Hyattsville

History

In the 1720s, John Beall acquired land in the area and established Beall Town. The opening of the Washington–Baltimore Turnpike (modern day) in 1812 and the B&O Railroad Washington Branch line in 1835 brought more settlers to the area. The city's founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt (1799–1884), purchased his first parcel of land in the area in 1845. In 1893, the Hyattsville Board of Commissioners changed their property tax to only apply to the value of land, and not improvements. Opponents of this brought the action to court, and, after an appeal, the Maryland Court of Appeals found it to violate the Maryland constitution and struck it down. Since 2000, the city has undergone a major redevelopment, including significant residential and retail development in the Arts District Hyattsville (located in the Gateway Arts District), and the area surrounding the Hyattsville Crossing station and The Mall at Prince George's. In the latter area, University Town Center contains residential condos, student housing, office buildings, a public plaza, and retail space, including a 14-screen movie theater and several restaurants, as well as a campus of Prince George's Community College. , additional residential and retail development is underway near the West Hyattsville Metro station. Along Route 1, craft brewers and distillers have played a notable role in revitalizing old commercial properties.

Geography

The city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Typical of central Maryland, Hyattsville lies within the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen: Cfa), characterized by hot humid summers and generally cool to mild winters, with high annual precipitation. Hyattsville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 7a.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  167,287
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  153,044
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  128,790
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  127,871
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  123,685
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  115,718
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  112,627
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  109,298

Largest nearby schools

• High Point High
  High · Beltsville · 3,003 students · 18.4:1 ratio
• Charles Herbert Flowers High
  High · Springdale · 2,569 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Parkdale High
  High · Riverdale · 2,561 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Eleanor Roosevelt High
  High · Greenbelt · 2,526 students · 20.7:1 ratio
• Duval High
  High · Lanham · 2,503 students · 19.7:1 ratio
• Northwestern High
  High · Hyattsville · 2,346 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Bladensburg High
  High · Bladensburg · 2,164 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Suitland High
  High · Suitland · 1,834 students · 14.4:1 ratio