Dundalk is a census-designated place located in Baltimore County, Maryland. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 62,306.

History

The area now know as Dundalk was first explored by John Smith in 1608, when while conducting an expedition up the Chesapeake Bay he landed on the area known as the Patapsco Neck . Up until this time the was occupied by the tribes of the Susquehanna Indians .

In 1664 Thomas Todd of Virginia purchased 1,150 acres (4.7 km²) of land on the Patapsco Neck , this being the first deed in Baltimore County. The original house, “Todd’s Inheritance”, was burnt by the British during the War of 1812. After the war the was house rebuilt, and it still stands today as a historical landmark.

In 1895 Henry McShane, an immigrant from Ireland, established the McShane Bell Foundry on the banks of the Patapsco River in the then far southeastern outskirts of Baltimore. The foundry, today gone, manufactured cast iron pipes and furnace fittings. When asked by the Baltimore and Sparrows Point Railroad for a name of a depot for the foundry, which was on their rail line, he wrote Dundalk, after the town of his birth Dundalk, Ireland.

In 1916 the Bethlehem Steel Company purchased 1,000 acres (4 km²) of farmland, near the McShane foundry, to develop housing for its shipyard workers. The Dundalk Company was formed to plan a town in the new style, similar to that of the Roland Park are of Baltimore, excluding businesses except at specific spots and leaving land for future development of schools, playing fields, and parks. By 1917 Dundalk proper was founded, by then it had 62 houses, 2 stores, a post office, and a telephone exchange.

Geography

Dundalk is located at 39°15'57" North, 76°30'19" West (39.265957, -76.505182).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 45.0 km² (17.4 mi²). 34.4 km² (13.3 mi²) of it is land and 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 23.58% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 62,306 people, 24,772 households, and 16,968 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 1,810.1/km² (4,689.5/mi²). There are 26,385 housing units at an average density of 766.5/km² (1,985.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 89.58% White, 7.51% African American, 0.57% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 1.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 24,772 households out of which 29.2% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% are married couples living together, 16.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% are non-families. 26.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 2.98.

In the CDP the population is spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 39 years. For every 100 females there are 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP is $39,789, and the median income for a family is $46,035. Males have a median income of $36,512 versus $25,964 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $18,543. 9.2% of the population and 6.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.3% of those under the age of 18 and 6.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

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