Bethesda is an unincorporated municipality located in the southern part of Montgomery County, Maryland. Situated just outside of Washington, D.C., Bethesda is a wealthy and well-educated area, many of whose residents commute to Washington for work. The community derived its name from one of its long-standing landmarks, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. Other notable landmarks in Bethesda include the National Naval Medical Center (also known as Bethesda Naval Hospital), one of the nation’s largest and most renowned military medical centers; the headquarters of Lockheed Martin Corporation, largest provider of information technology services to the U.S. Government; the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division; and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Venues for the performing arts in Bethesda include Imagination Stage, a family arts center that fosters youth participation in professional theatre and arts education experiences. Round House Theatre, one of the area's largest and most acclaimed professional theatre companies, produces hundreds of performances each season at its 400-seat Bethesda facility. Bethesda also boasts a number of parks and outdoor recreational sites. Among these is the Capital Crescent Trail, a shared-use (walking, jogging, biking, and roller blading) trail stretching from Georgetown to Silver Spring, which passes directly through the center of Bethesda.
Bethesda hosts a number of events and festivals throughout the year. Some of these include: the Bethesda Fine Arts Festival, a May weekend event featuring arts and crafts, live entertainment and food; the Bethesda Literary Festival, a 3-day event held in April; Imagination Bethesda, a June children's street festival; the Summer Concert Series, which takes place on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday evenings during May, June and July; October's Taste of Bethesda, a food and music festival featuring four stages of entertainment and samplings from 50 restaurants; and December's Winter Wonderland, featuring concerts, a live ice sculpting presentation, and a visit from Santa.
When visiting Bethesda travel to Chevy Chase, Rockville and Silver Springs is easy as the area is boundary-less. The National Institutes of Health are located in the city. If you're taking a few days off in the city, the institute is the place to go for tours. They offer excellent and informative public tours of the area. The location is also home to the C&O Canal National Historic Park. The historic park is situated alongside the ambling Potomac River and the almost 200-mile Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Park Trail.
The Dennis & Phillip Ratner Museum is wonderful Bethesda attraction and is of particular interest to art lovers. Visitors can explore the museum on Sundays between 10am and 4;30pm, taking in the many drawings, paintings, graphics and sculptures that are displayed throughout. McCrillis Gardens and Gallery is another Bethesda attraction with an assortment of beautiful art and plant displays to soak in. It's one of the more relaxing places to visit and a nice way to start the day. The National Library of Medicine, the largest of its kind in the world, might also be an interesting place to visit during a Bethesda vacation. It has a large collection of medical texts including many rare books and a great reading room.
Housint Cost
Living in downtown Bethesda means living in a lively urban community filled with 500 retail businesses and services, three live theatres, 20 art galleries and much more! Apartments and condominiums in Bethesda offer convenient and luxurious living.
Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $833,000
Demographics
Population 2000 - 55,277 people.Bethesda covers 13.1 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 303 feet above sea level.
Zip codes: 20814, 20816, 20817
Weather
Bethesda, MD climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 89.10 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 23.90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and moderate during winter with an average difference of 21 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Bethesda is 45.11 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is May with an average rainfall of 4.42 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
its name from one of its long-standing landmarks, the Bethesda Presbyterian Church. Other notable landmarks in Bethesda include the National Naval Medical Center (also known as Bethesda Naval Hospital), one of the nation’s largest and most renowned military medical centers; the headquarters of Lockheed Martin Corporation, largest provider of information technology services to the U.S. Government; the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division; and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.