Catonsville, Maryland, is a small city less than 10 miles from the heart of Baltimore. While it is part of Baltimore County, which has steadily increased in population, Catonsville has hovered at roughly 40,000 residents for over a decade. “Catonsville is the place for longtime relationships and longtime traditions,” says Karen Paris, coordinator for the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce. “Once people come here, they stay here, and their kids stay here, too.” The community is centered around Frederick Road, a de facto Main Street packed with businesses and restaurants where locals gather on weekends and special occasions. But Catonsville is also close to Route 40, so residents have access to big-box stores and shopping destinations in nearby Ellicott City.
Despite national renown as the home of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, the local view of Catonsville reveals it as the kind of place where neighbors look forward to staking out their patch of curb to watch the Fourth of July parade, getting together for live music or simply catching up over a coffee at Atwater’s on Saturday morning. “When my husband and I were getting married, he asked me where I’d like to live,” Paris adds. “I said, ‘Anywhere, as long as it’s in Catonsville .'”
Varied home styles west of Baltimore dating to the 1800s
Many homes in Catonsville were built in the 1950s, but construction years range from the mid-1800s to the present. Common options include Colonial-style single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses. Multifamily homes and townhouses tend to cost between $350,000 and $500,000. Most detached houses sit on quarter-acre lawns, with a few larger historical estates concentrated in the Old Catonsville Historic District. Prices range from around $450,000 to over $600,000. Although new construction is not common, what large Modern Traditional homes have been built often reach over $750,000. Properties surrounding Patapsco Valley State Park yield the highest price point because of their proximity to protected green space, while houses east of Interstate 695 offer the lowest prices.
Homes in Catonsville are surrounded by beautiful shrubbery.
Townhomes in Catonsville are a great spot to live with your family.
Walk through your arch of trees into your new home in Catonsville.
There are many traditional style homes in Catonsville.
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County is among the top 150 in the country
Students in Catonsville can attend Baltimore County Public Schools, which earns an overall B from Niche and has an 89 percent graduation rate. The district works with the Community College of Baltimore County to offer courses across 11 different subjects to high school students. There are also private school options in the area. St. Mark School has been serving kindergarten through eighth-grade students in Catonsville for over 125 years. Faith-based high schools like Mount de Sales Academy and Mount Saint Joseph High School, both founded in 1876, offer alternatives for young women and men, respectively.
It is difficult to discuss Catonsville in conversation without mentioning the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The campus is located on Hilltop Road, with the university boasting nearly 14,000 students and over 100 programs and degrees. UMBC was ranked among the top 150 universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The university is a major employer and a cultural hub of the area, hosting live comedy, concerts and sporting events year-round.
Welcome to Hillcrest Elementary School in the Catonsville neighborhood.
Catonsville Elementary School has a walk up ramp for special needs in Catonsville, MD.
Catonsville High School helps kid exceed in Catonsville.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County is an easy campus to walk.
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Buying groceries and guitars in Music City, Maryland
Locals head to Route 40 to pick up groceries at the H-Mart or Giant, with Walmart right next door for big-box shopping. Atwater’s Catonsville is a locally famous coffee house that fills up quickly on weekend mornings. Peace A Pizza on Mellor Avenue has been a community staple for decades, offering unique toppings by the slice and dozens of ice cream flavors for post-soccer team gatherings. A trip to Catonsville isn’t complete without stopping in at Bill’s Music House, a family-owned and operated music store that opened in 1965. The giant neon electric guitar above the entrance is an iconic feature of the city, and a giant portrait of Bill’s face remains painted on the side of the building. Bill’s offers new and used gear, vintage instruments, rentals and lessons. Trax on Wax, a record store with an extensive selection, is located just one block from Bill’s. One block farther is the Appalachian Bluegrass store, which sells acoustic instruments. This concentration of music stores and concert venues that define its culture led to Catonsville’s designation as Music City, Maryland, in 2002.
H Mart offers goods found in various Asian supermarkets.
Trax on Wax has a large collection of records for sale.
The Bill's Music neon sign is an iconic feature of Catonsville.
Appalachian Bluegrass sells a variety of acoustic instruments in Catonsville, Maryland.
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Festivals and markets take place regularly on Frederick Road
Music is a significant contributor to Catonsville’s culture. Frederick Road Fridays, which runs from June to August, is a free concert series that raises money for local nonprofits; every week, a new local band takes center stage, weather permitting. Concerts continue to be held throughout the year by the Music City Maryland Association, and live music is ubiquitous at bars and restaurants up and down the street. Come autumn, the Catonsville Arts and Crafts Festival brings over 100 local artisans and vendors to town, and the seasonal Sunday Farmers Market takes over Mellor Avenue weekly from late spring to November. The Fourth of July parade is a point of pride for Catonsville residents. “The parade starts at 3 p.m., and fireworks start at 9 p.m. at the high school every year like clockwork,” Paris says. Residents claim their spots along the parade route weeks in advance, leaving lawn chairs, small sofas or traffic cones along the side of the road to mark their territory.
Every week from June to August, a new local band takes the stage at Frederick Road Fridays.
Catonsville celebrates its 77th Parade and Fireworks.
Pick out fresh produce from the Catonsville Wednesday Farmers Market.
Foodies can find a variety of vendors at the Baltimore County Arts Guild Holiday Market.
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Patapsco Valley State Park and the No. 9 Trolley Trail
Catonsville rubs shoulders with the massive Patapsco Valley State Park, which spans 32 miles and over 16,000 acres across multiple counties. There are over 200 miles of trails to explore, and locals take to them for hiking trips across swinging bridges or for mountain biking excursions. Local anglers enjoy fishing in the river, and there are multiple camping areas scattered about. The park also hosts events for all ages, from painting nights to the Boy Scouts’ annual Klondike Derby. In addition, the Catonsville Rails to Trails program maintains three trails on the sites of former trolley lines. Among the most popular is the No. 9 Trolley Trail, which runs just over a mile from Catonsville Middle School to Ellicott City’s historic district.
Daniels Dam is a hidden gem for locals to enjoy in Ellicott City, Maryland.
The Hollofield area of Patapsco Park in Ellicott City offers a spot to cool down in the summer.
Patapsco Valley State Parks Avalon Area offers a variety of outdoor amenities and trails.
The Trolley Line #9 Trail is a 1.25 mile boardwalk and paved trail in Catonsville, MD.
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The Baltimore Beltway and beyond
The Baltimore CityLink Purple Line bus runs through Catonsville on Frederick Road, operating from North Rolling Road 6 miles east to Bentalou Street in Baltimore. Residents are also a stone’s throw from Route 40, which connects them to Ellicott City and brings them 9 miles east to Johns Hopkins Hospital, and to the Baltimore Beltway, granting easy access to the rest of Charm City. Turning onto South Rolling Road will bring locals 8 miles south to Baltimore Washington International Airport.
Declining reports of crime in Catonsville
According to the Baltimore County Police Department, property crimes comprised 70 percent of reports in Catonsville’s 21228 ZIP code in 2023, and the 21228 ZIP code accounted for just over 4 percent of crimes reported in Baltimore County from November 2022 to November 2023. The police department also reports that violent crime rates dropped between 2020 and 2021, as did overall calls for service.
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