Started in 1889, Glen Echo is a chartered town with its own mayor and ZIP code that’s located along the west side of MacArthur Boulevard. Glen Echo is bordered by the C&O Canal, Glen Echo Park and the Clara Barton House, named for the founder of the American Red Cross who called Glen Echo home from 1897 until her death in 1912. Streets are named after universities in the United States, such as Princeton and Harvard avenues, and many of the homes date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Quick Facts
- Population
- 282
- Education
- High school graduate or higher: 97.5%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher: 83.7%
- Income
- Median household income: $194,375
- Housing
- Median value of owner-occupied housing units: $962,800
- Commute
- Mean travel time to work: 31.2 minutes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
- Mean travel time to work: 31.2 minutes
Glen Echo Park provides many opportunities for fun, including a puppet theater and Adventure Theatre MTC, which produces children’s plays. There’s a renovated 1921 Dentzel Carousel, and also the Spanish Ballroom, which offers dance classes and holds dances year-round. The park is also home to an aquarium and several art studios, many of which offer classes.
“For me, it’s an oasis. When you look at the busy life that a lot of people have to deal with around Montgomery County now, Glen Echo is one of these places that you can really get away to—it’s certainly quiet. You always feel like there’s no pressure or anything. It’s really a great, great place that way—so hidden away in Montgomery County.”
—Walter Bartman, owner since 1994 of the Yellow Barn Studio & Gallery in Glen Echo Park
This story appears in Bethesda Magazine’s 2024-2025 Insider’s Guide.
