Poolesville, MD

Poolesville is a small town in western Montgomery County, surrounded by farmland, preserved rural land, and Potomac River history. During the Civil War, Union leaders watched the shallow river fords near Poolesville because they could expose Washington to movement from Virginia. Today the town feels very different from the denser suburbs closer to Bethesda or Silver Spring: it has Montgomery County schools, a compact town center, nearby agricultural reserve land, and quick access to places such as Sugarloaf Mountain and the C&O Canal.