Monrovia, Maryland

Monrovia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 416.[2] The ZIP code for the area is 21770.

Monrovia, Maryland
Census-designated place
Monrovia
Location in Maryland
Monrovia
Monrovia (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°21′37″N 77°16′9″W
Country United States
State Maryland
County Frederick
Area
 • Total2.2 sq mi (5.8 km2)
 • Land2.2 sq mi (5.8 km2)
 • Water0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation
520 ft (160 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total416
 • Density186/sq mi (71.8/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code
21770
Area code(s)301 and 240
FIPS code24-53100
GNIS feature ID2583659[1]

Geography

The original unincorporated community of Monrovia is located along Maryland Route 75 (Green Valley Road) in southeastern Frederick County, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of New Market. The Monrovia CDP extends south of the original Monrovia as far as Maryland Route 80 (Fingerboard Road) and west to include nearly all of Ed McClain Road. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Monrovia CDP has a total area of 2.2 square miles (5.8 km2), all land.[2]

Education

Monrovia is part of the Frederick County public school system. Children from the area attend Green Valley or Kemptown Elementary School, Windsor Knolls Middle School, and Urbana High School or Linganore High School, due to redistricting in the fall of 2010.

Transport

The two major roads in the area are Maryland Route 75 and Maryland Route 80. MD 80 leads west 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to Urbana and southeast 7 miles (11 km) to Damascus (via MD 27), while MD 75 leads north to New Market and south 5 miles (8 km) to Hyattstown.

History

Monrovia was the largest community in the New Market election district in 1880.[3] The Monrovia Central Trust Bank closed in 1929.[3] Monrovia's largest employer, a cannery, closed in the 1930s.[3] Another large employer, the Nicodemus Mill, also closed in the 1930s.[3]

The 75-80 dragway opened in 1960.[4][5] The track closed on October 30, 2005, with no plans to resume races.[6] The closing prompted a significant public response, and renovations to the dragway began in 2007. The track reopened on April 3, 2009. The track closed for the final time on September 28, 2013, and is planned to be replaced by a housing development.[7]

A developer owns land in Monrovia and has proposed building Monrovia Town Center, which was planned to consist of 930 single-family homes, 580 townhomes, and retail.[8][9] The developer later revised the plan, reserving half of the homes for residents who are at least 55 years old, reducing the number of homes from 1,510 to 1,250, and reducing the size of the development from 457 to 392 acres (1.8 to 1.6 km2).[10][11] Residents have testified at meetings of the Frederick County Planning Commission to voice their disagreement with the proposed development, saying that the development would overburden the area's roads and schools and change the rural character of the area.[9][12] In 2014, Frederick County's Board of County Commissioners voted to change the area's zoning.[13]

Notes
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Monrovia Census Designated Place
  2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001), Monrovia CDP, Maryland". American FactFinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  3. Garnder, Karen (August 12, 2002). "Monrovia was once a thriving village". The Frederick News-Post.
  4. Fortney, Sarah (June 25, 2007). "Street rod driver never stops enjoying the ride". The Frederick News-Post.
  5. Dillon, Stanley C. (September 19, 1990). "Dragway Will Celebrate 30th Year on Saturday". The Baltimore Sun. p. 22.
  6. Tucker, Abigail (October 30, 2005). "A 45-year tradition nears the finish line: 75-80 Dragway in Monrovia has been Bill Wilcom's life but tonight will mark the final roar of the engines". The Baltimore Sun. p. 1A.
  7. Brown, Christian (April 9, 2009). "75-80 Dragway reopens". The Gazette. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
  8. Rigaux, Pamela (October 8, 2005). "Monrovia may get 1,600 new homes". The Frederick News-Post.
  9. Rodgers, Bethany (October 24, 2013). "Proposed Monrovia Town Center draws crowds to county hearing". The Frederick News-Post.
  10. Rodgers, Bethany (February 21, 2014). "Mapping the future of Monrovia". The Frederick News-Post.
  11. Karas, Rachel S. (April 9, 2014). "Traffic concerns raised at Monrovia Town Center hearing". The Frederick News-Post.
  12. Rodgers, Bethany (October 15, 2013). "Young describes closed-session votes on Monrovia Town Center". The Frederick News-Post.
  13. Mullins, Patti Borda (April 18, 2016). "Monrovia Town Center hearing postponed: Settlement eyed". The Frederick News-Post.
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