ZIP Code 21740

Hagerstown is a city in Washington County, Maryland, and the county seat of Washington County. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's sixth-largest incorporated city and is the largest city in the Panhandle. It is the chief commercial and industrial hub for a greater Tri-State Area that includes much of Western Maryland as well as significant portions of South Central Pennsylvania and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The population of the metropolitan area (extending into West Virginia) was 269,140 in 2010. The city's strategic location at the border between the North and the South made the city a primary staging area and supply center for four major campaigns during the Civil War. In 1863, the city was the site of several military incursions and engagements as Gen. Robert E. Lee's army invaded and retreated in the Gettysburg Campaign. In 1864, Hagertown was invaded by the Confederate army under Lt. Gen Jubal Early. The Confederates levied a ransom of $20,000, in retribution for the destruction of farms and cattle in the Shenandoah Valley, into a large amount of U.S. currency, or $100,000 in gold. Following the war, Maryland and Virginia cooperated to re-interinter their Confederate dead from the Battle of Antietam, also known as the Sharpsburg, as cemeteries for the dead. The City Council changed the community's name to Hager's-Town in 1813 because the name had gained popular usage. In 1794, government forces arrested 150 citizens during a draft riot which was staged by protesters in response to the Whiskey Rebellion.

History

In 1739, Jonathan Hager, a German immigrant from Pennsylvania and a volunteer Captain of Scouts, purchased 200 acres (81 ha) of land in the Great Appalachian Valley between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. In 1762, Hager officially founded the town of Elizabethtown which he named after his wife, Elizabeth Kershner. Hagerstown's strategic location at the border between the North and the South made the city a primary staging area and supply center for four major campaigns during the Civil War. In 1864, the Confederate army under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early sent 1,500 cavalry, commanded by Gen. John McCausland, into Hagertown. The Confederates levied a ransom of $20,000 and a large amount of clothing, in retribution for U.S. destruction of farms, feed and cattle in the Shenandoah Valley. The city's nickname of the "Hub City" originated from the large number of railroads (and roads) that served the city. The weathervane known as "Little Heiskell" was crafted in 1769 in the form of a Hessian soldier, it stood atop the Market House first and City Hall second for a combined 166 years. In 1935, the original was retired to the Museum of Washington County Historical Society, later to its present display in theJonathan Hager House. An exact replica has it depicted in the city's annual Mummers Day Parade by Charles Rittenhouse, Sr., Sr.

Geography

Hagerstown is located at 39°3834N 77°4312W (39.642771, 77.719954). It is situated south of the MasonDixon line and north of the Potomac River. Natural landscape around Hagerstown consists of low, rolling hills with elevations of 500 feet (150 m) to 800 feet (240 m) above sea level. The city has a total area of 11.80 square miles (30.56 km²) of which 11.79 square miles is land and 0.01 sq mi (0.03km²) is water. It is located in the transition between the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa) and the humid continental climate zone, with hot, humid summers and cool to moderately cold winters. Normal monthly mean temperatures range from 32.9 °F (0.5 °C) in January to 77.6 °F [25.3 °C] in July. The community also lies within proximity of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. It has rich, fertile land that is well-suited and utilized for dairy farming, cornfields, and fruit orchards typical of Mid-Atlantic agriculture. Major waterways within the city include Hamilton Run and Antietam Creek that are tributaries of thepotomac river. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the city's population in 2010 was 4,827. Hagertown is located on the Ohio River, which flows through the city.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 39,662 people, 16,449 households, and 9,436 families residing in the city. Updated July 1, 2008, census estimates reflect Hagerstown having 39,728 people, an increase of 8.3% from the year 2000. Between 2011 and 2015, 26.8% of the population lived in poverty. The median income for a household in theCity was $30,796, and the median income. for a family was $38,149. About 15.1% of residents were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under 18 and 27.7% over 65. The city is located on the Ohio River, which runs through the center of the town. The Ohio River is a tributary of the Allegheny River. The Allegheny and Ohio rivers flow through the city and connect to the Ohio and Ohio Turnpike. The U.S. turnpike is one of the busiest roads in the state, running through the heart of the city, and connecting to Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia. It is also the only major highway through the state that runs into the Ohio Valley, which is located in the western part of the state. The state is the only one in the United States that does not have a state highway system through the Ohio valley. It also has a state park system, which was built in the early 1900s. It was the first state park to be established in the area.

Government

The current city executive or Mayor is Emily Keller, who has served as the city's first female mayor since November 2020. The nonpartisan representative body of Hagerstown is known as the City Council. Its current members are Kristin Aleshire, Tiara Burnett, Robert Bruchey II, Tekesha Martinez, and Shelley McIntire. There have been two times since then where a majority of the council's five seats have been held by women. In 2005, Alesia Parson was elected as the first person of color to serve on city council. In 2020, three councilwomen were inaugurated in November 2020 as the second and third black city councilmembers. Councilwomen Burnett and Martinez are the first black councilmembers to serve concurrently. Paul D. Corderman and Brenda J. Thiam serve in the Maryland House of Delegates. David Trone (D) serves Maryland's 6th congressional district which includes Hagersstown. The mayor is a nonpartisan position.Past Mayors: Emily Keller; Florence Murdock; Paul Corderman; Brenda Thiam. The city's last mayor was John Hager, who was appointed in 1985. The current mayor is David Tron (D), who was elected in 2008. The City Council has five members: Krist in Aleshire, Kristin Burnett, Tiarra Burnett, Steven Burnett, and Tekeshha Martinez. There are two councilwomen in the current administration: Shelley McIntires and Kristin Keller.

Economy

Once primarily an industrial community, Hagerstown's economy depended heavily on railroad transportation and manufacturing. Today, the city has a diversified, stable business environment with modern service companies in various fields as well as continued strength in manufacturing and transportation in railroads and highways. There has been and continues to be a strong agricultural presence while tourism, especially with respect to the retail sector, also provides support to the local economy.Hagerstown-Washington County boasts one of the highest densities of retail in the country. The city has 2 major shopping malls: Hagersstown Premium Outlets and Valley Mall. The town also has a large number of restaurants and bars, many of which are located in the town's historic downtown area. The community is home to a number of colleges and universities, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the College Park School of Pharmacy. It is also home to the Maryland Psychiatric Center, a state-run mental health center, and a private mental health facility. It also has two movie theaters, one of which is located at the Valley Mall, which is anchored by JCPenney, Belk, Old Navy, and Regal Cinemas 16. It has a population of more than 2,000 people, making it the largest city in the state with more than 1,000 residents in the area. It was the site of the U.S. Civil War Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. Hagersville is located on the Maryland Turnpike, which runs through the town.

Infrastructure

Hagerstown Regional Airport (IATA: HGR), also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) due north of Hagerstown off U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 81. The airport is commercially serviced by Allegiant Air with flights to and from Orlando Sanford International Airport, Myrtle Beach, and St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Greyhound Lines and Atlantic Charter Buses provide coach bus service to major cities near and far including directly to Baltimore, Harrisburg, Richmond, and Washington. Martinsburg, WV offers Amtrak and MARC Train service to Union Station in Washington, D.C., while Frederick offers MARC commuter rail service as well. Despite being at the crossroads of CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Winchester and Western railroads, there is no passenger rail service in Hagersstown. The city is located on the eastern tip of the Eastern Seaboard and is located in the eastern part of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. There are no airports in the city, but several major airports are within 60 miles (97 km) to 75 miles (121 km) of the city. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of the population living in or near the downtown area of the town. It is one of the smallest towns in the state, with a population in excess of 1,000. It has a history of violence, especially against African-Americans.

Culture

Hagerstown is home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Headquarters. The city and surrounding vicinity also has a number of sites and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hagerstown Speedway, a nationally known dirt-track racing venue, is located just southeast of the city. The annual Alsatia Mummers' Halloween Parade happens to be the largest nighttime parade on the East Coast.Professional baseball in the late 19th century dates to the Hagersstown Suns minor-league team which played from 1930 to 2020. The Quad State Beer Fest is a craft beer and music festival that features regional breweries, rock music and entertainment held at various times throughout the year. The Interstate BBQ Festival is a Kansas City Barque Society sanctioned competition which hosts dozens of professional and backyard teams and draws thousands of spectators as a huge regional event. The Augustoberfest celebrates Hagertown's German heritage and the annual Halloween parade is the largest nightmarish parade of its kind in the U.S. and is held every year on October 31st. The Hagersons are known for their love of football, particularly the National Football League, which they have played for since the late 1800s. The team is currently in the process of building a new baseball stadium for a new professional team in the Atlantic League in 2022. The town is also home to several museums, including the Hager House and Museum, which was once home to Jonathan Hager, founder of the town, and Discovery Station, a hands-on science and technology museum.

Education

Hagerstown used to have a high school called Hagerstown High School, which was located on Potomac Avenue between the years of 1927 and 1958. The high school was later moved to a new location on Pennsylvania Avenue. The city now has a number of colleges and universities, as well as a community college and a women's college. It is home to the University System of Maryland, which offers various degree programs in connection with other state colleges and university in Maryland. The town is also the home of the National Guard and the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard Air Force Base, which is based in the town of Hagersville. It has a population of about 3,000. The population of the town is about 4,000, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town center. The community college has about 2,000 students. It also has a community center, which has about 1,500 students. The school also has several other colleges and colleges, including a Bible college, a business college, and a seminary. It was the site of the first high school in the city, which opened in 1927. The current high school is located in the center of the city. It opened in 1958 as North Potomacs Middle School. It later became North Hagertown High School after a new high school, North High, was built on Pennsylvania Ave and opened in 1957. It then became a middle school as well. It became a high School again as North High was moved to its current location.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland = 48.8. 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 52. 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 89. 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 Hagerstown = 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 43,527 individuals with a median age of 35.2 age the population grows by 8.73% in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,467.18 residents per square mile of area (1,338.71/km²). There are average 2.26 people per household in the 17,239 households with an average household income of $37,201 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.50% of the available work force and has dropped -3.29% 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 22.92%. The number of physicians in Hagerstown per 100,000 population = 183.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Hagerstown = 38.3 inches and the annual snowfall = 25.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 110. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 198. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 23 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 Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland which are owned by the occupant = 38.56%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 54 years with median home cost = $164,740 and home appreciation of -15.54%. 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 $10.15 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 $5,789 per student. There are 15.6 students for each teacher in the school, 600 students for each Librarian and 425 students for each Counselor. 5.11% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 7.46% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.38% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).