North Potomac
| North Potomac, Maryland | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 |
|
| Coordinates: 39°5′50″N 77°14′3″W / 39.09722°N 77.23417°WCoordinates: 39°5′50″N 77°14′3″W / 39.09722°N 77.23417°W | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |
 Maryland
|
| County |
 Montgomery
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.5 sq mi (17.0 km2) |
| • Land | 6.5 sq mi (16.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 259 ft (79 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 24,410 |
| • Density | 3,522.1/sq mi (1,359.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 20878, 20850 |
| Area code(s) | 301 and 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-56875 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1713001 |
North Potomac is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.
North Potomac was created in 1988 from the peripheral fringes of Gaithersburg and Rockville, and lies parallel to the Potomac River. North Potomac shares ZIP codes with Gaithersburg and Rockville. The United States Postal Service defines North Potomac to encompass only zip code 20878.
Having only been established in the late 1980s, North Potomac still maintains a burgeoning neighborhood feel and remains largely residential. Located 20 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. and flanked by Gaithersburg to the north, Rockville to the east and Potomac to the south, this neighborhood houses mainly families seeking quiet suburban life outside of the city.
Crime rates are low, as is unemployment, and neighborhood schools grade highly. All this does come at a price, however, as the cost of living in North Potomac consistently rests significantly higher than Maryland averages.
Maryland Route 124 (MD 124) begins as Quince Orchard Road at an intersection with MD 28 (Darnestown Road) adjacent to Quince Orchard High School at the southwestern corner of the city of Gaithersburg. Quince Orchard Road heads south as a county highway into North Potomac. MD 124 heads northeast as a four-lane divided highway that follows the city limit to Long Draft Road and Kentlands Boulevard; the latter street provides access to the New Urbanism community of Kentlands. The state highway veers east into the city and intersects MD 119 (Great Seneca Highway). MD 124 again follows a city limit of Gaithersburg where it veers north and becomes an undivided highway along the western edge of the National Institute of Standards and Technology campus, which occupies an unincorporated enclave within the city.
Major shopping areas include Travilah Square and Traville Gateway. Travilah Square, The Shops at Potomac Valley, for a long time the area's only shopping center, is now facing tough competition from a new breed of new urbanism lifestyle centers, which contain a multitude of retailers, from Giant Food, Safeway, CVS Pharmacy to new boutique chains. The intersection of Darnerstown Road and Quince Orchard Road is popular for its shopping. The Shops at Potomac Valley and Quince Orchard Market Place is located at this intersection. The shopping areas contain a mix of retail shops, service retail, restaurants, large surface parking lots, gas filling stations and drive through banks.
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Wikipedia