census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...
(CDP) in
Prince George's County
Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it the second-most populous ...
,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, and Robeystown from 1865 to 1878. The population of Clinton was 38,760 at the 2020 census. Clinton is historically known for its role in the American Civil War concerning the
Abraham Lincoln assassination
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the head as he watched the play, Linc ...
Melwood
AXA Melwood Training Centre, in West Derby, Liverpool is the training ground and academy for Liverpool Football Club's Women's first team, youth teams and academy. It was formerly the men's first team's training ground from the 1950s until N ...
, and
Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base (Andrews AFB, AAFB) is the airfield portion of Joint Base Andrews, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force (USAF). In 2009, Andrews Air Force Base merged with Naval Air Facility Washington to form ...
.
History
Clinton was founded in the 1770s. The town, then named Surratt's Villa, was actually a simple crossroads with a few buildings. In the 1800s, it became known as Surrattsville. The main building served as the
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
, an inn and tavern, and a polling place. This main residence was one of two properties owned by the widowed
Mary Surratt
Mary Elizabeth Surratt (; 1820 or May 1823 – July 7, 1865) was an American boarding house owner in Washington, D.C., who was convicted of taking part in the conspiracy which led to the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in 18 ...
; the second property was in Washington, D.C.
On 14 and 15 April 1865,
John Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838April 26, 1865) was an American stage actor who Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated United States president Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. A member of the p ...
, who had two hours earlier
assassinated
Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives.
Assassinations are orde ...
President
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, stopped by the Surrattsville tavern to pick up weapons and supplies. The U.S. government alleged that Mary Surratt had gone there earlier with these supplies, and was in collusion with the conspirators, one of whom was her son,
John Surratt
John Harrison Surratt Jr. (April 13, 1844 – April 21, 1916) was an American Confederate States of America , Confederate spy who was accused of plotting with John Wilkes Booth to kidnap U.S. President Abraham Lincoln; he was also suspected of ...
. Because she was found guilty of complicity in the Lincoln assassination, Mary Surratt was
hanged
Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...
at the Capitol Prison in Washington D.C., on 7 July 1865. (Her house is now the
Surratt House Museum
The Surratt House (also known as the Mary Surratt House and the Surratt House Museum) is a historic house and house museum located at 9110 Brandywine Road in Clinton (formerly Surrattsville), Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. ...
, with a focus on the assassination.) The U.S. Post Office renamed the town Robeystown, due to the notoriety of the Surratt name, and in keeping with naming towns after the postmaster. In 1879, Robeystown was renamed Clinton. The local high school, however, retains the name of Surrattsville.
The Wyoming house, a historic frame house built in three phases between the 18th and early 19th centuries, is also a part of Clinton's history. The house consists of a main block with
gambrel roof
A gambrel or gambrel roof is a usually symmetrical two-sided roof with two slopes on each side. The upper slope is positioned at a shallow angle, while the lower slope is steep. This design provides the advantages of a sloped roof while maxim ...
(late 18th century), kitchen (c. 1800), and connecting block (c. 1850). The Wyoming house is listed in the Maryland Inventory of Historical Properties and the Historic American Buildings Survey.
In 1913, Blossie Keubeth Miller founded a general store at the town's main intersection. The current commercial property, built in the 1950s, houses a liquor store and is still owned by the Miller family.
Yuri Nosenko
Yuri Ivanovich Nosenko (; October 30, 1927 – August 23, 2008) was a putative KGB officer who allegedly defected to the United States in 1964. Controversy arose over whether he was a genuine defector or a KGB "plant." As a result, he was detained ...
, a KGB defector, was confined and interrogated at a safehouse in Clinton from April 4, 1964, to August 13, 1965.
Clinton is also associated with the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks. A survivor of the attacks was shot in Clinton, while Mildred Muhammad, ex-wife of sniper
John Allen Muhammad
John Allen Muhammad (born John Allen Williams; December 31, 1960 – November 10, 2009) was an American serial killer. He and his accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo carried out a series of shootings in ten states from February through September 20 ...
, was a Clinton resident.
Geography
Clinton is located at (38.763711, −76.895458). According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.31%, is water.
Demographics
2020 census
2000 Census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 26,064 people, 8,605 households, and 6,772 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 8,962 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 20.56%
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 73.69%
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.72% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population (but have likely increased since 2000).
There were 8,605 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.3% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $71,139, and the median income for a family was $75,036 (these figures had risen to $90,285 and $97,640 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $41,736 versus $39,545 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was $24,949. About 2.4% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government and infrastructure
Prince George's County Police Department
The Prince George's County Police Department (PGPD) is the primary law enforcement agency in Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland in the United States, servicing a population of over 900,000 residents and visitors ...
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
. Retrieved on August 26, 2018. Pages 1 2 3 4 5 an 6 Note the size of the census-designated place was previously smaller 2000 Index Map Page 1 2 3 an 4 1990 Maps of Prince George's County Index show Clinton on page 28 29 34 an 35
The
U.S. Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
operates the Clinton Post Office.
Education
In the 2016 budget, Clinton schools spent approximately $14,000 per student.
By average, there are 18 pupils per teacher, 789 students per librarian, and 431 children per counselor in Clinton (zip 20735), MD schools.
Primary and secondary schools
Prince George's County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is a public school district that serves Prince George's County, Maryland. During the 2023–24 academic year, the district enrolled around 133,000 students and operated over 200 schools. PGCPS is t ...
operates public schools serving Clinton. The community is served by the following schools:
Elementary:
* Clinton Grove Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
* James Ryder Randall Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
* Waldon Woods Elementary School - in the Clinton CDP
* Francis T. Evans Elementary School - Adjacent to the Clinton CDP in the Andrews AFB CDP2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Andrews AFB CDP, MD "
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. Pages 1 an 2 About Our School ." Francis T. Evans Elementary School. Retrieved on September 2, 2018. "6720 Old Alexandria Ferry Road, Clinton MD, 20735"
* Melwood Elementary School
* Rose Valley Elementary School
* Tayac Elementary School
Middle:
* Stephen Decatur Middle School - in the Clinton CDP
* James Madison Middle School
* Gwynn Park Middle School
* Isaac J. Gourdine Middle School
High:
* Surrattsville High School - in the Clinton CDP
* Frederick Douglass High School
*
Friendly High School
Friendly High School is a public high school in Friendly census-designated place in unincorporated Prince George's County, a county in the state of Maryland in the United States; it has a Fort Washington postal address.
Other:
* Tanglewood Regional
Private schools
* Clinton Christian School
* Grace Brethren Christian Church and School
* Henson Valley Academy
* Independent Baptist Academy
* Jabez Christian Academy
* Outreach Christian Center Academy
* St. John the Evangelist School
* St. Mary's of Piscataway Catholic School and Church
Luke Barnett
Luke Barnett (born February 13, 1983) is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.
Early life
Barnett was born in 1983 in Clinton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C. Having pursued acting since 2000,Wagner, Eric"Clinton native ...
, actor known for his ''
Funny or Die
Funny or Die, Inc. is a comedy video website and production company owned by Henry R. Muñoz III that was founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Mark Kvamme, and Chris Henchy in 2007. The website contained exclusive material from a regular staf ...
'' episodes
*
Tray Chaney
Tray Chaney is an American actor and musician. He appeared on the HBO program ''The Wire'' as Malik "Poot" Carr, which became his most successful acting role. He also appears in the Bounce TV soap opera Saints & Sinners as Kendrick.
Career
Ch ...
, actor in The Wire as "Poot"
*
Dante Cunningham
Dante Lamar Cunningham (born April 22, 1987) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Villanova before being selected with the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Early ...
, basketball player, power forward for
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden (born August 14, 1959) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Harden's breakthrough came in 1990 with the Coen brothers' film '' Miller's ...
, Academy Award-winning actress
*
Taraji P. Henson
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, alongside nominations for an Academy Award, six Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2016 and 2024, ''Time'' named Henson one of ...
, Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress
*
Ty Lawson
Tywon Ronell Lawson (born November 3, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who is currently a free agent. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels where he won the 2009 national championship his junior year.
...
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single ...
President
*
Yuri Nosenko
Yuri Ivanovich Nosenko (; October 30, 1927 – August 23, 2008) was a putative KGB officer who allegedly defected to the United States in 1964. Controversy arose over whether he was a genuine defector or a KGB "plant." As a result, he was detained ...
Beth Bernobich
Beth Bernobich (born 1959) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She also goes by the pen name Claire O'Dell. She was born in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania in 1959. Her first novel, ''Passion Play'' was published by Tor Books in October 20 ...
, Lambda Literary Award-winning author
*
Chris Rice
Chris Rice is an American singer and songwriter who works in the contemporary Christian music, contemporary folk, adult contemporary and adult album alternative genres. He became a recording artist in 1996 after signing a contract with Rocket ...
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...
, R&B singer
*
Delonte West
Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dallas Mavericks. He al ...
, NBA basketball player
*
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of ...
, NFL running back
*
Laura Wright
Laura Alice Wright (née Sisk; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the roles of Allison "Ally" Rescott on ''Loving (TV series), Loving'' (1991 to 1995) and ''The City (1995 TV series), The City'' (1995 ...
, actress
*
Trevor Keels
Trevor Jamaal Keels (born August 26, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. Keels was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top s ...