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About Silver Spring, Maryland

The Hand

Distance from here to....	Living & Working	Downtown Area	Entertainment
Metro Information	The Arts	Museums	Interesting Facts
Points of Interest	Tourism Resources

NOAA's Silver Spring Metro Center campus houses offices for all of the agency's line offices, staff offices and program groups, including the NOAA National Weather Service, NOAA's National Ocean Service, NOAA Fisheries - National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Satellites and Information, NOAA Research, NOAA Office of Program Planning and Integration, and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. Situated in downtown Silver Spring, the four-building complex is home to 80 percent of the agency's Washington-area employees. It is conveniently located next to the Silver Spring Metrorail station on Metro’s Red Line and the Silver Spring MARC train station.

The greater Silver Spring area includes much of southern and eastern Montgomery County, and is one of the fastest growing commercial centers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Bordered by Washington, D.C. to the south, Prince George's County to the east, and Howard County to the north, Silver Spring's location and amenities make it a sought-after location in which to live and work. The population of Silver Spring, MD is over 76,540 according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

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Distance from Silver Spring to Regional Attractions top

• Downtown Washington, D.C.: 7 miles
• Rockville, MD: 12 miles
• Annapolis, MD: 34 miles
• Baltimore, MD: 35 miles
• Richmond, VA: 121 miles
• Ocean City, MD: 139 miles
• Philadelphia, PA: 141 miles
• Williamsburg, VA: 168 miles
• New York, NY: 222 miles
  

Benefits of Living and Working in Silver Spring top

• Easy access to all three of the region's major airports
• Excellent mass transit service from Metro, Amtrak, MARC commuter rail and Ride-On
• Quick access to Annapolis; Washington, D.C., Baltimore; northern Virginia; and I-95 to points north and south
• Ample quality housing in mature neighborhoods, as well as newer developments and open countryside
• Downtown Silver Spring is currently experiencing a Renaissance of new development and historic preservation
  

Downtown Silver Spring: The Area's Fastest Growing Commercial Center top

While not an incorporated city, Silver Spring is one of the most important business and residential centers in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Downtown Silver Spring, a major shopping center in the 50's and 60's, is experiencing a renaissance. Major projects currently open and under construction offer new retailers, restaurants, entertainment options, office space, lodging, and residential development. Over $400 million in private, County and State funds has been invested, and the changes are evident at every corner of downtown Silver Spring.

Restaurants, Retail and Entertainment top

Silver Spring currently has over 100 restaurants in the Central Business District, and more are being added every month. A 22-acre project in the heart of downtown Silver Spring includes community- and regionally-oriented shopping, the AFI Silver Theatre and a 5,000 seat, first-run movie complex, restaurants, office, hotel and parking facilities. The project also includes a new downtown civic building and Veteran's Plaza Park for outdoor activities and events.

Silver Spring Metro Will Become Regional Transit Centertop

Silver Spring's Metrorail station, one of the busiest in Washington's Metro system, will be expanded to include MARC commuter rail, bus stations, and bicycle trails in a multi-modal transit center. In addition, a commercial mixed-use development project will be constructed above the transit center, which will include residential units, office space, and retail shops.

The Arts Meet Technology top

Silver Spring is fast becoming the area of choice for artists, arts organizations and technology companies looking for a dynamic, urban center. Dozens of media companies call Silver Spring home, and along with Discovery Communications and AFI Silver, the area is fast becoming the Metropolitan area's new hub for the media industry.

Museums top

There are more than 65 museums located within a short metro ride of Silver Spring, including the Smithsonian Museums. The Smithsonian encompasses 16 museums and galleries and the National Zoo, including the African Art Museum, Air and Space Museum, American Art Museum, American History Museum, American Indian Museum, Anacostia Museum, Arts and Industries Building, Cooper-Hewitt, Free and Sackler Galleries, Hirshhorn Museum, National History Museum, Portrait Gallery and Postal Museum. For more information, visit: http://www.si.edu.

Interesting Facts top

Silver Spring was named for the mica or white sand produced by a local spring. Well-known residents of Silver Spring have included: Rachel Carson, the historic environmentalist; Mark Bryan, guitarist with Hootie and the Blowfish; Goldie Hawn, actress; and Ben Stein, actor, columnist, and TV game show host. To learn more about Silver Spring, visit the official Silver Spring Website: http://www.silverspringchamber.com.

Points of Interest top

Rock Creek Park - Rock Creek Park is truly a gem in our nation’s capital. It offers visitors an opportunity to reflect and soothe their spirits through the beauty of nature. Fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and the ebb and flow of Rock Creek emanate the delicate aura of the forest. http://www.nps.gov/rocr/.

Sligo Creek Park - This 10.2-mile hard surface trail is one of the oldest in the County. The trail is the heaviest-used facility in the Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park and provides recreation for persons of all ages and abilities. Several paved, and a few unpaved, trails are scattered throughout the park and connect other park facilities, schools and neighborhoods to the main trail. MNCPPC: Sligo Creek Stream Valley Park.

Brookside Gardens and Nature Center - A lovely resource for nature enthusiasts, gardeners, or anyone looking for a beautiful spot in which to relax or hold a special event. Located 7 miles from downtown Silver Spring in Wheaton, Md. 301/949-8230. http://www.mc-mncppc.org/parks/brookside/.

Acorn Park and Jesup Blair Park - Silver Spring is rooted in history. The area was founded by Francis Preston Blair, advisor to President Andrew Jackson and the first United States Postmaster General. Blair discovered a silvery spring on some wooded property outside of Washington, D.C., and became so fond of the area that he purchased it for his summer home, and named it Silver Spring. The site of the original Silver Spring, at Acorn Park, and the home of Blair's daughter, Violet, at Jesup Blair Park, are some of the town's historical treasures.

For more park information, visit: http://www.mncppc.org.
For Silver Spring history, visit: http://www.homestead.com/silverspringhistory

National Capital Trolley Museum - Old trains and trolleys are on display at this unique museum, just 10 miles north of downtown Silver Spring.
1313 Bonifant Road
301/384-6088
http://www.dctrolley.org/

Woodend Mansion - Home of the Audubon Naturalist Society - Located 10 minutes from downtown Silver Spring, 301/652-9188.

Tourism Resources top

Silver Spring Regional Center
8435 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
301/565-7300
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/

Montgomery County, Maryland Tourism
http://www.cvbmontco.com/

Ocean City, Maryland
http://www.oceancity.org/

Deep Creek Lake
http://www.garrettchamber.com/

Washington, D.C. Tourism
http://www.washington.org/

Annapolis, Maryland
http://www.visitannapolis.org/

Baltimore, Maryland
http://www.baltimoretourism.com/

Maryland Tourism
http://www.mdisfun.org/

Local & Regional Newspapers

The Gazette Weekly - neighborhood newspaper
http://www.gazette.net/

The Silver Spring Voice Monthly - local newspaper
http://www.silverspringvoice.com/

The Washington Post - major market daily newspaper
http://www.washingtonpost.com/

The Washington Times - major market daily newspaper
http://www.washingtontimes.com/

Page last edited: November 07, 2012

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