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Travilah, Maryland
Historic Travilah Oak
Historic Travilah Oak
Location of Travilah, Maryland
Location of Travilah, Maryland
Country  United States
State  Maryland
County Montgomery
Area
 • Total 17.65 sq mi (45.70 km2)
 • Land 15.93 sq mi (41.25 km2)
 • Water 1.72 sq mi (4.45 km2)
Elevation
233 ft (71 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,985
 • Density 752.54/sq mi (290.55/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
20854, 20878, 20850
Area code(s) 301, 240
FIPS code 24-78650
GNIS feature ID 2390400

Travilah is a United States census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is 17.28 square miles (44.8 km2) located along the north side of the Potomac River, and surrounded by the communities of Potomac, North Potomac, and Darnestown—all census-designated places. It had a population of 11,985 as of the 2020 census.

Within the Travilah census-designated place at the intersection of what are now Travilah Road and Glen Road, the small rural community of Travilah existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The community had its own post office, general store, school, town hall, church, and a few homes. The crossroads was popular with area farmers because it was close to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal) and at least two mills. The name Travilah comes from Travilah Clagett, who was the community's first postmaster in 1883.

In 2000, the United States Census Bureau began recognizing the area around the original Travilah crossroads community as a census designated place. Much of this tranquil community is simply large homes on large tracts of land with numerous parks and nature preserves mixed in. The community is within driving-distance of Washington, D.C., and the I-270 Technology Corridor. Travilah has a median household income of about $235,000.

Geography

As an unincorporated area, Travilah's boundaries are not officially defined. Travilah is, however, recognized by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place, and by the United States Geological Survey as a populated place located at 39°3′23″N 77°14′14″W / 39.05639°N 77.23722°W / 39.05639; -77.23722 (39.056453, -77.237198).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the place has a total area of 15.6 square miles (40 km2), of which, 14.4 square miles (37 km2) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) of it (7.65%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
2000 7,442
2010 12,159 63.4%
2020 11,985 −1.4%
Source: U.S. Census
2010–2020

The 2010 Census shows Travilah with a population of 12,159 in 3,950 housing units, and a land area of 15.83 square miles (41.0 km2) out of a total of 17.28 square miles (44.8 km2). It has an average population density of 768.1 per square mile (296.6/km2), which is much lower than the comparable figure for Maryland's largest city (Baltimore) and Montgomery County's largest city (Rockville)—which are 7,671.9 per square mile (2,962.1/km2) and 4,530.6 per square mile (1,749.3/km2), respectively. Similarly for housing unit density, Travilah is 249.5 per square mile (96.3/km2) while Baltimore and Rockville are 3,665.5 per square mile (1,415.3/km2) and 1,865.2 per square mile (720.2/km2), respectively.

The latest census data for 2018 show a Travilah population of 11,633 with a median household income of $235,669 and a poverty rate of 1.6 percent. The number of housing units in Travilah are estimated to be 3,784, and owner–occupied housing units account for 93 percent of housing for workers. The median age is 47.3 years, which is higher than the 37.9 median for the United States. Nearly 76 percent of the population is aged 18 or older. The community has slightly more elderly people than the United States average, as 17 percent are aged 65 or older while the United States average is 15 percent.

The racial makeup of Travilah is 56.2 percent White alone, 35.4 percent Asian alone, 3.4 percent Black or African American alone, and a 5 percent total for all other categories. Over half of the Asian population is Chinese, while Asian Indian and Korean ethnic groups also have significant populations. English is the only language spoken at home for 55 percent of the population, while 22 percent speak Asian and Pacific Island languages. A total of 45 percent speak a language other than English at home, while the average for the United States is 22 percent. The educational attainment for the community compares favorably to the average for the United States, with 97.3 percent of Travilah residents eligible being a high school graduate or higher, while the same figure for the United States is 87.7 percent. A graduate or professional degree was attained by 53.0 percent.

Economy

PotomacOakCenter
Potomac Oak Center

In 2011, Potomac (and a portion of Travilah) was described as a place "dotted with massive houses that sit on vast plots of land" or with "jaw dropping houses". In 2019, Bloomberg News listed Potomac and Travilah among the top 50 wealthiest places in America. Travilah was ranked 24th, and had been ranked 25th in the previous year. A 2018 article in USA Today said Travilah "is the wealthiest town in the wealthiest state" and "only town in Maryland where over half of all homes are worth over $1 million".

The median household income in Travilah is $235,669. The median earnings for male full–time, year–round workers is $144,298 based on 2018 data. Median earnings for female full–time, year–round workers is $108,984—more than double the United States average of $41,690. The most common means of transportation to work is driving alone, and 68 percent of the workers do that, while 13 percent carpool. The average commuting time is 34 minutes, higher than the U.S. average of 27 minutes. About 12 percent of Travilah residents work at home. The distance from Travilah to Washington DC is less than 20 miles (32 km), and from Travilah to Shady Grove Hospital and Interstate 270 (and its technology corridor) is under 10 miles (16 km).

Much of Travilah's wealth has been attributed to "high-paying government and contracting jobs in and around the nation's capital". Of the civilian employed workforce aged 16 or higher, 52 percent are employees of private companies, 21 percent are government workers, and 13 percent are employed in their own business. The Professional, Scientific, Management, Administrative, and Waste Management Services category accounts for about 25 percent of employees, while the Educational Services, and Healthcare and Social Assistance category accounts for about 21 percent of employees. Public Administration accounts for an additional 12 percent; and Finance and Insurance, and Real Estate and Rental and Leasing accounts for 11 percent.

Travilah residents are attracted to the area because of its serenity, schools, and proximity to Washington. There are few shopping centers in the area. The Potomac Oak Center is a small shopping center within the Travilah CDP that is a favorite of area cyclists. The Potomac Village Shopping Center is just outside of Travilah on River Road on the west side of the Potomac CDP. North Potomac and Rockville also have shopping and other businesses. Based on 2012 Census data, total healthcare and social assistance receipts for the Travilah CDP totaled to $15.6 million, and accommodation and food service sales totaled to $11.6 million. Total merchant wholesaler sales were $10.4 million, and total retail sales were $8.9 million.

Education

Travilah Elementary 2020
Travilah Elementary

Travilah is served by Montgomery County Public Schools. Depending on the location in the Travilah CDP, public high school students attend Winston Churchill, Thomas S. Wootton, or Northwest. Churchill High School has been ranked as the top school in Maryland and one of the top 500 in the nation. For Travilah Residents that attend Churchill (which has a Potomac address) Herbert Hoover Middle School feeds into that school, and Potomac or Wayside Elementary feed into Hoover. Wootton High School has a Rockville address. Area residents have cited the Wootton school cluster as a factor in their home buying decision. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Wootton High School 2nd highest in Maryland and 125th in the nation. For most Travilah residents that will attend Wootton, Robert Frost Middle School feeds into Wootton, and Travilah Elementary School feeds into Frost. A small area in the Travilah CDP that is in the Wootton district attends Stone Mill Elementary and Cabin John Middle School. Travilah residents that live in the extreme southwest portion of the CDP start at Darnestown Elementary School, then go to Lakelands Park Middle School and Northwest High School. Northwest High School is a "county powerhouse" in football, winning state championships in 2013 and 2014. Bullis is a private school located in Potomac on Falls Road that serves elementary, middle, and high school students. Other private school options are available in Rockville, Bethesda, and North Bethesda.

Higher education

UatShady Grove North Potomac
The Universities at Shady Grove

Travilah residents have higher education opportunities in nearby Rockville plus larger universities such as Georgetown, American University, Catholic University, University of Maryland, and others located farther away. The Universities at Shady Grove is located close to the Travilah CDP and uses a Rockville address. It offers select degree programs from nine public Maryland universities. This unique partnership with University System of Maryland universities enables 80 upper-level undergraduate, graduate degree and certificate programs to be made available to about 3,000 students. Johns Hopkins University has a campus in Rockville located close to the Universities at Shady Grove. Montgomery College has a campus in Rockville and a training center in Gaithersburg. Three Montgomery College campuses and online classes serve about 54,000 students who can earn an associate degree or advance their education.

Public library

Potomac Library, constructed in 1985 by the county as part of the Montgomery County Public Library system, is located in Potomac near the southeast portion of the Travilah CDP. Two more nearby libraries are also in the county library system. The Quince Orchard Library is located on Quince Orchard Road in North Potomac, and Rockville Memorial Library is located two blocks from the Rockville Metro station. The Quince Orchard Library began operations around 2000, while the Rockville library began in 1951. Priddy Library is part of the University of Maryland Libraries system and is located at the Universities at Shady Grove in North Potomac. The Priddy Library opened in 2007 and is available to the public.

Transportation

Roads and highways

map of southern portion of Travilah CDP
map of northeast portion of Travilah CDP
Southern and northeastern Travilah CDP

Maryland Route 190, a state highway known as River Road, is an important highway for the southern portion of Travilah that runs along the Potomac River and connects with Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)—the highway that circles Washington, DC. River Road can also be used to connect to the Clara Barton Parkway for another route to Washington. Both highways are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Scenic Byway. Washington is less than 20 miles away, and the drive to Washington for some residents using the Clara Barton Parkway takes only 30 minutes.

In northern Travilah, residents can use Piney Meetinghouse Road to connect to Shady Grove Road and then Interstate 270 or Interstate 370 and the Intercounty Connector toll road (MD 200). On the western side of Travilah, Travilah Road connects River Road in the south to Darnestown Road and Shady Grove Road in the north. Maryland's Interstate 270 is a major north–south highway in the area. Interstate 370 and the Intercounty Connector are major east–west highways that connect to Interstate 95.

Public transportation

Portions of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (a.k.a. as "Metro" or "Metrorail") subway system are located in Montgomery County, and Red Line stations on the west side of the county are closest to Travilah. Among those west side Metro stations are Shady Grove (Gaithersburg), Rockville, Twinbrook (south Rockville), White Flint, and Grosvenor-Strathmore (North Bethesda). Montgomery County's Ride-On bus route 301 runs from Tobytown Drive (Travilah CDP near River Road) to the Rockville Metro station, and has stops along its route at Travilah's Glenstone museum and at the intersection of Travilah and Glen Roads (Potomac Oak Shopping Center) through the west side of Travilah. This route also has a stop at the Shady Grove Hospital. Ride-On bus route 67 runs from the Universities at Shady Grove (Traville Transit Center) to the Shady Grove Metro station, and has a stop on Piney Meetinghouse Road along a route that proceeds through North Potomac on Travilah Road and Dufief Mill Road.

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See also

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