The bureau combines into a single metropolitan area—the Washing-
ton area—the District of Columbia, Prince George, and Montgomery
Counties in Maryland and Arlington and Fairfax Counties and Alex-
andria and Falls Church in Virginia, with more than 2, 000, 000 in-
habitants when the 1960 census was taken.
As is apparent from a glance at the maps, the two vast metro-
politan centers have a long common boundary. Baltimore ranks second
only to Washington among the large northeastern metropolitan area
in the rate of growth since 1940. It is evident, therefore, that there
is in the process of emergence a mammoth super-city, its two centers
having mutual interests and mutual problems. We are told that by the
year 2000 we may expect a total population for the area of 8 million.
In recent years, and particularly since World War II, there has been
a growing realization that the two metropolitan areas in many impor-
tant respects complement one another.
With the importance of research in our lives, and with the increasing
role of the federal government in that area, Washington has become
the science capital of the United States, and of the world. Baltimore,
one of the leading industrial areas of the entire country, has the means
of transforming the designs of these scientists into actual hardware.
Baltimore has one of the largest and finest ports not only in the United
States but in the entire world and is adequately equipped to handle
its own international trade as well as the international trade of the
Washington area.
In a very large measure, the twin metropolises complement one
another in the academic field. Johns Hopkins University, with its school
of medicine and its divisions in other disciplines, has held a pre-
eminent position in research since it was founded in 1867. The Johns
Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, engaged mainly in contract re-
search for government agencies, is one of the largest and strongest
contenders for research and development outside of the government
itself. The location of this laboratory is significant in itself, situated
as it is in Howard County midway between Washington and Baltimore
and therefore in a position to draw upon the resources and serve the
two areas.
In addition to Johns Hopkins, there are in the Maryland area 26
other institutions of higher learning, including such reputable institu-
tions as Goucher College, Loyola College, the Naval Academy, West-
ern Maryland College, Hood College, Washington College, St. John's
College, and so on. The University of Maryland has its feet planted
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