Welcome to Potomac ...
Potomac is located in Montgomery County<1>.
The location of Potomac has been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (ie- the GNIS).<2>
While we don't have a date for the founding of Potomac, you might get a feel for it by knowing that during our research the earliest mention that we found (so far) was in a book dated 1895.
Potomac is 350 feet [107 m] above sea level.<3>.
Time Zone: Potomac lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time
Area codes for Potomac: (301) & (240)<4>
The ZIP codes for Potomac: 20854, 20859<5>
Communities Also Named Potomac ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are two Maryland communities named Potomac: This one is located in Montgomery County and the other is located in Allegany County.
Beyond Maryland, there are 10 communities that are also named Potomac - they are located in Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, Virginia (3) and West Virginia (2).
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Potomac.
Communities near Potomac ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Potomac.
- Arlington
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arlington
- Arlington is located in Arlington County (VA)
- Population from the 2010 Census: 207,627 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Arlington <6>
- Alexandria
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alexandria
- Alexandria is located in Alexandria City (VA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 158,726 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alexandria <6>
- Rockville
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockville
- Rockville is located in Montgomery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69,512 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rockville <6>
- Gaithersburg
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gaithersburg
- Gaithersburg is located in Montgomery County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 67,741 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gaithersburg <6>
- Leesburg
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Leesburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Leesburg
- Leesburg is located in Loudoun County (VA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54,488 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Leesburg <6>
- College Park
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for College Park have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for College Park
- College Park is located in Prince George's County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 32,173 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for College Park <6>
- Laurel
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Laurel have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laurel
- Laurel is located in Prince George's County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 25,548 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Laurel <6>
- Herndon
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herndon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herndon
- Herndon is located in Fairfax County (VA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 24,573 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Herndon <6>
- Fairfax
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairfax
- Fairfax is located in Fairfax City (VA)
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23,429 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Fairfax <6>
- Greenbelt
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenbelt have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenbelt
- Greenbelt is located in Prince George's County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23,229 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenbelt <6>
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Potomac. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Potomac.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Potomac. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Potomac.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Potomac. See our Newspapers Page for Potomac.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Potomac ...
Looking for more information about Potomac? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Potomac, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Potomac.
Adding Potomac to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Potomac in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Potomac was in the book titled Business Atlas and Shippers' Guide (1895).
We also found Potomac on a map titled Rand McNally Map of Maryland (1911).
For more details, see References and Mentions for Potomac.
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Potomac. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Montgomery County: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/
The official website for State of Maryland: www.maryland.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of Maryland's counties, including Montgomery, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <3> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Potomac - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <4> | Area code (240) is an overlay for area code (301). |
| <5> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Potomac). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Potomac or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <6> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |