Clarksburg is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in northern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located at the northern end of the Interstate 270 technology corridor, approximately four miles north of Germantown. As of the 2020 census, Clarksburg had a population of 29,051.
thumb|View north along I-270 from the overpass for Maryland State Route 121 (Clarksburg Road)
History
Clarksburg is named for trader John Clarke, and was established at the intersection of the main road between Georgetown and Frederick and an old Seneca trail. One of its earliest white inhabitants was a man named Michael Ashford Dowden, who in 1752 received a patent for from the colonial government called "Hammer Hill", and two years later permission to build an inn. The inn itself is a footnote in history, hosting the army of General Edward Braddock during the French and Indian War, serving as a meeting place for local Sons of Liberty in the years before the American Revolution, and possibly serving dinner to President Andrew Jackson on his way to his inauguration. Jamie, grandson of the trader, built a general store in the area around 1770, and over the next thirty years enough people moved to the area that Clark was appointed postmaster for the community. By 1875, Clarksburg was a major town in the northern part of the county, but the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad undermined its economy.
In 1964, the Montgomery County planning commission decided that Clarksburg would be the last community along Interstate 270 that would have large-scale development. The Montgomery County Council adopted a master plan for Clarksburg in 1968, which rezoned land for a mix of townhouses and single-family houses. Another master plan was adopted in 1994. A Harris Teeter-anchored shopping center opened in 2013, and a large mall called Clarksburg Premium Outlets opened in October 2016. The shopping complex has over 90 stores and provides jobs for the region.
In June 2015, the Clarksburg Chamber of Commerce held a contest and chose a flag designed by Shaneea Peek. The inspiration of the flag was derived from Dowden's Ordinary which is a historic landmark of the community of Clarksburg.
Development
thumb|220x220px|[[Tenmile Creek (Maryland)|Ten Mile Creek, Clarksburg]]
Since 2000, there has been major growth in the area of Clarksburg. A new town center is being built in the heart of Clarksburg, near the historic center. 2010 Census data showed that over 13,677 residents and 4,352 households resided in Clarksburg, which consisted of a diverse population with a high level of education attainment. Several public parks and schools have been built to help accommodate the growth.
Zoning violations
During the boom growth period it was discovered that some of the new houses were built closer together than the minimum distance required by zoning laws, with roads built too narrow for fire trucks to pass, and homes and community facilities built without adequate permits or approvals by the county government. This was found to be the fault of inadequate county oversight and lax enforcement of building codes and laws combined with a building boom in the early 2000s.
Environmental impacts
In April 2014, the Montgomery County Council set additional limits on development projects in order to protect the quality of nearby Tenmile Creek, a drinking water source and emergency water supply for the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area. Later that year, developers filed suit against the county, claiming that the county "illegally limited construction on its property." The U.S. District Court in Maryland dismissed the suit in August 2017. The district court's dismissal was affirmed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on November 29, 2018.
Geography
thumb|Clarksburg at dusk
As an unincorporated area, Clarksburg's boundaries are not officially defined. Clarksburg is, however, recognized by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place, and by the United States Geological Survey as a populated place.
According to the United States Census Bureau, it has a total area of , of which is land and (1.82%) is water.
Roads in Clarksburg include MD 355, I-270, and MD 121.