Westminster, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Westminster, Maryland
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City
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Main Street in Westminster, Maryland
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| Motto(s):
"Where history meets tomorrow"
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Location in Maryland
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Maryland | |
| County | Carroll | |
| Founded | 1764 | |
| Incorporated | 1818 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 6.65 sq mi (17.23 km2) | |
| • Land | 6.64 sq mi (17.20 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) | |
| Elevation | 764 ft (233 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 20,126 | |
| • Density | 3,030.57/sq mi (1,170.19/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP codes |
21157-21158
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| Area code(s) | 410, 443, and 667 | |
| FIPS code | 24-83100 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0595080 | |
Westminster is a city in Maryland, United States. It is the main city of Carroll County, Maryland. In 2020, about 20,126 people lived there. Westminster is close to the bigger Baltimore metropolitan area. It is also part of the even larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area.
Contents
History of Westminster
In 1754, a man named William Winchester bought land in this area. It was first called White's Level. Later, it became known as the town of Winchester. To avoid confusion with Winchester, Virginia, the Maryland government changed the name. In 1768, the town was officially named Westminster.
A small but important Civil War battle happened here. On June 28, 1863, a fight called Corbit's Charge took place. Two groups of Delaware cavalry soldiers fought a much larger Confederate army. This battle delayed the Confederate general J. E. B. Stuart. This delay was important for the big Battle of Gettysburg.
Westminster has a long tradition of honoring soldiers. Since 1868, the city has held an annual Memorial Day parade. It is one of the oldest parades of its kind in the country.
Near Westminster is a farm where Whittaker Chambers hid secret documents. These documents were part of a famous spy case.
Westminster was also the first place in the U.S. to offer Rural Free Delivery postal service. This meant mail was delivered directly to homes in the countryside.
In 2015, Westminster launched its own super-fast internet network. It was the first community-wide gigabit fiber network in the Mid-Atlantic region. This means homes and businesses can get very fast internet speeds.
Geography and Climate
Westminster is located at 39°34′36″N 77°0′0″W / 39.57667°N 77.00000°W. It is about 36.5 miles (58.7 km) northwest of Baltimore. It is also about 37.5 miles (60.4 km) southwest of York, Pennsylvania.
The city covers about 6.64 square miles (17.20 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water. Westminster gets its water from two reservoirs: Liberty and Piney Run.
Weather in Westminster
Westminster has a climate with hot, humid summers. Winters are cool, and the amount of snow can change a lot each year. Because Westminster is higher up and farther from the Chesapeake Bay, its temperatures are often cooler than in Baltimore. This is especially true at night.
| Climate data for Westminster, Maryland, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1979–2013 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
76 (24) |
87 (31) |
94 (34) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
98 (37) |
91 (33) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 59.3 (15.2) |
62.0 (16.7) |
72.7 (22.6) |
83.0 (28.3) |
88.4 (31.3) |
93.8 (34.3) |
95.3 (35.2) |
93.7 (34.3) |
89.8 (32.1) |
80.3 (26.8) |
72.1 (22.3) |
62.3 (16.8) |
96.7 (35.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41.3 (5.2) |
44.9 (7.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
66.1 (18.9) |
75.2 (24.0) |
84.0 (28.9) |
87.6 (30.9) |
85.3 (29.6) |
78.4 (25.8) |
67.6 (19.8) |
56.0 (13.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
65.4 (18.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) |
34.6 (1.4) |
42.3 (5.7) |
53.3 (11.8) |
62.3 (16.8) |
71.4 (21.9) |
75.5 (24.2) |
73.3 (22.9) |
66.6 (19.2) |
55.6 (13.1) |
45.3 (7.4) |
35.1 (1.7) |
53.9 (12.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 21.9 (−5.6) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
40.4 (4.7) |
49.4 (9.7) |
58.8 (14.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
61.4 (16.3) |
54.9 (12.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
34.6 (1.4) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
42.4 (5.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.3 (−13.2) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
38.1 (3.4) |
48.6 (9.2) |
55.9 (13.3) |
54.4 (12.4) |
43.4 (6.3) |
32.0 (0.0) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
13.4 (−10.3) |
4.1 (−15.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −13 (−25) |
−4 (−20) |
−4 (−20) |
16 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
40 (4) |
43 (6) |
31 (−1) |
24 (−4) |
14 (−10) |
−5 (−21) |
−13 (−25) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.88 (73) |
2.49 (63) |
3.59 (91) |
3.50 (89) |
4.15 (105) |
3.92 (100) |
4.32 (110) |
3.72 (94) |
4.28 (109) |
3.64 (92) |
3.27 (83) |
3.64 (92) |
43.40 (1,102) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.3 (19) |
6.5 (17) |
2.7 (6.9) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.9 (2.3) |
2.5 (6.4) |
20.0 (51) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 8.4 | 8.1 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 11.9 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 108.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 7.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 | |||||||||||||
Tornado Activity in Westminster
Westminster has a bit more tornado activity than the average for Maryland. It is also 38% higher than the U.S. average.
- On April 15, 1952, a strong F3 tornado hit near the city. It caused injuries and a lot of damage.
- On July 19, 1996, another F3 tornado struck close to Westminster. This one also caused injuries and millions of dollars in damage.
- On April 16, 2011, a tornado touched down around 8:00 pm.
- On February 7, 2020, an EF1 tornado went right over downtown Westminster. It damaged roofs and siding on buildings and knocked down trees. Schools in the area had to take shelter because of the tornado warning.
People of Westminster (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 884 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,310 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,507 | 8.5% | |
| 1890 | 2,908 | 16.0% | |
| 1900 | 3,199 | 10.0% | |
| 1910 | 3,295 | 3.0% | |
| 1920 | 3,521 | 6.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,463 | 26.8% | |
| 1940 | 4,692 | 5.1% | |
| 1950 | 6,140 | 30.9% | |
| 1960 | 6,123 | −0.3% | |
| 1970 | 7,207 | 17.7% | |
| 1980 | 8,808 | 22.2% | |
| 1990 | 13,068 | 48.4% | |
| 2000 | 16,731 | 28.0% | |
| 2010 | 18,590 | 11.1% | |
| 2020 | 20,126 | 8.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 18,590 people living in Westminster. There were 7,161 households, which are groups of people living together.
Most people in the city were White (86.0%). About 7.0% were African American, and 2.2% were Asian. About 6.0% of the population was Hispanic or Latino. Many of the Latino residents were of Mexican descent.
The average age in Westminster was 33.3 years old. About 22.9% of the people were under 18. About 13.5% were 65 years old or older. The city had slightly more females (52.5%) than males (47.5%).
Economy and Jobs
Westminster has many important employers. These are the top companies and organizations that provide jobs in the city:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Carroll County Public Schools | 3,757 |
| 2 | McDaniel College | 641 |
| 3 | Carroll County | 593 |
| 4 | Carroll Lutheran Village | 437 |
| 5 | General Dynamics Robotics Systems | 350 |
| 6 | C.J. Miller | 245 |
| 7 | S.H. Tevis & Son | 238 |
| 8 | Truist Financial | 174 |
| 9 | PNC Financial Services | 171 |
| 10 | Landmark Community Newspapers | 164 |
Some other large employers are just outside Westminster in Carroll County:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carroll Hospital Center | 1,696 |
| 2 | Random House | 800 |
| 3 | Carroll Community College | 509 |
| 4 | English American Tailoring | 385 |
| 5 | Knorr Brake | 260 |
Arts, Culture, and Events
Westminster is home to the Hashawha Tower. This is a windmill located at the Hashawha Environmental Center.
The city and local groups host many fun events throughout the year:
- African American Read-In (February)
- Youth Art Month (March)
- Celtic Canter (March)
- Wine Stroll (April)
- Main Street Mile (April)
- Westminster High School Culture Fest (May)
- Flower & Jazz Festival (May)
- Memorial Day Parade
- Downtown Westminster Farmers' Market (May-November)
- Deer Creek Fiddlers' Convention (June)
- Art in the Park (June)
- Carroll County Celtic Festival (June)
- Beer and BBQ Stroll (June)
- Reese VFC Carnival (June)
- Carroll County 4th of July Celebration
- Westminster Pride Festival (July)
- Roots Music & Arts Festival (July)
- Carroll County 4-H & FFA Fair (July-August)
- Maryland SummerFest (August)
- Reese VFC Car & Truck Show (August)
- Maryland Wine Festival (September)
- FallFest (September)
- Oktoberfest (October)
- Oyster Stroll (October)
- Festival of Wreaths (November-December)
Education in Westminster
The Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) system teaches over 28,000 students. This makes it the ninth largest school system in Maryland. Carroll County has seven high schools, two career and technology centers, and an alternative school.
In the city of Westminster itself, there are:
- Two high schools
- Two middle schools
- Three elementary schools
Westminster is also home to McDaniel College, a four-year college. The Civil Air Patrol's National Honor Guard Academy is here too. Dream Flight School offers flight lessons at the local airport.
Transportation
_at_Maryland_State_Route_27_(Manchester_Road)_in_Westminster,_Carroll_County,_Maryland.jpg)
Most people travel to and from Westminster by car. Four main highways serve the city:
- Maryland Route 140: This road goes east-southeast to west-northwest. It connects Westminster to Baltimore and towns like Taneytown.
- Maryland Route 97: This highway is the most direct way to go south towards Washington, D.C..
- Maryland Route 27 and Maryland Route 31: These roads connect Westminster to other nearby towns.
There are no public bus or train services that link Westminster to Baltimore County. This is because local residents and politicians have long been against mass transit. A rule in Carroll County stops the local bus system from offering services outside the county.
Notable People from Westminster
Many interesting people have connections to Westminster:
- Elizabeth Ann Bennett, an actress.
- Francis Butler, an American politician.
- Joseph Will, an actor.
- Whittaker Chambers, a former spy who testified against another person in a famous case.
- Joshua W. Hering, an American politician, doctor, and banker.
- Chris & Jenna, a local indie piano pop music duo.
- Mike Jenkins, a strongman who won the Arnold Classic in 2012.
- Bill Oakley, a television writer and producer known for The Simpsons.
- Sargent Shriver, an American diplomat, politician, and activist.
- Clyfford Still, a famous American abstract painter who owned a farm nearby.
- Theodore E. Woodward, a doctor and researcher nominated for the Nobel Prize.
- Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, a U.S. Marine whose funeral led to a famous court case called Snyder v. Phelps.
Sister City
Westminster has a sister city relationship with:
Paide, Järva County, Estonia
See also
In Spanish: Westminster (Maryland) para niños
