College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 24,657 at the 2000 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S. National Archives.
College Park's United States Postal Service ZIP codes are 20740, 20741 (Berwyn Heights; North College Park) and 20742 (University of Maryland).
Bordering areas
- Berwyn Heights (East)
- University Park (Southwest)
- Riverdale Park (South)
- Adelphi (West)
- Hyattsville (Southwest)
Geography
College Park is located at 38°59′48″N 76°55′39″W / 38.99667°N 76.9275°W / 38.99667; -76.9275 (38.996560, -76.927509).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.4 square miles (14.1 km²), of which, 5.4 square miles (14.1 km²) of it is land and 0.18% is water.
History
Spring Training
In 1943, the Washington Senators held Spring Training camp in College Park. In order to conserve rail transport during World War II, the 1943 Spring Training was limited to an area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River.
September 2001 Tornado
On September 24, 2001, a violent, multiple-vortex F3 tornado roared through the area. This storm moved at peak intensity through the University of Maryland, College Park campus, and then moved parallel to I-95 through the Laurel area, where F3 damage was also noted. The damage path from this storm was measured at 17.5 miles in length, and this tornado caused 2 deaths and 55 injuries, along with $101 million in property damage. The two deaths were sisters who died when their car was picked up and hurled over a building before being slammed to the ground; both young women were UMCP students.
This tornado was part of the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., tornado outbreak of 2001, one of the most dramatic recent tornado events to directly affect the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area.
The first tornado of the outbreak was also the strongest - an F4 (see Fujita scale) tornado that left a 10-mile-long damage path through rural Culpeper and Fauquier Counties in Virginia. Weak (F1) tornadoes east of Warrenton, and just west of Dulles International Airport soon followed.
A second supercell to the southeast spawned the family of tornadoes that moved through Washington. A first tornado (F0) was confirmed in the Quantico and Prince William Forest Park areas; this was soon followed by an F1 tornado that left a 15-mile-long path parallel to I-95 and I-395 through Franconia, western Alexandria and Arlington. This tornado dissipated near the west end of the Mall in Washington, D.C., and was followed by many reports of funnel clouds. This same storm produced the F3 tornado that roared through College Park.
Historic sites
The following is a list of historic sites in College Park identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Part of the city is located within the Calvert Hills Historic District; listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 24,657 people, 6,030 households, and 3,039 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,537.5 people per square mile (1,753.2/km²). There were 6,245 housing units at an average density of 1,149.2/sq mi (444.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 68.82% White, 15.93% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 10.03% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.57% from other races, and 2.31% from two or more races. 5.54% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 6,030 households out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.6% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% 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 3.11.
In the city the population was spread out with 10.5% under the age of 18, 51.3% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 11.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 110.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $50,168, and the median income for a family was $62,759 (these figures had risen to $66,953 and $82,295 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $40,445 versus $31,631 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,026. About 4.2% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Government of College Park is a Council-Manager form of government. The city manager is appointed by the city council and the mayor elected every two years. The council has eight councilmembers, representing four districts in the city. City Council meetings are held once a week at the College Park City Hall.
The current Mayor of College Park is Stephen A. Brayman, who took office in 2001. Previous Mayors were:
- William A. Duvall (1945-1951)
- Charles R. Davis (1951-1963)
- William W. Gullett (1963-1969)
- William R. Reading (1969-1973)
- Dervey A. Lomax (1973-1975)
- St. Clair Reeves (1975-1981)
- Alvin J. Kushner (1981-1987)
- Anna Latta Owens (1987-1993)
- Joseph E. Page (1993-1997)
- Michael J. Jacobs (1997-2001)
College Park has six government departments:
- Administration
- Finance
- Public Services
- Planning
- Community Resources
- Public Works
Neighborhoods
- Autoville/Cherry Hill
- Berwyn
- Branchville
- Calvert Hills
- College Park Woods
- Crystal Springs/Patricia Court
- Daniels Park
- Hollywood
- Lakeland
- North College Park
- Old Town
- Sunnyside
- Yarrow
Development
By the turn of the 21st century, College Park began experiencing significant development pressure. Both students and city residents have decried the city's lack of amenities and poor sense of place. In 2002, the city and county passed the Route 1 Sector Plan, which allowed and encouraged mixed use development on College Park's main roadway.
Recent projects like the East Campus Redevelopment Initiative, the University View and Northgate Condos give many in the community hope that the city may one day be like other notable college towns around the country, with a vibrant downtown and a diverse population. A full list of current projects in the pipeline can be found on the City of College Park's Economic Development Updates.
The University of Maryland's Student Government Association sponsored a design charrette in April 2006 to envision the future of College Park. In July 2006, a group of students created Rethink College Park—a website/blog/community group that provides information about development and encourages public dialogue.
Transportation
Airport
College Park Airport is one of the oldest continuously operating airports in the United States and is one of the oldest airports in the world, having been in continuous operation since 1909. Its future status is uncertain, as it lies just a few miles outside the restricted airspace of Washington, D.C. In 1977, the airport was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Major highways
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) joins
I-95 at the College Park Interchange, connecting with Alexandria and Richmond, Virginia. West of the interchange, I-495 continues west toward Silver Spring, Maryland and Northern Virginia.
U.S. 1 is a major north-south roadway running through College Park, serving as the main street in the downtown area. It is a major route to Beltsville and Laurel to the north and Hyattsville and Washington, DC to the south.
Public transportation
College Park has a station (College Park-U of Md) on the Washington Metro Green Line; a large commuter parking garage was completed in 20
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