Chevy Chase, Residential community in Montgomery County, Maryland
Chevy Chase is a residential community in Montgomery County, Maryland, spreading across parks and quiet streets lined with traditional early 20th-century homes. The area sits at an elevation of 318 feet (97 meters) and borders the northern neighborhoods of Washington D.C.
Senator Francis G. Newlands founded the Chevy Chase Land Company in the late 19th century to develop the area as a residential suburb linked to Washington by streetcar. The first settlers moved in during the 1890s, creating a planned neighborhood outside the capital.
The name comes from a colonial land grant issued in 1725, recalling a border skirmish between England and Scotland. Today residents walk tree-lined sidewalks past front yards and meet at neighborhood parks, maintaining a quiet suburban rhythm close to the capital.
Most streets are quiet and walkable, with sidewalks running through shaded avenues. Public transit connects the community to downtown Washington through bus lines and nearby Metro stations.
The original streetcar line that Colonel Newlands built for his new settlement was meant to attract riders and raise the value of surrounding lots. Many of the neighborhood street names reference Scottish places, echoing the historical connection behind the community name.
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