Maryland

Washington

154,705

2020 population

1790

first census record

census records

About Washington

Washington, Maryland, first appears in the United States federal census in 1790, when it recorded a population of 15,822. At the most recent census, in 2020, its population stood at 154,705.

The county's recorded population has risen across the decades to its highest level in 2020.

On the ground today, 40 documented military engagements have been recorded within the county, among them Raid on Conococheague PA, Harpers Ferry — First Union Occupation and Confederate Seizure, Dam No. 4 Skirmish (C&O Canal), and 100 places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Population by decade

Census Year	Population	Chart
2020	154,705
2010	147,430
2000	131,923
1990	121,393
1980	113,086
1970	103,829
1960	91,219
1950	78,886
1940	68,838
1930	65,882
1920	59,694
1910	49,617
1900	45,133
1890	39,782
1880	38,561
1870	34,712
1860	31,417
1850	30,848
1840	28,850
1830	25,268
1820	23,075
1810	18,730
1800	18,650
1790	15,822

Source

Population data from the United States decennial census, U.S. Census Bureau (public domain).

Battles & engagements in Washington

Military engagements that took place in Washington, Maryland.

Raid on Conococheague PA

1755

Harpers Ferry — First Union Occupation and Confederate Seizure

1861

Dam No. 4 Skirmish (C&O Canal)

1861

Harpers Ferry — Skirmish at the Ferry (July 1861)

1861

Skirmish at Falling Waters (1861)

1861

Battle of Bolivar Heights

1861

Battle of Hoke's Run

1861

Harpers Ferry 1861 Occupation

1861

Fort Frederick Occupation 1861

1861

Battle of Falling Waters 1861

1861

Battle of Antietam — East Woods Fighting

1862

Boonsboro Skirmish 1862

1862

Dunker Church (Antietam)

1862

Battle of Antietam – West Woods

1862

Battle of Antietam — Bloody Lane (Sunken Road)

1862

Harpers Ferry — Siege and Capture (September 1862)

1862

Battle of Antietam – Dunker Church

1862

Antietam — East Woods and Cornfield Fighting

1862

Action at Harpers Ferry (September 1862)

1862

Battle of Antietam – Sunken Road / Bloody Lane

1862

Battle of Burnside Bridge

1862

Battle of South Mountain: Turner's Gap

1862

Battle of South Mountain: Fox's Gap

1862

West Woods Ambush (Antietam)

1862

Rohrersville Skirmish 1862 (between South Mountain passes)

1862

Battle of Antietam — The Cornfield

1862

Battle of Bloody Lane Antietam Phase

1862

East Woods Fighting (Antietam)

1862

Battle of Antietam – Cornfield

1862

Williamsport Crossing 1862

1862

Sandy Hook MD River Skirmish (1862)

1862

South Mountain — Frostown Road Skirmish

1862

Benevola (Keedysville) Skirmish 1862

1862

Sunken Road (Bloody Lane)

1862

South Mountain Skirmish September 14 1862 (Preparatory)

1862

Boonsboro Skirmish

1862

Sharpsburg Village Occupation Sept 15-17 1862

1862

Antietam Creek — Confederate Defensive Line (September 15-16, 1862)

1862

Battle of Antietam — West Woods (Sedgwick's Disaster)

1862

Battle of South Mountain — Crampton's Gap

1862

Historic places in Washington

National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, Maryland.

Hagerstown Historic District

Hagerstown

B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing

Harpers Ferry

Oak Hill Historic District

Clagett, Robert, Farm

Knoxville

Hays, Joseph C., House

Sharpsburg

St. Mark's Episcopal Church-Lappans

Boonsboro

Maples, The

Smithsburg

John Brown's Headquarters

Samples Manor

Boonsboro Historic District

Boonesboro

Potomac-Broadway Historic District

Hagerstown

Antietam National Battlefield

Browse all Marylandhistoric sites ›

Other counties in Maryland

Explore census history and historic records for more Maryland counties.

Worcester Allegany Anne Arundel Baltimore Baltimore city Calvert Caroline Carroll Cecil Charles Dorchester Frederick Garrett Harford Howard Kent Montgomery Prince George's Queen Anne's Somerset

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Everything a full report reveals about Washington County, Maryland

This page charts the census history of Washington County, Maryland. A full Aubrey report for an address here pulls together everything the historical record holds about the ground, from the earliest settlement to the twentieth century:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.

The Land

The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.

LiDAR Terrain

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.

Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.

Historical Maps

Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.

Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Points of Interest

The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.

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Marylandhistory ›NRHP historic sites ›Notable people from Maryland›

Frequently asked about Washington

When does Washington first appear in the US census?

Washington, Maryland first appears in the federal census in 1790, with a recorded population of 15,822.

What is the population of Washington?

At the most recent federal census (2020), Washington had a recorded population of 154,705.

Were any battles fought in Washington?

40 documented military engagements took place in Washington, including Raid on Conococheague PA, Harpers Ferry — First Union Occupation and Confederate Seizure, Dam No. 4 Skirmish (C&O Canal).

How many historic places are in Washington?

100 sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, Maryland.

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