Silver Hill, Maryland

Silver Hill, Maryland
Name	Silver Hill, Maryland
Settlement type	Census-designated place
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Maryland
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Prince George's County
Area total sq mi	1.9
Population total	6355
Population as of	2020
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	−5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	−4
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	20746
Area code	301, 240

Silver Hill, Maryland is a census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland near the southern border of Washington, D.C. The community lies within the Washington metropolitan area and is part of a contiguous suburban corridor that includes Suitland, Capitol Heights, and District Heights. Silver Hill developed in the 20th century as residential subdivisions tied to federal employment and regional transportation corridors.

History

Silver Hill's territory was originally within the colonial patents and tracts of Prince George's County, Maryland and saw agricultural settlement during the antebellum era linked to plantations recorded in the Maryland Gazette and county deeds. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the arrival of commuter rail and streetcar expansions associated with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and later road improvements along routes feeding Washington, D.C. stimulated subdivision. Mid-20th-century suburbanization paralleled federal projects such as the growth of Joint Base Andrews and employment centers including the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Defense, prompting residential development, FHA-backed lending patterns, and demographic shifts similar to nearby Oxon Hill and Temple Hills. Civil rights-era events across the Washington metropolitan area and local responses to housing policy, zoning, and school desegregation influenced community institutions. Late 20th and early 21st-century redevelopment initiatives tied to Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation and regional planning by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments have focused on transit-oriented development and revitalization.

Geography and climate

Silver Hill is situated in central Prince George's County, Maryland, bordered by census places including Suitland, Morningside, and Forestville. The terrain is part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, featuring gently rolling uplands, stream valleys feeding the Anacostia River watershed, and pockets of urban tree canopy tied to regional greenways like the Piscataway Creek tributary corridors. Major nearby parks and landmarks include Oxon Run Parkway and the Fort Foote National Park vicinity. The climate is classified as humid subtropical under the Köppen system, with hot summers influenced by the Chesapeake Bay and cool winters typical of the Mid-Atlantic; weather patterns are affected by mid-latitude cyclones tracked by the National Weather Service Baltimore/Washington office.

Demographics

Census figures show a predominantly residential population with demographic characteristics comparable to adjacent Prince George's County, Maryland communities. Household composition, median age, and income levels reflect suburban patterns found across the Washington metropolitan area, with sizable representation of professionals who commute to employers such as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, EWR (Eisenhower Federal Research)],] and federal agencies in downtown Washington, D.C.. Racial and ethnic composition has paralleled countywide trends noted in reports by the U.S. Census Bureau and local planning agencies, while changes in housing tenure and rates of homeownership have been tracked by entities like the Prince George's County Planning Department.

Government and infrastructure

As an unincorporated area, Silver Hill receives municipal services from Prince George's County, Maryland agencies, including policing by the Prince George's County Police Department and public works managed by the Prince George's County Department of Public Works and Transportation. Voting districts place residents in Maryland's congressional and legislative districts represented in the United States House of Representatives and the Maryland General Assembly. Utilities are provided by regional suppliers such as Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission for water and sewer and energy utilities regulated by the Maryland Public Service Commission.

Education

Public primary and secondary education in Silver Hill is administered by Prince George's County Public Schools, with assigned schools shared with neighboring communities such as Suitland High School and various elementary and middle schools within the county system. Higher education options in the region include nearby campuses like Prince George's Community College and public universities within commuting distance such as the University of Maryland, College Park and Howard University in Washington, D.C. Libraries and adult learning resources are offered through the Prince George's County Memorial Library System and regional workforce programs coordinated with the Maryland Department of Labor.

Transportation

Silver Hill is served by arterial roads connecting to Maryland Route 4, Pennsylvania Avenue, and I-495 (Capital Beltway), providing access to Washington, D.C. and suburban employment centers. Public transit includes bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and regional commuter services; nearest Metrorail stations include Suitland station and Branch Avenue station on the Washington Metro system's Green Line/Blue Line corridors. Freight and passenger rail routes of the historical Baltimore and Potomac Railroad and Amtrak corridors run within the greater corridor.

Notable people and culture

Residents and natives of the Silver Hill area have included figures active in regional politics, law enforcement, athletics, and the arts who have associations with institutions such as Howard University, Maryland State Senate, and professional sports leagues like the National Football League and National Basketball Association. Cultural life aligns with the broader Prince George's County, Maryland scene, featuring community events, civic organizations, and proximity to cultural institutions such as the African American Civil War Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in nearby Washington, D.C..

Category:Census-designated places in Prince George's County, Maryland