Hancock, Maryland

Town of Hancock, Maryland
—  Town  —
Main Street in Hancock
Location of Hancock in Maryland and in Washington County
Coordinates: 39°42′7″N 78°10′51″W / 39.70194°N 78.18083°W / 39.70194; -78.18083Coordinates: 39°42′7″N 78°10′51″W / 39.70194°N 78.18083°W / 39.70194; -78.18083
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Washington
Area
– Total	2.7 sq mi (7.1 km2)
– Land	2.7 sq mi (7.0 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	440 ft (134 m)
Population (2000)
– Total	1,725
– Density	637.8/sq mi (246.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	21750
Area code(s)	301, 240
FIPS code	24-36600
GNIS feature ID	0584850
Website	http://www.hancockmd.com/

Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2000 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state. The north-south distance from the Pennsylvania state line to the West Virginia state line is only 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at Hancock.

Geography

C&O Canal

Hancock is located at 39°42′7″N 78°10′51″W / 39.70194°N 78.18083°W / 39.70194; -78.18083^[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²), of which 2.7 square miles (7.0 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²) (0.74%) is water.

The state of Maryland narrows to a width of less than two miles in the Hancock area—the smallest non-vertex border-to-border distance of any U.S. state. It is at the junction of Interstates 68 and 70.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal passes through the town, and the Western Maryland Rail Trail connects Hancock with Fort Frederick State Park.

Demographics

Sideling Hill man-made mountain pass on Interstate 68/U.S. Route 40 about 7 miles (11 km) west of Hancock

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 1,725 people, 735 households, and 462 families residing in the town. The population density was 637.8 people per square mile (246.7/km²). There were 803 housing units at an average density of 296.9 per square mile (114.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.35% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.

There were 735 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $32,538. Males had a median income of $25,353 versus $20,304 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,758. About 11.6% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.

Central Hancock and Maryland Route 144 (Main Street) as seen from the U.S. Route 522 bridge.

Attractions

• Hancock Antique Mall

See also

• Sideling Hill
• Hancock Rescue Squad

References

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

• Hancock Chamber of Commerce, Hancock, Maryland
• Hancock Pictures
• St. Thomas' Episcopal Church