Burtonsville

History

In colonial times, the area was referred to as the Patuxent Hundred and later the Eastern Branch Hundred, a community comprising approximately 100 inhabitants. Prince George's County Court recorded that on September 27, 1699, Thomas Wells and Thomas Pindell were appointed to be the overseers of Patuxant Hundred. Among some of the earliest land grants are Maiden's Fancy, a tract surveyed for Neal Clark in 1700, and Bear Bacon nearby, a tract of land surveyed in 1703 for a Mark Richardson. Another prominent land holder was Richard Snowden, an iron master, who held various land patents in the area, including Snowdens Manor (surveyed 1715) consisting of an impressive and Snowdens Mill (surveyed 1723) occupying an additional . From these larger tracts, among others, were carved smaller tracts of land which were either rented or sold off to planters and the like. The community of Burtonsville, originally called Burton's, takes its name from Isaac Burton, who in 1825 bought out his siblings' shares of his father's land and became the major landowner in the area. He and his wife Keturah had 17 children, many of whom stayed in the area as adults. The community itself grew around the intersection of Old Columbia Pike and the road to Sandy Spring. In the 1850s Isaac Burton became the first postmaster of the newly established post office in the vicinity, which operated out of his store at the intersection. Burtonsville's core area today continues to center around the intersection of Maryland Route 198 and U.S. Route 29.

Geography

As an unincorporated area, Burtonsville's boundaries are not officially defined. Burtonsville is, however, recognized by the United States Census Bureau and by the United States Geological Survey as a census-designated place. According to the United States Census Bureau, the place has a total area of , of which is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km, or 1.88%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  132,437
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  107,698
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  99,737
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  99,620
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  91,562
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  86,479
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  85,427
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  84,794

Largest nearby schools

• Montgomery Blair High
  High · Silver Spring · 3,204 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Wheaton High
  High · Silver Spring · 2,599 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Paint Branch High
  High · Burtonsville · 2,135 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Albert Einstein High
  High · Kensington · 2,012 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Springbrook High
  High · Silver Spring · 1,838 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• John F. Kennedy High
  High · Silver Spring · 1,827 students · 15:1 ratio
• Northwood High
  High · Silver Spring · 1,795 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• James Hubert Blake High
  High · Silver Spring · 1,784 students · 17.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-10-27
  4 km E of Riverside, Maryland
• M 2.6 — 2021-06-25
  2 km SE of Woodlawn, Maryland
• M 2.81 — 2019-09-15
  5 km ESE of East Berlin, Pennsylvania
• M 3.03 — 2016-01-17
  3 km NE of Ranson, West Virginia
• M 3.6 — 2010-07-16
  5 km NNW of Barnesville, Maryland