Laurel, Maryland
Laurel, Maryland | |
|---|---|
| City of Laurel | |
The Laurel Museum in May 2007 | |
| Motto(s): "Progressio Per Populum" (English: Progress Through People) | |
Location of Laurel in Prince George's County and Maryland | |
| Coordinates: 39°5′45″N 76°51′35″W / 39.09583°N 76.85972°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Prince George's |
| Incorporated | 1870 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Keith Sydnor (2023–present) |
| • City Council | Ward 1: James Kole Ward 1: Carl DeWalt |
| Area | |
• Total | 4.84 sq mi (12.53 km2) |
| • Land | 4.82 sq mi (12.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,060 |
| • Density | 6,242.99/sq mi (2,410.60/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 20707–20709, 20723–20726 |
| Area code(s) | 240, 301 |
| FIPS code | 24-45900 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0597667 |
| Website | cityoflaurel.org |
Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River, in northern Prince George's County. Its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town in the early 19th century, Laurel expanded local industry and was later able to become an early commuter town for Washington and Baltimore workers following the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1835. Largely residential today, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street.
The Department of Defense has a prominent presence in the Laurel area today, with the Fort Meade Army base, the NSA and Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Laboratory all located nearby. Laurel Park, a thoroughbred horse racetrack, is located just outside the city limits.