River Hill, Columbia, Maryland
Encyclopedia
River Hill is the last and westernmost village to be developed in the town of Columbia, Maryland
, though numerous residents have addresses in Clarksville
. Construction started in 1990. It is bounded by Maryland Route 108
and Maryland Route 32
, and is centered on Trotter Road. The village is divided into two neighborhoods: Pheasant Ridge and Pointers Run, with about 6,500 residents.
The original plan called for the village to be connected to the rest of Columbia via an extension of Little Patuxent Parkway. In addition, a dam
on the Middle Patuxent River would have created a large lake in that watershed
. However, with the rise of the environmental movement, a large part of the watershed was made into a park. with about half of its acreage devoted to open space, which includes the 900 acres (3.6 km²) of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. River Hill is largely disconnected from the rest of the city, accessing Columbia Town Center
only by roads on the periphery of the city.
The original plan called for 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) to be devoted to apartments, but the rural neighbors wanted a lower population density. The county zoning board decided upon 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) for apartments. Consequently, River Hill has the most open space of all the villages.
, McDonald's
, Ruby Tuesday
, Bagel Bin and Deli, Ledo Pizza
, Subway, The UPS Store
, Chevy Chase Bank, a liquor store, a dry cleaner, an optometrist, Maggie Moo's ice cream, The Great American Cookie, and a Hair Cuttery.
An athletic club
(The Columbia Gym) is located near the village center. There is one outdoor pool in the village.
The River Hill Community Association offices are located in Claret Hall in the River Hill Village Shopping Center.
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
, though numerous residents have addresses in Clarksville
Clarksville, Maryland
Clarksville is both the name of an unincorporated community and the name associated with Districts 4 & 5 in Howard County, the third wealthiest county in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The community is named for William Clark, a farmer who owned much of the land on which the...
. Construction started in 1990. It is bounded by Maryland Route 108
Maryland Route 108
Maryland Route 108 is a suburban state highway in the central part of the U.S. state of Maryland, starting in Damascus and ending near Columbia.-Route description:...
and Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32
Maryland Route 32 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Interstate 97 and MD 3 in Millersville west and north to Washington Road in Westminster. The east–west portion of MD 32 is the Patuxent Freeway, a four- to six-lane...
, and is centered on Trotter Road. The village is divided into two neighborhoods: Pheasant Ridge and Pointers Run, with about 6,500 residents.
The original plan called for the village to be connected to the rest of Columbia via an extension of Little Patuxent Parkway. In addition, a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on the Middle Patuxent River would have created a large lake in that watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
. However, with the rise of the environmental movement, a large part of the watershed was made into a park. with about half of its acreage devoted to open space, which includes the 900 acres (3.6 km²) of the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. River Hill is largely disconnected from the rest of the city, accessing Columbia Town Center
Town Center, Columbia, Maryland
Town Center is one of the ten villages in Columbia, Maryland, United States, first occupied in 1974. It is a non-contiguous, diverse area, and the most urban-like, ranging from multi-level high density apartments homes and office buildings, to single family homes....
only by roads on the periphery of the city.
The original plan called for 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) to be devoted to apartments, but the rural neighbors wanted a lower population density. The county zoning board decided upon 33 acres (133,546.4 m²) for apartments. Consequently, River Hill has the most open space of all the villages.
Services
The village center includes a Giant FoodGiant Food of Landover, Maryland
Giant Food LLC is a supermarket chain with 202 stores in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.. It is headquartered in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, near Landover. Giant often is known as Giant-Landover to avoid confusion with sibling company Giant-Carlisle...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Ruby Tuesday
Ruby Tuesday (restaurant)
Ruby Tuesday is an American casual dining restaurant chain named after the Rolling Stones' song of the same name.- History :The first restaurant was founded in 1972 by five University of Tennessee students, and is now headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee. The first location was adjacent to UT's...
, Bagel Bin and Deli, Ledo Pizza
Ledo Pizza
Ledo Pizza is a pizzeria restaurant chain in the Southeastern United States, with the heaviest concentration in Maryland and Virginia. Their first pizzeria was opened in Adelphi, Maryland, in 1955 on University Boulevard in Adelphi Shopping Center near the University of Maryland, College Park...
, Subway, The UPS Store
Mail Boxes Etc.
Mail Boxes Etc. is a global retail chain of business service centers. The locations offer pack and ship services, couriers, office services, document production, shipping, packing materials, printing, copying, postal services and some other business services.Mail Boxes Etc., Inc...
, Chevy Chase Bank, a liquor store, a dry cleaner, an optometrist, Maggie Moo's ice cream, The Great American Cookie, and a Hair Cuttery.
An athletic club
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
(The Columbia Gym) is located near the village center. There is one outdoor pool in the village.
The River Hill Community Association offices are located in Claret Hall in the River Hill Village Shopping Center.
Education
The public schools serving the village are:- Elementary Schools
- Middle Schools
- High School