Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is an
urbanized, but
unincorporated, area in
Montgomery County, Maryland, near
Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a church located there, the Bethesda
Presbyterian Church, built in
1820, which in turn was named from a passage in the
New Testament.
As an unincorporated area, Bethesda has no official boundaries. The
United States Census Bureau defines a
Census-Designated Place named Bethesda whose center is located at 38°59' North, 77°7' West. The
United States Geological Survey has defined Bethesda as an area whose center is at , slightly different from the Census Bureau's definition. Other definitions are used by the Bethesda Urban Planning District, the
United States Postal Service, and other organizations. As of 2000, the Census-defined community had a total population of 55,277.
Bethesda's Population History from the U.S. Census Bureau
*1960....56,527
*1970....71,621
*1980....62,736
*1990....62,936
*2000....55,277
Source:
U.S. Census Bureau |
Panorama of downtown Bethesda. |
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Building 50 at NIH |
Important institutions located in Bethesda include the
National Institutes of Health, the
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division. Bethesda is also home to the
National Naval Medical Center, commonly referred to as Bethesda Naval Hospital, where many famous Americans such as
Senator Joseph McCarthy died and the
John F. Kennedy autopsy was performed. Adjoining the hospital to the east is the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (
USUHS).
The headquarters of defense conglomerate
Lockheed Martin and hotel and resort chain
Marriott International are located in Bethesda. Software company
Bethesda Softworks was previously located in Bethesda, but recently moved to
Rockville, Maryland. The
Discovery Channel also had its headquarters in Bethesda before relocating to
Silver Spring in 2004. Bethesda is renowned for its extensive collection of restaurants—180 were listed at the end of
2004—offering cuisine ranging from Afghan to Vietnamese. Bethesda is also home to two vibrant
farmers markets, the Montgomery Farm Woman's Cooperative Market and the Bethesda Farmer's Market, as well as numerous cinemas and art galleries.
Also located in downtown Bethesda is one of just 12
Madonna of the Trail monuments, erected by the National Old Trails Association working in concert with the
Daughters of the American Revolution. Judge
Harry S. Truman, later 33rd President of the United States, presided over the dedication of the Bethesda monument, on April 19, 1929. Eleven others were erected as well, and they stretch from
Upland, California to Bethesda, the easternmost of these monuments, which commemorate the spirit of pioneer women during the westward expansion of the U.S.A. Nearby is the Bethesda Post Office, probably the oldest standing buliding in the downtown area
Bethesda is also home to the
Congressional Country Club.
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Location of Bethesda, Maryland |
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Boundaries of Bethesda CDP as of 2003 |
Bethesda is located at (38.984660, -77.113135).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 34.2
km² (13.2
mi²). 34.0 km² (13.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.38%) is water.
The main commercial corridor is
Maryland Route 355, which in its northern reaches connects Bethesda with the communities of
North Bethesda and
Rockville and is known as Rockville Pike. Rockville Pike becomes Wisconsin Avenue near the NIH and continues beyond Bethesda through
Chevy Chase and
Friendship Heights, Maryland and into
Washington, DC.
The area commonly known as "downtown Bethesda" is centered at the intersection of Wisconsin with Maryland Route 187, Old Georgetown Road, and Maryland Route 410, East-West Highway. Much of the dense construction in that area followed the opening of the
Bethesda station on the
Red Line of the
Washington Metro, also located at this intersection and the centerpiece of the Bethesda Metro Center development. The "downtown," which includes the restaurant districts of Bethesda Row and Woodmont Triangle, lies about 0.7 miles south of Bethesda's other Red Line stop,
Medical Center, which serves the NIH and Bethesda Naval Hospital. Bethesda Row and Wodmont Triangle are under heavy development, including several luxury condominiums, restaurants, and businesses.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 55,277 people, 23,659 households, and 14,455 families residing in the defined area. The
population density was 1,624.2/km² (4,205.8/mi²). There were 24,368 housing units at an average density of 716.0/km² (1,854.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the community was 85.86%
White, 2.67%
Black or
African American, 0.17%
Native American, 7.92%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 1.23% from
other races, and 2.11% from two or more races. 5.43% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 23,659 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were
married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the community the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.0 males.
Bethesda is a wealthy and well-educated area. According to the 2000
Census, Bethesda is the best-educated city in the nation with a population of 50,000 or more. 79% of residents 25 or older have bachelor's degrees and 49% have graduate or professional degrees. The median income for a household is $99,102, and the median income for a family was $130,160. Males had a median income of $84,797 versus $57,569 for females. The
per capita income for the area was $58,479. About 1.7% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over. Many commute to
Washington D.C. for work.
*
"Best Educated City: Bethesda"*
Bethesda Urban Partnership*
National Naval Medical Center*
National Institutes of Health*
Downtown Bethesda Interactive Guide*
Urban Dictionary: Bethesda
