Howard County, located in Central Maryland between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, is a blend of old and new, urban and suburban, where the Piedmont Hills and the fall line of glaciers meet. With approximately 170,000 residents, Howard County is home to the first national railroad terminus, one of largest planned cities in the country, and the "heartland of soccer!"

Howard County was primarily farming and hunting grounds of the Native Americans until 1608, when Capt. John Smith of Jamestown sailed up the Patapsco River. The first colonial settler came much later, in 1687.

Farming was the way of life for the early settlers here, with tobacco the basis of the economy. Commerce and industry were also significant early on, with the availability of water power along the rivers and the port at Elk Ridge Landing. Local iron ore and tobacco were shipped from the Landing along a navigable channel on the Patapsco River to the Chesapeake Bay.

Originally part of Anne Arundel County, the area was designated the Howard District in 1839, in honor of John Eager Howard, statesman, soldier, and fifth governor of Maryland. Howard County became the 21st of Maryland's 23 counties in 1851, with the county seat at Ellicott Mills. Many distinguished statesmen and leaders, including four Maryland governors have called Howard County home.

The County's growth both past and present is closely associated with its location along major travel routes. The Patapsco River, old post roads and turnpikes, the B & O Railroad, and major north-south and east-west highways have brought both settlers and commerce to the county.

The founders of Howard County were certainly visionaries. In the 1960s, James Rouse, purchased 14,000 acres and began creating the city of Columbia, one of America's premier and largest planned communities, and its metropolitan center. Ellicott City celebrated its bicentennial in 1972, four years before the United States.

Rich in both history and pride, growth and quality of life, Howard County provides residents with housing, a strong economy, diverse places of worship, good schools, plenty of parks, shopping centers and recreational areas. Howard County welcomes you to discover all of its attractions and delights!