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Waldorf, Maryland
Location of Waldorf, Maryland
Coordinates: 38°38′46″N 76°53′54″W / 38.64611, -76.89833
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Charles
Area
- Total	12.8 sq mi (33.1 km²)
- Land	12.8 sq mi (33.1 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	207 ft (63 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	22,312
- Density	1,746.0/sq mi (674.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	20601-20604
Area code(s)	301
FIPS code	24-81175
GNIS feature ID	0588020

Waldorf is an unincorporated community in Charles County, Maryland. It is SSE of Washington DC. The population was 22,311 at the 2000 census. 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 was 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 High School), 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.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Farming 4 Transportation 5 Traffic 6 Fire/EMS 7 Education 8 In popular culture 9 Sports 10 Hilary Duff "ghetto" controversy 11 See also 12 External links

Waldorf is located at 38°38′46″N, 76°53′54″W (38.646173, -76.898217)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.1 km²), all of it 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.

As of the census^GR2 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 1,746.0 people per square mile (674.1/km²). There were 7,827 housing units at an average density of 612.5/sq mi (236.5/km²). 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.

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.

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). In the years to come, due to traffic concerns, a bypass may be built through either Western or Eastern Waldorf, or the highway may continue on the same route through Waldorf with overpasses.^{[citation needed]} 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 228 (Berry Road), starts in Accokeek, MD at the intersection of Maryland Route 210 (Indian Head Highway), and it runs through much of western Waldorf until its eastern terminus in central Waldorf, at the intersection of MD 228, MD 5 (Business), and US 301. Additionally, the intersection of MD 228 and MD 210 in Accokeek, MD is one of the only three Continuous flow intersections in the United States.

• 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 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.

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

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, Maryland that service 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)

Waldorf is home to rock band Good Charlotte and the Godfather of go-go, Chuck Brown. Famous people from Waldorf are:

• Randy Starks - Defensive Tackle for the Tennessee Titans.

• Chuck Brown – jazz guitarist.

• Benji Madden – guitarist for the band Good Charlotte.

• Joel Madden – lead vocalist for the band Good Charlotte.

• Matt Van Gasbeck - guitarist for the band My American Heart

• Christina Milian – actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer.

• Samuel Mudd – doctor, implicated in aiding the Abraham Lincoln assassination by John Wilkes Booth.

• Edmund Spangler – conspirator in the Abraham Lincoln assassination.

• Robert Stethem – United States Navy diver, killed during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847

• Jameka Cameron - Contestant on Big Brother 8 (US).

Team	Sport	League	Championships	Venue
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs	Baseball	Atlantic League of Professional Baseball; South Division	0	Regency Furniture Stadium

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.

• List of Famous People from the Washington Metropolitan Area

• Waldorf, Maryland is at coordinates 38°38′46″N 76°53′54″W / 38.646173, -76.898217Coordinates: 38°38′46″N 76°53′54″W / 38.646173, -76.898217
• Map of Waldorf
• Construction of Waldorf Technology Park and Road Extension on Hamilton Rd.
• Dr. Michael R. Deery House and Museum
• US 301 Waldorf Area Transportation Improvements Project Website
• [1] "Waldorf not so 'ghetto' after all?", Southern Maryland News, Jay Friess, June 23, 2006.

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