Living in Frederick County: towns, schools and the commute

Living in Frederick County

Frederick County was created in 1748 from parts of Baltimore and Prince George's counties and is the largest county in Maryland by land area. Pennsylvania forms the northern line, Carroll and Howard counties sit to the east, Montgomery County and the Potomac River lie to the south, and Washington County is to the west. Catoctin Mountain and South Mountain run north to south through the western half, with the Middletown Valley between them.

The county moved from a Board of County Commissioners to charter government on December 1, 2014. A County Executive runs the executive branch, and a seven-member County Council, five elected by district and two at large, writes the laws. Most land is unincorporated, so the county handles zoning, permits and planning there. Twelve places are incorporated: the cities of Frederick and Brunswick, the towns of Burkittsville, Emmitsburg, Middletown, Mount Airy, Myersville, New Market, Thurmont, Walkersville and Woodsboro, and the village of Rosemont. Mount Airy reaches into Carroll County.

The City of Frederick is the county seat, laid out as Frederick Town by 1745. I-70, I-270, US 15, US 40 and US 340 all meet around it, which is why the county looks two ways: south along I-270 toward Montgomery County and Washington, and east along I-70 toward Baltimore. Well-known places such as Urbana, Ballenger Creek, Linganore and Jefferson are census-designated places with no town government. Deborah Green, a REALTOR with LPT Realty licensed in Maryland since 2002, works with buyers, sellers, investors and people relocating here.

Homes and property types in Frederick County

The oldest housing sits in the town centers. Downtown Frederick's historic district runs along Market, Patrick and East Streets. Middletown sold its first lots in 1767 and keeps Federal and Greek Revival buildings on West Main and South Church Streets. New Market's historic district went on the National Register in 1975. Brunswick grew into a railroad town around a B&O rail yard built from 1891 to 1912, and Mount Airy grew around a B&O station on Parr's Ridge.

Newer housing is mostly in the unincorporated areas along the interstates. Ballenger Creek, on Frederick's southern edge, grew mostly after 1990 by census counts, tied to the I-270 corridor. Urbana, at the I-270 and MD 80 interchange, began its large-scale building around 1999 and now mixes detached homes, townhomes and rowhouses. Linganore wraps around Lake Linganore, an impoundment on Linganore Creek, and is governed by a homeowners association. Townhomes and condos are common in and around the City of Frederick. Age-restricted 55 and older communities also exist in the county as a housing type.

The county's Livable Frederick Master Plan, adopted in September 2019, steers growth toward set areas; county planning documents name the Urbana and Brunswick community growth areas, the Eastalco growth area and the I-270 corridor. The South Frederick Corridors Plan, adopted in April 2024, covers the MD 355 and MD 85 corridors near Ballenger Creek. FCPS opens Linganore Creek Elementary in 2026-2027 to relieve Oakdale Elementary near New Market. The 2022 Sugarloaf plan limits development on about 20,000 acres between the Montgomery County line and Monocacy National Battlefield.

Outside the towns, much of the county is farmland, woods and mountain land on private wells and septic. Many farms are under agricultural preservation easements through the state MALPF program or the county's Installment Purchase Program, begun in 2002, which limit future building on that land. For an older town house, budget an inspection of wiring, plumbing and the basement; homes built before 1978 may contain lead paint. For a rural home, get the well and septic records from the Frederick County Health Department.

Towns and communities in Frederick County

Incorporated municipalities below have their own mayor or commissioners and in some cases their own water, sewer and planning. In unincorporated census-designated places, the county runs zoning and permits. A Frederick or New Market mailing address can sit outside the city or town limits, so check the parcel before you rely on town services or rules.

City of Frederick (incorporated)

The county seat, incorporated in 1816. Rowhouses and older homes in the downtown historic district, with newer subdivisions, townhomes and condos toward the edges of the city.

Brunswick (incorporated city)

On the north bank of the Potomac in the southwest, incorporated in 1890. Railroad-era houses near the old B&O yard, a MARC station, and newer homes in the county's Brunswick growth area.

Urbana (unincorporated)

A census-designated place at the I-270 and MD 80 interchange, about 7.5 miles southeast of Frederick. Mostly built since about 1999: detached homes, townhomes and rowhouses.

Ballenger Creek (unincorporated)

A census-designated place against Frederick's southern city limits, near MD 85 and I-270. Subdivisions and townhomes, with parts of Monocacy National Battlefield inside its boundary.

Linganore and Lake Linganore (unincorporated)

East of Frederick on both sides of Linganore Creek, south edge on I-70. Homes around Lake Linganore under the Lake Linganore Association at Eaglehead; ZIP 21774.

New Market (incorporated town)

On I-70 east of Frederick, incorporated in 1878. Known as the Antiques Capital of Maryland, with an 18th and 19th century Main Street and newer homes around it.

Middletown (incorporated town)

In the Middletown Valley between Catoctin Mountain and South Mountain on US 40 Alternate. Founded 1767, incorporated 1833, with a historic district and surrounding subdivisions.

Thurmont (incorporated town)

At the foot of Catoctin Mountain on US 15 and MD 77, about ten miles from Pennsylvania. Renamed from Mechanicstown in 1894; the gateway to Catoctin Mountain Park.

Mount Airy (incorporated town)

On Parr's Ridge at the Carroll County line, incorporated in 1894, with I-70 and US 40 on its southern edge. Part of the town is in Carroll County.

Schools and boundaries

Every public school in the county belongs to Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS). The system runs ten comprehensive high schools: Brunswick, Catoctin, Frederick, Governor Thomas Johnson, Linganore, Middletown, Oakdale, Tuscarora, Urbana and Walkersville. It also runs the Career and Technology Center on Opossumtown Pike, Frederick County Virtual School in Walkersville, and public charter schools including Carroll Creek Montessori, Frederick Classical Charter, Monocacy Valley Montessori and Sabillasville Environmental School.

Attendance boundaries change as the county builds. On November 19, 2025, the Board of Education approved new elementary boundaries for Linganore Creek Elementary, moving parts of the Oakdale and Deer Crossing elementary areas, including the part of the Deer Crossing area inside the Town of New Market. That change takes effect in 2026-2027 and did not change middle or high school areas. Earlier studies redrew boundaries in other parts of the county, so a school assigned to a house a few years ago may have changed.

To check an address, use the Find Your School page on fcps.org, which links to the county's School Finder Tool. If an address is near a boundary line, FCPS says to call 240-586-8454 to confirm. One subdivision can be split between schools, so check the exact house.

Brunswick High School

101 Cummings Drive, Brunswick. The building dates from 1965, and the Board approved a replacement school on the same campus after a 2019 feasibility study.

Catoctin High School

14745 Sabillasville Road, Thurmont, in the northern part of the county near Catoctin Mountain.

Frederick High School

650 Carroll Parkway in the City of Frederick, near Baker Park. Home of the LYNX program, listed by FCPS as LYNX at Frederick High.

Governor Thomas Johnson High School

1501 North Market Street in the City of Frederick, on the north side of the city along MD 355.

Linganore High School

12013 Old Annapolis Road with a Frederick address, east of the city. One of the two high schools that serve parts of the Linganore area.

Middletown High School

200 Schoolhouse Drive, Middletown, in the Middletown Valley west of Frederick.

Oakdale High School

5850 Eaglehead Drive with an Ijamsville address, in the Linganore and Lake Linganore area east of Frederick.

Tuscarora High School

5312 Ballenger Creek Pike with a Frederick address, south of the city in the Ballenger Creek area.

Urbana High School

3471 Campus Drive with an Ijamsville address, in the Urbana area along I-270.

What it costs to own here beyond the price

Every owner pays Frederick County property tax, and inside the City of Frederick or an incorporated town the bill also carries that municipality's tax. Maryland law has the county compensate towns for services they provide, through a lower county rate inside the town or a rebate to the town, so totals differ from town to town. SDAT reassesses each property once every three years.

The Homestead Tax Credit limits how fast the taxable assessment on your principal residence can rise each year. You apply once through SDAT, and the county and each municipality set their own cap. Apply soon after you move in, because the credit does not start on its own. The Homeowners' Tax Credit is separate: it is based on household income, and you reapply every year with SDAT by September 1.

At closing, Frederick County charges no county transfer tax, per the Clerk of the Circuit Court. You still pay the state transfer tax and the county recordation tax, which the county set under County Code section 1-8-51. For a first-time Maryland home buyer who will live in the house, state law cuts the state transfer tax and has the seller pay it. The clerk lists no first-time buyer break on the county recordation tax; your settlement company will confirm what applies.

Utilities depend on the address. The county Division of Water and Sewer Utilities serves much of the developed unincorporated area and collects capacity fees on new connections. The City of Frederick and the towns of Brunswick, Emmitsburg, Middletown, Mount Airy, Myersville, Thurmont, Walkersville and Woodsboro run their own water and sewer systems. Rural homes use private wells and septic. Potomac Edison is the electric utility named for the county. Planned communities such as Lake Linganore carry HOA dues and covenants. Flood insurance can apply near streams, so check the FEMA map.

Buying your first home in Frederick County

First-time buyers here can stack state and county help. The Maryland Mortgage Program, run through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, offers first mortgages with down payment assistance through approved lenders. Frederick County's Division of Housing, at 401 Sagner Avenue in Frederick, runs its own Homebuyer Assistance Program and House Keys 4 Employees, and both require homebuyer education run by the City of Frederick. Income and price limits apply to all of these and change each year, so get the current numbers from the program before you shop.

Because the county has no transfer tax of its own, the reduced state transfer tax is the main tax break at settlement for a first-time Maryland buyer here, and state law puts that reduced tax on the seller. Deborah runs free seminars for first-time buyers that walk through these programs and the steps from preapproval to settlement.

MMP 1st Time Advantage

Maryland Mortgage Program through DHCD. Requires an approved homebuyer education class; you can also qualify if more than three years have passed since you owned a principal residence.

MMP down payment assistance

Offered with most MMP loan products through an MMP-approved lender. Some products add their own criteria on top of the MMP loan rules.

Frederick County Homebuyer Assistance Program

Frederick County Division of Housing. Down payment and closing cost help for buyers with limited resources getting their first home; requires homebuyer education from the City of Frederick.

House Keys 4 Employees

Frederick County Division of Housing, for full-time regular county government employees. Uses an MMP 1st Time Advantage or Flex loan; the deferred loan is repaid on sale or refinance.

State first-time buyer transfer tax rule

Maryland Tax-Property Article section 13-203. A buyer who has never owned a Maryland principal residence gets a reduced state transfer tax, paid by the seller.

Parks, trails and things to do

The mountains on the west and north hold most of the public land: Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, run by the National Park Service, adjoins Cunningham Falls State Park, and Gambrill State Park sits on Catoctin Mountain west of Frederick. Along the Potomac, the C&O Canal towpath passes Point of Rocks near mile 48 and Brunswick near mile 55 on its way to Harpers Ferry.

In the City of Frederick, Carroll Creek Park runs through downtown on top of a flood control project built after a 1976 flood, and Baker Park has a carillon and an amphitheater. The Weinberg Center for the Arts is one of three downtown theaters, and the Frederick Keys play at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.

Catoctin Mountain Park

National Park Service land near Thurmont with 25 miles of hiking trails, including the climb to Chimney Rock and the boulder field at Wolf Rock, plus fly fishing on Big Hunting Creek.

Cunningham Falls State Park

The William Houck Area, three miles west of Thurmont on MD 77, has Hunting Creek Lake and the falls trail; the Manor Area off US 15 has historic Catoctin Furnace.

Gambrill State Park

The High Knob area, at about 1,600 feet, has three stone overlooks over the Frederick and Middletown valleys, picnic shelters and a stone lodge called the Tea Room.

Monocacy National Battlefield

Visitor center at 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick. Free admission, a driving tour of the battlefield, and a one-mile Monument Trail at the Thomas Farm.

Carroll Creek Park

A linear park through downtown Frederick built over underground flood conduits that carry high water during storms, lined with walkways, bridges and fountains.

Covered bridges of northern Frederick County

Utica Mills, Loy's Station and Roddy Road covered bridges, all on the National Register of Historic Places and within twelve miles of one another.

The Great Frederick Fair

Held each September at the Frederick Fairgrounds, 797 East Patrick Street; local reporting dates the fair to 1822.

Getting around: DC, Baltimore and BWI

I-270 begins at I-70 and US 40 in Frederick and runs south through Urbana to the Capital Beltway at Bethesda, with Frederick County exits 26 for MD 80 at Urbana, 31 for MD 85 and 32 for I-70. I-70 runs east past New Market and Mount Airy toward Baltimore and BWI Marshall. US 15 runs north through Thurmont and Emmitsburg to Gettysburg, and US 340 heads toward Brunswick and Harpers Ferry. Downtown Frederick is about 50 miles from Washington and about 46 miles from Baltimore.

The MARC Brunswick Line runs weekday trains to Union Station in Washington. Brunswick and Point of Rocks are on the main line, and a branch splits off east of Point of Rocks to serve Monocacy station, at 7800 Genstar Drive, and Frederick station. Fewer trains use the branch, and the county runs shuttle buses to Point of Rocks for trains that skip it. MTA commuter buses run Route 204 from Frederick to College Park, Route 505 from Myersville to Shady Grove, and Route 515 from Frederick to Shady Grove, where riders connect to Metrorail. There is no Metrorail station in the county.

The largest employer in the county is Fort Detrick, the U.S. Army installation in Frederick that hosts the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. The National Emergency Training Center, home of the National Fire Academy, is in Emmitsburg near the Pennsylvania line.