Darnestown, Maryland
Darnestown is a community of 7,051 people in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Why visit Darnestown
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Rocklands Farm, Homestead Farm, Darnall Place and Edward Beale House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Darnestown
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Darnestown
Darnestown is a United States census-designated place (CDP) and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland. The CDP is 17.70 square miles (45.8 km2) with the Potomac River as its southern border and the Muddy Branch as much of its eastern border. Seneca Creek borders portions of its north and west sides. The Travilah, North Potomac, and Germantown census-designated places are adjacent to it, as is the city of Gaithersburg.
From the Wikipedia article Darnestown, Maryland (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Rocklands Farm
Farm and orchard · 1.9 mi
14531 Montevideo Road, Poolesville
Fr 16:00-21:00; Sa 12:00-20:00; Su 12:00-18:00
Seneca Aqueduct
Bridge · 2.2 mi
Naviduct that carries the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal over Seneca Creek in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Museums and landmarks22
Darnall Place
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Maryland
Edward Beale House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic house in Maryland, United States
John Gunnell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Seneca Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic district in Poolesville, Maryland
Seneca Quarry
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historical Seneca red sandstone quarry in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Susanna Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.9 mi
Historic home located at Dawsonville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Valhalla
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic home located at Poolesville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Glenstone
Museum · 3.7 mi
American private art museum in Potomac, Maryland, United States
Seneca Quarry
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
13205 Tschiffely Mill Road, Poolesville
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
Seneca Creek State Park
Hiking and trails · 2.1 mi
11950 Clopper Road, Gaithersburg
Mar-Oct 08:00-sunset; Nov-Feb 10:00-sunset
Algonkian Regional Park
Park · 4.2 mi
Park in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America
Lakelands Park
Park · 4.4 mi
Park in Montgomery County, United States of America
Serpentine Barrens Conservation Park
Park · 4.7 mi
Protected globally-rare, forested serpentine barrens in Travilah, Maryland, United States
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes4
Windridge Vineyards
Brewery and winery · 2.4 mi
15700 Darnestown Road, Darnestown
We 13:00-20:30; Th 13:00-20:30; Fr 13:00-20:30; Sa 11:00-20:30; Su...
Rocklands Farm Winery
Brewery and winery · 1.9 mi
14525 Montevideo Road, Poolesville
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 2.9 mi
12962 Travilah Road, Potomac
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
History
The first European (mostly Scottish and English) settlements in what would become Montgomery County, Maryland, were established in 1688, near Rock Creek and what was to become Rockville. The next stage of settlements was further west along the Potomac River near what is now Darnestown and Poolesville. The land had been occupied by Native Americans of the Piscataway Confederation. Ninian Beall was the first European landowner in the Darnestown area, settling around 1749. His daughter Ruth Beall married Charles Gassaway, who built a brick home named Pleasant Hills around 1765. This was one of the first brick homes in what is now Montgomery County, and still stands today. Gassaway purchased land from his father-in-law during the late 1700s—including land that would eventually become the Darnestown village. In the last half of the 18th century, a small village grew at the intersection of what is now Darnestown Road (Maryland Route 28) and Seneca Road (Maryland Route 112). At that time, Darnestown Road was called "the road from Georgetown to the mouth of the Monocacy River". It was a Seneca Indian trail and is one of the oldest roads in Montgomery County. Seneca Road led from Darnestown to the Seneca Mill and a landing on the Potomac River—a trip of less than four miles (6.4 km).
From the History section of Darnestown, Maryland on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship9
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries42
Map of Darnestown
110 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°F | 27°F | 3.1 in |
| Feb | 45°F | 28°F | 2.6 in |
| Mar | 54°F | 36°F | 3.7 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 46°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 74°F | 55°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 64°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 69°F | 4.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 67°F | 3.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 60°F | 4.0 in |
| Oct | 66°F | 48°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 38°F | 3.3 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 31°F | 3.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rockville 1 Ne (9 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, 9 miles away.
- Lowes Island 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- North Potomac 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Travilah 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Sugarland Run 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Cascades 5 mi southwest, about 8 min by car
- Great Falls 5 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Germantown 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Gaithersburg 7 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Dranesville 7 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Sterling 8 mi southwest, about 12 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
- Darnestown, MD farm panorama, Flickr user: Jeff Turner Grafton https://www.flickr.com/people/respres/, CC BY 2.0
- Seneca Stone Cutting Mill, Garrettpeck, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Susanna Farm, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Seneca Schoolhouse Museum, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Valhalla HABS MD1, John O. Brostrup, Public domain
- BealeHouse, Mona80x, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JOHN GUNNELL HOUSE, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Darnall Place HABS MD1, John O. Brostrup, HABS photographer, Public domain
- Darnestown Presbyterian Church old part, TwoScarsUp, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Travilah Serpentine Barrens Wooded Area, Russ Davis, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Glenstone-2018-10-13-courtyard-1, Fuzheado, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SenecaAqueduct, Mary Ann Daly, CC BY-SA 3.0
- AlgonkianWoodlands, Truejim ( talk ) ( Uploads ), CC BY-SA 3.0
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