HOWARD COUNTY

County Offices
3430 Courthouse Drive
Ellicott City 410-313-2200
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
5560 Sterrett Place
Columbia 410-730-4111
https://www.howardchamber.com/

Settled in the early 1700s, Howard County presents a study in contrasts. Some settlements within the county are older than the nation itself, while other areas have only recently experienced real development. This rapidly expanding region that claims roots in agriculture, commerce, and industry is now blending historic mills, architectural landmarks, open countryside, and horse farms with dynamic enterprises and high-tech companies. The breeding of thoroughbred horses remains as one of the county’s main activities, adding picturesque scenes to the area and preserving an element of rural charm.

Boasting a thriving economy that is also becoming increasingly more sophisticated, Howard County is one of Maryland’s fastest growing areas. Its ideal location within the vast Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Statistic Area is only part of the attraction for new businesses and residents. The close proximity to a leading port, railroad lines, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport combines with major highways like Interstates 95 and 70 and U.S. Highway 40 to offer unrivaled transportation efficiency. The area is also surrounded by one of the largest employment centers in the nation — approximately one-third of Howard County residents are commuters to Washington, D.C. An equal number of commuters travel to Baltimore employment centers, making this area a “bedroom community” for two of the nation’s leading metropolitan centers. Each year, more residents are employed in the county’s own impressive community of high-tech engineering, telecommunications, research, and biotechnology companies.

Services
The attractive combination of qualities and assets that converge in Howard County have made it popular with many professionals, managed-care health organizations, and outpatient care facilities. Anchoring this network of facilities and services is a state-of-the-art hospital, Howard County General, an institution that merged with the renowned Johns Hopkins Medicine in 1998 to ensure leading-edge diagnostics and treatment. The Patuxent Medical Group’s regional medical center maintains departments that offer a wide cross-section of specialties, including a pharmacy. Together, St. Agnes Nursing and Rehabilitation and Lorien Nursing and Rehabilitation centers provide 420 beds for patients who require skilled nursing services or hospice care. Contemporary healthcare centers and wellness centers offer a blend of traditional medicine with alternative therapies. Everything from reconstructive surgery to acupuncture and midwifery is available close to home.

Howard County boasts one of the leading public school systems in the nation, with acknowledged leadership in innovation, student achievement, and cultural diversity. Throughout the area, educational resources on the primary level are complemented by the outstanding advantages in secondary education. Howard County’s public school district consistently ranks as a statewide leader on the state’s demanding School Performance Assessment report card. The region maintains an innovative Career and Technical Education program for high school students that encompasses clusters in such popular fields as energy, power and transportation, communications, biotech, and construction and manufacturing. The opportunities to pursue a higher education close to home are abundant, from Howard Community College with its new business training center to the Columbia extensions for Johns Hopkins University and Loyola College. The University College of the University of Maryland also offers a variety of evening credited classes at local high schools and Fort Meade.

Quality of Life
Newcomers to scenic Howard County will discover a wide range of cultural activities and entertainment possibilities that have been developed to please every age group and interest. The area enjoys a natural environment and developed amenities that make it an outstanding choice for living, working, playing, and raising families. Regional resources include a headliner amphitheater, numerous historic landmarks, countless cultural and arts festivals, popular special events, and fine museums. Within a 30-minute drive from home, residents can enjoy the cultural jewels in Washington, D.C., and Baltimore City. Day trips and getaways are popular with Howard County residents, who find it affordable to drive to natural playgrounds like the Atlantic Ocean and alpine retreats or explore the delights waiting in historic Philadelphia and New York’s “Big Apple.”

Howard County’s abundance of fine retail establishments and shopping experiences add to the distinctive quality of life, combining world-class malls with quaint antique shops, specialty boutiques, ethnic grocers, discount retailers, and charming village districts. Residents and visitors alike appreciate the charm of Historic Savage Mill and Historic Main Street in Ellicott City. The premier planned community of Columbia was designed around its Village Centers to provide local shopping and entertainment, creating an immediate sense of community for its residents. The county offers a kaleidoscope of activities through the active parks and recreation department, organizing everything from holiday parties to concerts and theater programs. Local libraries sponsor puppet shows, and youth organizations like scouting and 4-H enjoy enthusiastic participation. Farmers markets, the Howard County Fair, pick-your-own farms, petting farms, hayrides, and nature centers are just a few ways that Howard County residents celebrate nature’s bounty.

Crowning the region is the recreational wonderland of Patapsco Valley State Park, offering 3,000 acres of natural beauty for hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, and exploration. Along the multi-purpose trail are abandoned mill races, ancient rock outcroppings, tunnels, waterfalls, granite foundations for railroad ties, a swinging bridge, historic viaducts, and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in the mid-Atlantic region.

The southern border of Howard County is covered by the expansive 245-acre Patuxent River State Park, encompassing Brighton Dam Azalea Garden and scenic picnic areas. Throughout the county are lush parks and recreational facilities for swimming, biking, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, camping, hunting, golfing, horseback riding, playing tennis, and skating. This region where the Piedmont’s rolling hills meets the fall line of the glaciers offers pleasing contrasts, blending historic with modern.

Clarksville
County Offices
410-313-3000

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

In spite of the rapid growth and development that characterizes Howard County, the community of Clarksville has managed to remain a rural farming community. The small-town ambiance of the unincorporated area has attracted those who appreciate the pleasures of a rural lifestyle and a location in close proximity to major metropolitan advantages. Historians have referred to Clarksville as a “crossroads community” because of the Clarksville Pike or Route 108. Although Clarksville is still primarily an agricultural region with residential communities, many of the local farms and patchwork fields are giving way to urban and suburban development. To the north of Clarksville lies the University of Maryland Central Farm and to the southeast is the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, one of the nations premier companies for scientific research. The laboratory is also distinguished as one of the county’s and the metropolitan region’s largest employers.

Columbia
County Offices
410-313-3000
https://sites.google.com/a/columbiacountyny.com/columbia-county-clerk
Columbia Association
410-715-3000
www.columbiaassociation.org

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Nearly 90,000 residents already call the community of Columbia home, enjoying a unique lifestyle in this 14,000-acre cluster of distinctive villages. Columbia provides a self-contained community with social and cultural centers, employment possibilities, quality education, thousands of acres of open space, and abundant opportunities for recreation. More than 80 miles of pathways, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a horse center, a sports park, golf courses, tennis courts, and ice rink, sports fields and courts, and athletic clubs are just a few of the amenities. Columbia is home to half of the county’s businesses and approximately
one-third of its population. Howard County General Hospital, the resources associated with Howard County Community College, and Columbia Mall serve the entire region. Newcomers can choose from an abundance of housing styles in all price ranges with equally varied settings that include hillsides, wooded valleys, and lakefronts.

Elkridge
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Newcomers to Elkridge will find remnants of the community’s proud past in elegant churches, grand estates, and 18th-century bridges. The housing selection blends older homes and magnificent vintage manors with newer construction in a variety of styles, price ranges, and sizes. Grocery and retail stores are convenient to all neighborhoods, adding to the convenience of daily life. Patapsco Valley State Park and Rockburn Branch Park provide a wide variety of recreational facilities and vast open space. The cosmopolitan amenities in Baltimore City and Washington, D.C., are easily accessible via Interstate 95. The Baltimore-Washington International Airport is only minutes away from Elkridge.

Ellicott City
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Historic Ellicott City is situated in a scenic valley along the rolling Patapsco River and proud of its status as one of Maryland’s most unique and charming communities. The community enjoys a rich and varied history from its early days as the tiny trading center of “Ellicott’s Mills” to the present seat of rapidly urbanizing Howard County. The main street shopping district, snaking its way up from the Patapsco River, showcases a medley of antique and craft shops, galleries, and fine restaurants in a quaint setting. Nearby Patapsco State Park is the site of many outdoor activities. Residents enjoy quick access to regional recreational centers for camping, biking, hiking, boating, tennis, golfing, and nature study. Housing ranges from quaint older properties in the historic district to newer construction in a variety of architectural styles.

Glenelg, Glenwood
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

The unincorporated communities of Glenelg and Glenwood in western Howard County are both experiencing considerable growth. Offering the slower pace and tranquil atmosphere of a country setting in close proximity to the major thoroughfares of Interstate 70 and Route 97, they offer a quick and convenient commute to Baltimore or Washington, D.C. Retail development is sufficient to meet the need for daily goods and services, although regional malls are available within a 30-minute drive. Most of the housing that dots the countryside is single-family in style. Those looking for a neighborhood setting will find a selection of newer subdivisions where homes enjoy generous parcels of land. Local recreational activities include fishing and boating at Tridelphia Lake, strolling through azalea gardens, and hiking at nearby Patuxent River State Park.

Highland
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Accessible to the major thoroughfare of U.S. Route 29, Highland provides residents with a serene, rural lifestyle. Newcomers will appreciate the easy commute to employment centers and regional amenities. Situated midway between Baltimore and the capital city, Highland enjoys a highly centralized location enhanced by excellent schools and the quality of nearby recreational amenities. The housing is exceptionally attractive as well, featuring many handsome custom homes that are situated on sprawling lots. Columbia and Laurel Mall shopping centers are just a short drive away. The educational and cultural opportunities of Howard County Community College are also nearby.

Lisbon
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Founded as a farming village and supply depot, Lisbon experienced its heyday as a resort town for summer visitors who enjoyed the country atmosphere and the escape from the city heat. Many of the residences in Lisbon were constructed prior to the Civil War, and some of these grand antebellum homes have been carefully restored. Some of the historic structures are unusually small, including three houses built 130 years ago that are only 13 feet wide. Nearly every house in Lisbon east of Woodbine Road was constructed before or during the Civil War. At least three homes that have survived the passing decades are log structures. Modern Lisbon offers residents a peaceful, small-town atmosphere where open countryside provides a pastoral backdrop to the rolling farms and historic churches. Lisbon is located just 15 miles west of Ellicott City, straddling the present day Route 144 that was originally carved by the Ellicott brothers to reach the markets of Frederick, Hagerstown, and Cumberland.

Savage
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Named for John Savage who developed the town in 1822 as an important textile mill center, the community known as Savage is home to a regional attraction. The historic, six-story Savage Mill has been redeveloped into a new market center for antiques and crafts as well as a studio and gallery that displays the work of local artists and craftsmen. In its role as a festive showcase for quality arts and crafts, Historic Savage Mill is popular for leisurely enjoyment of this quiet mill town on the banks of the Little and Middle Patuxent Rivers. As with many towns in the area, Savage is experiencing a surge of growth and development because of its prime location between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Savage offers a pleasing atmosphere complete with family-oriented attractions like lush parks, playgrounds, ballfields, and picnic areas. Howard County Community College is close to home, expanding the opportunities for affordable higher education, cultural events, and special programs.

West Friendship
County Offices
410-313-3000
www.howardcountymd.gov

Chamber of Commerce
410-730-4111
www.howardchamber.com

Characterized as a farming community, West Friendship also harmonizes beautiful historic homes with newly developed residential neighborhoods. The town’s early residents were tobacco or wheat farmers, and many descendants of those 17th-century settlers still reside within the area. Familiar family names like Warfield, Ridgely, Selby, Hobbs, Cross, and Cissel have helped to create the modern community of West Friendship. The annual Howard County Fair is held in rural West Friendship, although suburban trappings now include a modern shopping center. New construction in the West Friendship area features spacious single-family homes in colonial styling. Many homes are set on large, wooded lots that offer natural beauty and seclusion. The area provides a convenient commute into Baltimore City via Interstate 70. Throughout the community, farms and historic homes blend with modern construction and retail centers, harmonizing a progressive attitude with reverence for tradition.