Lexington Park is a
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in St. Mary's County,
MarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and the principal community of the Lexington Park, Maryland
Micropolitan Statistical AreaUnited States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...
. The population was 11,021 at the 2000 census.
History
The community came into being with the establishment of the Patuxent Naval Air Station during World War II, and was named for the recently sunk
USS LexingtonUSS Lexington , nicknamed the "Gray Lady" or "Lady Lex," was an early aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the lead ship of the , though her sister ship was commissioned a month earlier...
aircraft carrier. Prior to this Lexington Park was called "Jarbosville".
John GlennJohn Herschel Glenn, Jr. is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States senator who was the first American to orbit the Earth and the third American in space. Glenn was a Marine Corps fighter pilot before joining NASA's Mercury program as a member of NASA's original...
,
Alan ShepardAlan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
, and many noted astronauts trained there. In 1977 the
Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge spanning the
Patuxent RiverThe Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
linked the area to Calvert County and
Solomons, MarylandSolomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...
. In recent years several aerospace and high-tech companies have located in the area bringing additional jobs. Shopping Centers along Maryland Route 235 ("Three Notch Road") and Great Mills Road have many department stores. Area students attend Great Mills High School. Nearby,
Dashiell HammettSamuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
, noted novelist, was born on May 27, 1894.
Mattapany-Sewall Archeological SiteMattapany-Sewall Archeological Site is an archaeological site in St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is located at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station on a level terrace approximately 45' above sea level, less than 1000' south of the Patuxent River in an unused wooded/grassy tract...
and
St. Richard's ManorSt. Richard's Manor is a historic home located at Lexington Park, St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is a -story Flemish bond brick dwelling, with a steeply pitched gable roof, constructed before 1750 on the Patuxent River. Also on the property are two tobacco barns built about 1935, and a small...
were listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1985.
Lexington Park in seaside St. Mary's County is one of the nation's fastest-growing
"micropolitan"United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...
areas, expanding by 14.6 percent since 2000, largely on the strength of military growth. The county population may hit 100,000 next year if it continues at last year's 2.1 percent growth rate. In addition, Southern Maryland is the fast-growing area in the state, and a very desirable bedroom community for people who work in the District of Columbia, but unlike neighboring Charles and Calvert Counties, many in St. Mary's County both work and live in the county.
The
Patuxent Naval Air Station"Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in St. Mary's County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to the U.S...
, which is based in Lexington Park, employs about 20,000 people, driving about 75 percent of the economy in St. Mary's County and providing roughly $3 billion to the state economy.
The average price of a home in St. Mary's County in 2007 is $337,501, compared with about $200,000 in 2003. The area is surrounded by farmland and has a countryside charm with a historical appeal. In addition, there are many high tech jobs.
Geography
Lexington Park is located at 38°15′32"N 76°27′2"W (38.258906, -76.450592).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 8 square miles (20.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.24%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 11,021 people, 3,923 households, and 2,459 families residing in the CDP. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,378.9 people per square mile (532.6/km²). There were 4,630 housing units at an average density of 579.3/sq mi (223.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 59.99% White, 30.00% African American, 0.38% Native American, 4.22% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.81% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 3.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.78% of the population.
There were 3,923 households out of which 41.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.5% under the age of 18, 14.0% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 12.2% from 45 to 64, and 3.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 114.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $39,214, and the median income for a family was $42,095. Males had a median income of $30,762 versus $24,155 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $17,605. About 9.9% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
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