Towson, MD: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Towson is a large unincorporated community, usually a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 57,817, sits at 39.394°N, 76.619°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 Towson, MD?

What is the population of Towson, MD?

Towson has an estimated population of 57,817. That makes it the 16th largest of the 510 places we list in Maryland, and the 2nd largest of 31 places in Baltimore County. The typical place in Maryland has about 2,304 residents, so Towson is roughly 25.1 times the size of a typical neighbor 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 Bethesda (63,195), Dundalk (63,015), Bowie (58,643), Aspen Hill (53,049), Severn (50,496). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Towson differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Towson?

Towson has about 4,084 people per square mile (1,577 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Maryland, it is denser than about 85% 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 Towson use?

The postal data lists 10 ZIP codes for Towson: 21210, 21212, 21239, 21252, 21209, 21204, 21286, 21139, 21284, 21285. A long list like this is typical of a large city, where dozens of delivery areas, PO box codes and institutional codes sit inside the same municipality. 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 Towson in?

Towson 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 508 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 Towson located in Maryland?

Towson lies in the northern part of Maryland, at 39.394° north latitude and 76.619° west longitude. The state capital, Annapolis, is about 30 miles to the south. The closest listed place in another state is New Freedom, PA, roughly 24 miles to the north, which shows how near Towson is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Baltimore, MD, 6 miles to the south.

Which cities are near Towson, MD?

The closest listed place to Towson is Lutherville, MD, 2.0 miles to the north. Of the eight nearest places below, 8 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Towson in?

Towson is in Baltimore County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 24005. The county contains 31 places in our data, 29 of which have their own page here and 2 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Dundalk (63,015), Catonsville (41,547), Woodlawn (40,469), Essex (39,437), Randallstown (35,528). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Towson from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Towson is closest to New York, NY at about 168 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 2,321 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 Towson?

No. In our data, Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Planning a move to Towson?

If you are weighing Towson, 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. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. 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.