Mount Airy, Maryland

Mount Airy, Maryland
—  Town  —
Location of Mount Airy, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°22′29″N 77°9′20″W / 39.37472°N 77.15556°W / 39.37472; -77.15556Coordinates: 39°22′29″N 77°9′20″W / 39.37472°N 77.15556°W / 39.37472; -77.15556
Country	United States
State	Maryland
Counties	Carroll, Frederick, Howard,
Area
– Total	4.2 sq mi (10.7 km2)
– Land	4.2 sq mi (10.7 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	781 ft (238 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	9,288
– Density	2,211.4/sq mi (868.0/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	21771
Area code(s)	301
FIPS code	24-53875
GNIS feature ID	0585976
Website	Mount Airy, Maryland

Mount Airy is a town in Carroll, Frederick, Howard, and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Maryland.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11 km²), all of it land.

History

Mt. Airy was established in 1830 and continued to develop throughout the decade, beginning with the construction of house settlements along Parr’s Ridge. A man named Henry Bussard built the first of these houses. This town was known for its train station on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) at Parr’s Ridge. The railroad ran from Baltimore to Frederick, two popular towns to the east and west, respectively, of Mt. Airy. Following 1830, the town received its official name after the suggestion of "Mount Airy" from an Irish B&O worker who complained about his freezing ears on a windy work day.^{[citation needed]} Over the years, milling, canning and sewing industries initially helped support Mt. Airy’s economy.

The town’s proximity to the National Pike contributed to its growth. The National Pike was a road that ran west from Baltimore to Illinois. Beginning in the 1860s, Mt. Airy continued to grow as it became involved in the Civil War. Three great fires (1903, 1914, and 1925) caused setbacks in growth, but the town rebuilt every time. By the 1890s, the town’s growth had increased significantly and three new churches were built (one Episcopal and two Methodist), along with a very important bridge, still standing and known by residents as the Twin Arch, that helped with railroad transportation.

The Mount Airy Historic District that includes the railroad station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.^[1]

Currently, Mt. Airy is no longer economically dependent on the railroad, as citizens work a variety of different jobs. Mt. Airy hosts four annual events each year. These events include the Spring Fling in May, Flag Day in June, Festival on the Ridge in October, and Christmas in Olde Town in December. An all-volunteer staff of townspeople dedicates their time to work at each of these events.^[2][3]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1990	3,730		—
2000	6,425		72.3%
2010	9,288		44.6%

As of the latest census^[4] of 2010, there are 9,288 people, with 3107 households in the town. The population density was 2,211.4 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were also a total of 3,225 housing units.

As of the census^[4] 2000, there were 6,425 people, 2,123 households, and 1,717 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,678.5 people per square mile (647.7/km²). There were 2,179 housing units at an average density of 569.3 per square mile (219.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.71% White, 2.58% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population.

There were 2,123 households out of which 51.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.1% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the town the population was spread out with 34.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,967, and the median income for a family was $76,214. Males had a median income of $52,177 versus $35,054 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,380. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under age 18 and 1.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• Josh Boone (1984- ), NBA Player
• Joe Alexander (1986- ), NBA Developmental League Player
• Adriene B, star of the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading squad since 2006 (stunt team)

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ Mount Airy, Maryland
3. ^ Mount Airy, Maryland History
4. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.