Laurel is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is located between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. Formally, Laurel is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area, and its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town in the early 19th century, Laurel expanded local industry, and later became an early commuter town for Washington and Baltimore workers, following the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1835. Largely residential today, the city maintains a historic district centered on its Main Street.