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Tell Me About the TOWN OF CHEVY CHASE, Maryland CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND – A SMALL TOWN WITHIN A MAJOR URBAN AREA
The Town of Chevy Chase is part of the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan area. A self-governing municipality, Chevy Chase has approximately 3000 residents.
Although Chevy Chase is very close to Washington, DC, in many ways it functions as a small town. Much of this is due to the Town government, which has had the legal authority to preserve and protect the general plan of town development since the 1890s. As the neighboring urban areas grow and develop, Chevy Chase’s town council monitors these changes to see that the quality of life in Chevy Chase is not adversely affected.
To preserve and expand its existing green spaces, Chevy Chase has an effective tree planting & monitoring program. The town has four small parks that are maintained with care.
An unusual and interesting feature is that the Town of Chevy Chase has its own town crier – a new email system. Residents can subscribe to this service, which notifies them of Town news & information such as special events; Council meetings; road closures, detours, and traffic conditions; trash and recycling information; weather alerts; etc.
LOCAL AMENITIES
The Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan area has many excellent public and private schools. The quality of healthcare available locally is very high, as the surrounding area contains many top-notch hospitals, medical and research facilities.
INDUSTRIES & OCCUPATIONS
According to the 2000 census, 26% of the population of the Town of Chevy Chase has attained a Bachelor’s degree, and 62% has attained a graduate or professional degree. The unemployment rate is very low. Median household income in 1999 exceeded $160,000. Mean travel time to work is approximately 30 minutes. Over 83% of those employed are in professional, managerial & related occupations. The majority of those employed work in professional, scientific, management, administrative, educational, health and social services. About 63% of employees work for private companies, while 23% work for the government.
GETTING AROUND THE METRO AREA
Besides its excellent Metro system, the Greater Washington, DC area is served by three major airports: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, DC; Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Washington, DC; and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) in Baltimore.
HOUSING
Seventy-eight percent of the homes in the Town of Chevy Chase were built prior to 1939. Almost all housing is single-family homes.
MORE ON CHEVY CHASE
Chevy Chase falls within the 20815 zipcode area. It shares its southeastern border with the District of Columbia.
Average temperatures for Chevy Chase range from a low of about 25 degrees Fahrenheit in January to a high of 85 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Average precipitation is just over 40 inches per year, including about 21 inches of snow between late November and early April.
Chevy Chase is made up several different areas. There is the Town of Chevy Chase; Section 3 of the Village of Chevy Chase; Section 5 of the Village of Chevy Chase; and Chevy Chase Village. To the north lies North Chevy Chase. For information on these separate areas, see their links on this website.
HISTORIC CHEVY CHASE
The Chevy Chase Land Company was formed in the 1890s. Its two founders, Francis G. Newlands & William M. Stewart, had made a fortune from gold & silver mining in the American West. The company bought thousands of acres of land just north of Washington, DC for development.
The name “Chevy Chase” comes from part of the land purchased, a parcel located on the line between Maryland and the District of Columbia. This parcel was originally part of a larger tract named "Cheivy Chace," which was transferred from Lord Baltimore to Colonel Joseph Belt in 1725. The word “chace” probably refers to a hunting ground.
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