Potomac is a community in Montgomery County, Maryland, home to about 45,902 people across 25 square miles. Its ZIP code is 20854, and parts of 20817 are in Potomac too.
Homes sold for a median of $370 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Potomac; also Travilah and Rockville
Mostly Bethesda; part is in Potomac
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Potomac. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Potomac’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)14 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Washington, DC12 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Philadelphia, PA129 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Potomac; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Potomac had 47,018 residents in the 2020 census, up 5% since 2000.
It’s the 20th largest of 527 towns in Maryland by population.
Montgomery County grew from 30,451 residents in 1900 to 1,062,061 in 2020.
Montgomery County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 87°F in summer, and winter lows average 27°F. About 41.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rockville 1 Ne, MD weather station (5 miles away).
439,792 jobs at 27,677 businesses in Montgomery County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
474 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Potomac.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 66 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 85 |
| Dentists | 51 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 70 |
| Mental health providers | 129 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 64 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (45 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (3 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Montgomery County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bells Mill ElementaryPotomac | Pre-K–5 | 570 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Wayside ElementaryPotomac | Pre-K–5 | 465 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Beverly Farms ElementaryPotomac | K–5 | 526 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Cold Spring ElementaryPotomac | K–5 | 362 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Potomac ElementaryPotomac | K–5 | 475 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Ritchie Park ElementaryRockville | K–5 | 342 | Public | 2.5 mi |
| Cabin John MiddlePotomac | 6–8 | 983 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Herbert Hoover MiddlePotomac | 6–8 | 930 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Winston Churchill HighPotomac | 9–12 | 2,185 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feynman SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–8 | 44 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Geneva Day SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–K | 22 | Nonsectarian | 2.2 mi |
| Georgetown Hill Potomac VillagePotomac | Pre-K–K | 20 | Nonsectarian | 1.4 mi |
| German International School Washington DcPotomac | Pre-K–12 | 472 | Nonsectarian | 1.2 mi |
| Muslim Community School/Alim AcademyPotomac | Pre-K–11 | 129 | Islamic | 2.3 mi |
| Our Lady of Mercy SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–8 | 182 | Roman Catholic | 1.4 mi |
| Potomac Glen Day SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–K | 13 | Nonsectarian | 1.2 mi |
| St Andrew's Episcopal SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–12 | 673 | Episcopal | 1.3 mi |
| St Raphael SchoolRockville | Pre-K–8 | 224 | Roman Catholic | 2.4 mi |
| The Harbor SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–3 | 36 | Nonsectarian | 1.3 mi |
| The Maddux SchoolRockville | Pre-K–2 | 35 | Nonsectarian | 1.7 mi |
| The Manor Montessori SchoolPotomac | Pre-K–3 | 21 | Nonsectarian | 2.4 mi |
| Bullis SchoolPotomac | K–12 | 1,027 | Nonsectarian | 0.9 mi |
| Ivymount SchoolRockville | K–12 | 172 | Nonsectarian | 1.7 mi |
| Mc Lean School of MarylandPotomac | K–12 | 469 | Nonsectarian | 1.2 mi |
| The Diener SchoolNorth Bethesda | K–8 | 75 | Nonsectarian | 3.2 mi |
| Connelly School of the Holy ChildPotomac | 6–12 | 350 | Other religious | 1.9 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Bethesda, Travilah, North Bethesda, Rockville and Cabin John.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.