Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States census.
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. Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the nascent community "Hyattsville" in his 1859 application to become postmaster. In the years following the Civil War, Hyatt and other local landowners subdivided their properties and sold lots, and the population of Hyattsville grew. Hyattsville was incorporated as a city on April 7, 1886.
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.
Revitalization projects 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.
Climate 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.
Demographics
Hyattsville has attracted a significant gay and lesbian population. In 2000, same-sex couples accounted for 1.3 percent of households, more than double the national average."Just Another Way to Be Suburban: In Pr. George's, Same-Sex Couples Grow in Number, Visibility," by Lonnae O'Neal Parker, The Washington Post, June 29, 2009.
Racial and ethnic composition +Hyattsville city, Maryland – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)5,0954,2064,65734.58%23.96%21.98%Black or African American alone (NH)5,9186,0766,54640.17%34.61%30.90%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)4957560.33%0.32%0.26%Asian alone (NH)5827577693.95%4.31%3.63%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)5760.03%0.04%0.03%Other race alone (NH)38831800.26%0.47%0.85%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3733997872.53%2.27%3.71%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2,6735,9728,18618.14%34.01%38.64%Total14,73317,55721,187100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Hyattsville had a population of living in households and housing units at an average density of . The homeowner vacancy rate was % and the rental vacancy rate was %, with % of all housing units vacant.
Of all households, % had children under the age of 18 living in them; % were married-couple households, % were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and % were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About % of all households were made up of individuals, and % had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The median age was years; % of residents were under 18 and % were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were males.
% of residents lived in urban areas, while none lived in rural areas.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 5,247 24.8% Black or African American 6,709 31.7% American Indian and Alaska Native 343 1.6% Asian 787 3.7% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 16 0.1% Some other race 5,701 26.9% Two or more races 2,384 11.3%
2010 census As of the 2010 U.S. census, there were 17,557 people, 6,324 households, and 3,724 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,837 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 33.2% White, 35.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.4% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.0% of the population (16.4% Salvadorean, 4.1% Mexican, 3.1% Guatemalan, 1.2% Honduran, 1.1% Dominican, 0.8% Puerto Rican).
There were 6,324 households, of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 15.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.1% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.39.
The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 34.7% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 7.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.8% male and 49.2% female.
Crime According to FBI crime statistics, the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents has significantly decreased in Hyattsville, from 11.42 in 2007 to 4.64 in 2019. Economy The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is headquartered in Hyattsville.
Arts and culture Historic sites
Some historic sites in Hyattsville are listed on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the National Register of Historic Places.M-NCPPC Illustrated Inventory of Historic Sites (Prince George's County, Maryland), 2011 . In 1982, a portion of the city was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Hyattsville Historic District, which was extended in late 2004.
The Hyattsville Historic District is home to Victorian houses built in the late 1880s and Sears bungalows and Arts & Crafts houses built between the wars (late 1910s and early 1940s).
Notable historic sites include Hyattsville Armory and the Hyattsville Main Post Office.
Arts District Downtown Hyattsville underwent revitalization in the early 2000s with the development of the Arts District Hyattsville, part of the Gateway Arts District, a private project which includes townhomes, live-work units, and retail space.
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, a nonprofit arts center, is located in the historic arcade building in Hyattsville.
Public libraries
Prince George's County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) operates the Hyattsville Branch Library, which in 1964 was the first county-built library building for PGCMLS."Hyattsville Branch." Prince George's County Memorial Library System. Retrieved on February 1, 2018. The original mid-century modern building featured a googie-style flying saucer entryway.
Government In January 2015, the Hyattsville Council passed a charter amendment to reduce the voting age to 16 for city elections, making Hyattsville one of the few jurisdictions in the United States that has done so. In December 2016, the city expanded voting rights again, granting non-citizen residents the right to vote in municipal elections.
Education Public schools
Hyattsville Elementary, Felegy Elementary, Hyattsville Middle, and Northwestern High School, along with the Chelsea School, St. Matthews, DeMatha, and St. Jerome Academy are located within the city limits.
The city is served by Prince George's County Public Schools,Map. Hyattsville, Maryland. Retrieved on February 1, 2018. and its borders overlap with the enrollment areas for the following public schools:"NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018."NEIGHBORHOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018."NEIGHBORHOOD HIGH SCHOOLS AND BOUNDARIES SCHOOL YEAR 2017-2018." Prince George's County Public Schools. Retrieved on January 31, 2018. Hyattsville Elementary School Edward M. Felegy Elementary School Rosa Parks Elementary School University Park Elementary School Rogers Heights Elementary School Hyattsville Middle School Nicholas Orem Middle School William Wirt Middle School Northwestern High School Bladensburg High School
During the era of legally-required racial segregation of schools, black students from Hyattsville attended Lakeland High School in College Park in the period 1928–1950.African-American Historic and Cultural Resources in Prince George's County, Maryland. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, February 2012. p. 63 (document page 67). Retrieved on September 6, 2018. Fairmont Heights High School, then near Fairmount Heights, replaced Lakeland High and served black students only from 1950 to 1964. During 1964, legally-required racial segregation of schools ended.
Private schools Chelsea School (5–12) for students with language-based learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD DeMatha Catholic High School (9–12) St. Francis International School (Catholic) (K–8) (St. Mark the Evangelist Campus)— it is primarily used for summer programs and athletics, with classes held in the Silver Spring campus. Formerly St. Mark the Evangelist School,"St. Mark's School in Hyattsville holds reunion to marks its 50th year ." Catholic Standard, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Retrieved on January 31, 2018. "St. Mark Campus 7501 Adelphi Road Hyattsville, MD 20783" closed and merged into Saint Francis International, which opened in 2010.Roberts, Tom. "Maryland Catholic school finds its footing amid demographic shifts." Catholic Standard, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Wednesday, October 15, 2008. Retrieved on February 1, 2018. Beginning in 2013 College Park Academy (CPA) leased the St. Francis building; in 2017 CPA moved to its permanent Riverdale Park campus. St. Jerome Academy (Catholic) (Pre-K–8) St. Matthew's Parish Day School (Episcopal) (Pre-K–K)
Colleges and universities Prince George's Community College has an extension center in University Town Center."PGCCC University Town Center Extension Center ." Prince George's Community College. Retrieved on February 1, 2018.
Infrastructure Transportation
Public transportation The Hyattsville Crossing and West Hyattsville Metro station both serve Hyattsville. Hyattsville is also served by the Riverdale MARC commuter train station, as well as a few Metrobus and TheBus routes. Students and staff at the University of Maryland have access to the free Shuttle–UM bus that goes from historic Hyattsville to the University of Maryland campus in College Park.
Bikeways Hyattsville is well connected to the regional Anacostia Tributary Trail System network of hiker–biker trails, including the Northwest Branch Trail, which runs along the southern and western sides of the city, and the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail. Numerous city streets include bicycle sharrows, along with a few unprotected bike lanes. Capital Bikeshare has eight bikeshare stations within the city.
Law enforcement