College Park is also home to federal agencies such as the National Archives at College Park (Archives II), NOAA's Weather Prediction Center,[4] and the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition,[5] as well as tech companies such as IonQ (quantum computing)[6] or Cybrary (cyber security).

"[9][10] As a result, the city is experiencing significant development that has led to new housing, office space, schools, grocery stores, restaurants, and other amenities.

[11][12][13] The earliest evidence of human activity in the College Park area was found at an archeological site just south of Archives II.

This finding together with other similar ones indicate that the native American population became more sedentary in the Late Archaic period as the availability of local food supply increased, and social complexity grew.

By the time Europeans first arrived and colonized the region in the early 17th century, the various native American groups had aligned themselves into a chiefdom under the Piscataway people.

[17] The area remained undeveloped and was re-platted in 1889 by John O. Johnson and Samuel Curriden, Washington real estate developers.

College Park originally included single-family residences constructed in the Shingle, Queen Anne, and Stick styles, as well as modest vernacular dwellings.

In 1909 the College Park Airport was established by the United States Army Signal Corps to serve as a training location for Wilbur Wright to instruct military officers to fly in the US government's first airplane.

[19] The Lakeland neighborhood was developed beginning in 1890 around the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, whose Branchville and Calvert Road depots were located approximately one mile to the north and south, respectively.

Lakeland High served all African American students in the northern half of the county until 1950 when it was converted to a facility for lower grades.

Shannabrook established a small depot, built a general store, and erected approximately 15 homes in the area to attract moderate-income families looking to move out of Washington.

The community housing continued to develop in the 1930s and 1940s with one story bungalows, Cape Cods, and Victorians and, later, raised ranches and split-level homes.

Development in Hollywood was slow until after World War II, when Albert Turner acquired large tracts of the northern part of the neighborhood in the late 1940s.

[19] In 1943, due to World War II efforts to conserve rail transport, the Washington Senators relocated their spring training camp to College Park.

In return, Metro built Lake Artemesia on the site, a large recreational area that includes aquatic gardens, fishing piers, and hiker-biker trails.

In 2002, the city and county passed the Route 1 Sector Plan, which allowed and encouraged mixed use development along College Park's main roadway.

[27] This plaza holds music performances, markets, and city events throughout the year[28][29] that contributed towards the revitalization of College Park's downtown.

[30] The university also launched the Discovery District, its business and research park,[31][32][12] and promoted several mixed-used apartment high-rises such as the Aster (2022) or the Union (2024) that brought along new restaurants, shops, and grocery stores.

[33][34][13] This development has been complemented by two major infrastructure projects: the Purple Line, which will provide direct light-rail connections form College Park to Bethesda, Silver Spring, and New Carrolton, and the reconstruction of a portion of Baltimore Avenue into a boulevard with a planted median, new bicycle lanes, and continuous sidewalks.

The confluence of these two streams is located on the South-East corner of the city, next to the College Park Airport, and results in the Northeast branch Anacostia river.

[44] The neighborhoods that were part of the initial incorporation of the city in 1945 (Calvert Hills, Old Town, Lakeland, Berwyn, Branchville, Oak Springs, Daniel's Park, and Hollywood) plus Sunnyside lie in between the Washington-Baltimore CSX railway tracks and Route 1/Baltimore Avenue.

[45] West of Baltimore Avenue lie Lord Calvert Manor, College Park Woods, Crystal Springs, Acerdale (University View), Autoville, Cherry Hill, and Camden.

They exhibit a variety of architectural styles including Queen Anne and Colonial Revival, and, in later constructions, American Foursquare, Cape Cod, and bungalow.

[71][72] Other sectors with a strong presence in the Discovery district are cyber security (Cybrary, Immuta, BlueVoyand, and Inky) and medical devices (Medcura).

Other events include the College Park Parade, featuring local groups, organizations, entertainers, and performers,[78] Friday Night Live!, held several Fridays over the summer and featuring a variety of musical genres, food, beer, and other entertainment,[79] and Winter Wonderland, which hosts the annual Winter Wonderland holiday market and the lighting of the city's tree.

The Adele H. Stamp Student Union houses the Hoff Theater, the Art and Learning Center, and the Grand Ballroom where various events are held.

[84] Other venues in College Park that host cultural events include the Old Parish House,[85] owned by the city, and the Hall CP, a restaurant with an outdoor performing area.

[16] The following is a list of the historic sites that predate the 20th century: College Park has a diverse range of restaurants offering a wide variety of domestic and international cuisines.

[104] Other city attractions include the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), a tennis training center and preparatory school where top-10 player Frances Tiafoe was raised, the War Veterans Memorial,[105] the Ellen E. Linson Splash Park,[106] featuring slides, diving boards, and lap lanes, and the Herbert Wells Ice Rink, a semi-enclosed seasonal ice rink in the same facility.

[134] College Park is ranked as the second most bikeable city in the state by Redfin,[135] and the University of Maryland has a Gold-Level Bike-Friendly Campus designation by the League of American Bicyclists.