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Howard
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Locator map of Howard County, Maryland.
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Locator map of Howard County, Maryland.

Howard

county, Maryland, United States
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

News •

Maryland State Police investigate double fatal crash in Howard County • Nov. 7, 2026, 6:57 PM ET (CBS)
Rep. Sarah Elfreth’s office evacuated due to suspicious letter • Oct. 18, 2026, 4:14 AM ET (The Baltimore Sun)
Howard County’s ousted Board of Appeals chair sues council, office of law • Oct. 16, 2026, 9:31 AM ET (The Baltimore Banner)
Some Howard County students are learning how to garden year-round • Oct. 15, 2026, 11:00 AM ET (The Baltimore Banner)

Howard, county, central Maryland, U.S., bordered by the South Branch Patapsco River to the north, the Patapsco River to the northeast, and the Patuxent River to the west and southwest. The county is bracketed by Patuxent River State Park in the west and Patapsco Valley State Park in the east.

Howard county was created in 1851, having earlier been (from 1838) a district of Anne Arundel county. It was named for statesman and Revolutionary War hero John Eager Howard. The county seat, Ellicott City (formerly Ellicott’s Mills), became the first railroad terminus in the United States (1830) as part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The planned community of Columbia was founded in the mid-1960s.

The county’s economy is based on research and development, wholesale trade, and manufacturing. Area 252 square miles (653 square km). Pop. (2000) 247,842; (2010) 287,085.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Chelsey Parrott-Sheffer.
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