Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.

[6] The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.

Snowden and his family were planters who established large plantations on which they built comfortable manor homes.

Soon after, other settlers moved into the area, but they were farmers who could only afford a few acres of land and whose families lived in small cabins.

Brigadier General Rezin Beall, who was born on Turkey Flight Plantation on Old Gunpowder Road in 1723, prevented a British invasion at Drum Point on the Chesapeake Bay with only 100 men.

[citation needed] In 1835 one of the first rail lines in the country, the Washington branch of the B&O Railroad (Baltimore & Ohio), was built through Prince George's County.

Coming from Baltimore, the line entered the county at Laurel and ran southwesterly to Bladensburg, then into Washington.

The original area developed haphazardly and consisted of a few residences, two churches, several small stores, a blacksmith, and a wheelwright.

The first parcel acquired was 375 acres (1.5 km2) of the Walnut Grange Plantation with its historic "Butterfly House".

One of the largest of the older buildings, built in 1880, was the three-story Ammendale Normal Institute, which was destroyed by fire in 1998.

[18] By late 2004 the group began efforts to collect 3,000 signatures on a petition so the issue can be put up for election;[19] this would represent about one quarter of the persons in Beltsville who were registered to vote.

[22] Prince George's County Police Department District 6 Station in Beltsville CDP serves the community.

[26] The United States Secret Service James J. Rowley Training Center is nicknamed “Beltsville” but is actually located in adjacent Laurel.

[35] Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates the Beltsville Branch.

[36] Experimental post-hardcore band Thrice recorded the album The Illusion of Safety here and dedicated a song to the town, named "The Beltsville Crucible".