Howard County, Maryland

"HoCo" redirects here. For other uses, see HOCO.

Howard County
County
File:Savage Mill Rear Dec 8 cropped.JPG Clockwise: Main Street in Ellicott City, Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, McKeldin Rapids in Patapsco Valley State Park, Howard County Conservatory, Savage Mill, Town Center in Columbia.
Flag Seal
Nickname:  "HoCo"
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
Maryland's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°15′N 76°56′W
Country	United States
State	Maryland
Founded	May 13, 1838
Named for	John Eager Howard
Seat	Ellicott City
Largest community	Columbia
Area
• Total	253 sq mi (660 km2)
• Land	251 sq mi (650 km2)
• Water	2.7 sq mi (7 km2)  1.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	328,200
• Density	1,300/sq mi (500/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	3rd
Website	www.howardcountymd.gov

Howard County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,529. Since there are no incorporated municipalities, there is no incorporated county seat either. Therefore, its county seat is the unincorporated community of Ellicott City. Howard County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area.

Recent south county development has led to some realignment towards the Washington, D.C. media and employment markets. The county is home to Columbia, a major planned community of approximately 100,000 founded in 1967.

Howard County is frequently cited for its affluence, quality of life, and excellent schools. Its estimated 2020 median household income of $124,042 (~$143,882 in 2023) makes it one of the wealthiest counties in the US. Many of the most affluent communities in the area, such as Clarksville, Dayton, Glenelg, Glenwood, and West Friendship, are located along the Route 32 corridor in Howard County. The main population center of Columbia/Ellicott City is regularly ranked in Money magazine's Top 10 "Best Places to Live". According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Howard County ranks fourth in the nation for educational attainment, with an estimated 63.6% of residents 25 and over holding a bachelor's degree or higher. In 2022, the Howard County Public School System, was ranked the best school district in Maryland and the Baltimore Area.

In 2010, the center of population of Maryland was located in the Howard County town of Jessup.

Etymology

Howard County is named for Governor John Eager Howard

The name of the county honors Colonel John Eager Howard, an officer in the "Maryland Line" of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, commander notably at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina in 1781, among others. He was the fifth governor of Maryland, serving from 1788 to 1791.

History

1860 Martenet's Map of Howard County, Maryland

Prior to the European colonization of what is now Howard County in the 1600s, the area served as farming and hunting grounds for Indigenous peoples including the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. The Maryland Historical Trust has documented Indigenous sites along the Patapsco, Patuxent, Middle and Little Patuxent River valleys. In 1652, the Susquehannock tribes signed a peace treaty with Maryland, giving up their provenance over the territory that is now Howard County. In 1800, the mean center of U.S. population as calculated by the US Census Bureau was found in what is now Howard County.

In 1838, Dr. William Watkins of Richland Manor proposed the "Howard District" of Anne Arundel County. After several adjournments, the area of western Anne Arundel County was designated the Howard District in 1839. The district had the same status as a county except that it was not separately represented in the Maryland General Assembly. In 1841, the county built its first courthouse in Ellicott City. At the January 1851 constitutional convention, Thomas Beale Dorsey submitted a petition led by James Sykes. A committee was formed with Dorsey, Bowie, Smith, Harbine and Ricaud. After several postponements, the district was erected officially as Howard County on July 4, 1851, after the approval of the new constituiion at the election held June 4, 1851.

The plantations of modern Howard County used slave labor as early as 1690. At the time of the Underground Railroad, some Howard County residents assisted slaves who were escaping to freedom. This was particularly risky, as many prominent plantation families were Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War, contributing militiamen to the South to protect local interests. Maryland was exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation, later abolishing slavery in the update of the Maryland Constitution in November 1864.

On May 1, 1883, Howard County joined Anne Arundel County and Harford County in liquor prohibition.

By 1899, Howard County contained 400 miles (640 km) of dirt and 48 miles (77 km) of stone roads, including three paid turnpikes maintained by 118 men. Most traffic consisted of loads delivered to rail crossings. In 1909, County Commissioners Hess, Werner and O'Neil were charged with malfeasance regarding contract bids.

In 1918, a deadly flu pandemic swept the county starting with an early outbreak in Camp Meade in adjacent Anne Arundel County. The 1930s saw a shift from one-room schoolhouses to centralized schools with bus service. By 1939 wheat harvesting fell to just 18,800 acres (7,600 ha). In 1940, local newspaper owner Paul Griffith Stromberg led a five-county commission to study a superhighway between Baltimore and Washington through Howard County. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 eventually led to the construction of Interstate 70 across northern Howard County and Interstate 95 across the eastern part of the county. The sparsely populated county hosted population centers in Ellicott City, Elkridge, Savage, North Laurel and Lisbon with W.R. Grace and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab as the largest new employers. Residents elected officials that campaigned to keep the county rural while planners prepared public works to support a quarter million residents by the year 2000. Race relations and desegregation became major issues of the time.

From 1963 to 1966 the Rouse Company bought 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land and rezoned it for the Columbia Development. In 1972, the Marriott company proposed to build a regional theme park on Rouse-owned land but was denied zoning.

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 253 square miles (660 km²), of which 251 square miles (650 km²) is land and 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) (1.0%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Maryland by land area and smallest by total area.

Daucus carota (Queen Anne's Lace) was designated as the official flower of Howard County in 1984.

Howard County is located in the Piedmont Plateau region of Maryland, with rolling hills making up most of the landscape. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the Patapsco River, on the southwest by the Patuxent River, and on the southeast by a land border with Anne Arundel County. Both the Patapsco and Patuxent run largely through publicly accessible parkland along the county borders. The Patuxent border includes the Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge reservoirs.

Adjacent counties

• Anne Arundel County (southeast)
• Baltimore County (northeast)
• Carroll County (north)
• Montgomery County (southwest)
• Prince George's County (south)

Climate

Howard County lies in the humid subtropical climate zone. As one travels west in the county away from the Baltimore area, the winter temperatures get lower and winter snow is more common. Annual rainfall is about 45 inches (1,100 mm) throughout the county. Over a 60-year period from 1950 to 2010, there were 394 National Climatic Data Center reportable events causing 617 injuries, and 99 fatalities. There were 9 reported tornadoes, reaching a maximum of F2, with no recorded fatalities.

Demographics

For much of the 1800s and 1900s, Howard County was a predominantly white and mainly rural county with a small population. In 1950, the population was only 23,000. Since the 1950s, the county's population has increased tenfold and has diversified into a majority minority county. Almost half of Howard County's population identified as non-Hispanic and/or non-white by 2017. Much of the racial diversification of Howard County came after 1967, when The Rouse Company designed Columbia to be a planned community that included people from diverse socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. African-Americans have lived in Howard County for centuries, with the African-American population increasing greatly after the 1960s. Immigration from Asia, particularly Korea, India, and China, as well as Latin America, has also contributed to Howard County's diversity. While historically primarily Christian, Howard County now has sizable Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu populations. As of 2019, 18,700 Jewish people lived in the county, making up 5.8% of the total population. More than 6,000 non-Jewish people in the county have Jewish people in their households. As of 2010, only 1% of Jews in the county were Orthodox, while one-third each were Conservative and Reform and one-quarter were secular or non-denominational. In the same year, one-quarter of the Jewish community were poor or financially insecure, 17% made less than $50,000 per year, and half made annual incomes of $100,000 or more.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	13,338		—
1870	14,150		6.1%
1880	16,140		14.1%
1890	16,269		0.8%
1900	16,715		2.7%
1910	16,106		−3.6%
1920	15,826		−1.7%
1930	16,169		2.2%
1940	17,175		6.2%
1950	23,119		34.6%
1960	36,152		56.4%
1970	61,911		71.3%
1980	118,572		91.5%
1990	187,328		58.0%
2000	247,842		32.3%
2010	287,085		15.8%
2020	328,200		14.3%
2023 (est.)	336,001		2.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010–2018 2010-2020

2020 census

Howard County, Maryland - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	169,972	155,236	59.21%	46.71%
Black or African American alone (NH)	49,150	64,018	17.12%	19.26%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	511	461	0.18%	0.14%
Asian alone (NH)	41,101	66,073	14.32%	19.88%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	105	114	0.04%	0.03%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	746	2,213	0.26%	0.67%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)	8,771	16,840	3.06%	5.07%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	16,729	27,362	5.83%	8.23%
Total	287,085	332,317	100.00%	100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 328,200 people by June 1, 2020 The population density was 1,300 inhabitants per square mile (500/km²)

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 287,085 people, 104,749 households, and 76,333 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,144.9 inhabitants per square mile (442.0/km²). There were 109,282 housing units at an average density of 435.8 per square mile (168.3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 62.2% white, 17.5% Black or African American, 14.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.0% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.7% were German, 13.9% were Irish, 10.6% were English, 7.0% were Italian, and 4.6% were American.

Of the 104,749 households, 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.9% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.1% were non-families, and 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.72, and the average family size was 3.20. The median age was 38.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $103,273, and the median income for a family was $119,810. Males had a median income of $82,307 versus $59,128 for females. The per capita income for the county was $45,294. About 2.8% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 247,842 people, 90,043 households, and 65,821 families residing in the county. The population density was 983 inhabitants per square mile (380/km²). There were 92,818 housing units at an average density of 368 per square mile (142/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 74.33% White, 14.42% Black, 0.24% Native American, 7.68% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 2.19% from two or more races. 3.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.1% were of German, 11.0% Irish, 9.3% English, 6.6% Italian and 5.7% American ancestry.

There were 90,043 households, out of which 40.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 9.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 20.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71, and the average family size was 3.18.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.10% under the age of 18, 6.30% from 18 to 24, 34.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 7.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $101,003, and the median income for a family was $117,186 in 2009. The per capita income was $44,120. About 2.70% of families and 4.00% of the population were below the poverty line.

Education

The Howard County Public School System, the school district for the entire county, manages 71 schools and serves approximately 49,000 students. The graduation rate from this school district was 90.4% in 2009, and the county's schools are ranked among the best in the state. Student test scores consistently top the list for all Maryland school districts. Howard High School is currently the largest school in the county with over 1,700 students.

Library

In 2013 Howard County Library System was selected as the Library of the Year by Library Journal and cited by editor-at-large, John N. Berry, as "a 21st-century library model, with a position, doctrine, purpose, and curriculum worthy of study and consideration by every library in America, if not the world." In 2015 the Howard County Library System was designated the top Star Library in its class.

Under the library's sponsorship, a campaign called "Choose Civility" started in Howard County in 2006. According to its website, "Choose Civility is an ongoing community-wide initiative, led by Howard County Library, to position Howard County as a model of civility. The project intends to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance in Howard County." The campaign's distinctive green bumper stickers are often seen in Howard County and neighboring areas.

Politics and government

Howard County has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 1992 on, and has become increasingly Democratic in subsequent presidential elections. In the 2020 presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden received the highest percentage of Howard County's votes of any presidential candidate in the history of the county. The less populated western and northern parts of Howard County lean Republican. The more heavily populated southern and eastern parts are heavily Democratic.

Howard County has a record of acting as a bellwether in state-wide elections since the late 20th century: Since at least the 1950s, Howard County has voted for the successful senatorial candidate in both Maryland's Class I and Class III seats, and since 1998 the county has voted for the successful gubernatorial candidate, voting for Republican Bob Ehrlich in the 2002 gubernatorial election, Democrat Martin O'Malley in 2006 and 2010, Republican Larry Hogan in 2014 and 2018, and Democrat Wes Moore in 2022. Since 1984, the county has also voted for the state-wide presidential winner, a streak of 10 straight presidential elections.

At the state level of government, Howard County is represented by nine Democrats in the Maryland House of Delegates and three Democrats in the Maryland Senate. One Democratic state senator from the county represents a district that spills into Montgomery County to the west, as do two Democratic state delegates. Another Democratic state senator represents a district that splits into Anne Arundel County to the south-east, along with two Democratic state delegates.

From 1914 to 1968, Howard County was governed by a system of three elected commissioners with four-year terms. Prior to 1962, the only polling location in the county was located in Ellicott City. In May 1962, voters were offered a second location to vote, also in Ellicott City at the National Armory on Montgomery Road. Senator James Clark Jr. proposed a five-person County Council and a County Executive in 1965. In 1968, the county implemented a charter form of government. In 1984 a councilmanic referendum was approved, switching council from at-large representation to district representation. The County Council serves as the county's legislative branch; members also provide constituent service and sit as members of the Zoning Board and Liquor Board. The current Howard County Executive is Democrat Calvin Ball III, who was elected in November 2018 and took office on December 3, 2018. The county is entirely within Maryland's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat John Sarbanes.

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024
	Democratic	121,196	51.66%
	Unaffiliated	61,771	26.33%
	Republican	48,131	20.52%
	Libertarian	965	0.41%
	Other parties	2,522	1.08%
Total		234,585	100%

United States presidential election results for Howard County, Maryland

Year	Republican / Whig		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	48,390	26.43%	129,433	70.70%	5,239	2.86%
2016	47,484	29.28%	102,597	63.26%	12,112	7.47%
2012	57,758	37.72%	91,393	59.69%	3,957	2.58%
2008	55,393	38.14%	87,120	59.99%	2,720	1.87%
2004	59,724	44.63%	72,257	54.00%	1,829	1.37%
2000	49,809	44.17%	58,556	51.92%	4,414	3.91%
1996	40,849	42.77%	47,569	49.81%	7,090	7.42%
1992	38,594	38.67%	44,763	44.85%	16,441	16.47%
1988	44,153	56.22%	34,007	43.30%	370	0.47%
1984	35,641	57.78%	25,713	41.68%	334	0.54%
1980	24,272	47.04%	20,702	40.12%	6,625	12.84%
1976	21,200	50.80%	20,533	49.20%	0	0.00%
1972	19,265	63.55%	10,668	35.19%	383	1.26%
1968	9,957	53.81%	5,752	31.08%	2,796	15.11%
1964	6,833	45.50%	8,185	54.50%	0	0.00%
1960	7,051	56.57%	5,412	43.42%	2	0.02%
1956	6,534	64.48%	3,599	35.52%	0	0.00%
1952	5,497	59.09%	3,693	39.70%	112	1.20%
1948	3,113	51.64%	2,725	45.21%	190	3.15%
1944	3,344	51.57%	3,140	48.43%	0	0.00%
1940	3,082	43.60%	3,957	55.98%	30	0.42%
1936	2,638	38.65%	4,138	60.63%	49	0.72%
1932	1,970	31.83%	4,161	67.22%	59	0.95%
1928	3,296	51.36%	3,088	48.12%	33	0.51%
1924	1,989	38.48%	2,786	53.90%	394	7.62%
1920	2,608	51.46%	2,397	47.30%	63	1.24%
1916	1,346	40.51%	1,913	57.57%	64	1.93%
1912	1,004	33.92%	1,523	51.45%	433	14.63%
1908	1,276	41.20%	1,764	56.96%	57	1.84%
1904	1,258	39.00%	1,914	59.33%	54	1.67%
1900	1,800	47.58%	1,904	50.33%	79	2.09%
1896	1,981	51.19%	1,786	46.15%	103	2.66%
1892	1,410	41.35%	1,920	56.30%	80	2.35%
1888	1,521	45.27%	1,774	52.80%	65	1.93%
1884	1,392	44.20%	1,733	55.03%	24	0.76%
1880	1,365	43.31%	1,787	56.69%	0	0.00%
1876	1,189	41.98%	1,641	57.94%	2	0.07%
1872	1,309	52.26%	1,196	47.74%	0	0.00%
1868	490	32.62%	1,012	67.38%	0	0.00%
1864	579	42.67%	778	57.33%	0	0.00%
1860	1	0.06%	189	12.19%	1,360	87.74%
1856	0	0.00%	633	41.32%	899	58.68%
1852	570	47.70%	625	52.30%	0	0.00%

County Council

The County Council adopts ordinances and resolutions, and has all of the county's legislative powers. There are five council districts throughout the county. The current County Council as of December 2022 includes 4 Democrats and 1 Republican.

Howard County Council

District		Name	Party	Representing
	District 1	Elizabeth Walsh	Democratic	Ellicott City, Elkridge
	District 2	Opel Jones	Democratic	East Columbia, Elkridge
	District 3	Christiana Rigby	Democratic	North Laurel, Jessup
	District 4	Deb Jung	Democratic	Columbia, Fulton
	District 5	David Yungmann	Republican	Western Howard County

County commissioners

	Chairman	Affiliation	Term	Commissioner	Affiliation	Term	Commissioner	Affiliation	Term
	George Howard	Anti-Jacksonian Party	1840	Zedekiah Moore		1840	Charles Worthington Dorsey		1840
	William H. Worthington		1841–1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841–1845	Perry Gaither		1841
	William H. Worthington		1841–1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841–1845	George W. Hobbs		1842–1845
	William H. Worthington		1841–1845	Wesley Linthicum		1841-1845	George W. Hobbs, Perry Gaither, William Welling		1845
	Samuel Brown		1846	William Hughes		1846	Reuben P. Hammond		1846
	William H. Worthington		1847	William Hughes		1847	George W. Hobbs, Charles R. Simpson		1847
	William Hughes		1848–1849	George Howard		1848	Charles R. Simpson, John Hood, Theodore Tubman		1848
	William Hughes		1848–1849	Theodore Tubman		1848–1853	Littleton Maclin, Thomas Burgess		1849
	Littleton Maclin		1850	Theodore Tubman		1848-1853	David E. Hopkins, David Feelemyer, Samuel Brown		1850
	Thomas B. Hobbs		1851	Theodore Tubman		1848–1853	Samuel Nichols, Samuel Brown, David Clark, David Feelemyer		1851
	Theodore Tubman		1848–1853	David Clark		1853	David Feelemyer, George Bond		1853
	Slingsby Linthicum		1854	George Bond		1854	Steven B. Dorsey		1854
	George Bond		1855	Slingsby Linthicum		1855	Steven B. Dorsey, Theodore Tubman		1855
	Samuel Hopkins	Republican	1865
	John T. Ridgely		1885–1888	Ephraim Collins		1885–	B. C. Sunderland		1885–
	Benjamin C. Sunderland		1889–1892	Benjamin F. Hess		1889–1892	Edmund Dorsey	Republican	1889–1892
	Benjamin F. Hess		1901–1904	Thomas O' Neill		1901–1904	Jacob J. Werner		1901–1904
	Jacob J. Werner		1905–1907	Benjamin F. Hess		1905–1907	Henry A Penny		1905–1911
	Benjamin F. Hess		1908–1909	Amos Howard Earp		1908–1911	Jacob J. Werner		1908–1913
	Amos Howard Earp		1911–1917	Grosvenor Hanson		1911–1915	William H. Davis		1911–1915
	Amos Howard Earp		1915–1917	Grosvenor Hanson		1915–1917	De Wilton C. Partlett		1915–1917
	Amos Howard Earp		1917–1919	John H. Shaab		1917–1919	De Wilton C. Partlett		1917–1919
	Amos Howard Earp		1920–1926	Daniel H. Gaither		1920–1926	De Wilton C. Parlett		1920–1926
	DeWilton C. Parlett		1926–1930	H. Thomas Glimes		1926–1930	Daniel H. Gaither		1926–1930
	H. Grafton Penny	Democrat	1930–1934	J. Frank Curtis		1930–1934	Daniel H. Gaither		1930–1934
	H. Grafton Penny	Democrat	1935–1938	Robert H. Mercer	Democrat	1935–1938	Hart B. Noll	Republican	1935–1938
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1938–1942
	James Franklin Curtis	Republican	1942–1949	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1942–1949
	Norman E. Moxley	Democrat	1949–1957	Roby H. Mullinix	Democrat	1949–1954	E. Walter Scott	Democrat	1949–1954
	Norman E. Moxley	Democrat	1958–1959	Howard W. Clark	Democrat	1957–1958	Charles E. Harman	Democrat	1957–1958
	Charles M. Scott	Democrat	1959–1962	Norman E. Moxley	Democrat	1959–1962	Arthur K. Pickett	Democrat	1959–1962
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1962–1966	J. Hubert Black	Republican	1962–1966	David W. Force	Republican	1962–1966
	Charles E. Miller	Republican	1966–1970	J. Hubert Black	Republican	1966–1970	Ridgley Jones	Democrat	1968–1970

County executives and council members

	Name	Affiliation	Term	Council (districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
	Omar J. Jones	Democrat	1969–1973	Alva S. Baker, Edward L. Cochran, J. Hugh Nichols, Charles E. Miller, William S. Hanna
	Edward L. Cochran	Democrat	1974–1978	Richard Anderson (Elizabeth Bobo - appointed), Ruth Keeton, Lloyd Kowles, Virginia Thomas, Thomas Yeager
	J. Hugh Nichols	Democrat	1978–1982	Ruth U. Keeton, Elizabeth Bobo, Lloyd G. Knowles, Virginia M. Thomas, Thomas M. Yeager
	J. Hugh Nichols	Democrat	1982–1986	Ruth U. Keeton, Elizabeth Bobo, James C. Clark, C. Vernon Gray, Lloyd G. Knowles
	William E. Eakle	Democrat	1986	Ruth U. Keeton, Elizabeth Bobo, James C. Clark, C. Vernon Gray, Lloyd G. Knowles
	Elizabeth Bobo	Democrat	1986–1990	Angela Beltram, C. Vernon Gray, Shane Pendergrass, Ruth Keeton, Charles Feaga
	Charles I. Ecker	Republican	1990–1994	Darrel E. Drown, C. Vernon Gray, Shane Pendergrass, Paul R. Farragut, Charles Feaga
	Charles I. Ecker	Republican	1994–1998	Darrel E. Drown, C. Vernon Gray, Dennis R. Schrader, Mary C. Lorsung, Charles Feaga
	James N. Robey	Democrat	1998–2002	Christopher J. Merdon, C. Vernon Gray, Guy Guzzone, Mary C. Lorsung, Allan H. Kittleman
	James N. Robey	Democrat	2002–2006	Christopher J. Merdon, David A. Rakes (Calvin Ball-appointed), Guy Guzzone, Ken Ulman, Allan H. Kittleman (Charles C. Feaga-appointed)
	Kenneth Ulman	Democrat	2006–2010	Courtney Watson, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox
	Kenneth Ulman	Democrat	2010–2014	Courtney Watson, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox
	Allan H. Kittleman	Republican	2014–2018	Jon Weinstein, Calvin Ball, Jen Terrasa, Mary Kay Sigaty, Greg Fox
	Calvin Ball III	Democrat	2018–2022	Elizabeth Walsh, Opel Jones, Christiana Rigby, Deb Jung, David Yungmann
	Calvin Ball III	Democrat	2022–present	Elizabeth Walsh, Opel Jones, Christiana Rigby, Deb Jung, David Yungmann

Departments

George Howard Building in 2014

Howard County Health Department relocated to this office purchased from Ascend One in 2011

Department	External link
Howard County government	Howard County Official Website
Howard County Public School System	Howard County Public Schools Official Website
Howard County Housing and Community Development	Howard County Housing and Community Development Official Website
Howard County Board of Elections	Howard County Board of Elections Official Website
Howard County Library	Howard County Library Official Website
Howard County Fire and Rescue	Howard County Fire Department Official Website
Howard County Police	Howard County Police Official Website
Howard County Department of Corrections	Department of Corrections Official Website
Howard Community College	Howard Community College Official Website
Howard County Animal Control	Howard County Animal Control Official Website
Howard County Office of Natural Resources	Howard County Office of Natural Resources Official Website
Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks	Howard County Recreation & Parks Official Website
Howard County Department Recycling Division	Howard County Recycling Division Official Website
Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning	Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning Website

Economy

Statistics for July 2014 indicate that Howard County's unemployment rate is at 5.2 percent (7,527 persons).

Howard County Public School System employs 8,136 of which 4,670 are teachers. The County Government employs 3,323 outside of the school system with 672 police, 482 public works, and 472 fire and rescue employees. The top ten private sector employers in Howard County are as follows:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory	8,000
2	Verizon Wireless	2,028
3	Lorien Health Systems	2,000
4	Howard County General Hospital	1,777
5	Howard Community College	1,294
6	Leidos	1,195
7	Giant Food	1,050
8	The Columbia Association	900
9	Wells Fargo	842
10	Oracle Corporation subsidiary MICROS Systems	815

Awards

The American goldfinch is the official county bird of Howard County.

Awards and recognitions achieved by Howard County or locations within it include the following:

• "4th Richest County in America", Forbes Magazine, 2017.
• "Best American Values", Newsmax Magazine: Ellicott City #17 (2009).
• "Best Place to Live", CNN/Money: Columbia (#1 in 2016); Ellicott City/Columbia (#6 in 2014; #8 in 2012; #2 in 2010; #8 in 2008; #4 in 2006.)
• "Best Places to Live for Pet Lovers", CNN/Money: Ellicott City, one of 10 (2009).
• "Best Place to Raise a Family", Forbes: #17 (2008).
• "Good Sports Community of the Year", Sports Illustrated (2005)
• "Great Public Library System", Hennen's American Public Library Ratings: #4 in population category in 2010; 8 times appearing in top 10 in a 10-year range.
• "Healthiest Maryland County", University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. (2013, 2012, 2011, 2010)
• "Heart Safe Community of the Year", International Association of Fire Chiefs. (2012)
• "Library of the Year", Library Journal. (2013)
• "Preserve America Community", Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. (2013)
• Top Outdoor Concert Venue for Merriweather Post Pavilion (a top five) by Pollstar (2012).
• "Tree City Community", Arbor Day Foundation. (23 years)
• "Venues that Rock", Rolling Stone: #4 outdoor venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion (2013).
• "Winning Community", National Civic League. (2001)

Notable people

• Edward Norton, actor
• Taylor Cummings, lacrosse player.
• Toby Orenstein, theater director.
• Yumi Hogan, politician.
• Michael Campanaro, football wide receiver.
• Kenneth Ulman, politician.
• Ernie Pickett, weightlifter.
• Charles Schnetzler, scientist.
• Laura Lippman, author.
• Lloyd Keaser, wrestler.
• Nina Basu, president of the Inner Arbor Trust.
• James B. Garvin, scientist.
• Brent Faiyaz, singer and record producer.
• K.A.A.N., a rapper and songwriter.

Culture and attractions

Bollman Truss Bridge in Savage

The Enchanted Forest gingerbread house at Clark's Elioak Farm

• Blandair, an open space preserve
• Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge
• The Candlelight Concert Society
• The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
• Clark's Elioak Farm
• Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts
• The Columbia Orchestra
• Ellicott City Historic Main Street
• Ellicott City Station
• The Enchanted Forest (closed – some features relocated to Clark's Elioak Farm)
• Howard County Center for the Arts
• Howard County Library
• Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center
• Larriland Pick-Your-Own Farm
• Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Rep Stage
• James and Anne Robinson Nature Center
• Savage Mill
• Shrine of St. Anthony
• Toby's Dinner Theatre

Transportation

Airports

Howard County does not have any public or commercial airport facilities. A 1967 Airport Study Commission recommended a facility for 150–250 aircraft to provide economic development, but was not initiated. With the closure of Haysfield Airport, there is one privately owned airstrip, Glenair Airport in Glenelg. Commercial air service is provided by Baltimore–Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and Washington Dulles International Airport.

Public transportation

Bus routes that operate in Howard County are managed by the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland and the Maryland Transit Administration.

Major highways

I-95 in Howard County

• I-70
• I-95
• I-895
• US 1
• US 29
• US 40
• MD 27
• MD 32
• MD 94
• MD 97
• MD 99
• MD 100
• MD 103
• MD 108
• MD 125
• MD 144
• MD 175
• MD 216

Communities

Howard County has no incorporated municipalities.

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following Census-designated places in the county:

• Columbia
• Elkridge
• Ellicott City (county seat)
• Fulton
• Highland
• Ilchester
• Jessup (partly in Anne Arundel County)
• North Laurel
• Savage
• Scaggsville

Unincorporated communities

Unincorporated places not listed as Census-designated places but known in the area include:

• Clarksville
• Cooksville
• Daniels
• Dayton
• Dorsey
• Glenelg
• Glenwood
• Granite
• Guilford
• Hanover (partly in Anne Arundel County)
• Isaacsville
• Lisbon
• Marriottsville (partly in Carroll County and Baltimore County)
• Simpsonville
• West Friendship
• Woodbine
• Woodstock

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Howard County, Maryland
• Maryland Historical Trust Register of Historic Places in Howard County, Maryland

External links

• Official website
• Howard County, Maryland at the Wayback Machine (archived September 26, 2003)
• Howard County, Maryland at the Wayback Machine (archived November 1, 1996)
• Geographic data related to Howard County, Maryland at OpenStreetMap
• Howard County historian Celia M. Holland papers at the University of Maryland Libraries