The buildings were designed in cool styles like Art Deco and Streamline Moderne.

Greenbelt is seen as a big step in how cities are planned. It inspired other planned communities near Washington, D.C., like Reston, Virginia, and Columbia, Maryland. The oldest part of the city, called Old Greenbelt, is a National Historic Landmark District. This means it's a very important historical place.

Discovering Greenbelt: Location and Features

Greenbelt is located at Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).. The city covers about 6.24 square miles of land and a small amount of water. Greenbelt has a few different ZIP Codes. The 20770 ZIP Code is for homes and businesses inside the city. The 20768 ZIP Code is for P.O. Box addresses.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is right next to Greenbelt. It uses a Greenbelt postal address (Greenbelt, MD 20768). This important space center is a big part of the area.

Greenbelt Park: A Natural Escape

Greenbelt Park, which is part of the National Park Service, is also within the city's boundaries. It's a great place for outdoor activities.

Winter view of Still Creek in Greenbelt Park

Getting Around Greenbelt: Transportation Options

Greenbelt has important roads and public transportation that connect it to other areas.

Major Roads and Highways

Two big highways run through Greenbelt:

• The Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495) is a major highway that circles Washington, D.C.
• The Baltimore–Washington Parkway (MD 295) is a scenic road that connects Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Part of this parkway in Greenbelt is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Other important roads include Greenbelt Road, which links several nearby communities. Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) also goes through Greenbelt, offering another way to get to Washington, D.C.

I-95/I-495 southbound in Greenbelt

Public Transit Services

Greenbelt is well-connected by public transportation:

• Washington Metro: The Greenbelt station is the last stop on Metro's Green Line. This train system helps people travel throughout Washington, D.C., and its nearby areas.
• MARC Train: This commuter train service also stops at Greenbelt station. It connects Washington, D.C., to Baltimore.
• Metrobus: Various bus routes serve Greenbelt, making it easy to get around the city and to other parts of Prince George's County.
• THE BUS: Prince George's County's own bus service has routes in Greenbelt.
• University of Maryland's Shuttle-UM: This shuttle provides transportation for students and, at times, for Greenbelt residents.
• Greenbelt Connection: The city also runs a small van service for local transportation.

Debut of a next generation WMATA 7000-series rail car at Greenbelt Metro Station

Neighboring Communities of Greenbelt

Greenbelt shares its borders with several other areas:

• Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
• Berwyn Heights
• College Park
• Goddard
• Lanham
• New Carrollton
• Glenn Dale

Scenic entry to the Nation's Capital: The Baltimore–Washington Parkway

Greenbelt's Story: A Planned Community's History

Greenbelt was founded on September 30, 1937. It was created as a public cooperative community during the New Deal era. The main goal was to build an "ideal" community that would also help with the housing shortage near Washington, D.C. Building the town also created many jobs, which helped the country recover from the Great Depression.

The Vision of the Greenbelt Towns

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's advisor, Rexford Tugwell, came up with the idea for Greenbelt and two other Greenbelt Towns in 1935. These towns were designed to provide affordable housing for federal government workers. The United States Congress passed a law in April 1935 to fund these projects. Then, President Roosevelt created the Resettlement Administration in May 1935, with Rexford Tugwell as its leader.

The other Greenbelt Towns are Greendale, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee) and Greenhills, Ohio (near Cincinnati). A fourth town, Roosevelt, New Jersey, was also planned.

Eleanor Roosevelt's Involvement

Eleanor Roosevelt, President Roosevelt's wife, helped plan the Maryland town. She was very involved in creating cooperative communities. In Greenbelt, this cooperative spirit led to:

• The Greenbelt News Review (a local newspaper)
• The Greenbelt Consumers Coop grocery store
• The New Deal Cafe
• Greenbelt Homes Incorporated (GHI), which manages the original housing.

Community Planning and Evolution

The way Greenbelt was planned was very new and different. People who wanted to live there were interviewed. The community aimed to create a specific type of living environment. Over time, Greenbelt became more diverse. The historic part of the city, planned by the federal government, is now part of the Greenbelt Historic District.

Greenbelt was even featured in a 1939 documentary film called The City.

Greenbelt's People: Demographics

Greenbelt's population has grown over the years.

Population in 2020

In 2020, Greenbelt had 24,921 people. Here's a look at the different groups living in the city:

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were about 23,068 people living in Greenbelt. There were 9,747 households. About 31% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 33.7 years. About 22.8% of residents were under 18.

Greenbelt Historic District: A Look Back in Time

The original, planned part of Greenbelt is called the Greenbelt Historic District. It was recognized as a historic place in 1980 and became a National Historic Landmark District in 1997.

Roosevelt Center: The Heart of Old Greenbelt

The district includes Roosevelt Center. This center was originally called The Center. It was later renamed to honor President Roosevelt. Roosevelt Center has:

• The Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy, which opened in 1984.
• The historic Old Greenbelt Theatre, which opened in 1938.
• The Greenbelt Arts Center, located where a bowling alley used to be.
• The New Deal Cafe, named after the New Deal era when the city was founded.

Both the Co-op and the New Deal Cafe are non-profit cooperative businesses. This means they are owned and run by their members.

The Old Greenbelt Theatre in 2020. It opened on September 21, 1938, showing the film Little Miss Broadway.

Learning in Greenbelt: Schools and Libraries

Greenbelt's schools are part of Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS).

Elementary Schools

There are three public elementary schools that serve different parts of Greenbelt:

• Greenbelt Elementary School
• Magnolia Elementary School
• Springhill Lake Elementary School

Middle School

All of Greenbelt is served by Greenbelt Middle School. This school has a special program for talented and gifted students.

Greenbelt Middle School

High School

Students from Greenbelt attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School. This high school offers a Science and Technology magnet program.

Specialty School

There is also a public magnet school called Dora Kennedy French Immersion School. It teaches students from kindergarten to 8th grade using the French language.

Public Libraries

Greenbelt has its own library branch, the Greenbelt Branch of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System.

Notable People from Greenbelt

Many interesting people have lived in Greenbelt, including:

• Isaiah Prince, an offensive lineman for the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Phyllis Richman, a restaurant critic for The Washington Post.
• Rosa Salazar, an actor.
• Joe Pug, a musician.

Greenbelt's Economy: Jobs and Growth

Greenbelt has a strong economy with many different employers.

Top Employers in Greenbelt

Here are some of the top employers in the city:

Note: This list does not include the US Federal Government, which is a very large employer in the area, including NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Future Growth: The FBI Headquarters

In late 2023, it was announced that the FBI will be moving its main offices to Greenbelt. This is a huge project that will bring 7,500 staff members to the city. This new complex will be built near the Metro station, and more development is planned around it.

Images for kids

• 

  Lenore Thomas Straus panel, Community Center

• 

  The Greenbelt Museum

• 

  Albert S. "Buddy" Attick Lake Park

• 

  Grade-separated pedestrian path

• 

  Extensive pedestrian pathway system connects residences

• 

  Art Deco apartments

See also

In Spanish: Greenbelt (Maryland) para niños