| Official Name: | Hancock, Maryland |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 250x200px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Maryland |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Washington |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1853[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 7.78 |
| Area Land Km2: | 7.73 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.05 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.00 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 2.98 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.02 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1557 |
| Population Density Km2: | 201.50 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 521.96 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation Ft: | 564 |
| Coordinates: | 39.7064°N -78.1756°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 21750 |
| Area Code: | 301, 240 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 24-36600 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2390229 |
Hancock is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,557 at the 2020 census. The Western Maryland community is notable for being located at the narrowest part of the state. The north–south distance from the Pennsylvania state line to the West Virginia state line is only 1.8 miles (2.9 km) at Hancock.
Prior to the current name, the settlement was named "William's Town" for William McClary.The name Hancock comes from Edward Joseph Hancock, Jr. (July 21, 1758-September 2, 1834),[3] [4] who fought alongside George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Individuals began settling in the area of modern-day Hancock during the 1730s. During the Civil War, on January 5, 1862, General Stonewall Jackson began the siege of the town, but did not succeed due to weather conditions.[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.75sqmi, of which 2.73sqmi is land and 0.02sqmi is water.[6]
The state of Maryland narrows to a width of less than two miles (3 km) in the Hancock area—the smallest non-vertex border-to-border distance of any U.S. state.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal passes through the town, and the Western Maryland Rail Trail connects Hancock with Fort Frederick State Park.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Hancock has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[7]
The primary means of travel to and from Hancock is by road. Interstate 70 is the main highway serving the town. I-70 continues east to Baltimore and west to the southern suburbs of Pittsburgh. U.S. Route 40 runs concurrently with I-70 through the town, but just to the northwest, splits with I-70 to follow Interstate 68 westward towards Cumberland. U.S. Route 522 also traverses Hancock, heading northwest with I-70 into Pennsylvania and southward into eastern West Virginia towards Winchester, Virginia. Within the town, Maryland Route 144 serves as a local service route, following Main Street.
As of the census[8] of 2010, there were 1,545 people, 694 households, and 407 families living in the town. The population density was 565.9PD/sqmi. There were 821 housing units at an average density of 300.7/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 694 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.4% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.86.
The median age in the town was 40.7 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 1,725 people, 735 households, and 462 families living in the town. The population density was 637.8sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 803 housing units at an average density of 296.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.35% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 735 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $32,538. Males had a median income of $25,353 versus $20,304 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,758. About 11.6% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
The town government consists of five elected officials: a Mayor and four members of the Town Council. Council members are elected to four-year terms, while the Mayor is elected to a two-year term. Hancock is one of the smallest municipalities in the state of Maryland. The current mayor is Roland E. Lanehart, Jr.[10]