Waldorf, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Waldorf, Maryland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place
Census-designated place
A 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...

 in Charles County, Maryland
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

, United States. It is 23 miles (37 km) south-southeast of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 The population of the census-designated area only (now including St. Charles
St. Charles, Maryland
St. Charles is a census-designated place and planned community in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is south-southeast of Washington, D.C., from northern Virginia and immediately south of Waldorf, which is the mailing address....

) was 67,752 at the 2010 census. Waldorf was settled before 1900 as a rural crossroads with a train station and was called "Beantown" after a local family. Waldorf is now largely subsumed by the large planned community of St. Charles
St. Charles, Maryland
St. Charles is a census-designated place and planned community in Charles County, Maryland, United States. It is south-southeast of Washington, D.C., from northern Virginia and immediately south of Waldorf, which is the mailing address....

.

Waldorf's original name was Beantown. In 1880 the General Assembly of Maryland by an act changed the name in "Waldorf" in honor of William Waldorf Astor (1848–1919), the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor (1763–1848), who was born in Walldorf, Palatinate, Germany. On July 29, 1908 the city "Plumb Valley" in Waseca County, Southern Minnesota changed its name into "Waldorf" after Waldorf/MD.
Once a tobacco market village, it came to prominence in the 1950s as a gambling destination after slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...

s were legalized in Charles County in 1949. The boom lasted until 1968 when gambling was once again outlawed. Its subsequent substantial growth as a residential community began with a 1970 loan package from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which fueled the giant planned community of St. Charles, south of Waldorf.

St. Catharine
St. Catharine (Waldorf, Maryland)
St. Catharine, also known as Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House, is a historic house near Waldorf, Maryland. It is a two part frame farmhouse with a two-story, three-bay side-passage main house with a a smaller two-story, two-bay wing. It features a one-story hip-roofed porch across the facade added in 1928....

, or the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The 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 1974.

Waldorf is predominantly a bedroom community for many residents who commute to work at other points in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, metropolitan area, especially personnel at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....

. Waldorf's local jobs are primarily in the service and sales industry. Nearby St. Charles Towne Center
St. Charles Towne Center
St. Charles Towne Center is a two-level, enclosed shopping in the planned community of St. Charles. Built in 1990, it covers an area of , and is currently the only regional mall in Southern Maryland. In addition to Waldorf and St...

, a 2-story shopping mall, opened in 1988 and was remodeled in 2007. St. Charles Towne Center draws shoppers and diners from several Maryland counties, parts of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, causing Charles County to be promoted as the "shopping capital of Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...

." U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 is a spur of U.S. Route 1 running through the South Atlantic States. It currently runs 1,099 miles from Glasgow, Delaware at U.S. Route 40 to Sarasota, Florida. It passes through the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida...

, the main highway through the town, boasts the "Waldorf Motor Mile," with car dealerships located primarily along the northbound side. In 2005, Waldorf opened its sixth public high school (North Point High School
North Point High School
North Point High School is a school for science, technology, and industry. It is located in the far western area of Waldorf, Maryland, United States. At and with about 2,200 students enrolled, it is the largest high school in Charles County. It is also the newest high school, having opened its...

), which has advanced science/technology programs; the Capital Clubhouse 24-hour indoor sports complex and ice rink also opened that year. Waldorf has a branch of the College of Southern Maryland
College of Southern Maryland
The College of Southern Maryland in La Plata, Maryland, is a public, regional community college, serving Southern Maryland Charles County, St. Mary's County, and Calvert County.-History:...

. In 2006, plans were announced to build two more shopping centers, including one with high-end stores and an attractive "lifestyle" town center design layout. Ground was also broken to build an office park with mid-rise office buildings at the intersection of Western Parkway and Route 228 (Berry Road); the Residence Inn opened there in 2010, and another new hotel has opened across the road.

Geography

Waldorf is located at 38°38′46"N 76°53′54"W (38.646173, -76.898217).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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 12.8 square miles (33.2 km²), all of it land.

Most of Waldorf is flat, particularly the eastern part of the city. There are small hills to the west, and much of the southern and eastern parts of the city are wetlands, featuring very diverse wildlife in ponds and streams. Waldorf is forested, mostly with oak and pine trees.

Farming

Even though Waldorf is a rapidly developing urbanized area, the community is surrounded by farms. These farms include:
  • Shlagel Farms, a major strawberry farm that offers vegetables and flowers, along with Angus
    Angus
    Angus is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland, a registration county and a lieutenancy area. The council area borders Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross and Dundee City...

     beef.
  • Middleton's Cedar Hill farm
  • Middleton Manor Farms


Tobacco, once a dominant crop in Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...

, has nearly disappeared as a crop grown by farmers, since most area farmers accepted buy-outs during the 1990s from the Maryland state government.

Surrounding places

Waldorf's neighbors are all in Maryland.

Prince George's County
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....

 (north), Bennsville
Bennsville, Maryland
Bennsville is a census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 7,325 at the 2000 census. The area is not an official postal designation, but is part of the Waldorf or Pomfret postal area...

 (west), St. Charles (south).

On the east, from north to south there are Brandywine
Brandywine, Maryland
Brandywine is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, although the postal delivery area includes part of Charles County as well near Malcolm....

, Cedarville State Forest, Malcolm
Malcolm, Maryland
Malcolm, Maryland is a small community, essentially centered around a five-way intersection in Charles County, Maryland, about 7 miles east of Waldorf. Horsehead Road, one of the five roads meeting here, was the route traveled by John Wilkes Booth to Dr. Mudd's house after Booth's assassination...

 and Bryantown
Bryantown, Maryland
Bryantown is an unincorporated community in Charles County, Maryland, United States, adjacent to Maryland Route 5. Bryantown stands on land known as Boarman's Manor, a manor granted to Major William Boarman in 1674....

.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A 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 22,312 people, 7,603 households, and 5,991 families residing in the CDP. In the CDP, the population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,746.0 people per square mile (674.1/km²). There were 7,827 housing units at an average density of 612.5 per square mile (236.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 61.11% White, 31.98% African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race 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 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population.

There were 7,603 households out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage 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, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,869, and the median income for a family was $71,439 (these figures had risen to $86,901 and $94,432 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $45,293 versus $35,386 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per 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 $24,728. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The major routes in Waldorf are:
  • U.S. Route 301
    U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
    U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that runs from Delaware to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It passes through three of Maryland's four main regions: the Eastern Shore, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Southern Maryland...

    , running north to south between Brandywine
    Brandywine, Maryland
    Brandywine is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, although the postal delivery area includes part of Charles County as well near Malcolm....

     to the north and White Plains
    White Plains, Maryland
    White Plains is an unincorporated community located in Charles County in the State of Maryland in the United States of America, just south of Waldorf, Maryland. It is located at latitude 38°35'25" North; longitude 76°56'26" West. The United States Postal Service has assigned White Plains the ZIP...

     to the south. It is lined continuously for several miles with shopping centers, restaurants, car dealers, and other businesses.


Although the outmoded and narrow 2-lane Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge
Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge
The Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge is a , two-lane continuous truss bridge that spans the Potomac River between Newburg in Charles County, Maryland and Dahlgren in King George County, Virginia, USA....

 provides a road connection from Waldorf to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...

, the bridge is nevertheless used by some long-distance East Coast through-motorists as a travel alternative to Interstate 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...

/495
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...

 which often has major traffic backups (see Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Woodrow Wilson Bridge
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. While over the water near the Virginia shore, it crosses the southern tip of the District of...

). In the years to come, due to traffic concerns, a bypass may be built through either western or eastern Waldorf, or the highway may continue on the same route through Waldorf with overpasses. This will give an interstate feel to the Waldorf area and ultimately take away traffic congestion to the north-south routes in Waldorf. See the External Links section for more information.
  • Maryland Route 5
    Maryland Route 5
    Maryland Route 5 is a long state highway that runs north–south in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs from Point Lookout in St. Mary's County north to the Washington, D.C. border in Suitland, Prince George's County....

     (Leonardtown Road), which joins US 301 in Brandywine to the north and splits at the city line to bypass Waldorf on Mattawoman-Beantown Road. It runs from Washington, D.C. and Brandywine in the north to Hughesville
    Hughesville, Maryland
    Hughesville is a census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,537 at the 2000 census. Truman's Place was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.-Geography:...

     and the southern tip of Maryland. A minor league professional baseball stadium for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
    Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
    The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs is an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2008 season...

     baseball team is accessible from Route 5 via Billingsley Road. MD 5 also has a small business corridor which runs westward from the intersection of Mattawoman-Beantown Road, St. Charles Parkway
    St. Charles Parkway
    St. Charles Parkway is an unnumbered county road in Charles County. It begins at the intersection where MD 5 branches off northwards on Mattawoman Beantown Road and MD 5 BUS continues westward until its terminus at US Route 301. It primarily serves as the main road into the various villages and...

    , and Leonardtown Road until its terminus at US 301.

  • Maryland Route 228
    Maryland Route 228
    Maryland Route 228 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Berry Road, the state highway runs from MD 210 in Accokeek east to U.S. Route 301 and MD 5 Business in Waldorf...

     (Berry Road), starts in Accokeek
    Accokeek, Maryland
    Accokeek is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, located about 8.5 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census. It is home to Piscataway Park....

     at the intersection of Maryland Route 210
    Maryland Route 210
    Maryland Route 210 , or Indian Head Highway, is a state highway in Prince George's and Charles counties in Maryland. At its northern end, MD 210 starts from the end of South Capitol Street in Washington, D.C., connecting the U.S. Capitol with Indian Head, Maryland...

     (Indian Head Highway) and runs through much of western Waldorf until its eastern terminus in central Waldorf, at the intersection of MD 228, MD 5 Business, and US 301. In addition, the intersection of MD 228 and MD 210 in Accokeek is one of only six Continuous flow intersection
    Continuous flow intersection
    Continuous flow intersection , also called a crossover displaced left-turn , is an at-grade intersection that moves the turning vehicles, conflicting with the through-movements , out of the main intersection...

    s in the United States.

  • Maryland Route 925
    Maryland Route 925
    Maryland Route 925 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Old Washington Road, the state highway runs from Billingsley Road in White Plains north to MD 5 Business in Waldorf. MD 925 and the county-maintained portion of Old Washington Road to the north comprise the old...

    , also known as Old Washington Road, runs north to south through Waldorf and nearly runs parallel to US 301.

  • St. Charles Parkway
    St. Charles Parkway
    St. Charles Parkway is an unnumbered county road in Charles County. It begins at the intersection where MD 5 branches off northwards on Mattawoman Beantown Road and MD 5 BUS continues westward until its terminus at US Route 301. It primarily serves as the main road into the various villages and...

    , which lies in the eastern side of the city, is another scenic, landscaped major thoroughfare within the city, passing by White Plains Regional Park. This is sometimes referred to as the most beautiful road in Waldorf, especially during the spring, summer and autumn months. In 2008, this road was extended south to the county seat, La Plata
    La Plata, Maryland
    La Plata is a town in Charles County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,551 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Charles County.-History:...

    , providing an alternative travel route to US 301 between Waldorf and La Plata.


Public transportation is provided by Van-Go, a bus system administered by Charles County
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

 for most of the county, including Waldorf, and interconnecting to nearby St.Mary's County
Saint Mary's County, Maryland
Saint Mary's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 105,151. Its county seat is Leonardtown...

 Transit System buses. MTA Maryland has four commuter routes (901
Route 901 (MTA Maryland)
-Route profile:Route 901 is a commuter bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in the U.S. state of Maryland and the District of Columbia between La Plata, Waldorf, and downtown Washington, DC. The line is operated by Dillon's Bus Service under a service contract with MTA Maryland...

, 903, 905, and 907
Route 907 (MTA Maryland)
Route 907 is a commuter bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in the U.S. state of Maryland and the District of Columbia between La Plata, Waldorf, and downtown Washington, DC. The line is operated by Keller Transportation, Inc. under a service contract with MTA Maryland...

, all operated by Keller Transportation) that takes commuters to and from downtown Washington, D.C., and ridership is rapidly growing. Waldorf has seven park & ride lots served by MTA Maryland routes: two at St. Charles Towne Center, one at St. Charles Towne Plaza, one at Smallwood Drive and US 301, one on Mattawoman Beantown Road, one at Smallwood Village Center, and one at Regency Furniture Stadium
Regency Furniture Stadium
Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball park in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 3-2. For the 2010 baseball season, the collegiate...

.

Traffic

Traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...

 in Waldorf is usually congested, and the state is still evaluating options for a U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that runs from Delaware to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It passes through three of Maryland's four main regions: the Eastern Shore, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Southern Maryland...

 bypass around western Waldorf. Through Virginia and Maryland, US 301 along with U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 is a north–south United States highway. The highway spans the southeastern United States and is close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length. The highway's southern terminus is at Punta Gorda, Florida, at an intersection with U.S. Route 41...

 are used as alternate routes from I-95, due to I-95 traffic congestion Due to Waldorf's bedroom community nature and lack of any significant hometown industry, its highways can become very congested in the morning commutes north to Washington D.C., and also on Friday through Sunday in every direction due to shoppers, many of them visiting from other counties. Much of the congestion is seen at the intersection of Route 228 and 301 and Community Drive, on Berry Road going westward to Western Parkway, near St. Patrick's Drive, on Mall Circle surrounding St. Charles Towne Center, and on Smallwood Drive near the neighborhood of Carrington. Most traffic is in the southern areas of Waldorf.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs is an American professional baseball team based in Waldorf, Maryland. They are a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, an independent baseball league which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. From the 2008 season...

ALPB
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...

, Baseball
Regency Furniture Stadium
Regency Furniture Stadium
Regency Furniture Stadium is a 4,200-seat baseball park in Waldorf, Maryland that hosted its first regular season baseball game on May 2, 2008, as the tenants of the facility, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs defeated the Lancaster Barnstormers, 3-2. For the 2010 baseball season, the collegiate...

2008 0

External links

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