Howard County, Maryland

Howard County is a located in the central part of the  of, between  and. It is considered part of the.

Howard County, Maryland is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. In 2006 it was ranked the third wealthiest county in the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau. The main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City was named 4th amongst 's "America's Best Places to Live." Also, Howard County's schools frequently rank first in Maryland as measured by standardized test scores and graduation rates.

The county was named for, an officer in the and later the fifth. In 2000, its population was 247,842. Its is. The of Maryland is located on the county line between Howard County and, in the  of.

Due to the proximity of Howard County's population centers to Baltimore, the county has traditionally been considered a part of the. Recent development in the south of the county has led to some realignment towards the media and employment markets. The county is also home to a major  of 100,000 first developed by  in 1967. At first considered unreasonably utopian, Columbia recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and is now considered to be the first and most successful community of its kind.

History
Howard District was formed in 1838 by the splitting of. It had the same status as a except for not being represented in the Maryland General Assembly. In 1851, it became an official county.

Law and government

 * Howard County was granted a charter form of government in 1968.


 * County Executive: Ken Ulman (D) (2006-)


 * Past County Executives:
 * James N. Robey (D)(1998-2006)
 * Charles I. Ecker (R) (1990-1998)
 * Elizabeth Bobo (D)(1986-1990)
 * William E. Eakle (Interim Executive) (1986)
 * J. Hugh Nichols (D) (1978-1986)
 * Edward L. Cochran (R) (1974-1978)
 * Omar J. Jones (R) (1969-1973)


 * The County Council:
 * District One - Courtney Watson (D) (Vice-Chair) (2006-)
 * District Two - Calvin Ball (D) (Chairman) (2006-)
 * District Three - Jen Terrasa (D) (2006-)
 * District Four - Mary Kay Sigaty (D) (2006-)
 * District Five - Gregory Fox (R) (2006-)

Geography
Howard County is located in the Maryland region, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. Its largest community is (though, in fact, this is not an incorporated city under Maryland law; in fact, Howard County has no incorporated municipalities). The northern portion of Howard County is part of the an region around ; the southern is more oriented toward The county is approximately the area where the two cities' suburbs overlap. Howard County is also the only "Maryland-locked" county in the state -- it is the only county not bordering the, the , another state, the , or

According to the, the county has a total area of 657 (254 ). 653 km² (252 sq mi) of it is land and 4 km² (2 sq mi) of it (0.60%) is water.

Adjacent Counties

 * (southeast)
 * (northeast)
 * (north)
 * (northwest)
 * (west)
 * (south)

Climate
Howard County lies in the transition between the zone and the  zone. The easternmost tip of the county has a true subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and cool, rainy winters. As one travels west in the county away from the area, the winter temperatures get lower and snow is more common. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches throughout the county.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 247,842 people, 90,043 households, and 65,821 families residing in the county. The was 380/km² (983/sq mi). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 142/km² (368/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 74.33%, 14.42% or , 0.24% , 7.68% , 0.04% , 1.11% from , and 2.19% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were or  of any race. 15.1% were of, 11.0% , 9.3% , 6.6% and 5.7%  ancestry according to.

There were 90,043 households out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $74,167, and the median income for a family was $85,422. Males had a median income of $57,959 versus $40,412 for females. The for the county was $32,402. About 2.50% of families and 3.90% of the population were below the, including 3.80% of those under age 18 and 6.90% of those age 65 or over.

Howard County's Population History from the
The following is a population history for Howard County. The ranking compares the population of Howard County to those of the other 23 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.


 * 1900.......16,715......22nd (Calvert and Caroline fewer)
 * 1910.......16,106......23rd (Calvert fewer)
 * 1920.......15,826......22nd (Calvert and Kent fewer)
 * 1930.......16,169......19th (Calvert, Charles, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's fewer)
 * 1940.......17,175......20th (Calvert, Kent, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's fewer)
 * 1950.......23,119......18th (Calvert, Caroline, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot fewer)
 * 1960.......36,152......14th (Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Worcester fewer)
 * 1970.......61,911......11th (Howard passing Cecil, St. Mary's, Wicomico in population)
 * 1980......118,572......7th (after only Anne Arundel, Balt. Cty and City, Harford, Montgomery, Prince George's)
 * 1990......187,328......6th (passing Harford)
 * 2000......247,842......6th
 * 2004......266,738......6th

Education
system manages 71 schools and serves approximately 49,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district is an above average 92%. One of the primary measures of excellence in Howard County living is the quality of its public school system. Howard County's schools, which serve nearly 50,000 students, are ranked among the best in the state. Student test scores consistently top the list for all Maryland school districts. Public school construction has kept pace with the county’s growth in recent years to safeguard against crowded classrooms.

Culture & Attractions

 * Howard County Library
 * Toby's Dinner Theatre
 * The Columbia Orchestra
 * Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland
 * The B&O Railroad Museum: Ellicott City Station
 * Howard County Center for the Arts
 * Historic Ellicott City Main Street
 * The Enchanted Forest
 * The Shrine of St Anthony
 * Howard County Center for the Arts
 * Historic Ellicott City Main Street
 * The Enchanted Forest
 * The Shrine of St Anthony

Unincorporated
Howard County has no incorporated municipalities.

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, the , 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 s in the county:


 * 1) (This CDP is shared between Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.)
 * 2) (a combination of the communities of  and  recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
 * 1) (This CDP is shared between Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.)
 * 2) (a combination of the communities of  and  recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
 * 1) (a combination of the communities of  and  recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
 * 1) (a combination of the communities of  and  recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)

Other entities, such as the United States Postal Service, use a different selection of local place names. In all these cases, since the places are unincorporated, the boundaries are determined by the classifying authority. Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:


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Trivia

 * Howard County is often referred to as 'HoCo' by young people hailing from the area.


 * As of the 1800, Howard County was the as calculated by the.


 * Several of the stayed at a low-priced motel (North Laurel's Motel Valencia) in Howard County immediately before carrying out their attacks.


 * Howard County is the home of the largest plant in the United States, a 700,000-square-foot  Grand Ice Cream facility, owned by.


 * 95 percent of Howard County residents hold library cards.


 * Howard County Library ranks first in the nation among great public according to  (2005).


 * Howard County's slogan is: Think smart. Choose Smart. Win smart.