Westminster, Maryland
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| Westminster, Maryland | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Maryland | ||
| County | Carroll | ||
| Founded | 1764 | ||
| Incorporated | 1818 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Thomas K. Ferguson | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 5.7 sq mi (14.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 5.7 sq mi (14.8 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 764 ft (233 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 16,731 | ||
| - Density | 2,929.4/sq mi (1,131.0/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP codes | 21157-21158 | ||
| Area code(s) | 410 | ||
| FIPS code | 24-83100 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0595080 | ||
| Website: www.westgov.com | |||
Westminster is a city in Carroll County, Maryland, United States. The population was 16,731 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County[1]. Westminster is within the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Westminster is a partner city with Paide, Estonia. Westminster is the home of McDaniel College, the Carroll County Fair, Common Ground on the Hill, and the Maryland Wine Festival.
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[edit] Geography
Westminster is located at (39.576551, -77.000120)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), all of it land.
[edit] Climate
Westminster-area historical tornado activity is slightly above Maryland state average. It is 38% greater than the overall U.S. average.
On 7/19/1996, a category 3 (max. wind speeds 158-206 mph) tornado 5.5 miles away from the Westminster city center injured 3 people and caused $5 million in damages.
On 4/5/1952, a category 3 tornado 15.5 miles away from the city center injured 4 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.[3]
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 16,731 people, 6,420 households, and 3,762 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,929.4 people per square mile (1,131.3/km²). There were 6,755 housing units at an average density of 1,182.7/sq mi (456.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.28% White, 5.49% African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.78% of the population.
There were 6,420 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.1% under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,477, and the median income for a family was $50,879. Males had a median income of $37,186 versus $28,419 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,320. About 7.9% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) enrolls over 28,000 students, which makes it the ninth largest school system in the state of Maryland. In Westminster, there are three high schools: Westminster Senior High School, Winters Mill High School, and Carroll Christian; two middle schools: East and West Middle School; and nine elementary schools.
McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College) is home to the summer training camp of the Baltimore Ravens NFL team.
[edit] Trivia
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Birthplace of: Sargent Shriver - (born 1915), former candidate for Vice President of the United States, brother-in-law of John F. Kennedy.
Westminster's ZIP codes are 21157 and 21158.
In April, 1865, Joseph Shaw, newspaper editor, had his presses wrecked and his business destroyed, and was subsequently beaten and stabbed to death by four men in Westminster, allegedly because of an anti-Lincoln editorial that was published the week before the actual assassination. In a later trial at the Westminster Court House the four men were acquitted; the reason cited was "self-defense."
Just north of Westminster is the farm at which Whittaker Chambers hid the so-called "pumpkin papers."
A historic marker states that Westminster was the first place in the nation to offer Rural Free Delivery postal service.
The film For Richer or Poorer was filmed in Westminster
The Hashawha Tower is a windmill in Westminster. It stands at the Hashawha Bear Branch Nature Center.
[edit] Controversy
In 2001, ABC News produced a story calling Westminster the heroin capital of the country because of drug problems at Westminster High School, once called "Heroin High," with overdoses peaking at more than 3 per week.[5] [6]
In 2000, one member of the Carroll County Drug Task Force, Detective Richard Ruby, was accused of planting drugs on suspects and was suspended with pay. As a result a number of drug cases had to be dismissed because of the compromised security of the evidence due to Ruby's involvement. This also lead to the release of a number of persons who had been in jail awaiting trial. [7]
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Westminster, Maryland (MD) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.abcnewsstore.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=customer.product&product_code=T010822%2001&category_code=15
- ^ Feature: Heroin Hits Home in Carroll County | 3/25/1998 | Citypaper.com
- ^ The Carroll County Times, February, 10 2000
[edit] External links
- City of Westminster Official local government information.
- Westminster High School
- Winters Mill High School
- Westminster, Maryland is at coordinates Coordinates:
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