Maryland House
Encyclopedia
Maryland House is a service area located on Interstate 95
at Mile Marker 81.9. It is located on the median of I-95
and can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic. It is approximately 24 miles north of Baltimore in Harford County, Maryland
. Maryland House offers food, fuel, auto repair services, and a traveler information center to motorists. It also includes a full-service business center including phone jacks for portable computers and postal service. Maryland House is the busiest rest area in the United States.
. U.S. Federal law prescribes that rest areas on public (toll-free) interstate highways be maintained by the state, however Maryland
was able to obtain an exemption, allowing them to commercialize the Maryland House and Chesapeake House
service areas. This exemption was granted due to the fact that the service areas were constructed when the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway was a toll road. Now, Maryland is responsible for the grounds, while the commercial operators absorb the costs of operation. WTOP-FM
says that the two commercialized rest-stops bring in $40 million per annum.
Previously, Maryland House had a Bob's Big Boy restaurant, a Mrs. Fields
shop, and a cafeteria
.
s and a convenience store
.
station at the southern end, and a Sunoco
station at the northern end.
Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
at Mile Marker 81.9. It is located on the median of I-95
Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
and can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic. It is approximately 24 miles north of Baltimore in Harford County, Maryland
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
. Maryland House offers food, fuel, auto repair services, and a traveler information center to motorists. It also includes a full-service business center including phone jacks for portable computers and postal service. Maryland House is the busiest rest area in the United States.
Overview
Maryland House was opened in 1963 and was renovated in 1987. Wing additions to the Maryland House facility were added in 1989 and 1990. The Maryland House services 2.8 million customers annually. Today, Maryland House is run by the HMSHost CorporationHost Marriott Services
HMSHost Corporation is an airport food-service company, a subsidiary of the Italian company Autogrill S.p.A..-History:The company's origins are in the Van Noy Railway News and Hotel Company founded in 1897 by the Van Noy Brothers of Kansas City, Missouri....
. U.S. Federal law prescribes that rest areas on public (toll-free) interstate highways be maintained by the state, however Maryland
Maryland
Maryland 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...
was able to obtain an exemption, allowing them to commercialize the Maryland House and Chesapeake House
Chesapeake House
Chesapeake House is a service area located on Interstate 95 in Cecil County, Maryland at mile marker 97. It is located in the median of I-95 and can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic....
service areas. This exemption was granted due to the fact that the service areas were constructed when the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway was a toll road. Now, Maryland is responsible for the grounds, while the commercial operators absorb the costs of operation. WTOP-FM
WTOP-FM
WTOP is an all-news formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Washington, D.C., serving Metropolitan Washington, DC area. WTOP is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.WTOP is one of two all-news stations in the Washington, D.C...
says that the two commercialized rest-stops bring in $40 million per annum.
Previously, Maryland House had a Bob's Big Boy restaurant, a Mrs. Fields
Mrs. Fields
Mrs. Fields Famous Brands is a franchisor in the snack food industry, with Mrs. Fields and TCBY as its core brands. Through its franchisees’ retail stores, it is one of the largest retailers of freshly baked, on-premises specialty cookies and brownies in the US and the largest retailer of...
shop, and a cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
.
Shops
Maryland House includes several restaurantRestaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s and a convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
.
- CinnabonCinnabonCinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll. As of July 2009, over 750 Cinnabon bakeries are in operation in over 30 countries around the world...
- Hershey'sHershey Creamery CompanyHershey Creamery Company, also known as Hershey's Ice Cream, is a creamery that produces Hershey's brand ice cream, sorbet, sherbet, and frozen yogurt, and other frozen treats such as smoothies and frozen slab style ice cream mixers...
Ice Cream - Phillips Seafood ExpressPhillips Foods, Inc. and Seafood RestaurantsPhillips Foods, Inc. and Seafood Restaurants is a family owned and operated seafood company in the mid-Atlantic region, United States. Phillips Foods, Inc., seafood manufacturers as well as restaurateurs, specializes in Atlantic blue crab meat and crab cakes, and produces a line of value-added fish...
- Roy Rogers
- SbarroSbarroSbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
- Starbucks Coffee
- Travel Mart
Gas stations
Maryland House also includes two gas stations: an ExxonExxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
station at the southern end, and a Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
station at the northern end.
Future
Maryland House is expected to receive construction in the near future. These include specifications to meet travel demands in the next 30 years (2030). Recent improvement plans include "new landscaping, resurfacing of parking lots, repaving of ramps, and structural upgrades to the building."See also
- Chesapeake HouseChesapeake HouseChesapeake House is a service area located on Interstate 95 in Cecil County, Maryland at mile marker 97. It is located in the median of I-95 and can be accessed by both northbound and southbound traffic....
- Interstate 95 in MarylandInterstate 95 in MarylandInterstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
- John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway