According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.2%) is water. Prince George's County lies in the
Atlantic coastal plain, and its landscape is characterized by gently rolling hills and valleys. Along its western border with Montgomery County,
Adelphi,
Calverton and
West Laurel rise into the
piedmont, exceeding in elevation. The
Patuxent River forms the county's eastern border with
Howard,
Anne Arundel,
Charles and
Calvert counties.
Regions Terrain, culture, and demographics differ significantly by location within the county. There are five key regions to Prince George's County: North County, Central County, the Rural Tier, the Inner Beltway, and South County. These regions are not formally defined, however, and the terms used to describe each area can vary greatly. In the broadest terms, the county is generally divided into North County and South County with
U.S. Route 50 serving as the dividing line. Southern Prince George's County is also considered to be a part of the
Southern Maryland region. Mitchellville is named for a wealthy family, the Mitchells, who owned a large portion of land in this area of the county.
Central Avenue, a major exit off the I-95 beltway, running east to west, is one of two main roads in this portion of the county. The other major roadway is
Old Crain Highway, which runs north to south along the eastern portion of the county. The
Newton White Mansion on the grounds is a popular site for weddings and political events.
Joint Base Andrews,
Bowie State University and
Prince George's Community College are in the Central region, as well as County government offices.
Inner Beltway The inner beltway communities of
Capitol Heights,
District Heights,
Fairmont Heights,
Forestville,
Suitland,
Hillcrest Heights,
Oxon Hill, and
Seat Pleasant border neighboring District of Columbia's northeastern and southeastern quadrants. The area has easy access to
Metro's Blue,
Silver or
Green Lines, commercial centers, Maryland Route 214, and Interstate 95/Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway). Protected bike trails connect residents to the Bladensburg waterfront, Kenilworth parks, and downtown D.C. Fairmont Heights is the second oldest African-American-majority municipality in Prince George's County. The Fairmount Heights Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
Bowie is best known as a planned
Levittown.
William Levitt in the 1960s built traditional homes, as well as California contemporaries along
U.S. Route 50, the key highway to the eastern shore and the state capital of
Annapolis. Bowie has currently grown to be the largest city in Prince George's County, with more than 50,000 people. It also has a large Caucasian population, compared to much of the county (48% of the population). Housing styles vary from the most contemporary to century-old homes in Bowie's antique district (formerly known as Huntingtown), where the town of Bowie began as a haven for thoroughbred horse racing. Areas of geographic distinction include the
Oden Bowie Mansion, Allen Pond, key segments of the
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Trail, as well as planned parks, lakes and walking trails.
Rural Tier Prince George's rural tier was designated "in the 2002 General Plan as an area where residential growth would be minimal"; it may be found in the area just beyond the Beltway to the west and south of central county, though with direct access by Route 210, while bounded on the west by the communities
Accokeek and
Fort Washington, and the east by the
Patuxent River. Prince George's origins are in this part of the county. Most of this area contains the unincorporated parishes, villages and lost towns of Prince George's County. Largely under postal designations of "
Upper Marlboro" or "
Brandywine", in truth the town of Upper Marlboro is more central county in character, though it is the post office location for various rural settlements. (The names of these unincorporated areas are listed below in the towns section of this article). Since 1721 Upper Marlboro has been the county seat of government, with families that trace their lineage back to Prince George's initial land grants and earliest governing officials. Names like Clagett,
Sasscer, King James and Queen Anne pepper the streets. The rural tier has been the focus of orchestrated efforts by residents and county government to preserve its rural character and environmental integrity. Under the
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC),
Patuxent River Park is the largest natural preserve and provides public access for birdwatching and viewing the rural tier's natural waterfront vistas. In season, the park's Jug Bay Natural Area and the Patuxent Riverkeeper in
Queen Anne both offer canoeing and kayaking rentals on the Patuxent. The county's largest collection of tobacco planter mansions and preserved homes are in the rural tier, some managed by the M-NCPPC. Many rural tier roads have scenic highway preservation status.
Rosaryville State Park is in the county, not far from the county seat.
South County South County is a blend of the greenery of the rural tier and the new development of central county. The communities of
Clinton,
Oxon Hill,
Temple Hills including
Hillcrest Heights, and
Fort Washington are the largest areas of south county. It is the only portion of Prince George's County to enjoy the Potomac River waterfront, and that geographic distinction has yielded the rise of the
National Harbor project: a town center and riverside shopping and living development on the Potomac. The National Harbor, and its associated entertainment (
MGM National Harbor) and shopping (
Tanger Outlets) districts, have become a major tourist and convention attraction, with significant hotel accommodations, eateries and shopping. Together, these projects were built on land formerly occupied by the Salubria plantation, where a 14-year-old slave girl poisoned her owner,
John H. Bayne, and his family in 1831.
Water taxi service connects National Harbor to other destinations along the Potomac. Several historic sites, including Jones Point Lighthouse, can be viewed from the harbor front. Piscataway Park in Accokeek preserves many acres of woodland and wetlands along the Potomac River opposite Mount Vernon, Virginia. River Road in Fort Washington also yields great views of the Potomac.
Fort Washington Park was a major battery and gives access to the public for tours of the fort, scenic access to the river and other picnic grounds.
Oxon Hill Manor offers a working farm and plantation mansion for touring;
His Lordship's Kindness is another major historic home. Also,
Fort Foote is an old
American Civil War fort and tourist destination.
Adjacent counties and independent cities •
Anne Arundel County (east) •
Calvert County (southeast) •
Charles County (south) •
Howard County (north) •
Montgomery County (northwest) •
Fairfax County, Virginia (southwest) •
Alexandria, Virginia (southwest) •
Washington, D.C. (west) Prince George's and Montgomery Counties share a bi-county planning and parks agency in the
M-NCPPC and a public bi-county water and sewer utility in the
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission National protected areas •
Fort Washington Park •
Greenbelt Park •
Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge (part) •
Piscataway Park •
Cedarville State Forest (whose main entrance is in Prince George's County) ==Politics and government==