Damascus, Maryland
Damascus is a community of 17,640 people in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Why visit Damascus
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 18 parks and trails and 20 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Clarksburg School, Layton House, Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park and Moyer Road Local Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 24°F, and about 31 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Damascus
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Damascus
Damascus is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. In the early 20th century, there existed an incorporated municipality lasting a quarter century. It had a population of 17,224 as of the 2020 census. Damascus is located at the intersection of three major roads in upper Montgomery County: Ridge Road (currently Rt.
From the Wikipedia article Damascus, Maryland (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks4
Clarksburg School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Maryland
Layton House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.0 mi
Historic house in Maryland, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds18
Little Bennett Creek Stream Valley Park
Hiking and trails · 2.5 mi
Little Bennett Creek Stream Valley Park remains undeveloped for active recreation.
6 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes20
Two Story Chimney Ciderworks
Brewery and winery · 3.0 mi
7115 Damascus Rd
Th 16:00-20:00; Fr 15:00-21:00; Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 11:00-18:00
Maggi's Pizza and Subs
Restaurant · Pizza, Italian · 1.3 mi
26317 Ridge Road, Damascus
Papi's Chicken and Grill
Restaurant · Chicken · 1.4 mi
26400 Ridge Road, Damascus
8 more on the map.
Churches and places of worship18
Saint Thomas Orthodox Syrian Church
Church · Malankara Orthodox Syrian · 3.3 mi
28201 Kemptown Road, Damascus
Damascus Grace Fellowship Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.5 mi
6 more on the map.
History
The area currently known as Damascus was granted by the new U.S. state of Maryland to Nathaniel Pigman in 1783. On February 14, 1819, War of 1812 veteran Edward Hughes bought a 40-acre (160,000 m2) section of the grant and began subdividing lots for sale. James Madison, the fourth U.S. president, appointed Hughes postmaster of the developing community of Damascus in 1816. Hughes received permission from Congress for a postal route through the town. Hughes called his town "The Pleasant Plains of Damascus". A newspaper in Frederick wrote of Hughes's growing town: "There is at this place an extensive opening for mechanics of all the different kinds, and it bids fair to improve very fast; ... There is at present two blacksmith shops, a saddler's shop and a store in the place -- a tailor, a wheel wright, and a shoemaker are much wanted, and would meet with great encouragement." This was the Damascus of 1816. The new township drew settlers from Anne Arundel County as well as from Montgomery County. On September 12, 1862, U.S. Army troops marched through the "village" of Damascus via what is now Route 27 on their way to the town of Sharpsburg, where they engaged Confederate troops commanded by General Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Antietam.
From the History section of Damascus, Maryland on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries30
Captain James E. Daly Elementary
School · 5.9 mi
20301 Brandermill Dr, Germantown
Dr. Sally K. Ride Elementary
School · 4.9 mi
21301 Seneca Crossing Dr, Germantown
Healthcare1
Map of Damascus
100 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 24°F | 3.4 in | 9.4 in |
| Feb | 43°F | 26°F | 3.0 in | 11.1 in |
| Mar | 52°F | 33°F | 4.0 in | 4.8 in |
| Apr | 64°F | 43°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| May | 72°F | 53°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 62°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 66°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 65°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 58°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 46°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 36°F | 3.5 in | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 30°F | 3.9 in | 5.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Damascus 3 Ssw (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Montgomery County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-03-04: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2012-11-20: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2012-10-28: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Montgomery County Airpark (GAI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Clarksburg 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Aspen Hill 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Ballenger Creek 14 mi northwest, about 23 min by car
- Cloverly 16 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Colesville 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Burtonsville 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Columbia 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Bethesda 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Calverton 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Beltsville 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Clearspring Elementary School front Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-11-00, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Clearspring Elementary School entrance Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-10-53, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Clearspring Elementary School building Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-12-09, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus High School main entrance Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-37-23, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus High School front Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-38-02, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus Community Recreation Center entrance MD 2023-10-08 16-54-22, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus Community Recreation Center front MD 2023-10-08 16-53-42, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus High School Hornets entrance Damascus MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-42-11, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus Community Recreation Center side MD 2023-10-08 16-52-49, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- 2016-10-14 11 18 59 View south along Maryland State Route 124 (Woodfield Road) at Maryland State Route 108 (Main Street) in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- John T Baker Middle School entrance Damascus MD 2023-10-08 17-00-01, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- John T Baker Middle School building Damascus MD 2023-10-08 17-02-10, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus Library and Senior Center entrance MD 2023-10-08 16-25-51, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- Damascus Heritage Museum entrance Damascus MD 2023-10-08 162-95-9, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- 2016-10-14 10 03 35 View east along Maryland State Route 108 (Main Street) at Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-10-14 10 03 05 View east along Maryland State Route 108 (Main Street) at Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-10-13 13 09 25 View south along Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) between Maryland State Route 108 (Main Street) and Lewis Drive in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-10-13 13 11 37 View south along Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) at Locust Drive in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-10-13 12 39 46 View north along Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) between Maryland State Route 108 (Main Street) and High Corner Street in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chrysler Crossfire fastback in Damascus MD 1of2, CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz — a photo credit is required if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chrysler Crossfire fastback in Damascus MD 2of2, CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz — a photo credit is required if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2020-06-24 17 07 50 View north along Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) just south of Woodfield Road in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2016-10-13 13 04 26 View south along Maryland State Route 27 (Ridge Road) at Woodfield Road in Damascus, Montgomery County, Maryland, Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Layton House, Sberbes, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clarksburg School 2012-09-26 11-10-57, Tamarisk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kitchen bins, Mibrahim74, CC0
- Montgomery County Md Facilities Maintenance, Commercial Cleaning Maryland, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Woodfield Elementary School building Gaithersburg MD MCPS 2023-10-08 16-04-22, G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0
- 1975 AMC Matador base sedan in Fawn Beige 03, CZmarlin — Christopher Ziemnowicz — a photo credit is required if this image is used anywhere other than Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS047-E-93874 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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