Hancock, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hancock, Maryland
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Main Street in Hancock in 2006
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Location of Hancock in Maryland and in Washington County
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Maryland | ||
| County | Washington | ||
| Incorporated | 1853 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 3.00 sq mi (7.78 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2.98 sq mi (7.73 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 564 ft (172 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,557 | ||
| • Density | 521.96/sq mi (201.50/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
21750
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| Area code(s) | 301, 240 | ||
| FIPS code | 24-36600 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 2390229 | ||
Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,557 at the 2020 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state. The north–south distance from the Pennsylvania state line to the West Virginia state line is only 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at Hancock.
History
Prior to the current name, the settlement was named "William's Town" for William McClary. The name Hancock comes from Edward Joseph Hancock, Jr. (July 21, 1758-September 2, 1834), who fought alongside George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Individuals began settling in the area of modern-day Hancock during the 1730s. During the Civil War, on January 5, 1862, General Stonewall Jackson began the siege of the town, but did not succeed due to weather conditions.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.75 square miles (7.12 km2), of which 2.73 square miles (7.07 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) is water.
The state of Maryland narrows to a width of less than two miles (3 km) in the Hancock area—the smallest non-vertex border-to-border distance of any U.S. state.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal passes through the town, and the Western Maryland Rail Trail connects Hancock with Fort Frederick State Park.
Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hancock has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.
| Climate data for Hancock, Maryland | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 76 (24) |
81 (27) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
105 (41) |
102 (39) |
103 (39) |
98 (37) |
86 (30) |
77 (25) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
43 (6) |
54 (12) |
65 (18) |
74 (23) |
82 (28) |
86 (30) |
84 (29) |
78 (26) |
67 (19) |
55 (13) |
44 (7) |
64 (18) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 19 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
30 (−1) |
38 (3) |
47 (8) |
57 (14) |
62 (17) |
60 (16) |
53 (12) |
40 (4) |
32 (0) |
25 (−4) |
41 (5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−14 (−26) |
−4 (−20) |
15 (−9) |
26 (−3) |
33 (1) |
40 (4) |
33 (1) |
25 (−4) |
16 (−9) |
8 (−13) |
−19 (−28) |
−27 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.73 (69) |
2.23 (57) |
3.17 (81) |
3.20 (81) |
4.03 (102) |
3.38 (86) |
3.81 (97) |
3.28 (83) |
3.21 (82) |
3.24 (82) |
3.09 (78) |
2.69 (68) |
38.06 (966) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.7 (25) |
8.1 (21) |
5.2 (13) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.5 (3.8) |
4.3 (11) |
29.2 (74.8) |
Transportation
_in_Hancock,_Washington_County,_Maryland.jpg)
The primary means of travel to and from Hancock is by road. Interstate 70 is the main highway serving the town. I-70 continues east to Baltimore and west to the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh. U.S. Route 40 runs concurrently with I-70 through the town, but just to the northwest, splits with I-70 to follow Interstate 68 westward towards Cumberland. U.S. Route 522 also traverses Hancock, heading northwest with I-70 into Pennsylvania and southward into eastern West Virginia towards Winchester, Virginia. Within the town, Maryland Route 144 serves as a local service route, following Main Street.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 931 | — | |
| 1890 | 815 | −12.5% | |
| 1900 | 824 | 1.1% | |
| 1910 | 893 | 8.4% | |
| 1920 | 972 | 8.8% | |
| 1930 | 947 | −2.6% | |
| 1940 | 940 | −0.7% | |
| 1950 | 963 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 2,004 | 108.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,881 | −6.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,887 | 0.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,926 | 2.1% | |
| 2000 | 1,725 | −10.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,545 | −10.4% | |
| 2020 | 1,557 | 0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,545 people, 694 households, and 407 families living in the town. The population density was 565.9 inhabitants per square mile (218.5/km2). There were 821 housing units at an average density of 300.7 per square mile (116.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 694 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.4% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age in the town was 40.7 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
Notable people
- Robert W. Brady – a Jesuit educator and president of the College of the Holy Cross and Boston College
- Ike Powers – a professional baseball player who played two seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics
- Charles H. Rowland – a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Richard K. Sutherland – U.S. Army Lieutenant general, who served as General Douglas MacArthur's Chief of Staff during World War II
- William Dorsey Swann – first U.S. drag artist and the first American on record who pursued legal and political action to defend the LGBTQ community's right to assemble
See also
In Spanish: Hancock (Maryland) para niños
