Frederick's relative proximity to Washington, DC has always been an
important factor in the development of its local economy and has greatly
affected its growth, particularly in recent years. More recently, its economy
has been influenced by it being a center for cancer research, as evidenced by
the presence of Fort Detrick, its main employer. Its economy has also been
strongly influenced by education, government, health care, mortgage and
insurance, banking, science and engineering, tourism, transportation, retail,
and construction.
Frederick is the home of Riverside Research Park, a large biomedical
research
