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Maryland, United States
Photo: Bonnachoven, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Capital Region of Maryland consists of the counties near Washington, D.C., which contain sprawling and densely populated suburbs, as well as numerous satellite cities.
The farthest flung and most exurban and rural of the three counties (but still home to a large commuter population), where the main attraction is the main city, Frederick
One of the wealthiest and most diverse counties in the U.S., much of the county is very urban, and home to an enormous commuter population of professionals working in the city and a renowned biotech and medical industry within the county itself
The country's wealthiest majority black county, and is home to the University of Maryland, as well as much of what you would expect to be in D.C.—huge outposts of government agencies like NASA and the Department of Agriculture, as well as the Washington Commanders football team.
By car
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By public transit
Rail and bus service from D.C. is provided by WMATA. Commuter bus and commuter rail service from the Maryland Transit Administration are also available.
By train
Metro's Red Line serves Montgomery County. The Green, Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines serve Prince George's County. Frederick County has no Metro lines., and the lines were built in that direction.
By bus
Buses are a convenient way to travel around the Capital Region of Maryland. Buses run most often Monday through Friday. Most operate on Saturday and Sunday too, but usually less often.
By taxi
Uber and Lyft operate in the area. They are a popular and convenient option, especially for traveling to or from areas without access to public transportation.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Washington · International · DCA
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the liveliest and most upscale urban center in the Maryland suburbs, right on the D.C. border, and with a density of restaurants, hotels, and bars rivaling the district's downtown neighborhoods
the name says it all—this is home to the University of Maryland's main campus and its many boisterous students. Plenty of cheap eats and nightlife abound
much less a suburb and much more a separate city, Frederick is worth visiting for its charming city center and colonial and Civil War-era history
a big suburban city, with a charming historic Old Town around the old train station, brand new retail districts, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology headquarters
another large, lush and diverse suburban city in the state's biotech corridor. Melds seamlessly with neighboring Gaithersburg
a quiet suburb with the NASA Goddard Visitor Center—a great attraction, especially for kids
a small, quirky residential neighborhood home to the famous National Mormon Temple and the popular Antique Row shopping strip
a large, diverse suburban city on the I-270 technology corridor, with a lot of businesses, and a seemingly infinite retail and restaurants, both in the urbanized walkable section of the town and the endless strip malls radiating outwards in all directions.
vying with Bethesda for the title of principal suburban nightlife and accommodations king, Silver Spring skews younger and edgier, and considerably more diverse and affordable than its wealthier neighbor
perhaps the greatest location of the national amusement park chain
the beautiful and historic canal and surrounding parklands running alongside the Potomac River from D.C. all the way to Cumberland in Western Maryland
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