Point of Rocks, Maryland
| Point of Rocks, Maryland | |
|---|---|
| Census-designated place | |
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U.S. Route 15 crossing the Potomac River at Point of Rocks
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|
 Location in Maryland |
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| Coordinates: 39°16′33″N 77°32′21″W / 39.27583°N 77.53917°WCoordinates: 39°16′33″N 77°32′21″W / 39.27583°N 77.53917°W | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |
 Maryland
|
| County |
 Frederick
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.10 sq mi (2.85 km2) |
| • Land | 1.10 sq mi (2.85 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 250 ft (80 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,466 |
| • Density | 1,331/sq mi (513.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 21777 |
| Area code(s) | 301 and 240 |
| FIPS code | 24-62575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0591032 |
Point of Rocks is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,466. It is named for the striking rock formation on the adjacent , which was formed by the Potomac River cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Appalachian Mountains. The formation is not visible from the town and can only be seen from boats on the river, or from the southern bank of the river in Virginia.
Point of Rocks is located in southern Frederick County, on the north bank of the Potomac River, and is bordered to the west by U.S. Route 15, which here runs along the eastern base of Catoctin Mountain. Via US 15 it is 13 miles (21 km) north to Frederick, the county seat, and 12 miles (19 km) south across the Potomac River to Leesburg, Virginia. Maryland Route 28 leads east from Point of Rocks through rural Frederick County and Montgomery County 29 miles (47 km) to Rockville, Maryland.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Point of Rocks CDP has a total area of 1.10 square miles (2.85 km2), all of it land.
In 1828, the narrow passage between the river and Catoctin Mountain at this site provoked a violent legal battle between the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal Company and the B&O Railroad over who could have control of the narrow pass. After years of disputes, both companies finally compromised and allowed both canal and railroad to build on the right-of-way through the passage, with a wall between the two to avoid trains scaring the mules that pulled the canal boats.
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