Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice, it is an edge city[3] that had a population of 81,015 residents as of the 2020 census.[4] This makes it the fifth-most populous place in Maryland after Baltimore, Columbia, Germantown, and Waldorf; and the second-most populous in Montgomery County after Germantown.[5][6]
Silver Spring, Maryland | |
|---|---|
 Clockwise from top: AFI Silver, Veteran's Plaza and the civic building, Downtown Silver Spring from the Metro station, Acorn Park, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station | |
 Silver Spring (Montgomery County and Maryland) | |
  Silver Spring  Silver Spring | |
| Coordinates: 39°00′09″N 77°01′15″W[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Montgomery |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.91 sq mi (20.49 km2) |
| • Land | 7.88 sq mi (20.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2) |
| Elevation | 341 ft (104 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 81,015 |
| • Density | 10,277.18/sq mi (3,968.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
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| Area codes | 301, 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-72450 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0591290 |
| Highways | |
The downtown, located next to the northern tip of Washington, D.C., is the oldest and most urbanized part of the community. Downtown is in turn surrounded by several inner suburban residential neighborhoods located inside the Capital Beltway. Many mixed-use developments combining retail, residential, and office space have been built since 2004.[7]
Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, south of downtown, is believed to be the site of the original spring.[8][9][10]