A rapidly developing small town up the highway from Baltimore
Owings Mills, named after mill operator and landowner Samuel Owings, Jr., has grown from humble origins as a riverside colonial community to a popular destination for shopping and dining in the Baltimore metropolitan area. “For west-side Baltimore, Owings Mills is the most developed area,” says Tabitha Richards, a broker with Next Home Leaders who has 20 years of experience in the city. “It’s definitely a shopping destination, but it’s been seeing a lot of growth outside of that, too. There are new apartment complexes and townhouses, restaurants and shops, a new library and even hotels going up by the train station. There’s a lot for folks who work in Baltimore to be excited about.” Major employers like Medifast have offices in the city, and it sits at the end of the Baltimore metro line, making commutes to Johns Hopkins Hospital simple and efficient. Bustling shopping centers are balanced by winding patches of suburban streets and plentiful green space, creating a thriving urban atmosphere just outside of Baltimore proper.
A destination for shopping and dining
The main stretch of Owings Mills is known for its shopping, dining and entertainment options, and has seen a significant facelift in recent years. “They tore down the old mall and completely transformed it,” Richards says. “There are no department stores, but between Mill Station and Metro Centre you have all the other kinds of stores you’d usually find in a mall and plenty of restaurants to choose from.” Mill Station, the site of the old Owings Mills Mall, is now home to Giant Food, the area Costco and the local Towson Hot Bagels, a popular Baltimore-area franchise. Longstanding community favorites have also shared in the bounty of the new development. “Vito’s Pizza has been around since 1980, and even through all the change it’s still here,” Richards says. “They moved it into a new building, and it’s been thriving.” Big-box retailers like Target and other grocery options like Wegmans can be found along Reisterstown Road, the city’s main thoroughfare.
Welcome to the Metro Centre in Owings Mills, MD.
Linwoods is an elegant upscale restaurant with an open grill.
Hook & Reel has a bar with multiple tvs so you can enjoy the latest sports games with a vibe.
Discover a world of shopping, dining, relaxation and more at Mill Station in Owings Mills.
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Shoplifting likely boosts crime rates in Owings Mills
According to the Baltimore County Crime Data Dashboard, 67 percent of all crime in Owings Mills since 2021 has been property crime, likely driven by theft charges at the area’s many shopping centers. Only 6 percent of Baltimore County’s violent crime occurs in the city.
Townhouses and condos around the shopping centers
Over the past 10 years, the outskirts of Owings Mills have transformed from forest and farmland to tangled subdivisions. “It’s really been built up a lot recently,” Richards says. “They extended Owings Mills Boulevard to Liberty Road and built a whole townhouse community with a new elementary school. There are also new apartment and condo complexes by Foundry Row, by the train station and by McDonogh School, so there are lots of options.” Condos tend to cost between $200,000 and $400,000 depending on the number of bedrooms and the build year. Colonial Revivals and midcentury Cape Cods, priced from $200,000 to $430,000, are common detached single-family options. However, townhouses are by far the most prevalent. These typically have shuttered windows, gabled roofs and brick facades, and feature small yards and paved driveways. Prices for townhouses can range from $300,000 to $480,000.
Owings Mills, MD has local houses and neighborhoods.
Owings Mills, MD has local houses and neighborhoods.
Welcome to Owings Mills, MD most single-family homes have driveways.
Owings Mills, MD has many styles of multifamily houses in the neighborhood with parking.
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Well-regarded private schools and a highly rated university
Students in Owings Mills attend Baltimore County Public Schools, which earn an overall B from Niche. The newest is Lyons Mill Elementary, built in 2015, which scores a B. The city is also home to two well-regarded private day and boarding schools. McDonogh School and Garrison Forest School, both rated A-plus, serve students from kindergarten through grade 12. Garrison Forest is all-girls, while McDonogh is co-educational.
Since 1947, Stevenson University – formerly Villa Julie College – has been a bastion of higher education in the community. “You’d be surprised at the development they’ve done to Stevenson over the past 10 years,” Richards says. “They added a new stadium, a few athletic fields and more dorms, so there’s more of a college town vibe in that area now.” The university was rated as one of the nation’s best for veterans by U.S. News and World Report in September 2024.
The Deer Park Middle Magnet School sign on the side of the school grounds.
Welcome to New Town High in Owings Mills, MD.
Mcdonogh's campus has historic structures scattered across the area in Owings Mills, MD.
Stephenson University in Owings Mills, MD has a sports field for students.
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Connecting with nature at the parks and centers
Northwest Regional Park offers a mile-long wooded trial, picnic pavilions and several athletic fields, which host youth baseball, football and soccer games throughout the year. Irvine Nature Center, located on the opposite side of town, is the largest independent nature center in the region. It provides over 800 programs for families, educating the community about the local ecosystem and allowing residents to explore more than 200 acres of woodlands in their own backyard. Red Run Stream Valley Trail is a paved loop around the south part of the city that is popular for dog walking, hiking, biking and birdwatching.
Northwest Regional Park hosts many of the area's little league events in Owings Mills, MD.
Irvine Nature Center offers free interactive programs for children & adults.
Explore 200 acres of woodlands and learn about the local ecosystem at Owings Mills, MD.
Red Run Park's, Red Run Valley Trail is paved along the Red Run Stream in Baltimore, Maryland.
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Navigating between Owings Mills and Baltimore
Owings Mills is accessible via Interstate 795, which connects to the Baltimore Beltway and makes commutes to the city simple. Those who wish to avoid the infamous traffic, however, have public transportation available. “The metro makes it pretty easy to commute to the city since it goes right to Johns Hopkins,” Richards says. Owings Mills is the northwestern terminus of the Baltimore Metro Subwaylink, and trains from here to the Johns Hopkins Hospital make the trip in around 30 minutes.
Owings Mills Metro Stop is sued everyday for transportation to and from Owings Mills, MD.
For those looking to travel out of the city, BWI Airport is the closest airport in Baltimore, MD
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The Pikesville Farmers Market and open practices at Under Armor Center
The Northwest Chamber of Commerce hosts a farmers market in nearby Pikesville, so residents can pick up fresh produce, baked goods, crabcakes and more from June to October. In December, locals who attend the Metro Centre’s tree lighting ceremony are treated to hot chocolate and carol performances. During the NFL’s preseason, traffic gets busy on Lyons Mill Road as visitors flock to watch the Ravens’ open practices at the Under Armor Performance Center.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
