North Potomac is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located less than north of the Potomac River, and is about from Washington, D.C. It has a population of 23,790 as of 2020.
The region's land was originally used for growing tobacco, which was replaced by wheat and dairy farming after the soil became depleted. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was used by local farmers to ship their grain (or flour made from the grain at the local mills), and two former canal locks are located less than away in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In addition, infrastructure remains for what was one of the state's leading dairy farms during the first half of the 20th century.
North Potomac did not get an identity of its own until 1989, when the United States Post Office allowed the use of the North Potomac name for what is mostly a collection of housing sub-divisions, farms, and wooded parks. The United States Census Bureau listed a North Potomac in 1970 but not 1980. In 2000, it began recognizing North Potomac as a census designated place. Today, the community benefits from its proximity to workplaces such as the Shady Grove Hospital area and the I-270 Technology Corridor. Washington, D.C. is accessible by automobile or public transportation. The median household income is nearly $160,000, and nearly half of the eligible residents have a graduate or professional degree.
History
thumb|300px|right|Darnestown and Hunting Hill in 1878|alt=old mapCaptain John Smith explored the Potomac River in 1608 and mapped the area, including land that would become Montgomery County. The first settlements were established in 1688, and were near Rock Creek and what became Rockville. The next stage of settlements was further west along the Potomac near Darnestown and Poolesville. The land had been occupied by Native Americans of the Piscataway Confederation.
Originally, the land around present-day North Potomac was used by European settlers to grow tobacco and corn. During the 19th century, a network of roads, mills, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a.k.a. C&O Canal) provided farmers with better access to markets. Dufief Mill Road, which runs through the center of North Potomac, leads to the DuFief Mill (established 1850)—one of the mills that were used by farmers in this part of Montgomery County.<!--DuFief spelled his name with a capital F, but the road does not!--> By 1840, much of the county's soil was depleted. Quakers began introducing improved farming practices and agriculture was revitalized. By 1860, farmers were growing corn, wheat and oats.
In 1878, present day North Potomac was still farmland. The nearest general stores and post offices were in Hunting Hill, Travilah, and Darnestown. The Hunting Hill Post Office and general store was located on Darnestown Road between Muddy Branch Road and Travilah Road, and it also provided wheelwright and blacksmith services. It operated from 1873 until 1929. Travilah, located closer to the canal, had a general store but no name in 1878. The Travilah Post Office was established in 1883, and the community eventually took that name. Eventually, some of the farmland was sold. During the Great Depression, some farmers became eager to sell their land because of financial hardship. Wealthy individuals began buying property in the Potomac area as part of their search for land where they could ride horses and hunt. Some of this equestrian heritage continues in North Potomac today at the Potomac Horse Center. Mortgage banker Frederick Harting established this training facility, for horses and riders, in the early 1960s. It was purchased by Montgomery County in 1981 and has been the site of horse shows.
Several area farms, such as the 355-acre (144 ha) Maple Spring Farm, continued well into the 20th century. Much of this farm's land was sold in the 1970s and became North Potomac's DuFief subdivision. In 1970, the United States Census Bureau considered North Potomac an unincorporated place that was part of the Darnestown and Travilah areas. By 1989, North Potomac consisted of about 25 housing subdivisions mixed with old farms. About 80 percent of those subdivisions were built since 1983. The last major farm in the area is the Hanson Farm, and work began in 2009 for approval to build single-family homes on the farmland.
Historic places
thumb|right|Circa 1850 barn at site where John L. DuFief built a mill complex that connected to the C&O Canal|alt=rustic old red barn
The historic DuFief Mill site is located near the intersection of Turkey Foot Road and the Muddy Branch in Muddy Branch Regional Park. A road connected his gristmill, blacksmith's shop, and miller's house to the Pennyfield Lock on the C&O Canal, where he operated a warehouse, barrel house, and wharf. The canal was necessary because the Potomac River was not navigable by ships and barges at Great Falls. Construction of the C&O Canal, which began in the 1830s and was completed in 1850, opened the region to important markets and lowered shipping costs. After DuFief established this mill and its access to the canal, more roads were constructed, which enabled him to serve farmers from as far away as Germantown and Damascus in addition to the local growers. The Pleasant View Historic Site consists of the Pleasant View Methodist Episcopal Church (chapel built in 1914), Pleasant View Cemetery, and the Quince Orchard Colored School (built in 1901). All structures are located on the south side of Darnestown Road near the Quince Orchard area. The church's congregation was established around 1868. The Poplar Grove Baptist Church, located on Jones Lane, is the sole surviving 19th century Baptist church of an African-American congregation in Montgomery County. The church was built in 1893 near a tributary of the Muddy Branch, and immersion baptisms are said to have taken place in the tributary during the church's early years. As of the 2010 census, North Potomac is located north of the Potomac River in west central Montgomery County, roughly from Washington, D.C. It is bordered to the north by Gaithersburg, which lies beyond Maryland Route 28 (Darnestown Road). Rockville, along Glen Road, is on the east border, while the Travilah CDP, mostly along Travilah Road, forms the southern border. The Darnestown CDP along Jones Lane and Turkey Foot Road forms the western boundary.
Between the 1990 and 2000 census, North Potomac gained and lost land. The loss was caused when a portion of the North Potomac territory, plus Potomac territory, was used to create the Travilah census designated place. The United States Geological Survey lists two features in Montgomery County with North Potomac in all or part of their name. The North Potomac Census Designated Place is listed with an elevation of , while the North Potomac Populated Place has an elevation of .