Ellicott City

Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in, and the county seat of, Howard County, Maryland, United States. Part of the Baltimore metropolitan area, its population was 65,834 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous uninc incorporated county seat in the country. The historic district includes the Ellicott city station, which is the oldest surviving train station in the United States, having been built in 1830 as the first terminus of the original B&O Railroad line. In 1829, New York industrialist and Baltimore-owner Peter Thumb found his famous steam locomotive to transport persons over the rails in the town. The Ellicotts helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat instead of tobacco and also by introducing Plaster of Paris fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. In 1771, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia, chose the picturesque wilderness several miles upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (today's Elkridge, Maryland) to establish a flour mill, purchasing 50 acres (20 ha) of Baltimore County land from Emanuel Teal and 35 acres (14 ha) from William Williams. The town retained the name "Ellicot's Mills" when the U.S. Postal stop opened on October 7, 1797. It became one of the largest milling and manufacturing towns in the East. In 1830, Ellicoti's Mills became the first. terminus for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore, the first commercially operated cargo and passenger railroad in the. country.

History

Ellicott City is the primary city name, but also Daniels, Ilchester, Oella are acceptable city names or spellings, Ellicott on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Ellicott's Mills was a milling and manufacturing town in Maryland. It was the first terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad outside Baltimore. Ellicott City Station, built on an embankment across the corner of the town and along the Patapsco River and intersecting Tiber Creek stream, has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Ellicotts helped revolutionize farming in the area by persuading farmers to plant wheat instead of tobacco and also by introducing Plaster of Paris fertilizer to revitalize depleted soil. In 1829, New York industrialist and Baltimore foundry-owner Peter Cooper began testing his iron steam engine, Tom Thumb (1791-1883), on the B&O Railway. Even though the horse-drawn train won the race due to a sudden broken belt, it heralded the time when steam engines became a vital link in the town's economy and expanding to the state of Baltimore. The site of the former Howard County Courthouse, which was built from 1840 to 1843 in the former western Howard County District, is now the site of a National Park Service interpretive center. The town was named after the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832), a rare Roman Catholic and a wealthy landowner with the largest fortune then in colonial America. He was an early convert from tobacco to wheat. In 1771, three Quaker brothers from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, north of Philadelphia, chose the picturesque wilderness several miles upriver from Elk Ridge Landing (today's Elkridge, Maryland) to establish a flour mill.

Geography

Ellicott City is in northeastern Howard County, bordered to the east and north by the Patapsco River, which forms the Baltimore County line. It is claimed to be built on seven hills. The heart of the Historic District is Main Street, where the oldest structures of the town stand. The Köppen classification is humid subtropical. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year, with 35 inches (76127 mm) falling each month. Winter is often considered chilly by U.S. standards, with lighter rain showers of longer duration. Sporadic snowfall can occur in winter, but is usually relatively light. Several granite quarries were in operation in Ellicott city in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It sits on the Silurian or Ordovician Ellicotte City Granodiorite. Outcrops can be seen lining Main Street and Tongue Row adjacent to Old Columbia Pike, and the West End, at the western end of Main Street. It has a total area of 30.1 square miles (77.9 km²), of which 30.0 sq miles (77.6 km²) are land and 0.1sq miles (0.3km²), or 0.41%, are water. The city is located in the Tiber River valley, which is in the tributary of the Patapasco River. Several deep stream valleys converge at this location, which increases the risk of flooding, but at the same time creates the town's heights.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 65,834 people, 23,734 households, and 18,150 families residing in the CDP. There were 24,672 housing units at an average density of 822.4 per square mile (317.9/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 78.33% White, 7.34% African American, 0.15% Native American, 11.90% Asian,0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.1% some other race, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population. The average household size was 2.76, and the average family size was 3.20. According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $103,464. The per capita income for the town is $29,287. About 2.2% of families and 3.3% of those age 18 and over were below the poverty line. The town has a population of 56,397, with a population density of 2,188.8 people per sq mile (845.1/ km²). The town's median age is 40.7 years, and for every 100 females, there are 95.9 males. For every 100 males over the age of 18 there are 91.5 males. In the town the population was spread out, with 28.5%. under the age. of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 30.8%. from 25 to 44, 25.2%. from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older.

Economy

Ellicott City has been called one of the most haunted small towns on the East Coast. The Howard County Tourism Council runs a Ghost Tour that visits several places with reputations for paranormal activity. Among these are the mansions Lilburn, Hayden House, and Mt. Ida; the B&O railroad bridge that crosses Main Street in the center of the town; the old Ellicott city Firehouse; and the Patapsco Female Institute. Tourist attractions include:Centennial Park;Enchanted Forest;Shrine of St. Anthony;Trolley Line Number 9 Trail; and The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. The town is located on the Chesapeake Bay and is located in Maryland's Eastern Seaboard region, near Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It has a population of about 3,000 people, according to the city's 2010 census. The city's economy is estimated to be around $1.2 billion, with the majority of its residents living in the town of about 2,500 people. It is home to a number of tourist attractions, including Centennial Park and the Enchanted Forest, as well as the historic PatapsCo Female Institute, which is located near the town's firehouse. It also has a small amusement park, with a trolley line that runs through the town. It was the site of the first train station in the United States, which opened in 1875. It's also home to the National Park Service, which runs a trolleys that run along Main Street.

Government

Ellicott City is part of Maryland's 7th congressional district, represented by Democrat Elijah Cummings until his death in 2019. The Howard County Circuit Courthouse is located on Court Avenue, on a hilltop north of the downtown area. The County Executive and Council, along the departments of Community Services, Education, Elections, Employment, Health, Law Offices, Licensing, Natural Resources, Planning, Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, and Transportation are located in the George Howard Government Campus on Court House Drive. Ellicott city is home to the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, which provides service from two stations: Station 2 on Montgomery Road, and Station 8 on Old Frederick Road and Bethany Lane. The city has had three mayors since 1867, all of whom have served three terms or more. The current mayor is George Elliott, who served two terms from 1867-1868 and one term from 1868-1873. The mayor's office is located in a building that was once the home of the town's first black mayor, James E. Vansant, before he was elected to office in 1877. The Ellicot City Police Department is based in the Police Department headquarters on Court house Drive, which is also the location of the county clerk's office and the county executive's office. The town's mayor has served three times, serving two terms between 1867 and 1868 and again between 1873 and 1873. It is also home to a library, which opened in 1867.

Education

Ellicott City proper is served by Mount Hebron High School, Centennial High School and Wilde Lake High School in the Howard County Public School System. The Homewood Center and the system's other specialized school, along with the central offices, also have Ellicott city addresses. Middle schools serving the CDP are Burleigh Manor, Dunloggin, Bonnie Branch, Mount View and Folly Quarter. The elementary schools include Veterans, Ilchester, Northfield and Manor Woods. St. Johns Lane, Waverly, Worthington, Triadelphia Ridge, and Hollifield Station are elementary schools. Glenelg Country School is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the town center. The CDP is located at the western edge of the Columbia area of Howard County. The Howard County School System operates three high schools: Howard, Marriotts Ridge and River Hill High School. The school system also operates two middle schools: Ellicotte Mills and Patapsco. The town is home to a number of non-profit organizations, such as the National Center for Family Literacy and the Center for Child Advocacy, which provides free and reduced-price meals to children in need of care. The center's offices are located in Columbia, but are actually on the northern edge of Columbia. The city is also home to the Columbia School District, which operates two specialized schools, including the HomewOOD Center and St. John's Parish Day School. It is the only school district in Howard County that does not have a high school.

Transportation

Ellicott City is served by the Regional Transportation Agency of Central Maryland (RTA) by Route 405 (Yellow Line) The Maryland Transit Administration also provides commuter bus service via Lines 150 and 345. Dorsey station is the nearest MARC Train, located 9 miles away in Elkridge. Nearby airports include Baltimore-Washington International Airport, 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Elliott City, and Glenair Airport in Glenelg, ten miles to the west. North-south cross routes include Bethany Lane, Centennial Lane, Chatham Road, Marriottsville Road, Ridge Road, Rogers Avenue (Maryland Route 99), and Saint Johns Lane. The Grist Mill Trail runs parallel to the Patapsco River in Baltimore County, connecting Ilchester Road to Gun Road in Relay. The Trolley Line Number 9 Trail in nearby Oella also connects Ellicott city to Catonsville. The city is located on the eastern edge of the Baltimore metropolitan area, and is home to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. International Airport and the National Mall in Baltimore. It is also the site of the U.S. Army National Guard's Camp Pendleton, which is located in the east of the city. The Ellicotte River runs through the city, running through the south part of the town and into Glen Burnie. It also runs into the Baltimore River in the north, running into the city's eastern suburbs. Elliotte City is located at the intersection of the Maryland Turnpike and the Baltimore-National Highway, which runs from Frederick to Baltimore.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland = 36.9. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 101. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ellicott City = 3.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 75,947 individuals with a median age of 39.3 age the population grows by 12.23% in Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,530.98 residents per square mile of area (977.22/km²). There are average 2.75 people per household in the 22,838 households with an average household income of $105,191 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 5.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.84% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.82%. The number of physicians in Ellicott City per 100,000 population = 478.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ellicott City = 42 inches and the annual snowfall = 25.6 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 114. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 206. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23.4 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 44, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland which are owned by the occupant = 72.01%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 22 years with median home cost = $392,540 and home appreciation of -9.53%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.88 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,448 per student. There are 14.1 students for each teacher in the school, 350 students for each Librarian and 353 students for each Counselor. 5.48% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 31.95% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 24.20% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).