Map - North Potomac, Maryland (North Potomac)

North Potomac is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is located less than 5 mi north of the Potomac River, and is about 20 mi from Washington, D.C. It has a population of 23,790 as of 2020.

The region's land was originally used for growing tobacco, which was replaced by wheat and dairy farming after the soil became depleted. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was used by local farmers to ship their grain (or flour made from the grain at the local mills), and two former canal locks are located less than 5 mi away in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. In addition, infrastructure remains for what was one of the state's leading dairy farms during the first half of the 20th century.

North Potomac did not get an identity of its own until 1989, when the United States Post Office allowed the use of the North Potomac name for what is mostly a collection of housing sub-divisions, farms, and wooded parks. The United States Census Bureau listed a North Potomac in 1970 but not 1980. In 2000, it began recognizing North Potomac as a census designated place. Today, the community benefits from its proximity to workplaces such as the Shady Grove Hospital area and the I-270 Technology Corridor. Washington, D.C. is accessible by automobile or public transportation. The median household income is nearly $160,000, and nearly half of the eligible residents have a graduate or professional degree.

Captain John Smith explored the Potomac River in 1608 and mapped the area, including land that would become Montgomery County. The first settlements were established in 1688, and were near Rock Creek and what became Rockville. The next stage of settlements was further west along the Potomac near Darnestown and Poolesville. The land had been occupied by Native Americans of the Piscataway Confederation. Modern-day Darnestown Road, which forms the northern border of North Potomac, was a trail of the indigenous Seneca people and is one of the oldest roads in Montgomery County.

Originally, the land around present-day North Potomac was used by European settlers for growing tobacco and corn. During the 19th century, a network of roads, mills, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a.k.a. C&O Canal) provided farmers with better access to markets. Dufief Mill Road, which runs through the center of North Potomac, leads to the DuFief Mill (established 1850)—one of the mills that were used by farmers in this part of Montgomery County. By 1840, much of the county's soil was depleted. Quakers began introducing improved farming practices and agriculture was revitalized. By 1860, farmers were growing corn, wheat and oats.

In 1878, today's North Potomac was still farmland. The nearest general stores and post offices were in Hunting Hill, Travilah, and Darnestown. The Hunting Hill Post Office and general store was located on Darnestown Road between Muddy Branch Road and Travilah Road, and it also provided wheelwright and blacksmith services. It operated from 1873 until 1929. Darnestown had three country stores, and the Windsor store also served as a Post Office until 1911. Travilah, located closer to the canal, had a general store but no name in 1878. The Travilah Post Office was established in 1883, and the community eventually took that name. Eventually, some of the farmland was sold. During the Great Depression, some farmers became eager to sell their land because of financial hardship. Wealthy individuals began buying property in the Potomac area as part of their search for land where they could ride horses and hunt. Some of this equestrian heritage continues in North Potomac today at the Potomac Horse Center. Mortgage banker Frederick Harting established this training facility, for horses and riders, in the early 1960s. It was purchased by Montgomery County in 1981 and has been the site of horse shows.

Several area farms, such as the 355-acre (144 ha) Maple Spring Farm, continued well into the 20th century. Much of this farm's land was sold in the 1970s and became North Potomac's Dufief subdivision. In 1970, the United States Census Bureau considered North Potomac an unincorporated place that was part of the Darnestown and Travilah areas. By 1989, North Potomac consisted of about 25 housing subdivisions mixed with old farms. About 80 percent of those subdivisions were built since 1983. In late 1989, the United States Postal Service approved the North Potomac name for a region surrounded by the Montgomery County communities of Darnestown, Travilah, Gaithersburg and Rockville. ZIP Codes were not changed, so most of North Potomac uses the 20878 code used by Gaithersburg and part of Darnestown. For 1990, North Potomac began being listed by the Census Bureau as a census-designated place, but census records show no data for 1980. The last major farm in the area is the Hanson Farm, and work began in 2009 for approval to build single-family homes on the farmland.