Frederick, MD: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Frederick is an incorporated city in Frederick County, Maryland. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 156,787, sits at 39.434°N, 77.414°W, and observes Eastern time. Below you will find how it ranks inside Maryland, which ZIP codes it uses, the closest places around it, and how far it is from major US cities.

What are the key facts about Frederick, MD?

What is the population of Frederick, MD?

Frederick has an estimated population of 156,787. That makes it the 3rd largest of 510 places in Maryland, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in Maryland has about 2,304 residents, so Frederick is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Maryland with a similar population include Hagerstown (184,755), Salisbury (106,447), Columbia (103,991), Germantown (90,582), Silver Spring (81,773). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Frederick differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Frederick?

Frederick has about 3,035 people per square mile (1,172 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Maryland, it is denser than about 77% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Frederick use?

Frederick uses 5 ZIP codes: 21705, 21703, 21702, 21701, 21709. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 2 are assigned to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast (D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Frederick in?

Frederick is in the Eastern time zone, which is UTC−5 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/New_York). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Fairfield Glade, TN, about 471 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Eastern time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Frederick located in Maryland?

Frederick lies in the northern part of Maryland, at 39.434° north latitude and 77.414° west longitude. The state capital, Annapolis, is about 58 miles to the southeast. The closest listed place in another state is Shepherdstown, WV, roughly 21 miles to the west, which shows how near Frederick is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Hagerstown, MD, 22 miles to the northwest.

Which cities are near Frederick, MD?

The closest listed place to Frederick is Ballenger Creek, MD, 3.7 miles to the south. Of the eight nearest places below, 7 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Frederick in?

Frederick is in Frederick County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 24021. The county contains 24 places in our data, 9 of which have their own page here and 15 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Ballenger Creek (21,080), Urbana (12,587), Brunswick (9,393), Linganore (9,112), Thurmont (7,659). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Frederick from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Frederick is closest to New York, NY at about 204 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 2,278 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Frederick?

Yes. Our data lists 4 other places named Frederick: Frederick, CO (13,960), Frederick, OK (3,545), Frederick, SD (196), Frederick, KS (19). When you search for Frederick, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland.

Planning a move to Frederick?

If you are weighing Frederick, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. See the cities within 50 miles of Frederick to understand the surrounding region. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.