Is Heather Hills safe?
Bowie, Maryland · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Heather Hills as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Heather Hills
“Go. Heather Hills is a peaceful, established suburban neighborhood in Bowie with low crime rates and well-kept homes. Visitors will find a family-oriented residential community with negligible safety concerns during both day and evening hours.”
About the area
Heather Hills is a classic mid-century residential enclave in Bowie, Maryland, characterized by single-family homes, mature trees, and quiet residential streets. It offers easy access to local parks, municipal recreation centers, and shopping plazas along MD Route 197 and Route 50.
- Suburban
- Family-Friendly
- Quiet
- Car-Dependent
- Tree-Lined
Walking and biking in Heather Hills
Walk score: 24/100 · Bike score: 38/100
There are no public bike-share stations; however, cyclists can access local trails connecting toward Allen Pond Park and the WB&A Multi-Use Trail nearby.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Violent crime rates are exceptionally low and well below national and regional averages.
- High rate of owner-occupied single-family homes with strong median household incomes exceeding $115,000.
- Quiet residential setting with low traffic volume and close proximity to Bowie community amenities.
Cons
- Car-dependent design with virtually no walkable commercial amenities within the neighborhood boundaries.
- Occasional suburban property crimes, such as opportunistic theft from unlocked vehicles.
- Poor pedestrian infrastructure along bordering higher-speed corridors like Route 197.
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is practically non-existent in Heather Hills, with no encampments or panhandling present in the residential blocks.
What Heather Hills is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and serene with neighborhood joggers, dog walkers, and school commuters.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Calm residential atmosphere with children playing outdoors and light residential traffic.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Quiet and safe for strolling along residential streets as residents return from work.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Very dark and low activity, with negligible pedestrian traffic and very low safety risk.
Transit, parking and getting around
Public transit is limited and operated by Prince George's County TheBus and WMATA Metrobus; the closest passenger rail is the Bowie State MARC Station roughly 4 miles north.
Street parking is free, plentiful, and unmetered throughout residential roads, with ample private driveways across the community.
Things to do in Heather Hills
- Walk or picnic along the paved trails at nearby Allen Pond Park.
- Play a round or practice on the fairways at the Bowie Golf Club located just to the north.
- Explore local history and vintage architecture in adjacent Old Town Bowie and the Bowie Railroad Museum.
Local favorites
- Jerry's Seafood · Seafood Restaurant · 4.5★ (1850)Renowned regional dining spot famous for its signature Crab Bomb and classic Maryland seafood platters.
- Bowie Golf Club · Golf Course · 4.1★ (430)Public 18-hole championship course surrounded by mature hardwoods and rolling terrain.
- Rip's Country Inn · American Restaurant · 4.3★ (1620)Long-running community eatery and deli offering hearty comfort foods, steaks, and a bakery.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.