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57-637: Catoctin Mountain traverses Frederick County , Maryland and extends into northern Loudoun County , Virginia . It rises to its greatest elevation of 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level just southwest of Cunningham Falls State Park and is transected by gaps at Braddock Heights (Fairview Pass), Point of Rocks on the Potomac River and Clarke's Gap west of Leesburg , as well as several other unnamed passes in Maryland and Virginia. The mountain

114-597: A monument to Francis Scott Key , the National Museum of Civil War Medicine , Monocacy National Battlefield and South Mountain battlefields, and the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum . Frederick County has experienced a rapid increase in population since the 1980s, including that of minority groups. At the 2010 United States Census , there were 233,385 people, 84,800 households and 61,198 families residing in

171-708: A supereon , but this is also an informal term, not defined by the ICS in its chronostratigraphic guide. Eozoic (from eo- "earliest") was a synonym for pre-Cambrian , or more specifically Archean . A specific date for the origin of life has not been determined. Carbon found in 3.8 billion-year-old rocks (Archean Eon) from islands off western Greenland may be of organic origin. Well-preserved microscopic fossils of bacteria older than 3.46 billion years have been found in Western Australia . Probable fossils 100 million years older have been found in

228-498: A part of Frederick County was combined with a part of Baltimore County to form Carroll County which is east of current day Frederick County. The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 667 square miles (1,730 km ), of which 660 square miles (1,700 km ) is land and 7.2 square miles (19 km ) (1.1%)

285-503: A population of 222,938 within 662.88 square miles (1,716.9 km ). Frederick City, Brunswick, Mount Airy, Emmitsburg and Thurmont have municipal police departments. Middletown contracts with the Sheriff's Office for its policing. The following table includes the number of incidents reported for each type of offense from 2012 to 2019. The U.S. Census Bureau reported the following data for Frederick County, June 6, 2011. According to

342-735: A possible 2450 Ma red alga from the Kola Peninsula , 1650 Ma carbonaceous biosignatures in north China, the 1600 Ma Rafatazmia , and a possible 1047 Ma Bangiomorpha red alga from the Canadian Arctic. The earliest fossils widely accepted as complex multicellular organisms date from the Ediacaran Period. A very diverse collection of soft-bodied forms is found in a variety of locations worldwide and date to between 635 and 542 Ma. These are referred to as Ediacaran or Vendian biota . Hard-shelled creatures appeared toward

399-434: Is handled by a combination career and volunteer service delivery system. The county employs over 450 career firefighters. Volunteers of the 26 volunteer fire and rescue corporations number approximately 300 active operational members. Fire, rescue and emergency medical services, including advanced life support, are handled by career staffing supplemented by volunteers. The county has a Maryland State Police Medevac located at

456-664: Is known to occur during the RNA replication of extant coronaviruses . Evidence of the details of plate motions and other tectonic activity in the Precambrian is difficult to interpret. It is generally believed that small proto-continents existed before 4280 Ma, and that most of the Earth's landmasses collected into a single supercontinent around 1130 Ma. The supercontinent, known as Rodinia , broke up around 750 Ma. A number of glacial periods have been identified going as far back as

513-629: Is much lower in elevation in Virginia, reaching its highest peak just south of the Potomac at Furnace Mountain (891 feet/271 m) and with only one peak above 800 feet (240 m) south of Leesburg. From its northern terminus in Maryland headed south, the range is composed mainly of a single north–south running ridge with periodic low-lying gaps, though it does contain several spur ridges, most notably near its intersection with South Mountain at its northern terminus. Its ridge character continues south of

570-551: Is no single prominent peak. However, the ridge clearly has two prominent segments, one south of the Potomac River in Virginia and one north of it in Maryland. According to the USGS, variant names of Catoctin Mountain have included Kittochiny Mountains, Kittockton Mountain, Kittocton Mountain, and South Mountain. However, in Maryland, South Mountain and Catoctin Mountain are separate, roughly parallel, mountains. The portion of

627-668: Is the earliest part of Earth's history , set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian , the first period of the Phanerozoic Eon , which is named after Cambria , the Latinized name for Wales , where rocks from this age were first studied. The Precambrian accounts for 88% of the Earth's geologic time. The Precambrian is an informal unit of geologic time, subdivided into three eons ( Hadean , Archean , Proterozoic ) of

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684-521: Is thought that the Earth coalesced from material in orbit around the Sun at roughly 4,543 Ma, and may have been struck by another planet called Theia shortly after it formed, splitting off material that formed the Moon (see Giant-impact hypothesis ). A stable crust was apparently in place by 4,433 Ma, since zircon crystals from Western Australia have been dated at 4,404 ± 8 Ma. The term "Precambrian"

741-697: Is unstable, and the county, like the state more broadly, has lost dairy farms. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county: The school district for the county is Frederick County Public Schools . A statewide school for the deaf, Maryland School for the Deaf , is in Frederick. Notable people from Frederick County include: Precambrian The Precambrian ( / p r i ˈ k æ m b r i . ə n , - ˈ k eɪ m -/ pree- KAM -bree-ən, -⁠KAYM- ; or Pre-Cambrian , sometimes abbreviated pC , or Cryptozoic )

798-731: Is used by geologists and paleontologists for general discussions not requiring a more specific eon name. However, both the United States Geological Survey and the International Commission on Stratigraphy regard the term as informal. Because the span of time falling under the Precambrian consists of three eons (the Hadean , the Archean , and the Proterozoic ), it is sometimes described as

855-682: Is water. It is the largest county in Maryland in terms of land area. Frederick County straddles the boundary between the Piedmont Plateau Region and the Appalachian Mountains . The county's two prominent ridges, Catoctin Mountain and South Mountain , form an extension of the Blue Ridge . The Middletown Valley lies between them. Attractions in the Frederick area include the Clustered Spires ,

912-572: The 2010 Maryland gubernatorial and senatorial elections , giving the Republican Ehrlich – Kane ticket 55% to Democrat O'Malley – Brown's 45. Frederick voters also supported Republican Senate challenger Eric Wargotz over incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski by a margin of 51–46, even as Mikulski was winning statewide by a landslide 61–37. Despite its conservative reputation, Frederick County voted in favor of Maryland Question 6 , which legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland. In

969-712: The 2014 gubernatorial race , Republican Larry Hogan won Frederick County strongly with 63 percent of the vote compared to Democrat Anthony Brown 's 35 percent. In the 2018 elections , despite increased support for Hogan , the Democrats experienced significant gains, securing a majority on the County Council and winning District 3B in the House of Delegates . The Senate election also saw incumbent U.S. Senator Ben Cardin win Frederick County with 51.7% of

1026-521: The Fowler's toad . The most notable fish that live on the mountain are trout. There are three known trout species in streams in the region, but only one of them is native. Streams and Lakes in Catoctin Park are stocked with the nonnative rainbow trout every year for sport fishing, and they seem to have a self-sustained population in one creek, Owens Creek. The nonnative brown trout population in

1083-498: The Frederick Municipal Airport and is designated "Trooper 3". Trooper 3 handles calls throughout the state, but provides immediate assistance to local police, fire and rescue services. Like the rest of German -influenced Western Maryland , Frederick County was once staunchly Republican , with Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 being the last Democrat to carry it in a presidential election until Joe Biden carried

1140-534: The Huronian epoch, roughly 2400–2100 Ma. One of the best studied is the Sturtian-Varangian glaciation, around 850–635 Ma, which may have brought glacial conditions all the way to the equator, resulting in a " Snowball Earth ". The atmosphere of the early Earth is not well understood. Most geologists believe it was composed primarily of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other relatively inert gases, and

1197-557: The Kittoctons , an American Indian tribe or clan which once lived between the mountain and the Potomac River ; a local tradition asserts that Catoctin means "place of many deer" in an Indian language. Catoctin Mountain is perhaps best known as the site of Camp David , a mountain retreat for presidents of the United States. It was first used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, who called it " Shangri-La ." In

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1254-475: The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development , the following are the principal employers in Frederick County. This list excludes U.S. post offices and state and local governments, but includes public institutions of higher education. Frederick County leads Maryland in milk production; the county's dairy herds account for one-third of the state's total. However, the dairy market

1311-457: The Senate election also held in 2022, incumbent Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen won the county 55.3% to 44.6% over Republican Chris Chaffee. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office provides court protection, jail management and morgue operation for the entire county. It provides police patrol and detective services within the unincorporated areas of Frederick County. The entire county entails

1368-522: The geologic time scale . It spans from the formation of Earth about 4.6 billion years ago ( Ga ) to the beginning of the Cambrian Period, about 538.8 million years ago ( Ma ), when hard-shelled creatures first appeared in abundance. Relatively little is known about the Precambrian, despite it making up roughly seven-eighths of the Earth's history , and what is known has largely been discovered from

1425-482: The oxygen catastrophe . At first, oxygen would have quickly combined with other elements in Earth's crust, primarily iron, removing it from the atmosphere. After the supply of oxidizable surfaces ran out, oxygen would have begun to accumulate in the atmosphere, and the modern high-oxygen atmosphere would have developed. Evidence for this lies in older rocks that contain massive banded iron formations that were laid down as iron oxides. A terminology has evolved covering

1482-696: The 1950s, President Dwight Eisenhower renamed it Camp David, after his grandson David Eisenhower . The resort is extremely well guarded by the United States Secret Service , and only approved guests of the President are allowed into the retreat. Due to its proximity to Washington, D.C. , and its beautiful mountain scenery, Camp David has proven to be a popular weekend "getaway" for many United States presidents, and approximately one-third of Catoctin Mountain Park can be closed to

1539-401: The 1960s onwards. The Precambrian fossil record is poorer than that of the succeeding Phanerozoic , and fossils from the Precambrian (e.g. stromatolites ) are of limited biostratigraphic use. This is because many Precambrian rocks have been heavily metamorphosed , obscuring their origins, while others have been destroyed by erosion, or remain deeply buried beneath Phanerozoic strata. It

1596-437: The 1980s. It borders the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia . Catoctin Mountain Park in the county is the location of Camp David , a U.S. presidential retreat, and Fort Detrick , a U.S. Army base . The namesake of Frederick County and its county seat is unknown, but it was probably either Frederick, Prince of Wales , or Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore . Frederick County

1653-983: The Emmitsburg Reservoir, Catoctin Mountain Park , Cunningham Falls State Park , the Frederick Municipal Forest, Gambrill State Park , the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park , all in Maryland, and the Morven Park estate in Virginia. The 27 miles (43 km) long Catoctin Trail traverses the northern half of the range. The trail , which is maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club , starts at Gambrill State Park, which also contains several shorter hiking and mountain biking trails as well as picnic pavilions, and continues north through

1710-441: The Frederick Municipal Forest to Cunningham Falls State Park and Catoctin Mountain Park. Both parks contain many shorter hiking trails and organized campgrounds. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Byway , a National Scenic Byway , loops and weaves through the northern part of the range. The name of Catoctin Mountain follows the convention of referring to an entire mountainous ridge as a single "mountain" in situations where there

1767-692: The Potomac in northern Loudoun County, losing elevation, until just north of Leesburg, where the range widens into a broad plateau of undulating hills separated by deep stream valleys. The range reaches its widest point north of Goose Creek at nearly three miles. South of the creek the Catoctin vanishes into the Piedmont countryside near the northern terminus of the Bull Run Mountains at Aldie . A number of federal, state, local, and private protected lands are located on Catoctin Mountain including

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1824-809: The area is on the decline now that they are no longer being stocked yearly, but they were once plentiful in Big Hunting Creek. Like the rainbow trout, the native brook trout is stocked in Big Hunting Creek, but their population has been monitored in other waterways as well, and they are noted to be prevalent in Owens Creek and Blue Blazes Creek. Other fish that can be found in the area are longnose dace , roseyside dace , blacknose dace , fantail darter , white sucker , cutlips minnow , creek chub , common shiner , American eel , mottled sculpin , and Blue Ridge sculpin . One survey of aquatic insects in Big Hunting Creek found 20 species of stoneflies ,

1881-548: The county in 2020 . The growth of the county with migration from Washington D.C. had begun to narrow the margins starting from 2008, with John McCain only edging out Barack Obama by only 1,157 votes out of over one hundred thousand cast in the 2008 election. Democratic strength is mostly concentrated in the City of Frederick, while the suburban and rural areas of the county lean more Republican. In state-level elections, Republicans in Frederick rebounded to more historical levels in

1938-484: The county. The population density was 353.5 per square mile (136.5/km ). There were 90,136 housing units at an average density of 136.5 per square mile (52.7/km ). The racial make-up of the county was 81.5% white, 8.6% black or African American, 3.8% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.9% from other races and 2.8% from two or more races. The total (all races) of those self-identifying as Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.3%, and those persons who were white alone made up 77.8% of

1995-401: The current scheme based upon numerical ages. Such a system could rely on events in the stratigraphic record and be demarcated by GSSPs . The Precambrian could be divided into five "natural" eons, characterized as follows: The movement of Earth's plates has caused the formation and break-up of continents over time, including occasional formation of a supercontinent containing most or all of

2052-453: The early years of the Earth's existence, as radiometric dating has allowed absolute dates to be assigned to specific formations and features. The Precambrian is divided into three eons: the Hadean (4567.3–4031 Ma), Archean (4031-2500 Ma) and Proterozoic (2500-538.8 Ma). See Timetable of the Precambrian . It has been proposed that the Precambrian should be divided into eons and eras that reflect stages of planetary evolution, rather than

2109-705: The end of that time span, marking the beginning of the Phanerozoic Eon. By the middle of the following Cambrian Period, a very diverse fauna is recorded in the Burgess Shale , including some which may represent stem groups of modern taxa. The increase in diversity of lifeforms during the early Cambrian is called the Cambrian explosion of life. While land seems to have been devoid of plants and animals, cyanobacteria and other microbes formed prokaryotic mats that covered terrestrial areas. Tracks from an animal with leg-like appendages have been found in what

2166-488: The immediate area, consists of Proterozoic Catoctin metabasaltic greenstone interspersed by metasedimentary white quartz and other phyllites and Precambrian basalt flows. The greenstone was originally formed about 570 million years ago as part of the rifting of the super-continent, Rodinia. The greenstone was later uplifted during the Alleghenian Orogeny and thrust westward, being interspersed with

2223-541: The landmass. The earliest known supercontinent was Vaalbara . It formed from proto-continents and was a supercontinent 3.636 billion years ago. Vaalbara broke up c. 2.845–2.803 Ga ago. The supercontinent Kenorland was formed c. 2.72 Ga ago and then broke sometime after 2.45–2.1 Ga into the proto-continent cratons called Laurentia , Baltica , Yilgarn craton and Kalahari . The supercontinent Columbia , or Nuna, formed 2.1–1.8 billion years ago and broke up about 1.3–1.2 billion years ago. The supercontinent Rodinia

2280-444: The lungless salamanders in the area are the northern dusky , eastern mud , seal , mountain dusky , northern two-lined , longtail , northern spring , four-toed , red-backed , slimy , ravine , and northern red . The rest of the known amphibians are frogs and toads. Some noted species are the wood frog , spring peeper , pickerel frog , green frog , bull frog , northern leopard frog , gray treefrog , American toad , and

2337-707: The most prevalent being the winter stonefly . Since 2007, the National Capital Region Network (NCRN) Inventory & Monitoring program has monitored birds across 385 forested plots throughout the Catoctin Mountain region. The top ten most prevalent bird species found in the surveys they completed were the red eyed vireo , scarlet tanager , wood thrush , white-breasted nuthatch , American robin , eastern wood pewee , downy woodpecker , blue jay , eastern tufted titmouse , and red-bellied woodpecker . Other, larger, bird species in

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2394-422: The mountain due to soil type and quality and provide shelter and food to many of the animal species in the area. There is also a declining population of native orchids that have been monitored and surveyed since the 1960s. There are 22 known species of amphibians living on Catoctin Mountain. The salamanders that live in the region fall into three groups: mole salamanders , newts , and lungless salamanders . Among

2451-492: The original on February 13, 2020 . Retrieved January 22, 2016 . </ref> On December 1, 2014, Frederick County changed to a "charter home rule government". Voters approved this governmental change at the November 6, 2012, election with 62,469 voting for the transition and 37,368 against. Previously, Frederick County had been governed by a five-member county commission that could only legislate in local matters with

2508-434: The population. 26.3% of the population cited German ancestry , 17.4% Irish , 12.1% English , 7.2% Italian , and 6.3% American . Of the 84,800 households, 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 27.8% were non-families, and 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

2565-714: The prior consent of the Maryland General Assembly . Even that authority was limited to areas authorized by the General Assembly, enabling legislation, or public local laws. As a charter county, Frederick County is now governed by a seven-member county council, with five elected from districts and two elected at-large. A popularly elected county executive is responsible for providing direction, supervision, and administrative oversight of all executive departments, agencies, and offices. The council has broad power to act on most local matters. Jan H. Gardner

2622-594: The public on short notice. Frederick County, Maryland Frederick County is a county located in Maryland , United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census , the population was 271,717. The county seat is Frederick . The county is part of the Capital region of the state. Like other outlying sections of the Washington metropolitan area, Frederick County has experienced a rapid population increase since

2679-429: The region include turkey vultures , broad-winged hawks , red-tailed hawks , coopers hawks , and wild turkeys , who began to move back into their old native habitat on the mountain in the 1960s. There are 14 species of snake, 2 species of turtle, 1 species of lizard, and species of 1 skink living on Catoctin Mountain. Two of the snakes, the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake , are venomous, but elusive, living in

2736-480: The ridge directly west of Frederick, Maryland , is known locally as Braddock Mountain , and is signed as such where Interstate 70 crosses its summit, although the name is not recorded in the federal Geographic Names Information System . (The GNIS does, however, recognize the community of Braddock Heights , which is located there.) The mountain, like much of the Blue Ridge/South Mountain in

2793-526: The same area. However, there is evidence that life could have evolved over 4.280 billion years ago. There is a fairly solid record of bacterial life throughout the remainder (Proterozoic Eon) of the Precambrian. Complex multicellular organisms may have appeared as early as 2100 Ma. However, the interpretation of ancient fossils is problematic, and "... some definitions of multicellularity encompass everything from simple bacterial colonies to badgers." Other possible early complex multicellular organisms include

2850-529: The sedimentary rock deposited during the Paleozoic era. Much of the mountain, being shattered rock, is home to large populations of timber rattlesnakes . There are also black bears , turkeys , and deer , as well as vultures and raptors . Catoctin Mountain is home to more than 280 species of animals, including amphibians, fish, arthropods, birds, reptiles, and mammals. There is a diverse array of native trees and shrubs, which vary along different areas of

2907-479: The shattered rock and eating rodents or other small animals. Other snakes in the region include the northern black racer , northern ring neck , black rat snake , hognose , eastern milk , queen snake , northern water snake , brown water snake , green snake , and eastern garter . The other four known reptiles living on the mountain are eastern box turtles , wood turtles , eastern fence lizards , and five-lined skinks . The name Catoctin probably derives from

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2964-451: The vote. After Biden's win in 2020, the trend towards Democrats continued in 2022, as Democrats increased their majority on the County Council by one seat and gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore won the county with over 53% of the vote compared to 43% for Republican and Emmitsburg resident Dan Cox , the first time Frederick County voted for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate since William Donald Schaefer's landslide victory in 1986 . In

3021-566: Was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.17. The median age was 38.6 years. The median household income was $ 81,686 and the median family income was $ 95,036. Males had a median income of $ 62,494 and females $ 46,720. The per capita income was $ 35,172. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.<ref"> "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates" . United States Census Bureau. Archived from

3078-522: Was created in 1748 by the Province of Maryland from parts of Prince George's County and Baltimore County . In 1776, following US independence , Frederick County was divided into three parts. The westernmost portion became Washington County , named after George Washington , the southernmost portion became Montgomery County , named after another Revolutionary War general, Richard Montgomery . The northern portion remained Frederick County. In 1837,

3135-420: Was elected the first Frederick County executive in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. The members of the third Frederick County Council for the term beginning 2022 are: The Frederick County state's attorney, first elected November 2, 2010, and re-elected in 2018 and 2022, is Charlie Smith, a Republican. The sheriff of Frederick County is Republican Chuck Jenkins. Frederick County's fire and rescue service

3192-482: Was lacking in free oxygen . There is, however, evidence that an oxygen-rich atmosphere existed since the early Archean. At present, it is still believed that molecular oxygen was not a significant fraction of Earth's atmosphere until after photosynthetic life forms evolved and began to produce it in large quantities as a byproduct of their metabolism . This radical shift from a chemically inert to an oxidizing atmosphere caused an ecological crisis , sometimes called

3249-852: Was mud 551 million years ago. The RNA world hypothesis asserts that RNA evolved before coded proteins and DNA genomes. During the Hadean Eon (4,567–4,031 Ma) abundant geothermal microenvironments were present that may have had the potential to support the synthesis and replication of RNA and thus possibly the evolution of a primitive life form. It was shown that porous rock systems comprising heated air-water interfaces could allow ribozyme - catalyzed RNA replication of sense and antisense strands that could be followed by strand-dissociation, thus enabling combined synthesis, release and folding of active ribozymes. This primitive RNA replicative system also may have been able to undergo template strand switching during replication ( genetic recombination ) as

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