Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States.

Originally called Garrison's Landing, Bladensburg was renamed in honor of Thomas Bladen, governor of Maryland, 1742–1747.

Bladensburg was established in 1742 as a regional commercial center by an act of the Maryland General Assembly.

The act also authorized the town commissioners to purchase 60 acres (240,000 m2) of land to be laid out in 1-acre (4,000 m2) lots.

The act required that a house covering at least 400 square feet (37 m2) of ground with a brick or stone chimney be constructed within 18 months of the sale of the lot.

US defeat in that battle, called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms",[7] cleared the way for the burning of Washington by British troops.

Its role as a seaport faded as the Anacostia River silted up and larger ships could no longer reach the port.

The original terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was Bladensburg, forcing all passengers intended for Washington to board carriages to continue on into the city.

A sharp decline of passengers was experienced in Bladensburg when an extension of the B&O was permitted into the District of Columbia in 1835.

[8][9] Bladensburg remained a small town throughout the rest of the 19th century with modest development and infrastructure improvements.

Named Decatur Heights, the subdivisions had gridded streets platted on the north and south sides of Annapolis Road.

[10] In 1999, Bladensburg, Colmar Manor, and Cottage City were lauded by the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities for their collaboration with Prince George's County for the Port Towns Revitalization Initiative, which created a common Port Towns identity for the towns; encouraged businesses development through infrastructure and façade improvements; acquisition of historic properties and plans for their reuse; and reconstruction of the Bladensburg waterfront and marina.

[citation needed] The following is a partial list of historic sites in Bladensburg identified by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission:[11] Bladensburg is also the site of the Peace Cross, a World War I memorial at the center of a 2019 Supreme Court case American Legion v. American Humanist Association, which allowed the landmark to remain as a state-maintained monument.

[29] The Prince George's County Memorial Library System operates the Bladensburg Branch.

Prince George's County Police Department District 1 Station in Hyattsville serves Bladensburg.