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Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring, Maryland
Census-designated place
Clockwise from top: AFI Silver, Veteran's Plaza and the civic building, Downtown Silver Spring from the Metro station, Acorn Park, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station
Clockwise from top: AFI Silver, Veteran's Plaza and the civic building, Downtown Silver Spring from the Metro station, Acorn Park, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station
Location of Silver Spring, Maryland
Location of Silver Spring, Maryland
Coordinates: 39°0′15″N 77°1′8″W / 39.00417°N 77.01889°W / 39.00417; -77.01889
Country United States
State Maryland
County Montgomery
Area
 • Total 7.92 sq mi (20.5 km2)
 • Land 7.92 sq mi (20.5 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation 341 ft (104 m)
Population (2013)
 • Total 76,716
 • Density 9,022.9/sq mi (3,483.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 20901, 20902, 20903, 20904, 20905, 20906, 20910
Area code(s) 301, 240
FIPS code 24-72450
GNIS feature ID 0591290
Highways I-495, US 29, MD 97, MD 193, MD 390, MD 410

Silver Spring is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 76,716 according to 2013 estimates by the United States Census Bureau, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.

The urbanized, oldest, and southernmost part of Silver Spring is a major business hub that lies at the north apex of Washington, D.C. As of 2004, the Central Business District (CBD) held 7,254,729 square feet (673,986 m2) of office space, 5216 dwelling units and 17.6 acres (71,000 m2) of parkland. The population density of this CBD area of Silver Spring was 15,600 per square mile all within 360 acres (1.5 km2) and approximately 2.5 square miles (6 km2) in the CBD/downtown area. The community has recently undergone a significant renaissance, with the addition of major retail, residential, and office developments.

Silver Spring takes its name from a mica-flecked spring discovered there in 1840 by Francis Preston Blair, who subsequently bought much of the surrounding land. Acorn Park, tucked away in an area of south Silver Spring away from the main downtown area, is believed to be the site of the original spring.

As an unincorporated area, Silver Spring's boundaries are not officially defined. As of the 2010 Census the United States Census Bureau defines Silver Spring as a census-designated place with a total area of 7.92 square miles (20.5 km2), all land; however, it does contain numerous creeks and small lakes. This definition is a 15% reduction from the 9.4 sq. mi. used in previous years. The United States Geological Survey locates the center of Silver Spring at 38°59′26″N 77°1′35″W / 38.99056°N 77.02639°W / 38.99056; -77.02639, notably some distance from the Census Bureau's datum. By another definition, Silver Spring is located at 39°0′15″N 77°1′8″W / 39.00417°N 77.01889°W / 39.00417; -77.01889 (39.004242, -77.019004). The definitions used by the Silver Spring Urban Planning District, the United States Postal Service, the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce, etc., are all different, each defining it for its own purposes.


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