Bethesda is an urbanized, but unincorporated, area in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a church located there, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church, built in 1820 and rebuilt in 1850, which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda. (In Aramaic, beth hesda means "house of mercy".)
As an unincorporated area, Bethesda has no official boundaries. The United States Census Bureau defines a Census-Designated Place named Bethesda whose center is located at 38°59' North, 77°7' West. The United States Geological Survey has defined Bethesda as an area whose center is at 38°58 50 N, 77°6 2W, slightly different from the Census Bureau's definition. Other definitions are used by the Bethesda Urban Planning District, the United States Postal Service, and other organizations. As of 2000, the Census-defined community had a total population of 55,277.
History section open
With so much new construction and development, it is especially important that we remember the architectural underpinnings of our community. Over the coming months, we will be presenting a series of articles on buildings of historic significance in Bethesda.
Forums now open!
The forums have now been open to the public. Talk about sports, real estate, downtown, and upcoming events. Your account for AllBethesda will work on the forums too so no extra signing up is necessary.