United States Coast Guard Yard

Branch: U.S. Coast Guard
Location: Curtis Bay, Baltimore, Maryland
Installation Type: Industrial and Logistics Center (Shipyard)
Status: Active

Overview

The United States Coast Guard Yard (commonly called “The Yard”) is located at Curtis Bay in the southern portion of Baltimore, Maryland, on the Patapsco River. The Yard is the Coast Guard’s only government-owned and operated shipyard, responsible for the design, construction, maintenance, renovation, and repair of Coast Guard vessels ranging from small boats to major cutters. Established in 1899, The Yard is one of the oldest continuously operating Coast Guard shore facilities in the nation. The Yard employs a highly skilled industrial workforce including shipbuilders, welders, electricians, machinists, pipefitters, and marine engineers. The Yard also manufactures and maintains aids to navigation including buoys and other specialized Coast Guard equipment. The Yard operates under the Shore Infrastructure and Logistics Center (SILC) and is the cornerstone of the Coast Guard’s shore-based vessel sustainment enterprise.

Mission & Units

Primary Mission: Build, maintain, renovate, and repair United States Coast Guard vessels and equipment; serve as the Coast Guard’s sole government-owned industrial shipyard; manufacture and maintain aids to navigation including buoys and other navigational equipment; provide industrial and engineering services to support Coast Guard operational readiness.
Major Units: Coast Guard Yard Production Facilities; Naval Engineering Division; Shore Infrastructure and Logistics Center (SILC) Yard Division; Aids to Navigation and Buoy Depot
Tenant Units: Coast Guard Research and Development Center liaison; various USCG logistics and supply chain elements; civilian trades workforce (the core of the Yard’s mission)

Location & Access

Nearest Major City: Baltimore, MD (population approximately 585,000) – approximately 10 miles north; Annapolis, MD – approximately 25 miles southeast; Washington, DC – approximately 40 miles southwest
Nearest Commercial Airport: Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) – approximately 8 miles southwest; Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) – approximately 40 miles southwest; Dulles International Airport (IAD) – approximately 55 miles west
Gate Access: Controlled industrial facility; CAC/military ID or contractor badge required; visitor access coordinated through facility security; Curtis Bay waterfront industrial area; accessible via I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) Hanover Street Bridge exit or I-97 from Anne Arundel County

Population

Active Duty Personnel: Approximately 100 (small military staff; the facility is primarily civilian workforce)
Family Members: Approximately 150 (small military contingent families)
Civilian Employees: Approximately 900-1,000 (highly skilled industrial trades workforce comprising the core mission capability)
Total Installation Population: Approximately 1,100-1,200

Key Facilities

Medical: No dedicated Military Treatment Facility on site; TRICARE network civilian care throughout Baltimore and Anne Arundel County; Fort Meade Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center (approximately 20 miles southwest) for military beneficiaries; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (Bethesda, approximately 45 miles southwest) for specialty and hospital care; Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, approximately 12 miles north) is world-renowned for complex cases; Children’s National Medical Center (Washington, DC, 40 miles) for complex pediatric care
Commissary: No commissary at the Yard; Fort Meade commissary (approximately 20 miles southwest) is the nearest military commissary for personnel with base access
Exchange (PX/BX/NEX): No exchange at the Yard; Fort Meade AAFES (approximately 20 miles southwest) is the nearest military exchange
Fitness & Recreation: Limited fitness facilities for the small military contingent; Baltimore metropolitan area provides extensive recreational amenities; Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay water activities; Baltimore Inner Harbor, parks, and sports venues accessible
Schools: Anne Arundel County Public Schools serve most military families in the Linthicum, Brooklyn Park, Pasadena, and Glen Burnie areas (generally good suburban county schools); Baltimore City Public Schools (urban; variable quality) for city residents; no DoDEA schools
Childcare: No Child Development Center on site; Anne Arundel County and Baltimore area private childcare providers; Military Child Care (MCC) program assists in locating fee assistance and providers
Veterinary Services: No on-base veterinary services; Baltimore metropolitan area and Anne Arundel County have numerous private veterinary practices
Legal Assistance / JAG: Limited JAG support at the Yard; Fort Meade Legal Assistance Office (approximately 20 miles southwest) is primary resource; appointment-based

Housing

On-Post Housing: Very limited; no family housing community at the Yard; the facility is primarily industrial in character; minimal government quarters may exist for senior military staff
Average Wait Time: Not applicable given minimal on-base housing; personnel are expected to live off-base
Off-Post Housing: Anne Arundel County communities are the primary off-base option – Linthicum Heights, Brooklyn Park, Pasadena, Glen Burnie, Severn, Hanover, and Arundel Mills corridor offer reasonable rents and good access to the Yard; Baltimore City neighborhoods (Brooklyn, Curtis Bay, Dundalk, Federal Hill) also accessible; average rent approximately $1,800-$2,600/month for 3-bedroom home in Anne Arundel County; Maryland does not provide special military income tax exemption; Maryland state income tax applies
BAH Rate Reference: Check current BAH rates at Defense Travel Management Office (dtmo.mil); The Yard’s BAH reflects the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area market

PCS & Newcomer Info

Sponsorship Program: Contact gaining unit at the Yard; small military community compared to major installations; the primarily civilian workforce means the on-site military contingent is close-knit; Baltimore Coast Guard community connects through sector and base personnel
In-Processing: Coast Guard Yard in-processing; industrial facility-specific orientation including safety briefings; small installation procedures; technical and trades familiarization for engineering billets
EFMP (Exceptional Family Member Program): Work-Life Staff; enrollment required; Baltimore metropolitan area provides outstanding specialist access; Johns Hopkins Hospital (12 miles) is one of the world’s premier academic medical centers for complex cases; Children’s National Medical Center (Washington, DC, 40 miles) for complex pediatric cases; excellent regional medical infrastructure overall

Local Area & Quality of Life

Climate: Humid subtropical/humid continental transition (mid-Atlantic); hot humid summers (average high 89F/32C in July); cold winters (average low 26F/-3C in January); occasional snow and ice November through March; spring cherry blossoms and autumn foliage are pleasant; Chesapeake Bay influence moderates temperature extremes
Cost of Living: Moderate to high; Anne Arundel County is more affordable than DC suburbs, Annapolis proper, or Northern Virginia; Baltimore city options available at lower price points; Maryland state income tax is above average nationally; grocery and everyday services moderate
Nearby Attractions: Baltimore Inner Harbor (National Aquarium, Maryland Science Center, USS Constellation historic warship, Fells Point historic district – approximately 10 miles north); Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner – approximately 5 miles north via water); Patapsco Valley State Park (hiking, trails); Chesapeake Bay sailing, crabbing, kayaking, and fishing; Annapolis Historic District and Maryland State House (25 miles); Washington, DC (free Smithsonian museums, monuments, memorials – 40 miles); Baltimore Ravens (NFL) and Orioles (MLB) professional sports; Maryland Live Casino at Arundel Mills (5 miles)
Spouse Employment: Excellent regional employment corridor; Baltimore-Washington, DC corridor has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of federal employment, federal contracting, healthcare (Johns Hopkins Health System, University of Maryland Medical System, LifeBridge Health, MedStar Health), biotechnology and life sciences (JHTEC corridor), and technology; NSA headquarters at Fort Meade (20 miles); federal agencies in Washington, DC (40 miles); remote work very common; Work-Life Staff assists with employment resources

Contact & Resources

Official Website: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/SILC/Yard/
Main Installation Phone: (410) 762-6000
MWR Website: Not publicly available; contact installation directly
ACS / Fleet & Family / Airman & Family Readiness: Work-Life Staff, Coast Guard Yard; relocation, financial readiness, employment, family support; small military community served by Baltimore-area Coast Guard Work-Life programs; Sector Maryland-National Capital Region also provides Work-Life support

Last updated: 2026-02-23
Sources: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/SILC/Yard/; https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/us-coast-guard-yard; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UnitedStatesCoastGuardYard, Joseph L. Jordan, Attorney at Law