This special edition of the Howard Extra, produced by a team of Washington Post editors, reporters, editorial aides, photographers and artists, is a comprehensive guide to our community. We offer important information about how to get around the region, where to shop, how to contact elected...

In the late 1600s, early English settlers, seeking land on which to build their fortunes, traveled west from St. Mary's City and Anne Arundel Town into the upper ranges of Anne Arundel County. For approximately 150 years, our county was part of Anne Arundel.

Howard County has three state senators in the General Assembly in Annapolis. Their office address is:

Howard County has eight delegates to the General Assembly in Annapolis. Their office address is:

How do you get a county named after you? Well, it helps if you're a noble -- or a hero. That's what I discovered when I looked into where our local names came from. I discovered a lot of other things, too.

Columbia Association 10221 Wincopin Cir. Columbia 21044

Of the hundreds of places to eat in Anne Arundel and Howard counties, these are some of my favorites. This list is not encyclopedic. There are no rankings. These are just 10 places -- some are single restaurants and others are locations offering lots of choices -- that you should know about if you...

Howard County Circuit Court 8360 Court Ave. Ellicott City 21043

Howard County Council 3430 Court House Dr. Ellicott City 21043

Major county agencies such as the Health Department, permits and licenses, social services and planning and zoning offices.

10910 Route 108 Ellicott City 21042 410-313-6600 http://www.hcpss.org

10910 Route 108 Ellicott City 21042 410-313-7194 publicinfo@hcpss.org

Howard Community College 10901 Little Patuxent Pkwy.

Aug. 27 First day of school. Aug. 31 Professional development day. Schools closed for students.

Child Care Administration 3300 N. Ridge Rd., Suite 190

Howard County Fire and Rescue Joseph A. Herr, Chief

Baltimore Washington Medical Center 301 Hospital Dr.

Domestic Violence Center of Howard County Inc. 5457 Twin Knolls Rd., Suite 310

Howard County Animal Control 8576 Davis Rd. Columbia 21045

Howard County Office on Commuter Solutions Department of Planning and Zoning

Arc of Howard County 11735 Homewood Rd. Ellicott City 21042

African Art Museum of Maryland 5430 Vantage Point Rd.

Columbia Association 10221 Wincopin Cir. Columbia 21044

The Department of Recreation and Parks ( http://www.howardcountymd.gov/RAP/RAP_homepage.htm ) and the Howard County Library ( http://www.hclibrary.org ) offer extensive programs for children, including one-time events, weekly after-school activities and summer camps.

Howard County Library Administrative Offices 6600 Cradlerock Way

Eldercare Locator U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

BikeAbout Symphony Woods Columbia 21045 410-715-3103

So you have the family together and you want to go somewhere interesting and fun.

All right, here's your excitement, more than some people want. There are more than 100 rides, slides, shows and attractions, including eight coasters, other major league thrill rides and Hurricane Harbor, a water park. The park has some frightful fun on weekends in October.

Washington's rivers are dotted with sailboats when the weather warms, and for the hearty, year-round. You can try your hand at a helm at the Mariner Sailing School in Alexandria on the Potomac. Young people start out with a Sunfish, learning skills of rigging and maneuvering and which side is por...

This park offers several venues and serves up an arts and cultural center, carousel, artists at work, dances, workshops, classes and camps.

Soar above it all, looking down on the Shenandoah Valley and the foothills of the Blue Ridge, like a hawk riding the air currents. What part of the area you see depends on the day's winds. Balloons soar from western Loudoun County. Passengers may fly the balloon if they want.

This outdoor living history museum and archaeological park documents and portrays the lives of Maryland's first settlers and the colony's first capital (1634-1695). Visitors can meet a 17th-century tobacco farmer at the Godiah Spray Plantation, walk through the 1676 State House, go aboard the Dov...

Adventure Playground: This playground features a pirate ship, mazes, a rock climbing wall, a world map on the ground and an African delta playground with animal sculptures.

Here's a chance to get out of the car and ride in a wagon behind horses through the working farm's 286 acres.

Here's another farm, a 520-acre Howard County beauty that offers educational tours by appointment, nature trails, a greenhouse and animals to feed and beekeepers to watch.

A working farm that is maintained as a reminder of agriculture, once the staple of Fairfax County. The park, with its Kidwell Farm, interprets agriculture, rural community life and landscape from the 1920s to 1950s. Among the attractions are its cows, pigs, chickens, goats and turkeys.

You've seen the new James Bond, and now you can become a prospective agent and learn about spycraft and spy history, even if you fail the neat interactive tests.

Howard County Center for the Arts 8510 High Ridge Rd.

HOW TO CONTACT METRO For administrative offices and general information, not including schedules and fares, call 202-962-1234 or go to http://www.wmata.com .

? http://www.washingtonpost.com/traffic ? http://www.commuterpage.com , an Arlington site with links to transportation Web pages

League National Football League Web site http://www.redskins.com

League National Football League Web site http://www.baltimoreravens.com

League East Division, National League, Major League Baseball

League East Division, American League, Major League Baseball

League National Hockey League Web site http://www.washingtoncaps.com

League Women's National Basketball Association Web site http://www.wnba.com/mystics or http://www.washingtonmystics.com

League National Basketball Association Web site http://www.nba.com/wizards or http://www.washingtonwizards.com

League Major League Soccer Web site http://www.dcunited.com

Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Inc. 9090 Whiskey Bottom Rd.

Howard County Department of Public Works, Bureau of Environmental Services

Howard County Department of Public Works, Bureau of Utilities

Volunteer Center Serving Howard County 10221 Wincopin Cir.

This is Fauquier County, one of Virginia's premium horse country areas, and there is plenty of interest in this popular park with access to the Appalachian Trail. There are bridle trails and hiking trails galore, with some primitive, hike-in campsites for those who want to rough it.

Howard County Farmers Market at East Columbia 6600 Cradlerock Way (East Columbia Branch Library parking lot)