North Laurel

Geography

North Laurel is located in the southern corner of Howard County at 39°8′4″N 76°51′46″W (39.134343, −76.862690). It is bordered to the north by Savage and Columbia, to the west by Scaggsville, to the south in Prince George's County by the city of Laurel, and to the southeast in Anne Arundel County by Maryland City. The southern boundary of the CDP is defined by the Patuxent River, which is also the Howard County/Prince George's County line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the North Laurel CDP has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.4 km2), of which 6.3 square miles (16.3 km2) is land and 0.039 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.6%, is water. (these area measurements differ from those initially published by the Census Bureau.

Demographics

The North Laurel CDP as defined for the 2010 census was smaller than the CDP that was defined for the 2000 census. In 2010, portions of the earlier North Laurel CDP were split off into the Scaggsville and Fulton CDPs. Demographic figures from the 2000 census are therefore significantly different from the published figures from 2010. The substantially lower population, however, was the result of an error in defining the CDP boundary prior to tabulation and publication of 2010 Census results. The Census Bureau noted the error in its published errata. The corrected counts for North Laurel CDP for 2010 are 20,259 population, 7,593 housing units, and land area of 6.3 square miles. The corrected boundary and population are reflected in subsequent data from the American Community Survey. North Laurel gained territory formerly within the Savage-Guilford CDP for Census 2000, located south of the Little Patuxent and Middle Patuxent Rivers and east of Interstate 95. This territory was the portion defined as North Laurel in official 2010 Census data products.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, North Laurel had a population of 25,379. The median age was 35.0 years. 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 8.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.2 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 8,601 households in North Laurel, of which 44.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.7% were married-couple households, 15.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 8,864 housing units, of which 3.0% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 20,468 people, 7,235 households, and 5,281 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 2,007.3 inhabitants per square mile (775.0/km2). There were 7,453 housing units at an average density of 730.9 per square mile (282.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 33.5% African American, White, 32.4%, 0.32% Native American, 17.1%% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.49% from other races, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.5% of the population.

There were 7,235 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the CDP proper, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 37.6% from 25 to 44, 20.3% 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 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,836, and the median income for a family was $75,068. Males had a median income of $48,043 versus $35,149 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $27,991. About 2.5% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

History

Natural

The edge of the Arundel Formation underlies the North Laurel area. The astrodon, a herbivorous sauropod, was present about 112 million years ago. Prior to 10,700 B.C. North Laurel was a spruce forest evolving into a boreal forest occupied by mammals ranging from mastodon to sloth. By 3000 B.C. the vegetation was similar to modern plant life.

Precolonial

Native Americans lived along the Patuxent River since at least 6500 B.C. By the time of European contact, the lands in the region were occupied by various tribes of Algonquin speaking Native Americans.

Historic

The Patuxent River was first named ("Pawtuxunt") on the detailed map resulting from the 1608 voyage upriver by Jamestown settler John Smith. The early English settlers progressively explored further northward from the mouth of the river, eventually reaching the area that is now North Laurel. In the 1620s the Susquehannocks pushed the Piscataway tribes out to the southeast to reduce competition occupying the area as far south as the Potomac River. The Susquehannocks were well armed hunters and profited from beaver trading with the English. By 1632 Lord Baltimore had claimed title to issue land grants in Maryland through Charles I of England. In 1652, the Susquehannocks made a treaty with Marylanders to keep trade flowing and receive arms to use against the Iroquois to the north. By 1675, efforts were underway to eliminate the Susquehannocks from the region.

The North Laurel region was surveyed into land grants with colorful names in the mid-1700s. The largest grant was Warfield's Range, followed by Wincopion Neck. Smaller grants in the area include (from north to south) The Addition, Ridgley's Neck, Bare Hills, Poplar Range, Grover's Lot, Poplar Bottom, Holland's Chance, Snowden's Intent, Clark's Walks, Snowden's New Birmingham, Brother's Partnership, Warfields Neglect, Sappington's Sweep, Nellsons Rainbow, Lasswells Hopewell, and Davis's Hills. The oldest structure in Howard County was situated on Warfield's Range. The log cabin built in 1696 was moved to Elkridge to accommodate a Newburn development, and was destroyed by arson. The post road from Washington to Baltimore was constructed in 1740, which ran along its eastern boundary. Used by George Washington regularly, the road would remain the principle route between Baltimore and Washington for 200 years.

By the 1800s tobacco farming was the primary crop in North Laurel. Soil conservation was poor, leaving farms to switch crops or abandon farms. The founding of the Laurel grist mill in 1811 and the Savage Mill in 1822 brought an industrial economy to the area. Slavery was a common practice among the farmers in North Laurel until after emancipation. Runaway slave ads were regularly placed in the Baltimore Sun newspaper.

In the summer of 1834, Irish (Corkians) and German (Fardown) workers clashed at the B&O construction site at North Laurel. Fardowns burned shanties used by Corkian workers. A militia of 60 men were led by General Ridgley to keep the peace between the rival factions. In 1835 the rail line between Baltimore and Washington was completed next to the post road.