Buying and selling in Ellicott City, MD

Where Ellicott City is

The Ellicott brothers founded "Ellicott's Mills" in 1771-72. Ellicott City is the county seat but is not an incorporated city today; Howard County governs it.^[1]

Main roads are MD 144 (Main Street), US 40, I-70 and MD 103. BWI Airport is about 10 miles southeast.^[1]

Housing stock

Ellicott City has 27,645 homes with a median year built of 1992, spread fairly evenly across the 1980s (21%), 1990s (18%), 2000s (17%) and 2010s (16%). About 54% are detached houses and 19% townhouses.^[2]

The Ellicott City and Lawyers Hill historic districts are on the National Register and are also local historic districts. Exterior changes to a property in a local district need a Certificate of Approval from Howard County's Historic Preservation Commission.^[3]

Getting around

• The nearest MARC station is Dorsey on the Camden Line, about 9 miles away in Elkridge off MD 100.^[1]
• Weekday trains from Dorsey take about 28 to 38 minutes to Camden Station and about 41 to 54 minutes to Washington Union Station.^[4]

Before you buy or rent here

• Historic Main Street flooded on July 30, 2016 and again on May 27, 2018.^[1]
• Howard County's Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan is the flood-mitigation program for the old town: retention ponds (the H-4 pond opened September 10, 2025), culvert work and the North Tunnel, which broke ground June 24, 2024. As of April 2026 the tunnel boring machine was set to start mining that summer.^[5]
• Check any address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or Maryland's floodplain map before you make an offer, and get an insurance quote during your inspection period.^[6][7]
• Howard County charges a 1.25% transfer tax and recordation tax of $2.50 per $500 (FY2026 rate), on top of the state transfer tax.^[8][9]
• Howard County requires a rental housing license for rented homes. Licenses run on a two-year cycle, and a unit can't be occupied until it has been inspected and the license approved.^[10][11][12]

Public schools: Howard County Public School System. Check any address with the district's official boundary locator.

Parks and landmarks

• Patapsco Valley State Park covers 16,043 acres along 32 miles of the Patapsco River, with more than 200 miles of trails.^[13]
• The B&O Ellicott City Station Museum at 3711 Maryland Avenue, built in 1831, is run by Howard County Recreation and Parks, which calls it the oldest surviving railroad station in the United States.^[14]

Our work in Ellicott City

We cover Ellicott City from our Columbia office. For older homes in or near the historic district, Stephen can price exterior repairs before you buy and tell you which ones will need a Certificate of Approval.

Affiliated business disclosure: Monarch Bay Renovations (MHIC #149066) is a separate company owned by Stephen Wilson, the team lead. You are free to use any contractor you choose.