National Harbor, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
National Harbor
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National Harbor in September 2021
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 National Harbor
Location in Maryland
National Harbor
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Maryland |
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| County |  Prince George's |
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| Unincorporated area | Oxon Hill | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1.67 sq mi (4.32 km2) | ||
| • Land | 1.27 sq mi (3.30 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.40 sq mi (1.02 km2) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,509 | ||
| • Density | 4,327.57/sq mi (1,671.28/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP Code |
20745
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| Area code(s) | 301, 240 | ||
| FIPS code | 24-55018 | ||
| GNIS ID locale/CDP | 2426650/2583665 | ||
National Harbor is a special area in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a community that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. National Harbor is located right by the Potomac River, close to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and just south of Washington, D.C.. It started as a large, 300-acre project with many different things to do, all along the waterfront. In 2020, about 5,509 people lived there.
National Harbor is a very popular place to visit in the United States. More than 28 million people come to see it every year!
Contents
How National Harbor Started
The Land's Past and New Plans
The land where National Harbor now stands used to be a large farm called Salubria Plantation. A doctor named John H. Bayne built the main house there in 1827. The plantation house burned down in 1981. After that, the land was put up for sale.
In 1984, the land was sold. By 1994, new plans were made to build a mixed-use development there. This means a place with homes, shops, and entertainment. In 1997, government groups approved the plans for this big project.
Building National Harbor caused some arguments because of its impact on the environment. The Sierra Club, a group that protects nature, worried that the project would stop the Potomac Heritage Trail from being finished. There were also problems with sewage going into the Potomac River in 2008. In 2006, plans to build a Target store where old slave quarters stood were stopped.
Building the New Community
The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is a very large hotel and convention center. It opened at National Harbor on April 1, 2008. Milton Peterson's Peterson Companies developed the area. The project was expected to cost over $2 billion and take many years to build. By April 2016, construction was still going on, and the cost had reached $4 billion.
In 2010, National Harbor was officially named a census-designated place. This helped keep track of its growing population.
At one point, The Walt Disney Company planned to build a new hotel here. However, they decided not to in November 2011. In the same year, a local group suggested saving the old plantation building. They wanted it to be part of a historical walking trail.
A National Children's Museum location opened in December 2012. But it closed in January 2015 to move back to Washington, D.C. Now, a company called Local Motors is in that spot.
On November 29, 2012, work began on a Tanger Outlets shopping center. It opened in November 2013, about a mile east of the waterfront. The Capital Wheel, a giant ferris wheel, started operating in mid-2014.
An MGM casino, called MGM National Harbor, opened on December 8, 2016. This happened after people voted to allow more gambling in the state. The casino was built about a mile northeast of the waterfront.
On January 12, 2015, Peterson Companies announced that Local Motors would open a location in National Harbor. On June 17, 2016, Local Motors opened its doors. They showed off a new vehicle called Olli. Their facility has a showroom, fun STEM labs for kids, and company merchandise.
On October 21, 2023, a museum called Titanic: The Exhibition opened. It shows sculptures, models, and items from the RMS Titanic, the famous ship that sank in 1912.
What Can You Do at National Harbor?
National Harbor has many exciting things to see and do. There's a big convention center, six hotels, lots of restaurants, shops, and apartments. It has hosted Cirque du Soleil shows several times.
You can also enjoy outdoor activities like a food festival and concerts by military bands. There's an outdoor movie screen that faces the river. Every year, there's an ice sculpture show and a "Peeps Day" with a Peeps eating contest. The national spelling bee competition is also held here.
The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center is huge, with 2,000 rooms. It's the biggest hotel between New Jersey and Florida. You can walk along the beachfront path or connect to a bike trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. This bridge crosses into Alexandria, Virginia.
For fun, there's a children's carousel and the Capital Wheel. This is a 175-foot Ferris wheel on a pier that goes out into the Potomac River. You can also find a fast food restaurant and a gas station near the entrances to National Harbor.
In December 2016, MGM Resorts opened MGM National Harbor. This includes a 300-room hotel and a large casino area. It also has stores, a spa, restaurants, a 1,200-seat theater, and a big convention space.
Who Lives in National Harbor?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2010 | 3,788 | — | |
| 2020 | 5,509 | 45.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 |
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National Harbor first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. Census. It was created from part of the Fort Washington CDP.
Population in 2020
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 496 | 813 | 13.09% | 14.76% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,411 | 2,984 | 63.65% | 54.17% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 4 | 6 | 0.11% | 0.11% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 409 | 437 | 10.80% | 7.93% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 2 | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 17 | 59 | 0.45% | 1.07% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 93 | 226 | 2.46% | 4.10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 356 | 982 | 9.40% | 17.83% |
| Total | 3,788 | 5,509 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
In 2010, there were 3,788 people living in National Harbor. There were 1,598 households and 868 families. Before the MGM Casino opened in 2016, about 7,000 people worked at National Harbor.
Where is National Harbor Located?
According to the United States Census Bureau, National Harbor covers about 4.8 square kilometers (1.85 square miles). Most of this is land, but about 1.0 square kilometer (0.4 square miles) is water from the Potomac River. The main development area itself is 300 acres.
How to Get There
The only ways to drive into or out of National Harbor are through several ramps. These ramps connect to major roads like Interstate 95/495 (the Capital Beltway), Interstate 295, and Oxon Hill Road. If you're coming from Indian Head Highway, you can use the Oxon Hill Road exits. In 2007, the state spent over $500 million to improve these roads. This was to handle the many cars expected to come to National Harbor every day.
You can also take a water taxi from National Harbor to Alexandria, Virginia. The Potomac Riverboat Company runs this service. The city of Alexandria also has shuttles from the water taxi stop to the King Street–Old Town station.
Future Metro Service Ideas
Some people thought National Harbor was hard to reach by the Washington Metro, which is the area's train system. However, local groups agreed to drop a lawsuit against the developer. In return, the developer promised to invest more in the community and improve access to public transportation.
The new Woodrow Wilson Bridge was built to allow for a future Washington Metro line. But there are no plans right now to extend the train over the bridge. Instead, Maryland pays the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to run the NH1 bus line. This bus goes to National Harbor from the Southern Avenue Metro station.
In 2008, the Gaylord National Resort asked the state for more bus service. This was because employees found it hard to get to National Harbor. In 2011, Metro started thinking about extending the Green Line to National Harbor. The NH2 bus line began running across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in 2016. It connects to the King Street–Old Town station.
In September 2021, a report suggested changing the Blue Line into a circle line. This would extend it to National Harbor and Alexandria, Virginia. NBC4 Washington also reported on this idea in December 2022. This proposed Blue Line loop could help with crowding at the Rosslyn station.
Schools in National Harbor
National Harbor is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools district.
The schools that serve children in National Harbor include Fort Foote Elementary School, Oxon Hill Middle School, and Oxon Hill High School.
Images for kids
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Aerial View of National Harbor at twilight
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Aerial View of National Harbor
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The Awakening, an unusual sculpture in National Harbor
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Capital Wheel at night
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Peeps store
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A Christmas Tree in National Harbor in 2011
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National Harbor stores and restaurants
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Aerial view of the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center
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Panorama of National Harbor
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An aerial view of National Harbor in 2012 with Alexandria, Virginia (on left), the Wilson Bridge crossing the Potomac River to Maryland (in center), the Anacostia Freeway extending north to Washington, D.C. from National Harbor (on top), and the casino site (the rectangular area east of the interchange)
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See also
In Spanish: National Harbor para niños
