Prince George's County, Maryland facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Prince George's County" redirects here. For the locale in Virginia, see Prince George County, Virginia.

Quick facts for kids

Prince George's County

County

Prince George's County, Maryland,

Clockwise: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, McKeldin Mall at University of Maryland, College Park, Greenbelt Park, Fort Washington Park, National Harbor.

Flag	Seal
Logo

Nickname(s):

"PG County", "P.G."

Motto(s):

"Semper Eadem" (English: "Ever the Same")

Location within the U.S. state of Maryland

Maryland's location within the U.S.

Country

United States

State

Maryland

Founded

April 23, 1696

Named for

Prince George of Denmark

Seat

Upper Marlboro

Largest city

Bowie

Area

• Total

499 sq mi (1,290 km²)

• Land

483 sq mi (1,250 km²)

• Water

16 sq mi (40 km²) 3.2%

Population

(2020)

• Total

967,201

• Density

1,900/sq mi (700/km²)

Demonym(s)

Prince Georgian

Time zone

UTC−5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

ZIP Codes

20607–20774

Area code

240, 301

Congressional districts

4th, 5th, 8th

Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it the second-most populous county in Maryland, behind neighboring Montgomery County. The 2020 census counted an increase of nearly 104,000 in the previous ten years. Its county seat is Upper Marlboro. It is the largest and the second most affluent African American-majority county in the United States, with five of its communities identified in a 2015 top ten list. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state.

Prince George's County is included in the Washington metropolitan area. The county also hosts many federal governmental facilities, such as Joint Base Andrews and the United States Census Bureau headquarters.

Etymology

The official name of the county, as specified in the county's charter, is "Prince George's County, Maryland". The county is named after Prince George of Denmark (1653–1708), the consort of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, and the brother of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway. The county's demonym is Prince Georgian, and its motto is Semper Eadem (English: "Ever the Same"), a phrase used by Queen Anne. Prince George's County is frequently referred to as "PG" or "PG County", an abbreviation which is the subject of debate, some residents viewing it as a pejorative and others holding neutral feelings toward the term or even preferring the abbreviation over the full name.

History

The flag of Prince George's County, from 1696 to 1963.

The official seal of Prince George's County, from 1958 to 1971. Note the lack of apostrophe in "GEORGES" and the spelling of "county" as "COVNTY".

The Cretaceous Era brought dinosaurs to the area that left fossils now preserved in a 7.5-acre (3.0 ha) park in Laurel. The site, which among other finds has yielded fossilized teeth from Astrodon and Priconodon species, has been called the most prolific in the eastern United States.

In the mid to late Holocene era, the area was occupied by Paleo-Native Americans and then, later, Native Americans. When the first European settlers arrived, what is now Prince George's County was inhabited by people of the Piscataway Indian Nation. Three branches of the tribe are still living today, two of which are headquartered in Prince George's County.

17th century

Prince George's County was created by the English Council of Maryland in the Province of Maryland in April 1696 from portions of Charles and Calvert counties. The county was divided into six districts referred to as "Hundreds": Mattapany, Petuxant, Collington, Mount Calvert, Piscattoway and New Scotland.

18th century

A portion was detached in 1748 to form Frederick County. Because Frederick County was subsequently divided to form the present Allegany, Garrett, Montgomery, and Washington counties, all of these counties in addition were derived from what had up to 1748 been Prince George's County.

In 1791, portions of Prince George's County were ceded to form the new District of Columbia (along with portions of Montgomery County, Maryland and parts of Northern Virginia that were later returned to Virginia).

19th century

During the War of 1812, the British marched through the county by way of Bladensburg to burn the White House. On their return, they kidnapped a prominent doctor, William Beanes. Lawyer Francis Scott Key was asked to negotiate for his release, which resulted in his writing "The Star-Spangled Banner".

Prince George's County had the highest population of slaves within the state of Maryland. These enslaved Africans engaged in forced labor on tobacco farms and plantations throughout Prince George's County.

During the Civil War, hundreds of enslaved black men in Prince George's County were given freedom in exchange for joining the Union Army and fighting in Colored units against Confederate Forces. When Abraham Lincoln ordered the end of slavery in America, he did not free the slaves in Maryland because he was concerned that slave owning Maryland would revolt and Washington D.C. would then be surrounded by Confederate forces. However John Pendleton Kennedy, a Maryland politician who became an abolitionist after watching a speech by Frederick Douglass, led a referendum campaign to end slavery in the state. In 1864, the citizens of Maryland voted to end slavery. However the state was so divided that the referendum won by only 1,000 votes. Lincoln then ordered the Union Army to enforce the ban in Maryland and all enslaved people in the state were freed.

After the Civil War, many African Americans attempted to become part of Maryland politics, but were met with violent repression after the fall of Reconstruction.

In April 1865, John Wilkes Booth made his escape through Prince George's County while en route to Virginia after killing President Abraham Lincoln.

20th century

The proportion of African Americans declined during the first half of the 20th century, but was renewed to over 50% in the early 1990s when the county again became majority African American. The first African American County Executive was Wayne K. Curry, elected in 1994.

On July 1, 1997, the Prince George's County section of the city of Takoma Park, which straddled the boundary between Prince George's and Montgomery counties, was transferred to Montgomery County. This was done after city residents voted in a referendum to be under the sole jurisdiction of Montgomery County, and subsequent approval by both counties and the Maryland General Assembly. This was the first change in Montgomery/Prince George's County line boundaries since 1968, when the City of Laurel was unified in Prince George's County; additional legislation was proposed in 1990 for a technical correction, though may not have achieved enactment.

21st century

The county's population nearly reached one million residents in the 2020 census. It is the largest and highest-income black-majority county in the United States. Hispanic residents grew in number to 21% of the total population.

The county experienced a dramatic drop in crime, including record drops in violent crime, although in 2021 and 2022, violent crime increased by 30%. From 2020 to mid-2022 over 2,200 residents died of COVID-19, over 19,000 county residents were left with long-term post-COVID symptoms and over 193,000 COVID infections had been recorded.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 499 square miles (1,290 km²), of which 483 square miles (1,250 km²) is land and 16 square miles (41 km²) (3.2%) is water.

Prince George's County lies in the Atlantic coastal plain, and its landscape is characterized by gently rolling hills and valleys. Along its western border with Montgomery County, Adelphi, Calverton and West Laurel rise into the piedmont, exceeding 300 feet (91 m) in elevation.

The Patuxent River forms the county's eastern border with Howard, Anne Arundel, Charles and Calvert counties.

Regions

The five regions of Prince George's County.
     = North County
     = Central County
     = Rural Tier
     = Inner Beltway
     = South County

Terrain, culture, and demographics differ significantly by location within the county. There are five key regions to Prince George's County: North County, Central County, the Rural Tier, the Inner Beltway, and South County. These regions are not formally defined, however, and the terms used to describe each area can vary greatly. In the broadest terms, the county is generally divided into North County and South County with U.S. Route 50 serving as the dividing line.

Southern Prince George's County is also considered to be a part of the Southern Maryland region.

North County

Northern Prince George's County includes Laurel, Beltsville, Adelphi, College Park and Greenbelt. This area of the county is anchored by the Capital Beltway and the Baltimore–Washington Parkway. Laurel is experiencing a population boom with the construction of the Inter-County Connector. The key employers in this region are the University of Maryland, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, and NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. Areas of geographic distinction include Greenbelt Park, a wooded reserve adjacent to the planned environmental community of Greenbelt, and University Park, a collection of historic homes adjacent to the University of Maryland. Riversdale Mansion, along with the historic homes of Berwyn Heights, Mt. Rainier and Hyattsville, along with Langley Park are also located in this area. Lake Artemesia and the surrounding park were constructed during the completion of the Washington Metro Green Line, and it incorporates a stocked fishing lake and serves as the trail-head for an extensive Anacostia Tributary Trails system that runs along the Anacostia River and its tributaries. The south and central tracts of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center also lie in this part of the county; the north tract lies north of the Patuxent River in Anne Arundel County.

Central County

Central County, located on the eastern outskirts of the Capital Beltway, consists of Mitchellville, Woodmore, Greater Upper Marlboro, Springdale, Largo, and Bowie. According to the 2010 census, it has generally been the fastest growing region of the county. Mitchellville is named for a wealthy African American family, the Mitchells, who owned a large portion of land in this area of the county. Central Avenue, a major exit off the I-95 beltway, running east to west, is one of two main roads in this portion of the county. The other major roadway is Old Crain Highway, which runs north to south along the eastern portion of the county. The Newton White Mansion on the grounds is a popular site for weddings and political events. Bowie State University and Prince George's Community College are in the Central region.

Inner Beltway

The inner beltway communities of Capitol Heights, District Heights, Fairmont Heights, Forestville, Suitland, and Seat Pleasant border the neighboring District of Columbia's northeastern and southeastern quadrants. The area has easy access to Metro's blue line, commercial centers, Maryland Route 214, Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway). Protected bike trails connect residents to the Bladensburg waterfront, Kenilworth parks, and downtown D.C. Fairmont Heights is the second oldest African-American-majority municipality in Prince George's County. The Fairmount Heights Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

Bowie is best known as a planned Levittown. William Levitt in the 1960s built traditional homes, as well as California contemporaries along U.S. Route 50, the key highway to the eastern shore and the state capital of Annapolis. Bowie has currently grown to be the largest city in Prince George's County, with more than 50,000 people. It also has a large Caucasian population, compared to much of the county (48% of the population). Housing styles vary from the most contemporary to century-old homes in Bowie's antique district (formerly known as Huntingtown), where the town of Bowie began as a haven for thoroughbred horse racing. Areas of geographic distinction include the Oden Bowie Mansion, Allen Pond, key segments of the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail, as well as planned parks, lakes and walking trails.

Rural Tier

Prince George's rural tier was designated "in the 2002 General Plan as an area where residential growth would be minimal"; it may be found in the area well beyond the Beltway to the east and south of central county, bounded on the north by U.S. Route 50, the west by the communities Accokeek and Fort Washington, and the east by the Patuxent River. Prince George's origins are in this part of the county. Most of this area contains the unincorporated parishes, villages and lost towns of Prince George's County. Largely under postal designations of "Upper Marlboro" or "Brandywine", in truth the town of Upper Marlboro is more central county in character, though it is the post office location for various rural settlements. (The names of these unincorporated areas are listed below in the towns section of this article). Since 1721 Upper Marlboro has been the county seat of government, with families that trace their lineage back to Prince George's initial land grants and earliest governing officials. Names like Clagett, Sasscer, King James and Queen Anne pepper the streets.

The rural tier has been the focus of orchestrated efforts by residents and county government to preserve its rural character and environmental integrity. Under the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Patuxent River Park is the largest natural preserve and provides public access for birdwatching and viewing the rural tier's natural waterfront vistas. In season, the park's Jug Bay Natural Area and the Patuxent Riverkeeper in Queen Anne both offer canoeing and kayaking rentals on the Patuxent. The county's largest collection of tobacco planter mansions and preserved homes are in the rural tier, some managed by the M-NCPPC. Many rural tier roads have scenic highway preservation status; a fall drive yields exceptional beauty along the Patuxent valley's Leeland Road, Croom Road, Clagett's Landing Rd., Mill Branch Rd., Queen Anne Rd., and Brandywine Rd. Walking access along roads in this area is very limited, because most property along the roads remains in private ownership. However, walking is much more accessible in the widespread M-NCPPC lands and trails and state holdings in the Patuxent valley, such as Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and Rosaryville State Park, both popular among hikers and mountain bikers.

South County

South County is a blend of the greenery of the rural tier and the new development of central county. The communities of Clinton, Oxon Hill, Temple Hills and Fort Washington are the largest areas of south county. It is the only portion of Prince George's County to enjoy the Potomac River waterfront, and that geographic distinction has yielded the rise of the National Harbor project: a town center and riverside shopping and living development on the Potomac. The National Harbor, and its associated entertainment (MGM National Harbor) and shopping (Tanger Outlets) districts, have become a major tourist and convention attraction, with significant hotel accommodations, eateries and shopping. Together, these projects were built on land formerly occupied by the Salubria plantation, where a 14-year-old slave girl poisoned her owner, John H. Bayne, and his family in 1831. Water taxi service connects National Harbor to other destinations along the Potomac. Several historic sites, including Jones Point Lighthouse, can be viewed from the harbor front. Piscataway Park in Accokeek preserves many acres of woodland and wetlands along the Potomac River opposite Mount Vernon, Virginia. River Road in Fort Washington also yields great views of the Potomac. Fort Washington Park was a major battery and gives access to the public for tours of the fort, scenic access to the river and other picnic grounds. Oxon Hill Manor offers a working farm and plantation mansion for touring; His Lordship's Kindness is another major historic home. Also, Fort Foote is an old American Civil War fort and tourist destination.

Adjacent counties and independent cities

Anne Arundel County (east)
Calvert County (southeast)
Charles County (south)
Howard County (north)
Montgomery County (northwest)
Fairfax County, Virginia (southwest)
Alexandria, Virginia (southwest)
Washington, D.C. (west)

Prince George's and Montgomery Counties share a bi-county planning and parks agency in the M-NCPPC and a public bi-county water and sewer utility in the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

National protected areas

Fort Washington Park
Greenbelt Park
Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge (part)
Piscataway Park
Cedarville State Forest (whose main entrance is in Prince George's County)

Transportation

I-95 South at MD Route 200

The County contains a 28-mile portion of the 65-mile-long Capital Beltway. After a decades-long debate, an east–west toll freeway, the Intercounty Connector ("ICC"), which extends Interstate 370 in Montgomery County to connect I-270 with Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 in Laurel, opened in 2012. An 11.5-mile portion of the 32.5-mile-long Baltimore–Washington Parkway runs from the county's border with Washington, D.C., to its border with Anne Arundel County near Laurel.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority operates Metrobus fixed-route bus service and Metrorail heavy-rail passenger service in and out of the county as well as the regional MetroAccess paratransit system for the handicapped. The Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation also operates TheBus, a County-wide fixed-route bus system, and the Call-A-Bus service for passengers who do not have access to or have difficulty using fixed-route bus service. Call-A-Bus is a demand-response service which generally requires 14-days advance reservations. The county also offers a subsidized taxicab service for elderly and disabled residents called Call-A-Cab in which eligible customers who sign up for the service purchase coupons giving them a 50 percent discount with participating taxicab companies in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties.

Mass transit

Washington Metro's Purple Line

Prince George's County Metro Rail

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has fifteen stations of the Washington Metro system located in Prince George's County, with four of them as terminus stations: Greenbelt, New Carrollton, Largo, and Branch Avenue. The Purple Line, which would link highly developed areas of both Montgomery and Prince George's Counties is currently under-construction and slated to open in 2026. The Purple Line will provide connections to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's Red Line (Washington Metro) via Northern Prince George's County and Montgomery County. The Orange Line (Washington Metro) and MARC Train's Penn Line will have transfer points at New Carrollton station.

Prince George's County Commuter Rail

The MARC Train (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) train service has two lines that traverse Prince George's County. The Camden Line, which runs between Baltimore Camden Station and Washington Union Station and has six stops in the county at Riverdale, College Park, Greenbelt, Muirkirk, Laurel and Laurel Race Track. The Penn Line runs on the Amtrak route between Pennsylvania and Washington Union stations. It has three stops in the county: Bowie State, Seabrook and New Carrollton.

Airports

The College Park Airport (CGS), established in 1909, is the world's oldest continuously operated airport and is home to the adjacent College Park Aviation Museum.

Privately owned general aviation airfields in the county include Freeway Airport (W00) in Mitchellville, Potomac Airfield (VKX) in Friendly, and private heliports.

The area is served by three airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington County, Virginia, Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) in neighboring Anne Arundel County, and Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Dulles, Virginia.

Andrews Air Force Base (ADW), the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, is also near Camp Springs.

Water taxi

Prince George's County is served by a water taxi that operates from the National Harbor to Alexandria, Virginia and to The Wharf in Washington, D.C.

Major highways

I-95/I-495 North entering Prince George's County from Virginia

I-95
I-295
I-495 / Capital Beltway
I-595 / US 50
US 1
US 1 Alt.
US 301
MD 3
MD 4
MD 5
MD 197
MD 198
MD 200 Toll
MD 201
MD 202
MD 210
MD 214
MD 228
MD 295
MD 410
MD 431
MD 433
MD 450
MD 500
MD 501

Future transit

Because of its location north and east of Washington, D.C., several future transit technology projects look to be routed partially through Prince George's County. The first stage of The Boring Company's proposed Washington-to-New York hyperloop will travel beneath the Baltimore–Washington Parkway through Prince George's en route to Baltimore. No hyperloop stops within the county are projected. Similarly, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has supported efforts to trial a 40-mile superconducting maglev (SCMaglev) train route connecting Washington to Baltimore. Proposed routes would run through Prince George's parallel to the Baltimore–Washington Parkway or along the Amtrak Penn Line corridor. As with the hyperloop, no SCMaglev stop is planned within Prince George's County. The Purple Line light transit rail is currently in construction in College Park and New Carrollton.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	21,344	—
1800	21,175	−0.8%
1810	20,589	−2.8%
1820	20,216	−1.8%
1830	20,474	1.3%
1840	19,539	−4.6%
1850	21,549	10.3%
1860	23,327	8.3%
1870	21,138	−9.4%
1880	26,451	25.1%
1890	26,080	−1.4%
1900	29,898	14.6%
1910	36,147	20.9%
1920	43,347	19.9%
1930	60,095	38.6%
1940	89,490	48.9%
1950	194,182	117.0%
1960	357,395	84.1%
1970	660,567	84.8%
1980	665,071	0.7%
1990	729,268	9.7%
2000	801,515	9.9%
2010	863,420	7.7%
2020	967,201	12.0%
2023 (est.)	947,430	9.7%
=U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

**Prince George's County, 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 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	194,836	128,853	109,060	24.31%	14.92%	11.28%
Black or African American alone (NH)	498,301	548,439	571,866	62.17%	63.52%	59.13%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	2,274	2,156	1,887	0.28%	0.25%	0.20%
Asian alone (NH)	30,803	34,815	41,436	3.84%	4.03%	4.28%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	318	330	335	0.04%	0.04%	0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	1,706	2,167	5,746	0.21%	0.25%	0.59%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH)	16,220	17,688	31,408	2.02%	2.05%	3.25%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	57,057	128,972	205,463	7.12%	14.94%	21.24%
Total	801,515	863,420	967,201	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The Hispanic population continues to grow in the county with several cities and CDPs reaching a Latino majority (Adelphi, Brentwood, Chillum, East Riverdale, Langley Park, Landover Hills, Woodlawn).

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 863,420 people, 304,042 households, and 203,520 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,788.8 inhabitants per square mile (690.7/km²). There were 328,182 housing units at an average density of 679.9 per square mile (262.5/km²). The racial and ancestral makeup of the county was:

64.5% black or African American (1.9% Nigerian, 1.5% Jamaican, 0.5% Ethiopian)
14.9% White (3.3% German, 3% Irish, 2% English, 1.5% Italian, 0.7% Polish)
0.5% American Indian
14.9% Hispanic or Latino (any race) (7.67% Salvadoran, 2.52% Mexican, 2.19% Guatemalan, 0.92% Honduran, 0.66% Puerto Rican, 0.56% Dominican)
4.1% Asian (1.08% Filipino, 0.9% Indian, 0.79% Chinese, 0.35% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.26% Pakistani, 0.14% Bangladeshi)
0.1% Pacific islander
8.5% from other races
3.2% from two or more races.

Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 14.9% of the population, an equal percentage to Whites of indeterminate origin. In terms of ancestry, 6.5% were Subsaharan African, and 2.0% were American.

Of the 304,042 households, 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 20.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.1% were non-families, and 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.31. The median age was 34.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $71,260 and the median income for a family was $82,580. Males had a median income of $49,471 versus $49,478 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,215. About 5.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Educational

"30.1% of all residents over the age of 25 had graduated from college and obtained a bachelor's degree (17.8%) or professional degree (12.2%). 86.2% of all residents over the age of 25 were high school graduates or higher."

Religion

Prince George's County is relatively religious compared to the rest of Maryland, hosting more than 800 churches, including 12 megachurches, as well as a number of mosques, synagogues, and Hindu and Buddhist temples. Property belonging to religious entities makes up 3,450 acres (14.0 km²) of land in the county, or 1.8% of the total area of the county.

Economy

From 2000 to 2020, Prince George's County ranked as the wealthiest African American-majority county in the United States; however, it was surpassed by Charles County, Maryland, in the 2020 census.

Top employers

According to the county's comprehensive annual financial report, the top private-sector employers in the county are the following. "NR" indicates not ranked in the top ten for the year given.

Employer	Employees (2021)	Employees (2014)	Employees (2011)	Employees (2005)
University of Maryland Capital Region Health	4,800	NR	NR	NR
United Parcel Service	3,300	4,220	4,220	2,300
MGM National Harbor	2,400	NR	NR	NR
Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center	2,000	2,430	2,000	NR
Verizon	1,800	2,738	2,738	NR
Southern Maryland Hospital Center	1,308	1,242	1,300	1,300
Doctor's Community Hospital	1,233	1,300	1,300	NR
Melwood Horticultural Training Center	1,200	NR	NR	NR
Marriott International	1,000	NR	NR	NR
Orndoff & Spaid, Inc	1,000	NR	NR	NR
Giant	NR	3,000	3,600	6,152
Dimensions Healthcare System	NR	2,500	2,500	2,100
Shoppers Food & Pharmacy	NR	1,975	1,975	1,975
Safeway	NR	1,605	1,605	2,400
Capital One Bank	NR	NR	1,456	NR
Target	NR	1,400	1,400	NR

The top public-sector employers in the county are as follows. "NR" indicates not ranked in the top ten for the year given.

Employer	Employees (2021)	Employees (2014)	Employees (2011)
Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington	18,000	13,500	8,057
University System of Maryland	13,000	17,905	16,014
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center	12,200	3,397	3,171
Internal Revenue Service	4,500	5,539	5,539
U.S. Census Bureau	4,285	4,414	4,287
National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office	3,000	1,724	1,724
Prince George's Community College	1,800	2,637	1,700
U.S. Department of Agriculture	1,500	1,850	1,850
Adelphi Laboratory Center	1,500	NR	NR
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	1,200	1,350	1,350
Prince George's County	NR	7,003	7,052

Education

Colleges and universities

Bowie State University, located in an unincorporated area north of Bowie
Brightwood College, located in an unincorporated area (Beltsville)
Capital Seminary & Graduate School, in Greenbelt
Capitol Technology University, located in an unincorporated area south of Laurel
Prince George's Community College, located in an unincorporated area (Largo)
Strayer University, PG Campus, in an unincorporated area (Suitland)
University of Maryland, College Park, in College Park
University of Maryland Global Campus, in an unincorporated area (Adelphi)

The University System of Maryland's Adelphi Office is in the unincorporated area of Adelphi. Formerly it was the headquarters of the entire system.

Public schools

The county's public schools are managed by the Prince George's County Public Schools system. It serves as the school district for the entire county.

Enterprises and recreation

Prince George's County is home to the United States Department of Agriculture's Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the United States Census Bureau, Andrews Air Force Base, the National Archives and Records Administration's College Park facility, the University of Maryland's flagship College Park campus, Six Flags America and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, FedExField (home of the Washington Commanders), and the National Harbor, which its developers, Peterson Companies and Gaylord Entertainment Company, bill as the largest single mixed-use project and combined convention center–hotel complex on the East Coast.

Media

WPGC-FM, Morningside, MD, take their P-G-C call letters from the name Prince George's County
Prince George's Sentinel, Seabrook, MD, weekly newspaper covering the county with a circulation of 23,000 copies

Recreation

Prince George's County natives Kevin Durant and Frances Tiafoe (interviewed by Rennae Stubbs)

Although Prince George's County is not often credited for the Washington Commanders, the team's home stadium, FedExField, is in Landover. No other major-league professional sports teams are in the county, though Bowie hosts the Bowie Baysox, a minor league baseball team. The county is known for its very successful youth. In basketball, ESPN published an article declaring Prince George's County the new "Hoops Hot Bed" and ranked it as the number one basketball talent pool in the country. A number of basketball prospects, including Kevin Durant, Victor Oladipo, Jeff Green, Roy Hibbert and Ty Lawson, are from AAU basketball teams such as the PG Jaguars, DC Assault, and DC Blue Devils. Besides AAU, basketball has skyrocketed from local high schools such as DeMatha Catholic High School and Bishop McNamara High School, both of which have found some great success locally and nationally.

The county's basketball talent was profiled in the 2020 documentary Basketball County, produced by Kevin Durant. Durant and numerous other residents of the county who went on to success in basketball are featured in the film.

The Junior Tennis Champions Center, where Frances Tiafoe played from a young age, is in College Park.

Communities

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

Cities

Towns

Part of the city of Takoma Park was formerly in Prince George's County, but since 1997 the city has been entirely in Montgomery County. The part of Takoma Park that changed counties comprises two residential neighborhoods, Carole Highlands (an unincorporated portion of which is still in Prince George's County) and New Hampshire Gardens.

Census-designated places

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

Unincorporated communities

Ghost town

Good Luck

Sister cities

Royal Bafokeng Nation, South Africa
Rishon LeZion, Israel
Ziguinchor, Senegal

Notable people

Karen Allen, actor, (National Lampoon's Animal House, Raiders of the Lost Ark), director, grew up in New Carrollton and attended DuVal High School.
Angela Alsobrooks County Executive and former State's Attorney of Prince Georges County. Grew up in Camp Springs.
Thurl Bailey, professional basketball player; grew up in Landover.
Jonathan Banks, actor; grew up in Chillum.
Ben Barnes, Member of the Maryland House of Delegates, from Greenbelt, Maryland.
John H. Bayne, Civil War-era state senator, physician, and noted horticulturist who owned the Salubria plantation near Oxon Hill/National Harbor.
Michael Beasley, professional basketball player for the New York Knicks
Len Bias, All-American Basketball star at the University of Maryland in the 1980s, grew up in Landover Hills and attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville.
Riddick Bowe, former world heavyweight boxing champion, and family lived in Sero Estates, Fort Washington.
Sergey Brin, founder of Google, grew up in Adelphi and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt.
Steve Byrnes, former NASCAR TV analyst, grew up in New Carrollton, attended both Largo High School & University of Maryland
John Carroll, S.J. (1735–1815), first Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States, and founder of Georgetown University, was born in Upper Marlboro.
Eva Cassidy, singer and guitarist, grew up in Oxon Hill and later Bowie.
JC Chasez, singer/producer, grew up in Bowie.
Frank Cho, award-winning cartoonist, grew up in Beltsville and attended community college and university in the county.
Thomas John Claggett (1742–1816), first Episcopal bishop consecrated in the United States and third Chaplain of the United States Senate, was from Upper Marlboro.
Leonard Covington (1768–1813), born in Aquasco, U.S. congressman from Maryland
Jermaine Crawford, actor, The Wire, born and raised in the county
Kevin Durant, NBA player, grew up in Prince George's County
Roger L. Easton, naval scientist, the chief inventor of GPS and winner of the 2004 National Medal of Technology, lived on Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill.
John Fahey, guitarist who influenced the "American primitive" style of acoustic picking, grew up in Takoma Park before it was transferred to Montgomery County. The independent record label he founded was called Takoma Park Records.
Francis B. Francois, lawyer and engineer, lived in Bowie for over 40 years. In 1999, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his achievements in the field of engineering and policy leadership in surface transportation infrastructure and research. He served on the Prince George's County council as an elected official for 10 years.
Markelle Fultz, NBA player, born and raised in Upper Marlboro.
Danny Gatton, guitarist, lived in Oxon Hill and graduated from Oxon Hill Senior High School, later lived for many years in Accokeek.
Kathie Lee Gifford, network television personality, grew up in Bowie.
Ginuwine, R&B pop musician, lived in Fort Washington.
Lyle Goodhue (1903–1981), USDA research scientist and inventor, lived in Prince George's County from 1935 to 1945.
Jeff Green, NBA player for the Brooklyn Nets
Goldie Hawn, actress, director, and producer, grew up in Takoma Park before it was transferred to Montgomery County.
Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets later used on Sesame Street, grew up in University Park and attended Northwestern High School in Hyattsville.
Taraji P. Henson, actress, attended Oxon Hill High School.
Roy Hibbert, professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers, and raised in Adelphi
Larry Hogan, the current and 62nd Governor of Maryland since 2015, grew up in Landover, attended Saint Ambrose Catholic School in Cheverly and DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville. As a result of his parents' divorce, Hogan moved to Florida and later moved back to Maryland to Anne Arundel County, where he currently resides.
Steny Hoyer, Floor leader of the United States House of Representatives since 2003, lived as a teenager in Suitland and Mitchellville, attended Suitland High School and Univ. Maryland – College Park, and later lived in Friendly before moving to St. Mary's County.
Cathy Hughes, founder and manager of Radio One, the nation's largest African American broadcasting company
Jarrett Jack, basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets
Isis King, first transgender contestant in America's Next Top Model (Cycles 11 and 17)
Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, is from Fort Washington.
Martin Lawrence, actor and comedian, lived in Landover and attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt
Ty Lawson, basketball player for the Washington Wizards
Lettice Lee, colonial society hostess
Sugar Ray Leonard, boxing champion, grew up in Palmer Park.
G. Gordon Liddy, presidential aide convicted in the Watergate scandal, later an author and radio personality, lived in Fort Foote, Fort Washington.
John P. McDonough, Maryland Secretary of State, from Bladensburg.
Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Maryland State Senate President from 1987 to 2020, was born and raised in Clinton and attended Surrattsville High School. Miller studied Business Administration at the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating in 1964. Miller's law firm was located in Clinton. Miller resided in Calvert County.
Mýa, R&B pop musician, attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland as a violinist in the orchestra among the class of 1994.
Rico Nasty, rapper born in Largo, Maryland. Raised in Palmer Park and attended Charles Herbert Flowers High School.
Sammy Nestico, band music arranger, lived in Oxon Hill in the 1960s.
Redveil, rapper, songwriter, and producer.
Lio Rush, professional WWE wrestler from Lanham.
Jan Scruggs, conceived the National Vietnam Veterans Memorial, grew up in Bowie.
Walt Simonson, comic book writer and artist, best known for his mid-1980s run on Marvel Comics' Thor, grew up in the Calvert Hills section of College Park.
Substantial, rapper originally from Cheverly.
Michael Sweetney, former professional basketball player.
Kameron Taylor (born 1994), basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and the EuroLeague
Turkey Tayac, Piscataway Indian leader and herbal doctor, lived in Accokeek for many years and is buried there.
Frances Tiafoe, tennis player, from Hyattsville, born to immigrants from Sierra Leone.
Dominic Wade, professional boxer, from Largo.
Wale, hip-hop artist, often notes in his songs how he is from "PG County", and the "DMV" region (D.C, Maryland, Virginia).
Sumner Welles, U.S. Undersecretary of State to Franklin Roosevelt, built and lived in Oxon Hill Manor, which is now a public facility.
Delonte West, former NBA player and graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MD
Morgan Wootten coached at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville from 1956 to 2002. The coach with the most wins in high school basketball history, he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, the only high school basketball coach ever so honored. He currently resides in University Park.
Link Wray, pioneering rock guitarist, lived in Accokeek for many years.
Xanman, rapper from Landover.

Namesakes

The USS Prince Georges (AK-224), was a United States Navy Crater-class cargo ship named after the county.