Living in Anne Arundel County: towns, water and schools

Living in Anne Arundel County

Anne Arundel County was created in 1650 and runs from the Patapsco River at the Baltimore line south to Calvert County, with the Chesapeake Bay along its whole eastern side. Howard County sits to the northwest and Prince George's County to the southwest, across the Patuxent River. The Severn, Magothy, South and West rivers cut the county into peninsulas, so a large share of the land sits close to tidal water. Annapolis is the county seat and the state capital, and the U.S. Naval Academy sits next to its downtown.

The county adopted a charter in 1964 and is run by a county executive and a seven-member county council. Only two places are incorporated: the City of Annapolis, chartered in 1708, with a mayor and eight aldermen elected by ward, and the Town of Highland Beach on the Bay. Everything else, including Glen Burnie, Severna Park, Odenton, Crofton, Pasadena, Arnold, Edgewater and Hanover, is unincorporated, so county zoning, police and permits apply there. A town can add its own tax on top of the county's.

I-97 runs the length of the middle of the county, from US 50/301 at Parole to the Baltimore Beltway at Brooklyn Park, and the whole interstate lies inside Anne Arundel. BWI Marshall Airport and Fort George G. Meade, home of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, both sit in the county's northwest. Deborah Green is a REALTOR with LPT Realty, licensed in Maryland since 2002, and works with buyers, sellers, investors and people relocating here.

Homes and property types in Anne Arundel County

The oldest housing stock is in downtown Annapolis, inside the Colonial Annapolis National Historic Landmark District around City Dock, and in older railroad communities. Linthicum began as a railroad stop by 1889, and the Linthicum Heights Company started laying out lots in 1908; the Linthicum Heights Historic District is on the National Register. Glen Burnie was laid out after 1888 on the Glenn family estate. Odenton formed in 1868 around the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, and its MARC station sits where its first commercial center grew.

Crofton is the county's best-known planned community. It was announced in 1963 and founded in 1964 around a golf course that became the Crofton Country Club. Along the shorelines of the Magothy, Severn, South and West rivers and the Bay, many communities started as summer cottage areas and filled in with year-round homes, so a single street can mix small older cottages with large rebuilt houses. The south county, around Davidsonville, Harwood, Lothian and the Herring Bay towns, holds farmland, larger lots and rural homes.

Plan2040, the county's general development plan, was adopted in May 2021 and is carried out through Region Plans for different parts of the county, with a Development Policy Areas map showing where growth is directed. The county ties public water and sewer to zoning and to that plan, and builders must extend lines when a site sits in a planned service area. Odenton Town Center, near the MARC station and Fort Meade, is still building out.

Location sets much of the inspection list. Within 1,000 feet of tidal water, the state Critical Area law limits clearing and lot coverage on many lots, and the county runs that program. Homes outside the public sewer area use septic systems, and state rules call for nitrogen-removing septic systems for new construction in the Critical Area. Waterfront lots raise flood zone, bulkhead and pier questions. Older cottages may need wiring, plumbing and foundation work, so inspect before you plan an addition.

Towns and communities in Anne Arundel County

The Census Bureau lists more than thirty census-designated places in the county, and none of them except Annapolis and Highland Beach has a town government. Mailing names and ZIP codes do not follow any city limit, so the same Annapolis address name covers the city itself and unincorporated areas around it, such as Annapolis Neck, Parole, Cape St. Claire and parts of the Broadneck peninsula. Check the county property record for any address you are serious about.

Annapolis

Incorporated city and county seat, chartered 1708. Historic downtown around City Dock, with Eastport and West Annapolis nearby. City planning, zoning and a city tax line on the county bill.

Highland Beach

Incorporated town on the Bay just south of Bay Ridge, founded in 1893 by Charles and Laura Douglass and incorporated in 1922. A small town of homes and no shops.

Glen Burnie

Unincorporated, in the north county next to BWI. ZIP codes 21060 and 21061. A town center at Central Avenue and Crain Highway, Light Rail service and Marley Station.

Severna Park

Unincorporated, between the Severn and Magothy rivers, ZIP 21146. Grew along the Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad, now the B&A Trail. Waterfront and inland single-family neighborhoods.

Arnold

Unincorporated, on the Broadneck peninsula between the Severn and Magothy rivers, ZIP 21012. Home to Anne Arundel Community College on College Parkway, with creekside neighborhoods and marinas.

Pasadena

Unincorporated, in the northeast county on the Patapsco side, ZIP 21122, shared with Lake Shore and Riviera Beach. Downs Park and Fort Smallwood Park are here.

Odenton

Unincorporated, ZIP 21113, between Fort Meade, Gambrills, Severn and Crofton. Formed in 1868 around the railroad; the MARC Penn Line stops here and Odenton Town Center is building out.

Crofton

Unincorporated planned community founded in 1964, ZIP 21114. The original section is a Special Community Benefit District run by the Crofton Civic Association; newer sections have their own HOAs.

Edgewater

Unincorporated, on the south side of the South River along MD 2, ZIP 21037. Neighborhoods include Londontown, South River Colony and Glebe Heights; Historic London Town is here.

Hanover

Unincorporated, southwest of BWI near MD 100 and MD 295, with a small part in Howard County. Arundel Mills opened in 2000. ZIP 21076 is served by two school systems.

Deale

Unincorporated waterfront town on Herring Bay in the south county. Rockhold Creek holds most of the marinas and charter boats. Served by Southern High School.

Schools and boundaries

Public schools in the whole county, including Annapolis and Highland Beach, are run by one system, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS). The system is organized into feeder clusters named for each high school. Severn Run High School in Severn opened in 2024 as the system's 14th comprehensive high school, built to ease crowding in the Old Mill, North County, Meade and Glen Burnie feeders, and Crofton High School in Gambrills opened in 2020.

Boundaries are changing now. AACPS has been redrawing attendance areas countywide in phases. Phase 2 covers the Annapolis, Arundel, Broadneck, Crofton, Severna Park, South River and Southern clusters, and the board's plan was scheduled to take effect in August 2026. A street that fed one high school last year may feed another this year. Confirm the school for any address with AACPS directly, and do not rely on a listing, an older map or a neighbor.

Some programs draw from the whole county by application. Chesapeake Science Point in Hanover is a public charter school that admits by application and lottery. Broadneck High runs a Performing and Visual Arts magnet, and Meade High is one of the county's International Baccalaureate schools. The school names below describe where each building sits and an area it has served.

Annapolis High School

In Annapolis. Part of the Phase 2 redistricting, so confirm the current boundary for city and Annapolis Neck addresses.

Broadneck High School

On Green Holly Drive between Arnold and Cape St. Claire. Opened in 1982 and has served the 21409 area and much of Arnold. Hosts a countywide arts magnet.

Severna Park High School

At 60 Robinson Road in Severna Park. Opened in 1959; a replacement building on the same grounds opened in January 2017.

Crofton High School

At 2291 Davidsonville Road in Gambrills. Opened in 2020 for the greater Crofton area, which had been sent to South River High.

Severn Run High School

At 8065 New Cut Road in Severn. Opened in 2024. Old Mill Middle North feeds it, and part of MacArthur Middle at Fort Meade.

Meade High School

At 1100 Clark Road on Fort Meade. Opened in 1977 and offers International Baccalaureate courses. Has served parts of Odenton and Fort Meade.

South River High School

In Edgewater. Serves Edgewater and the area south of the South River, and part of the Phase 2 redistricting.

Southern High School

At 4400 Solomons Island Road in Harwood. Serves the south county, including Deale and the Herring Bay area.

Chesapeake Science Point

Public charter school in Hanover, founded in 2003, focused on math and science. Admission is by application and lottery.

What it costs to own here beyond the price

The county property tax bill carries more than the county tax. By the county Office of Finance, it can include the state property tax, a City of Annapolis or Town of Highland Beach tax line, a Special Community Benefit District tax, a solid waste charge for trash and recycling, the stormwater fee, the Bay Restoration fee and any credits. The tax year runs July 1 to June 30, and owner-occupied homes can pay in two installments, due September 30 and December 31.

Two state credits run through Maryland SDAT. The Homestead Tax Credit limits how much the taxable assessment on your principal residence can rise each year; you file once while you own the home, SDAT mails new owners an application after the deed records, and the settlement company must give you a copy at closing. The Homeowners' Tax Credit is based on income. The county adds its own credits, among them an Airport Noise Zone credit for homes in the BWI noise zone.

At closing, the county charges a recordation tax and a county transfer tax, and the state charges its own transfer tax. For a first-time Maryland home buyer who will live in the home, state law lowers the state transfer tax and requires the seller to pay it in full; the buyer signs a statement to qualify. We could not confirm a separate county first-time buyer break on the county's own page, so ask the settlement company what applies to your contract.

Water is the other cost to check. In county service areas, Public Works bills water and sewer every quarter. Many lots also carry an annual county water and wastewater benefit assessment, long called a front foot assessment, billed for 30 years, which can pass to a new owner; some subdivisions carry a private charge set up by the developer. Homes outside service areas use wells and septic. Inside the Critical Area or a FEMA flood zone, ask about flood insurance before you sign.

Buying your first home in Anne Arundel County

First-time buyers here can stack state and county help. The Maryland Mortgage Program offers first mortgages through state-approved lenders, and most of its loans come with down payment assistance. Its first-time buyer definition is someone who has not owned residential property in the past three years, and the home must be your primary residence. Arundel Community Development Services, the county's housing nonprofit, runs a separate Mortgage Assistance Program that only works in Anne Arundel County and can be combined with an MMP loan.

Start early. ACDS requires its Homeownership Counseling Program before you sign a purchase contract, and its first class is often booked weeks out. Deborah runs free seminars for first-time buyers that walk through these steps and the state transfer tax rule, so you can line up a lender and counseling before you start touring.

Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP)

Run by the state housing department through approved lenders. A buyer must not have owned residential property for three years, with exceptions for some veterans and Targeted Areas.

MMP Down Payment Assistance

Paired with most MMP first mortgages. MMP also matches assistance from approved partner organizations through its Partner Match program.

ACDS Mortgage Assistance Program

Run by Arundel Community Development Services for Anne Arundel County only. A deferred loan for first-time buyers; counseling is required before contract and the home must pass an ACDS inspection.

Maryland first-time buyer transfer tax rule

Under state law, a first-time Maryland home buyer living in the home gets a lower state transfer tax, paid entirely by the seller, with a sworn statement at closing.

Parks, trails and things to do

Water shapes most free time here. The county runs public parks on the Bay and its rivers, Sandy Point State Park sits at the foot of the Bay Bridge, and marinas line the creeks from Pasadena to Deale. Annapolis holds in-water boat shows each spring and fall at its harbor.

Two long paved trails follow old rail and road routes through the north and middle of the county. The B&A Trail runs from Arnold to Glen Burnie on the old Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad line, and a connector links it to the BWI Trail, which loops the airport. In the south county, Jug Bay protects tidal marsh on the Patuxent River.

Quiet Waters Park

A 340-acre county park in Annapolis between the South River and Harness Creek, with a dog beach, a dog park and an outdoor ice rink in winter.

Sandy Point State Park

A 786-acre Maryland DNR park at the western end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, established in 1948, with a swimming beach and boat rentals.

Downs Park

A 236-acre county park on the Bay in Pasadena with more than five miles of trails, a fishing pier and a cartop boat launch at Locust Cove.

Kinder Farm Park

A 288-acre county park in Millersville with a working farm program, a 2.4-mile paved loop and a museum in the 1925 Kinder farmhouse.

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

More than 1,700 acres in Lothian on the tidal Patuxent River, with marsh boardwalks and trails. Part of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Baltimore and Annapolis Trail

A 13.3-mile paved trail from Arnold to Glen Burnie, opened in 1990, through Severna Park, Millersville and Pasadena.

BWI Trail

A paved loop around BWI Marshall, with a trailhead at the Thomas A. Dixon Jr. Aircraft Observation Area and a connector to the B&A Trail.

Historic London Town and Gardens

On the South River in Edgewater: 23 acres of a colonial town site, including the London Town Publik House, a National Historic Landmark.

Maryland Renaissance Festival

Held in Crownsville since 1985, on weekends from late August through October.

Getting around: DC, Baltimore and BWI

Annapolis is about 30 miles east of downtown Washington and about 25 miles south of Baltimore. US 50/301 carries traffic from Annapolis toward DC and east over the Bay Bridge. I-97 links Annapolis with Glen Burnie and the Baltimore Beltway, and I-195 runs to BWI. MD 295, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, edges Fort Meade on the west, while MD 100, MD 32, MD 3 and MD 2 cross the county between them.

The MARC Penn Line, between Washington Union Station and Baltimore Penn Station, stops at Odenton and at BWI Airport, where Amtrak also stops. Odenton is about 22 rail miles from Union Station. The Light Rail runs north from BWI and Glen Burnie through Linthicum to downtown Baltimore. There is no Metrorail station in the county; the closest on the DC side are in Prince George's County.

BWI Marshall Airport sits inside the county, between Linthicum, Glen Burnie and Hanover. The largest employers nearby include Fort George G. Meade, with the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency, the U.S. Naval Academy and state government in Annapolis, and the Maryland Department of Transportation offices in Hanover.