Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland (in Harford County). Part of the facility is a census-designated place (CDP), which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.

The Army's oldest active proving ground, it was established on October 20, 1917, six months after the United States entered World War I. The location allowed design and testing of ordnance materiel to take place near contemporary industrial and shipping centers. The first gun was fired there on January 2, 1918. APG was created as a successor to the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, which was too small for some of the larger weapons being tested. At the peak of World War II, Aberdeen Proving Ground had billeting space for 2,348 officers and 24,189 enlisted personnel.

Aberdeen Proving Ground occupies 72,962 acres (114.0 sq mi/295.3 km²). Its northernmost point is near the mouth of the Susquehanna River, where it enters the Chesapeake Bay. On the south it is bordered by the Gunpowder River. The installation lies on two peninsulas separated by the Bush River. The northeastern is known as the Aberdeen Area and the southwestern, the former Edgewood Arsenal, is called the Edgewood Area. Edgewood Chemical Activity is a chemical weapons depot located here. Elimination of the chemicals held here was put on an accelerated schedule after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and all chemical weapons were destroyed by February 2006.

Other parts of the proving ground not attached to the main installation include the Churchville Test Area in Harford County, and the Carroll Island and Graces Quarters in Baltimore County, Maryland. The Churchville Test Area is a test track with hills that provide steep natural grades and tight turns to stress engines, drivetrains, and suspensions for Army vehicles, including Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and HMMWVs.

The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Museum is located at APG.

Geography

Aberdeen Proving Ground is located at 39°28′24″N, 76°8′27″W (39.473451, -76.140837).^[1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 31.0 km² (12.0 mi²). 29.4 km² (11.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (5.09%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 3,116 people, 805 households, and 763 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 274.1 people per square mile (105.8/km²). There were 902 housing units at an average density of 79.3/sq mi (30.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 50.48% White, 34.60% African American, 0.64% Native American, 3.11% Asian, 1.25% Pacific Islander, 5.68% from other races, and 4.24% from two or more races. 11.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 805 households out of which 78.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 84.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 5.2% were non-families. 4.3% of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.52 and the average family size was 3.63.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 40.1% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 44.9% from 25 to 44, 4.4% from 45 to 64, and 0.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 113.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.6 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $38,875, and the median income for a family was $40,306. Males had a median income of $26,943 versus $26,194 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,808. About 4.2% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

See also

• ENIAC
• ORDVAC
• BRLESC
• Aberdeen scandal (1996)
• Army Research Laboratory
• U.S. Army Ordnance Museum
• Herman Heine Goldstine
• Edgewood Arsenal experiments

References

External links

• Official site
• History
• Description on globalsecurity
• US Army Ordnance Museum
• US Army Ordnance Foundation

• Aberdeen Proving Ground is at coordinates 39°28′24″N 76°08′27″W / 39.473451, -76.140837 (Aberdeen Proving Ground)Coordinates: 39°28′24″N 76°08′27″W / 39.473451, -76.140837 (Aberdeen Proving Ground)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
Sub-commands	Accessions Command • Center for Army Lessons Learned • Combined Arms Center • Combined Arms Support Command • TRADOC Analysis Center
Installations	Aberdeen Proving Ground • Carlisle Barracks • Fort Belvoir • Fort Benning • Fort Bliss • Fort Eustis • Fort Gordon • Fort Huachuca • Fort Jackson • Fort Knox • Fort Leavenworth • Fort Lee • Fort Leonard Wood • Fort Rucker • Fort Sill • Presidio of Monterey • Redstone Arsenal
Schools	Air Assault School • Air Defense Artillery School • Airborne School • Armor School • Aviation School • Basic Training • Chemical School • Combatives School • Command and General Staff College • Defense Language Institute • Engineer School • Field Artillery School • Infantry School • Intelligence Center • Logistics Management College • Officer Candidate School • Prime Power School • Quartermaster School • Ranger School • School of Advanced Military Studies • Sergeants Major Academy • Special Forces Qualification Course • War College • United States Military Academy (West Point)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Harford County, Maryland
County seat: Bel Air
Cities	Aberdeen | Havre de Grace
Town	Bel Air
CDPs	Aberdeen Proving Ground | Bel Air North | Bel Air South | Edgewood | Fallston | Jarrettsville | Joppatowne | Perryman | Pleasant Hills | Riverside
Communities	Abingdon | Cardiff | Gunpowder | Castleton | Churchville | Darlington | Dublin | Forest Hill | Joppa | Norrisville | Pylesville | Street | Whiteford | White Hill