ZIP Code 21620

Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 5,252 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. It was named one of the English colony of Maryland's six Royal Ports of Entry in 1706. As of the first US Census in 1790, Chestertown was the geographical center of the nation's population. The town was incorporated in 1805, and was named for the Chester River. It has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" by the Köppen Climate Classification system, with hot, humid summers and cool, wet winters. A number of historic buildings in the town are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the White House Farm and Washington College: Middle, East and West Halls, and White House House Farm. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the town has a total area of 2.91 square miles (7.54 km²), of which 2.60 square mile (6.73 km²) is land and 0.31 squaremile (0.80 km²") is water. In the mid-eighteenth century, the town was considered Maryland's second leading port, trailing only Annapolis. In 2000, there were 4,746 people, 1,891 households, and 945 families living in theTown in the 2000 census. The racial makeup of the town is 74.2% White, 20.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.0% from two or more races.

History

Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English colony of Maryland's six Royal Ports of Entry. The shipping boom that followed this designation made the town at the navigable head of the Chester River wealthy. A burgeoning merchant class infused riches into the town, reflected in the many brick mansions and townhouses that sprang up along the waterfront. In the mid-eighteenth century,Chestertown trailed only Annapolis and was considered Maryland's second leading port. As of the 1790 census, ChestERTOWN was the geographical center of population of the United States. The town is second only to Annapolis in its number of existing eighteenth century homes. A number of the town's buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including Washington College: Middle, East and West Halls, and White House Farm. The city was incorporated in 1805, and was named for theChester River, which is a tributary of the Potomac River. It is located in the U.S. state of Maryland and was once part of the colony of Virginia. It was once the largest city in the state, with a population of more than 100,000. It has been the location of the National Museum of American History, a National Historic Site, and the National Park Service's National Mall, which was built in 1872. It also has a National Park Railroad Station, which dates back to the 18th century. The Chesterttown Historic District is home to many of the city's historic buildings, many of which are still standing today.

Geography

Chestertown is located at 39°1310N 76°46W (39.219328, -76.068424) The town has a total area of 2.91 square miles (7.54 km²), of which 2.60 square miles is land and 0.31 square mile (0.80 km²) is water. As of the first US Census in 1790, Chestertown was the geographical center of the nation's population. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and cool, wet winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, ChestERTOWN has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The town is home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is based in the town. The U.N. World Heritage Site is located in the city, at the base of Mount Washington, about 2 miles (3 km) north of the town's central business district. It is the site of the American Museum of Natural History, which was established in 1872. The National Park Service has a base station in the area, which opened in 1875. It was the first American city to be granted a national park status in 1876. The city has a population of about 2,000 people, the majority of whom live in or near the town of Chesterttown. The United States Census Bureau estimates the population at 2,100 people.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,252 people, 1,971 households, and 984 families living in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 74.2% White, 20.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.0% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.62% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $31,530, and $40,960 for a family. Out of the total population, 26.2%. of those under the age of 18 and 13.9% of those 65 and older were below the poverty line. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was2.65. The town has a population of 4,746 people, with 2,164 housing units at an average density of 829.0 per square mile (320.1/km²). The town's median age is 34.9 years; the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population will reach 5,000 by the end of the year. The city's median household income is $27,283, and the per capita income for the town is $18,769. It is the only town in the state to have a mayor-council form of government, with the mayor and his or her wife living together in a one-bedroom apartment.

Arts and culture

The Chestertown Tea Party Festival celebrates the town's colonial heritage. The festival includes a re-enactment of the legendary "tea party" A replica of the Royal Navy schooner HMS Sultana is now the official boat of the festival. The town was named one of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations in 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It was also named #1 in Progressive Farmer magazine's Best Rural Places to Live in America for 2008. Over 3,000 students participated in the community and educationally led effort, with a core group of volunteers logging over 150,000 hours of time building the ship. Since 2001, more than 8,000 people a year have boarded the ship for educational trips. The town is located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. It is one of 63 destinations in 27 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations, and local communities. It is located in Kent County, which is home to the University of Maryland at College Park, and Washington College, home to Washington and Lee University, a private liberal arts college. In May 1774, five months after the British closing the port of Boston after the Boston Tea Party, the citizens ofChestertown wrote a set of resolves that prohibited the buying, selling, or drinking of tea. Based on these resolves, a popular legend has it that the citizens held their own "tee party" on the Chester River, in an act of colonial defiance.

Education

The town is home to Washington College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1782. The college is known nationally as the home of the Sophie Kerr Prize, which is awarded to the graduating senior with the most literary potential. The most recent prize, worth $61,382 was awarded at a ceremony in Baltimore to Alex Stinton, an Eastern Shore native. The town is also home to Radcliffe Creek School, founded in 1996. The school is open to students with, and without, diagnosed learning disabilities. It is in the Kent County Public Schools. Henry Highland Garnett Elementary School (Henry Highland Garnet), which had about 264 students as of 2021, and Kent County Middle School are in Chestertown, while Kent County High School is in an unincorporated area with a Worton postal address. Kent County public library maintains theChestertown Branch. The former Chesterttown High School moved from its original 1915 building in 1953. In 1971 Kent County high opened and the former ChestERTOWN High became ChestertOWN Middle School. The middle school became the consolidated Kent County middle in 2010. Students from several counties throughout Maryland attend the school. Radcliffe creek was created for students ages 4 through 14, but a preschool program called 'little creek' was recently added as well. Students in the school have the option of going to a local school or a private school for the entire year. It was created in 1996 to help students with learning disabilities, and it is now open for all students.

Transportation

The primary means of travel to and from Chestertown is by road. Maryland Route 213 is the main north-south road along the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Other state highways serving the town include [[Maryland Route 20, Maryland Route 289, Maryland Route 291 and Maryland Route 514. The town is located on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is located in the easternmost part of the state of Maryland, near the Maryland in the state capital of Baltimore. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in the town center. It was founded in 1838. The city's name is derived from the town's first inhabitants, who lived in the area in the 19th century. The current mayor is the son of a former mayor, who was killed in a car accident in the early 1900s. The mayor is a former member of the Maryland House of Representatives, and served in the Maryland State Senate in the 1970s and 1980s. He was elected to a second term in 1998. He is currently serving a third term as the mayor of the town of ChestERTOWN. He has served as mayor since 1999, and was re-elected to a fourth term in 2010. He also served as a member of Congress from 1998 to 2008. He served a term as mayor in the 1990s, when he was elected again to a fifth term, and is currently in his third term.

In popular culture

Chestertown is the setting for Gilbert Byron's book The Lord's Oysters. Benjamin Anastas describes it in his memoir Too Good to Be True (2012) It is the scene of a section of the memoir, Too Good To Be True, about his time on the faculty of Washington College while his marriage to his wife in Brooklyn broke up. It is a destination for weekenders and retirees from bigger cities who wanted to buy the paper every day in the same overstuffed curio shop and sip twenty-ounce lattes in the shade of tree-lined sidewalks where no one was in a hurry. The town is located on the banks of the Chester River, near Washington, D.C. and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). It is also home to the National Museum of American History, which was founded in 1851 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland = 35.1. 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 99. 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 Chestertown = 3.8 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 5,532 individuals with a median age of 35.7 age the population grows by 4.83% in Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,895.82 residents per square mile of area (731.98/km²). There are average 1.88 people per household in the 2,010 households with an average household income of $38,400 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.70% of the available work force and has dropped -6.70% 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 18.90%. The number of physicians in Chestertown per 100,000 population = 235.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Chestertown = 44 inches and the annual snowfall = 18 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 112. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 206. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 25.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 43, 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 Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland which are owned by the occupant = 37.96%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 36 years with median home cost = $208,400 and home appreciation of -12.27%. 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 $8.68 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 $6,474 per student. There are 13.8 students for each teacher in the school, 294 students for each Librarian and 262 students for each Counselor. 3.23% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.97% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.12% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).