Bethesda is a D.C. suburb with a distinct, metropolitan character
Less than 10 miles northwest of downtown Washington, D.C., Bethesda is often considered an extension of the nation’s capital. But with 68,000 residents, the suburb has an identity of its own. “Of course, there are tons of D.C. commuters, but a lot of people actually live and work in Bethesda, too,” says Toni Gage, a Realtor with Re/Max Platinum Realty who has sold several homes in the area. Bethesda is home to several major corporations and world-renowned hospitals. Commuters have easy access to Metro stations, bus routes, and Interstate 495, locally called the Capital Beltway. Gage adds that Bethesda offers more than just employment opportunities and commuter convenience. “It’s shockingly metropolitan for a suburb. There’s a really lively downtown district, amazing shopping centers and some great hiking trails that lead right into D.C.”
Employment opportunities are endless and close by in North Bethesda, including Host Hotels.
Whether for work or play, the Bethesda metro is the most convenient way into the city.
Bethesda row is a great place to grab some ice cream with friends on a hot summer day.
Located near the Wyngate neighborhood, the Bethesda Trolley Trail is a 4-mile path in Bethesda.
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Homes cost more than the Montgomery County median price
Old and new architecture coexist in Bethesda. Greenwich Forest has Colonial and Tudor Revivals dating back to the 1920s, while custom-built contemporary-style houses from the 2010s dot Edgemoor’s sidewalk-lined streets. Split levels and Cape Cod cottages built between the ‘40s and ’50s are in Wyngate, and downtown Bethesda has multi-family options. The median townhouse price in Bethesda is about $1.3 million, while the median single-family home price is $1.6 million. Both medians are higher than Montgomery County’s $600,000. Condos can cost between $300,000 and $1.3 million. Houses here typically sell after 25 days on the market, faster than the national average of 44 days.
Based on 2023 data from the Maryland State Police, there were 550 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Montgomery County, compared to Maryland’s rate of 1,022 per 100,000 people. The county’s property crime rate was 2,560 per 100,000, lower than Maryland's 3,069.
Rows of single family homes line the quiet, residential streets in Downtown Bethesda
Bradmoor locals take advantage of long walks through the neighborhood's spacious streets.
Woodhaven is prominently known for the high number of tudor-style homes found within.
The Loinsgate Condominium is an architectural masterpiece located in south Woodmont Triangle.
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Hospitals are major employers in Bethesda
“It’s rare to meet someone in Bethesda who doesn’t work for the government, a hospital or a biotech place in Rockville,” Gage says. Bethesda is home to several prestigious medical facilities, including the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins Suburban Hospital. Around 7,100 people work at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which has a 243-acre campus in Bethesda. Other major employers headquartered here include Marriott International and Lockheed Martin. There are over 170 science companies in Rockville, 9 miles north.
Bethesda is home to the prestigious Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
For those in the medical field, the NIH campus is only 20 minutes from Germantown.
Johns Hopkins Suburban Hospital is a large North Bethesda employer, found along route 187.
Rockville is home to many life science employers along interstate 270.
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Commuters can take the Metro, ride a bus or drive to D.C.
Bethesda has two Metro stations. The Medical Center station is between the National Institute of Health Campus and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, while the Bethesda Metro station is downtown. Both stations follow the Red Line, reaching downtown D.C. in about 20 minutes. The Purple Line is currently being built here. Completion is scheduled for 2027 and will add 21 stops between Bethesda and New Carrollton. The Bethesda Circulator bus loops around downtown, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority buses offer direct routes into the city. Downtown D.C. is a 7-mile drive southeast on Wisconsin Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue NW. Depending on traffic, the drive can take 30 minutes to an hour. The Capital Beltway runs along Bethesda’s northern and western edges. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is 11 miles south, while Dulles International Airport is 21 miles west.
Highly rated Montgomery County Public Schools and several private options
Bethesda is zoned for the Montgomery County Public Schools district, which earns an A rating from Niche. The district serves 160,554 students between prekindergarten and high school and has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
The suburb has several private schools, including A-plus-rated Rochambeau, the French International School, which serves prekindergarten through high school students. The all-girls Holton-Arms School for third-grade through high school students also earns an A-plus, as does its all-boys counterpart, the Landon School. A-plus-rated Sidwell Friends Lower School educates kids in prekindergarten through fourth grade. The middle and high school are about 3 miles south in D.C.
Colleges in Bethesda include the Uniformed Services University, a medical school for the medical corps, and National Intelligence University, the United States Intelligence Community staff college. Georgetown University, American University and Howard University are less than 10 miles south, while The University of Maryland is 11 miles east.
Holton-Arms is an independent college-preparatory school for girls in grades 3–12.
Landon School is a private, college preparatory school in Bethesda, MD.
Explore academic excellence and rich tradition at Georgetown University.
American University's Katzen Arts Center brings all the visual and performing arts programs.
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Food and arts festivals in downtown Bethesda
Centered around Wisconsin Avenue, downtown Bethesda is separated into two districts. Woodmont Triangle, on the north end, has many locally owned bars and restaurants. Around 40,000 people visit the neighborhood every October for Taste of Bethesda, a food and music festival. Bethesda Row in the southern part of downtown is a mixed-use development with upscale shopping options. Every September, the neighborhood’s cobblestone streets turn into an outdoor gallery during the Bethesda Row Arts Festival. Shoppers will find around 180 stores inside the Westfield Montgomery mall, and even more retailers at Tysons Corner, 11 miles southwest.
The Bethesda Central Farm Market brings crowds to the Bethesda Elementary School parking lot every Sunday year-round. Farm Women’s Co-Operative Market, founded in 1932, also has a farmers market outside its brick-and-mortar location every Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Woodmont Triangle's Norfolk Ave is the heart of this small neighborhood.
Barrel & Crow has been a staple of Woodmont Triangle for the past few years.
Bethesda Row is the best place to shop til you drop in Downtown Bethesda.
Many Wildwood Manor residents head to Montgomery Mall for a little retail therapy.
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Locals can bike to D.C. and join historic country clubs
According to the Trust for Public Land, 88% of Bethesda residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. The 530-acre Cabin John Regional Park is the largest green space in town. It has campgrounds, an indoor ice skating rink and a dog park. Glen Echo Park, on the west side of Bethesda, was an amusement park in the early 1900s. Today, the original carousel still stands, but it’s now surrounded by an aquarium, three art galleries and two performing art theaters. Hikers and bikers can access the 11-mile-long Capital Crescent Trail at Little Falls Stream Valley Park. The path stretches alongside the Potomac River from Silver Spring to Georgetown. “Riding bikes on Capital Crescent is how a lot of people commute into the city,” Gage says. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath is another waterside route locals use to commute into D.C. It runs 185 miles between Georgetown and Cumberland, MD. Bethesda experiences all four seasons, with muggy summers and an average of 18 inches of snowfall per year. Bethesda is near several national parks, including Rock Creek Park, 5 miles east, and Great Falls Park, 12 miles west.
In addition to public parks, the suburb is also known for its country clubs. “If people in Bethesda aren’t already in a country club, they’re trying to get into one,” Gage says. Presidents like John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon were members of the Burning Tree Country Club, a male-only facility founded in 1922. The Bethesda Country Club was once known as the National Women’s Country Club, though anyone can join now. Two 18-hole golf courses are available at the Congressional Country Club, which has hosted several PGA tournaments and players like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Nothing beats a visit to Denzel Carousel in Glen Echo Park with the young ones.
The Capital Crescent Trail is perfect for a brisk walk with friends in Downtown Bethesda.
Lock 8 of the C&O Canal is less than 5 minutes from Seven Locks, and a cyclists' paradise.
Seven Locks residents practice their swing at the local country club.
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