Clara Barton National Historic Site · National Register of Historic Places
Glen Echo’s story
137 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1889Glen Echo is settled
Glen EchoMD
A town of 277, settled in 1889.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: G. Edward Johnson · CC BY 4.0
Population
277
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$1.29M
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$214K
median
Median age
47.5
years
Jobs based here
67
A commuter town
Is Glen Echo a good place to live?
82% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Glen Echo, against 42% in Maryland’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 262 Maryland towns we compare have a higher share of households owning their home than Glen Echo. 59% of the land in Glen Echo is conserved, above both Maryland’s towns (9.5%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Glen Echo has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Clara Barton National Historic Site and Chautauqua Tower. Glen Echo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
277 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BrookmontCabin JohnBethesdaGlen Echo
Nearby attractions
All 326 attractions →White House and 286 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Glen Echo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw7 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw7 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw8 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw7 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Glen Echo: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Glen Echo, and how to reach them.
PowerPotomac Electric Power21.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWSSC WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Glen Echo’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Maryland you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMontgomery County Board of ElectionsMontgomery County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code2081220812 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 11, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Glen Echo.
Housing
Glen Echo’s typical home value is about $1.29M
The typical Glen Echo home is worth about $1,288,000, about the same as a year ago, 3 times the Maryland typical home.
$1.29MZillow home value
Typical home value
Glen Echo$1.29M
Maryland$425K
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
Glen Echo stands out in Maryland and nationally: trail density there is higher
The trail density in Glen Echo is 3.0 miles per square mile. 0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
59.4%conserved
59.4%
conserved · 47 of 80 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Glen Echo Park | — | 11 |
| 2. Cabin John Stream Valley Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Glen Echo
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesEarthquakes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Compared with most of Maryland and the rest of the country, the median household income in Glen Echo is higher
Glen Echo’s median household income is $214,000. Among 262 Maryland towns, just 4 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Glen Echo. Jobs based in Glen Echo fell to 67 in 2023, 38 fewer than in 2013.
0%work in town
| Glen Echo | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $214,000 | $113,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.1% | 7% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 32 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Glen Echo0%
Washington38%
Bethesda14%
Rockville4%
Cabin John4%
8 mi
median commute distance
67
jobs based in Glen Echo
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Glen Echo
Glen Echo has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 6 inches of snow falls in a winter.
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–45°
Spring44–65°
Summer66–85°
Fall48–68°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Glen Echo is
Glen Echo beats the Maryland average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 10% of Glen Echo adults report frequent mental distress. Of the 262 Maryland towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Glen Echo.
| Glen Echo | Maryland towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 38% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 34% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 36% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Maryland
25 better5 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Glen Echo | MD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 2.5% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 7.6% |
Suburban Hospital
2.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Glen Echo
17pages on Glen Echo
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
35 within 15 miles of the center of Glen Echo
Wesley Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Washington, DC3.5 miUniversity of the District of ColumbiaUniversity or college · Public · Washington, DC4.4 mi$5,662 in-state tuitionMontgomery CollegeCommunity college · Public · Rockville9 mi$5,394 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Glen Echo residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Maryland.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Glen Echo for work
Where Glen Echo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
67jobs based in Glen Echo
0%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
3 places in Glen Echo on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Glen Echo
Town in Maryland, United States
Glen Echo is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, that was chartered in 1904. The population was 279 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 0.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 135 ft
- ZIP code
- 20812
- Area code
- 301, 240
Questions about Glen Echo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Glen Echo, MD a good place to live?
Glen Echo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.