Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town of 2,369 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, founded in 1894.
Why visit Kensington
Townapedia lists 27 museums and landmarks, 43 parks and trails, 68 places to eat and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AFI Silver Theatre, AMC Wheaton Mall 9, National Park Seminary and Bethesda Theatre.
Weather in Kensington
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kensington
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,122 at the 2020 United States census. Greater Kensington had a population of 19,753 in 2020.
From the Wikipedia article Kensington, Maryland (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
AFI Silver Theatre
Cinema and theater · 3.3 mi
Movie theater in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Talbot Avenue bridge
Bridge · 2.3 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
School · 1.9 mi
Health science university of the United States federal government
Museums and landmarks27
National Park Seminary
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic district in Forest Glen, Maryland, United States
Bethesda Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Movie theater and theater in Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Garrett Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Maryland, United States
Hammond Wood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic district in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Kensington Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Maryland, United States
Mihran Mesrobian House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
House in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
Montrose School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic schoolhouse located near Rockville, Maryland, United States
Moreland
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Colonial Revival house in Bethesda, Maryland
Polychrome Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Five single-family Polychrome houses on contiguous lots with adjoining back yards in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Riley-Bolten House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Maryland, United States
Rock Creek Woods Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Maryland, United States
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Woodend
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Historic mansion and estate; the location of Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States
15 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds43
Carroll Knolls Park
Park · 1.4 mi
Carroll Knolls Local Park comprises 2.47 acres in Silver Spring on the west side of Georgia Avenue between Forest Glen and Wheaton.
10500 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
sunrise-sunset
Reinhardt Park
Park
A tot lot designed for families with small children
10401 Armory Avenue, Kensington
dawn-dusk
31 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes68
Artha Rini
Restaurant · Indonesian
10562 Metropolitan Avenue, Kensington
Tu-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 12:00-21:00; Sa-Su 11:00-21:00; Mo off
Bamboo Cafe
Cafe · Breakfast, Mexican, Burger, Salad, Sandwich · 0.6 mi
4222 Howard Avenue, Kensington
Mo-Sa 06:00-17:00
Black Market Bistro
Restaurant · Fine Dining · 1.3 mi
4600 Waverly Avenue, Garrett Park
We-Th 16:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-20:00; Su 11:00-14:00,16:00-20:00
Buns N Rice
Restaurant · Diner, Korean, Breakfast
10509 Metropolitan Avenue, Kensington
Mo,Tu 08:00-16:00; We-Fr 08:00-19:00; Sa 08:00-15:00
Donut King Cafe & Deli
Cafe · Donut, Coffee, Deli · 0.4 mi
3727 University Boulevard West, Kensington
Mo-Fr 05:00-15:00; Sa 06:00-15:00; Su 06:00-14:00
El Chante Comedor y Fritanga Nica
Restaurant · Nicaraguan · 1.5 mi
11265 Triangle Lane, Silver Spring
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa-Su 11:00-22:00
Frank's Burgers
Restaurant · American, Sandwich, Burger · 1.4 mi
11230 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Hibachi Express
Restaurant · Japanese
10508 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Java Nation
Cafe · Coffee Shop
10516 Connecticut Avenue, Kensington
Mo-Tu 07:00-17:00; We-Sa 07:00-19:00; Su 08:00-17:00
La Gelatteria
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich, Ice Cream
10414 Detrick Avenue, Kensington
Su-Th 08:00-19:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-20:00
56 more on the map.
History
The area around Rock Creek where Kensington is located was primarily agricultural until 1873, when the B&O Railroad completed the Metropolitan Branch across Montgomery County. A community arose where the new railroad line intersected the old Rockville-to-Bladensburg road. This early settlement was first known as "Knowles Station".
In the early 1890s, Washington developer Brainard Warner began purchasing land parcels to build a planned Victorian community, complete with church, library, and local newspaper. Fascinated by a recent trip to London, Warner named his development "Kensington Park", the tenth and largest subdivision in the area. When the town was incorporated in 1894, Warner convinced the mayor and council to name it Kensington.
Originally a farming community at Knowles Station, Kensington developed into a summer refuge for Washington residents wishing to escape the capital's humidity. As years passed and more residents remained year-round, Kensington evolved into a commuter suburb. Commuters reached downtown Washington, D.C., on B&O passenger trains and, beginning in 1895, a streetcar line founded as Chevy Chase Lake & Kensington Railway and later called the Kensington Railway Company.
From the History section of Kensington, Maryland on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship21
Bethesda Meeting House
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Our Lady Queen of Poland/Saint Maxmilian Kolbe
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.4 mi
9700 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring
Shopping20
Gas and EV charging11
Schools, colleges and libraries57
Healthcare8
Map of Kensington
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
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
College Park Airport (CGS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Chevy Chase View 1 mi southwest, about 1 min by car
- Wheaton 2 mi northeast, about 3 min by car
- Forest Glen 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Chevy Chase 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- North Bethesda 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Kemp Mill 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Silver Spring 3 mi southeast, about 5 min by car
- Glenmont 3 mi northeast, about 6 min by car
- Chevy Chase 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Bethesda 4 mi southwest, about 6 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
- 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
- Kensington houses, Wikipedian1234, CC BY-SA 3.0
- National-Park-Seminary-May-Day-1907, Leet Brothers (Washington, D.C.), Public domain
- Washington D.C. Temple At Dusk, Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House in Garrett Park 2a, ZeWrestler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Riley-Bolten House 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bethesda Theater, Bethesda, MD, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Polychrome Historic District Apr 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Bethesda Meetinghouse, Bethesda, MD, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Moreland, Bethesda 1, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mihran Mesrobian House 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- House on College View Dr, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montrose Schoolhouse, front (21627685175), Preservation Maryland, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Kensington house for the blind, Wikipedian1234, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Woodend, Farragutful, CC0
- Rock Creek Woods 3, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0
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