Waldorf is an unincorporated community in Charles County, Maryland.
It is SSE of Washington DC. The population was 22,311 at the 2000 census (but more realistically 70,000 - 75,000 - see note
below). Waldorf began before 1900 as a rural crossroads with a train station and was called "Beantown" after a local family.
Waldorf is now largely subsumed by the large planned community of St. Charles.
Waldorf has ZIP codes 20601, 20602, 20603, and 20604. A few farms on the Prince Georges
County side also have Waldorf addresses.
Waldorf is either named after the town of Walldorf, Germany, or has a similar derivation: that is, either a German word
meaning "forest village," or named after the Waldenses, a 12th Century religious sect. Once
a tobacco market village, it came to prominence in the 1950s as a gambling destination after slot
machines were legalized in Charles County in 1949. The boom lasted until 1968 when gambling was once again outlawed. Its
subsequent substantial growth as a residential community began with a 1970 loan package from the Department of Housing and Urban Development which fueled the giant planned community of St. Charles, south of Waldorf's
town center. Many sections of St. Charles are still being developed, including a 60 and above retirement home and many themed
restaurants along the highly populated U.S. Route 301. Hampshire, Lancaster, Dorchester,
Charles Crossing, Avalon and Westlake Village are around the newest and most populated neighborhoods in this area. The original
neighborhoods of St. Charles are Carrington, Bannister, Wakefield, Sentry Woods and Huntington.
Waldorf is predominantly a bedroom community for many residents who commute to work at
other points in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, especially personnel at
Andrews Air Force Base. Waldorf's own jobs are primarily in the service and sales
industry only. St. Charles Towne Centre, a major shopping mall, opened in the spring of 1990 and will be remodeled in 2007. St.
Charles Towne Centre draws shoppers and diners from Maryland, parts of Washington,
D.C., and Northern Virginia, causing Waldorf to be called the "shopping capital of Southern Maryland." Route 301 also boasts the "Waldorf Motor Mile," with car dealerships located
primarily along the northbound side. In 2005, Waldorf opened its third public high school ("North Point"), which has advanced
science/technology programs; the Capital Clubhouse 24-hour indoor sports complex and ice rink also opened that year. (See list of
other schools below). In 2006, plans were announced to build two more shopping centers, including one with high-end stores and an
attractive "lifestyle" town center design layout. Ground was also broken to build an office park with mid-rise office buildings
near Western Parkway and Route 228 (Berry Road). Waldorf's volunteer fire department is the largest in Maryland.
Geography
Waldorf is located at 38°38′46″N, 76°53′54″W (38.646173,
-76.898217)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of
33.1 km² (12.8 mi²), all land.
Most of Waldorf is flat, particularly the eastern part of the city. There are small hills to the west, and much of the
southern and eastern parts of the city are wetlands, featuring very diverse wildlife in ponds and streams. Waldorf is also very
forested, mostly with oak and pine trees.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 22,312 people, 7,603 households, and 5,991 families residing
in the CDP. In the CDP, the population density was 674.1/km² (1,746.0/mi²). There
were 7,827 housing units at an average density of 236.5/km² (612.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 61.11% White, 31.98% African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.88% from other races, and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.91% of the population.
There were 7,603 households out of which 45.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 15.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were
non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from
45 to 64, and 4.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $68,869, and the median income for a family was $71,439. Males had a median
income of $45,293 versus $35,386 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was
$24,728. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
Due to urban sprawl, it was found in 2005 that if Waldorf
were incorporated (with the areas of St.Charles and White Plains incorporated within city limits),its population would be around
70-75,000 people, making it the third largest city in Maryland. It is said that Waldorf will overtake Columbia as Maryland's second largest city within 5-10 years, leaving only Baltimore ahead of Waldorf in population.
Farming
Even though Waldorf is a rapidly developing urban city, it is surrounded by farms. There
are 3 major farms in Waldorf, which are:
- Shlagel Farms,which is a major strawberry farm, also offers vegetables and flowers. They also provide Angus beef.
- Cedar Hill farms
- Middleton Manor Farms
Tobacco, once a dominant crop in Southern Maryland, has almost disappeared since
most area farmers accepted buy-outs in the 1990s from the state government.
Transportation
The major routes in Waldorf are:
- U.S. Route 301, running north to south from Brandywine, MD to the north and White Plains, MD to
the south. It is lined continuously for several miles with shopping centers, restaurants, car dealers, and other businesses.
Although connecting to Virginia only by the outdated, narrow 2-lane Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, it is nevertheless used by some
long-distance East Coast through motorists as an alternative to Interstate
95/495 which often has major traffic backups (see
Woodrow Wilson Bridge). Soon it is going to be made to either bypass Western or
Eastern Waldorf, or be made on the same route through Waldorf with overpasses because of the high traffic problem in Waldorf.
This will give an interstate feel to the Waldorf area and ultimately take away traffic congestion to the north-south routes in
Waldorf. See the External Links section for more information.
- Maryland Route 5 (Leonardtown Road), which joins US 301 in Brandywine to the north and splits at the city line to bypass Waldorf on Mattawoman-Beantown
Road. It runs from Washington, D.C. and Brandywine in the north to Hughesville, MD
and the southern tip of Maryland. A minor league professional baseball stadium is planned near this road in a few years.
MD 5 also has a small business corridor which runs westward from the intersection of
Mattawoman-Beantown Road, St. Charles Parkway, and Leonardtown Road until its terminus at US
301.
- Maryland Route 925, also known as Old Washington Road. It runs north to south through
Waldorf, closely parallel to US 301.
- St. Charles Parkway, which lies in the eastern side of the city, is another scenic, landscaped major thoroughfare within the
city, ending at White Plains State Park. This is sometimes referred to as the most beautiful road in Waldorf, especially during
the spring, summer, and autumn months of the year. This road is gradually being extended south to the county seat, La Plata, MD, which will eventually make an alternative to Route 301 between the two towns.
Public transportation is provided by Van-Go, a bus system developed for most areas through Waldorf and some rural areas in
Charles and St.Mary's
Counties, in the outlying areas of the city. Buses operated by the Keller Bus Company and Maryland Department of Transportation
also take commuters to downtown Washington, D.C., and ridership is rapidly growing. There is a large commuter parking lot on
Mattawoman-Beantown Road, with another one near Sears at Smallwood Parkway and Route 301.
Traffic
Traffic in Waldorf is extremely congested at the moment, and the state is still evaluating
options for a U.S. Route 301 bypass around western Waldorf. Due to Waldorf's bedroom
community nature and lack of any significant hometown industry, its highways can become very congested in the morning commutes
north to Washington D.C., and also on Friday through Sunday in every direction due to
shoppers, many of them visiting from other counties. Much of the congestion is seen at the intersection of Route 228 and 301, on
Berry Road going westward to Western Parkway, near St.Patrick's Drive, on Mall Circle surrounding St. Charles Towne Center, and
on Smallwood Drive near the neighborhood of Carrington. Most traffic is in the southern areas of Waldorf.
Fire/EMS
There are 2 different Fire/EMS companies in Waldorf, split into four divisions.The Fire Department and EMS is the largest in
Maryland.
Waldorf 3
Fire 3
Engine 31
Engine 32
Engine 33
Engine 34
Squad 3
Truck 3
Brush 3
EMS 3
Paramedic Ambulance 399 (staffed 24/7 by a career crew with at least one EMT-I/P)
Ambulance 37
Ambulance 38
Ambulance 39
Waldorf 12
Fire 12
Rescue Engine 121
Engine 122
Engine 124
Tanker 12
Brush 12
EMS 12
Paramedic Ambulance 128
Ambulance 129
Education
There are 11 public elementary schools in Waldorf. They are:
1. C.Paul Barnhardt Elementary School
2. Berry Elementary School
3. Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School
4. William A. Diggs Elementary School
5. Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School
6. Arthur Middleton Elementary School
7. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School
8. J.P. Ryon Elementary School
9. Eva Turner Elementary School
10. William B. Wade Elementary School
11. Malcolm Elementary School
There are 4 junior high schools in Waldorf, and two in nearby areas that service
Waldorf. They are:
1.Theodore G. Davis Middle School
2.John Hanson Middle School
3.Matthew Henson Middle School (In Indian Head, but has students from Waldorf.)
4.Mattawoman Middle School
5.Benjamin Stoddert Middle School
6.Milton M. Somers Middle School (in La Plata, but has students from Waldorf.)
There are 4 high schools in Waldorf, and one in nearby Pomfret,
MD that services Waldorf. They are:
1.North Point High School - has special magnet science and technology program
2.Thomas Stone High School
3.Westlake High School
4.Maurice J. McDonough High School (In Pomfret)
There are also a number of Private schools in Waldorf, which are:
1.The Beddow School (Grades K-4)
2.First Baptist Church of St.Charles (Pre-K through K)
3.Good Shepherd Education center (Pre-K through K)
4.Grace Brethren Christian School (K through 12)
5.St.Peters Catholic School (K through 8)
6.The Goddard School (Pre-K through K)
7.Kindercare Learning Centers (Pre-K through K)
8.Waldorf Christian Academy (Pre-K through 7)
9.La Petite Academy (Pre-K through K)
In popular culture
Waldorf is home to rock band Good Charlotte and the Godfather of go-go, Chuck Brown. Famous people from Waldorf are:
- Joel Madden – lead vocalist for the band Good Charlotte.
- Samuel Mudd – doctor, implicated in aiding the Abraham Lincoln assassination by John
Wilkes Booth.
Sports
Hilary Duff "ghetto" controversy
In June 2006, actress/singer Hilary Duff was asked about then-boyfriend Good Charlotte frontman Joel Madden, a Waldorf native, in an
interview with Elle Magazine. Duff replied, "He's very real, like, he's from a pretty ghetto place
in Maryland... I like that."
Duff's "ghetto" comments sparked a mixture of mild offense and bemusement from residents of the Waldorf area, as the suburban,
mostly middle-class town does not fall into the traditional impoverished inner city concept
of a ghetto.
Duff later claimed she was referring not to Waldorf, but actually a section of Baltimore where Madden lived briefly as a young adult.
See also
External links
Coordinates:
38.646173° N 76.898217°
W
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