By Tom Merritt and Alicia Clanton
A few weeks back we wrote a piece that told “The Story Behind The DMV.” This led to a fun debate on what the area referred to as the DMV is actually made up of. We took all of your thoughts and opinions, threw in some of ours, and put together the map in our featured photo that shows a general opinion of what people think the DMV actually consists of. Below are some notes based on the feedback we received:
– D.C. is the heart of the DMV. Almost everyone familiar with the term considered all of DC as being in the DMV.
– Almost everyone feels that the areas immediately surrounding DC are part of the DMV:
• This includes places like Bethesda and Silver Spring in MoCo.
• Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, etc. in NoVa.
• Oxon Hill, Temple Hills, Suitland, Capital Heights, Hyattsville, College Park, etc. in Prince George’s County.
– Most feel that the DMV expands beyond the areas bordering D.C., including:
• As far as Rockville, Gaithersburg, etc. in MoCo.
• As far as Vienna, Springfield, etc. in NoVa
• As far as Upper Marlboro, Bowie, etc. in Prince George’s County.
– Some think the DMV expands to include the entirety of the counties surrounding DC, plus some of the counties beyond that, this includes:
• All of MoCo
• Much of Loudoun County
• All of Fairfax County
• All of Prince William County
• All of Prince George’s County
• All of Howard County
• All of Anne Arundel County
• A small portion of Carroll County
• A small portion of Frederick County
• Places like Waldorf, MD, Annapolis, MD, and Woodbridge, VA
– “If your county has a metro station in it, it’s in the DMV” was a very popular response that many agreed with.
– A few people feel it expands to include all of the counties mentioned above and further. This include areas like Baltimore, MD, Fredericksburg, VA, and even places as far out as Harper’s Ferry, WV.
– A very small number feel that includes all of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
– A very small number believe it also includes the state of Delaware.
– Almost all people outside of the DMV agree the the DMV is the Department of Motor Vehicles.