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Learn about Waldorf, Maryland
Waldorf is an unincorporated community located in Charles County. It is about 23 miles southeast of Washington, DC.
Waldorf was settled before 1900 as a rural crossroads. It had a train station. At the time, the area was called “Beantown” after a local family.
John Wilkes Booth came through Waldorf while escaping after he assassinated President Lincoln. He told a road sentry that he was headed to his home near Beantown. The sentry allowed him to proceed. Booth left Waldorf and was ultimately found in Virginia, where he was killed.
In 1880, the Maryland General Assembly changed the name from Beantown to Waldorf. This was done in honor of William Waldorf Astor. The great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, he lived from 1848 to 1919.
Waldorf was originally a tobacco market village. Slot machines were legalized in Charles County in 1949. As a result, Waldorf became a popular gambling destination in the 1950’s. The boom lasted until 1968, when gambling was once again outlawed. The rapid growth of Waldorf as a residential community began in 1970. That’s when a the Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a loan package. It funded the giant planned community of St. Charles, located in the southern part of Waldorf.
Waldorf is a bedroom community for many residents. They commute to work in other parts of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Commuters work mostly in the Federal Government, professional services, and healthcare industries. Waldorf’s local jobs are mainly in the service and sales industry. Healthcare and construction also having a strong presence in Waldorf.
St. Charles Towne Center is a two-story shopping mall in the Saint Charles area of Waldorf. It draws shoppers and diners from several Maryland counties, Washington, and parts of Virginia. This has caused Charles County to be known as the “shopping capital of Southern Maryland.”
According to the United States Census Bureau, Waldorf has a total area of 36.5 square miles. That area is 36.2 square miles of land and 0.27 square miles of water. The eastern part of Waldorf is mostly flat. There are small hills to the west. Much of the southern and eastern parts of Waldorf contain wetlands. Those feature very diverse wildlife in the ponds and streams. Waldorf is forested, mostly with oak and pine trees. The climate in the Waldorf area is hot, humid in the summer and generally mild to cool in the winter.
Waldorf shares a border with Prince George’s County and the community of Brandywine to the north. The community of White Plains and the Town of La Plata are located to the South. To the east of Waldorf is the community of Bryantown. Located to the west of Waldorf is the community of Accokeek.