Laurel

Laurel was originally a mill town, using the Patuxent River as the source of energy for the mill. It's also been home to the Laurel Park horse track for almost 100 years. While the city of Laurel is located in Prince George's County, "Greater Laurel" actually includes parts of four counties - Prince George's, Montgomery, Howard and Anne Arundel. The city's proximity to both Baltimore and Washington make it a good location for commuting in either direction. Recent growth in the Laurel area has been driven by the nearby Fort Meade and National Security Agency (NSA) facilities.

Laurel's commercial life first centered on the city's Main Street, still home to a number of locally-owned and operated businesses and restaurants. In more recent decades retail activity centered on the Laurel Mall and Laurel Shopping Center next door. Since the mid-1990's the mall has slowly declined as more popular shopping centers were built to the south (along U.S. Route 1) and to the east (the Maryland City area along Route 198).

You'll never have trouble finding a place to eat in Laurel, with literally dozens of restaurants located in the two mile stretch along Route 1 south of the Patuxent River. Just about every national chain restaurant has an outlet in this zone and you'll also find such local favorites as The Bay & Surf, C.J. Ferrari's and Pasta Plus.

The city of Laurel is governed by an elected mayor and city council, each serving two-year terms. There are five members of the city council, two from each of two wards plus one at-large member. Almost all of the city's departments are located in the city hall building on Sandy Spring Road.

Prince George's County is one of two Maryland counties that border Washington, DC. The county has an elected County Executive and County Council, with representatives from each of the county's nine districts. Montgomery County, Howard County, and Anne Arundel County also operate under the "Council/Executive" model.

Public schools in Laurel are part of the Prince George's Public School system. The local high school is Laurel High School, fed by the middle schools and elementary schools of Prince George's region 5. Local private schools include St. Vincent Palotti High School and the First Baptist School of Laurel.