Clarksburg, Maryland

Clarksburg, Maryland
census-designated place
An aerial view of Clarksburg, Maryland in January 2007.
Location of Clarksburg, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°13′10″N 77°17′17″W / 39.21944°N 77.28806°WCoordinates: 39°13′10″N 77°17′17″W / 39.21944°N 77.28806°W
Country	United States of America
State	Maryland
County	Montgomery
City	Clarksburg
Founded	1752[1]
Area
• Total	8.3 sq mi (21.3 km^2)
• Land	8.2 sq mi (21.2 km^2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.1 km^2)
Elevation	663 ft (202 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	13,677
• Density	4,319.9/sq mi (1,667.9/km^2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	20871
Area code(s)	301
FIPS code	24-17350
GNIS feature ID	0583799

Clarksburg is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Northern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, located along the Interstate 270 technology corridor about 4 miles north of Germantown, MD. As of Census 2010 its population was 13,766.^[1]

Geography

As an unincorporated area, Clarksburg's boundaries are not officially defined. Clarksburg is, however, recognized by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place, and by the United States Geological Survey as a populated place.

According to the United States Census Bureau, it has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21 km²), of which, 8.2 square miles (21 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (1.82%) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census,^[2] there were 13,766 people and 4,352 households residing in the area. The population density was 1,667.9 people per square mile (51.2/km²). The population is roughly 44.1% White, 14.7% African-American, 0.1% American Indian or Alaska Native, 33.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, including 9.8% of the population Hispanic or Latino origin of any race.

In 2000 there were 604 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.0% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 13.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the area, the population was spread out with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $88,419, and the median income for a family was $91,216. Males had a median income of $63,125 versus $42,283 for females. The per capita income for the area was $33,174. About 3.4% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

History

Clarksburg is named for trader John Clarke,^[3] and was established at the intersection of the main road between Georgetown and Frederick and an old Seneca trail. One of its earliest white inhabitants was a man named Michael Ashford Dowden, who in 1752 received a patent for 40 acres (160,000 m²) from the colonial government called "Hammer Hill", and two years later permission to build an inn. The inn itself is a footnote in history, hosting the army of General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War, serving as a meeting place for local Sons of Liberty in the years before the American Revolution, and possibly serving dinner to President Andrew Jackson on his way to his inauguration. Jamie, grandson of the trader, built a general store in the area around 1770, and over the next thirty years enough people moved to the area that Clark was appointed postmaster for the community. By 1875, Clarksburg was a major town in the northern part of the county, but the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad undermined its economy.

In 1964, the Montgomery County planning commission decided that Clarksburg would be the last community along Interstate 270 that would have large-scale development.^[4] The Montgomery County Council adopted a master plan for Clarksburg in 1968, which rezoned land for a mix of townhouses and single-family houses.^[5] Another master plan was adopted in 1994.^[4] A retail area was planned to be built in Clarksburg, but retail development had not broken ground by 2010, to the dismay of some residents.^[6]

In June 2015, the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce selected the town's flag designed by Shaneea Peek as the official flag of Clarksburg.The inspiration of the flag was derived from Dowden’s Ordinary which is a historic landmark of Clarksburg.^[7]

Development

Since 2000 there has been major growth in the area of Clarksburg. A new town center is being built in the heart of Clarksburg, near the historic center. 2010 Census data show that there are now over 13,677 residents and 4,352 households currently residing in Clarksburg, which consists of a diverse population with a high level of education attainment. Several public parks ^[8] and schools have also been developed to help accommodate the growth. In recent years it was discovered that many new houses have had been built closer together than the minimum distance required by zoning laws, roads built too narrow for firetrucks to pass, homes and community facilities built without adequate permits or approvals by local authorities. ^[9] This was found to be the fault of inadequate county oversight and lax enforcement of building codes and laws combined with a building boom in the early 2000s.

School enrollment issue

School Name	School Enrollment Capacity	School Enrollment As of 2006-2007	Projected Enrollment (2011–2012) According to MCPS	Percent Increase From '06-'07 to '11-'12	Percent Above/Below School Enrollment Capacity For 2011-2012
Clarksburg Elementary School [10]	335 students	385 students	469 students	21.8% increase	40.0% above capacity
Clarksburg High School [11]	1629 students	999 students	1479 students	48.0% increase	10.1% below capacity
Little Bennett Elementary School [12]	685 students	531 students	1174 students	121.1% increase	71.4% above capacity
Rocky Hill Middle School [13]	956 students	977 students	1250 students	27.9% increase	30.8% above capacity

The table shows that the two newest schools, Little Bennett Elementary School and Clarksburg High School, have the largest increase of students, with Little Bennett at 71.4% above building capacity in the projections of 2011-2012. This has led to a moratorium in issuance of permits for new projects, but not issuance of permits in existing projects, for new homes in the Clarksburg area.^[14] The majority of planned housing units will be built in existing projects. All four of the largest neighborhoods are exempt from the moratorium.

Businesses and Organizations

• BrightFocus Foundation
• Thales Communications
• Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce

References

1. Brocker, Jim (January 7, 2012). "Clarksburg, a work in progress". The Washington Post. p. E4.
2. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
3. "Old Location, New Store in Clarksburg". The Washington Post. December 21, 2006. p. T3.
4. Aguilar, Louis (February 17, 1994). "Clarksburg Gets Ready to Meet Its Master Plan; County Preparing a Big Future for Rural Hamlet". The Washington Post. p. M1.
5. Bensinger, Gail (July 24, 1968). "Clarksburg Master Plan Voted". The Washington Post. p. B9.
6. Spivack, Miranda S. (January 12, 2010). "Clarksburg at the 10-year mark: Turmoil comes to town and stays; Montgomery development struggles to deliver what was promised". The Washington Post. p. B1.
7. "Clarksburg Reveals its New Flag on Heritage Day | Patch". Retrieved 2015-10-05.
8. Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park
9. Singer-Bart, Susan (20 February 2010). "County fire officials restricting upcounty street parking.". Gazette.net. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
10. "Clarksburg ES at a Glance (PDF)" (PDF).
11. "Clarksburg HS at a Glance (PDF)" (PDF).
12. "Little Bennett ES at a Glance (PDF)" (PDF).
13. "Rocky Hill MS at a Glance (PDF)" (PDF).
14. "County puts hold on new projects".

External links

• My Community - Clarksburg