Idlewild, Bowie: A Later Levitt Section With I Streets

Only five Idlewild homes closed in Bright MLS data, April to September 2026, at a $485,000 median, which is $15,000 under Bowie's overall median. When an Idlewild house does come up, the buyer pool is everyone who wanted Belair and could not win a bidding war in Somerset or Whitehall.

Idlewild is one of the later sections of Belair at Bowie, and its streets start with I. Idlewild Drive is the namesake street.

Where is Idlewild?

The Historic American Buildings Survey lists Idlewild with Meadowbrook, Chapel Forge, Whitehall, Rockledge, Overbrook, Yorktown and Victoria Heights as the sections built between 1964 and 1968 on land north of MD 450 (Annapolis Road) and east of MD 197, spreading northeast from that intersection. The City places Idlewild in Council District 1, alongside Chapel Forge, Victoria Heights, Yorktown and Whitehall.

Idlewild is inside the City of Bowie: Bowie Police, twice weekly City trash pickup, City leaf collection and a City permit (on top of the county permit) for projects like larger fences and sheds.

What are the houses like?

Idlewild was built after Levitt's 1964 renaming, so original documents use the later names: the Ardsley (the Cape), the Buckingham (the one-level Rancher) and its Devon variant, and the Cambridge and Gladstone Colonials. The small one-story Kensington was offered only in 1967 and 1968. Original Levitt lots generally measured about 8,400 square feet, and the SDAT record shows the exact lot and the year built for any address.

Water, taxes and HOA

Idlewild is named on the City of Bowie's water service list, so water and sewer come from the City (fiscal 2026: $7.11 per thousand gallons for water, $10.20 for sewer), not WSSC Water. The City's system does not expand into new areas, so this is a fixed feature of the section. There is no mandatory HOA.

The City tax rises from $0.40 to $0.58 per $100 for fiscal 2027. On a $400,000 assessment, that is $720 more a year on the City line. Ask your lender to escrow at the new rate, not the seller's last bill. Details: Bowie property taxes explained.

Which schools serve this section?

Prince George's County Public Schools assigns every address by boundary, not by section name, and boundaries were redrawn in the county's recent boundary initiative. Enter the exact street address in the PGCPS School Finder and save a dated screenshot before you rely on it. If the tool cannot find the address, Pupil Accounting takes questions at school.boundaries@pgcps.org or 301-952-6300.

To compare schools, read each school's page on the Maryland School Report Card site from the Maryland State Department of Education, which publishes the star rating, assessment results, attendance and other measures by year. Our Bowie schools guide explains how to read it.

Pools, parks and errands

Levitt's three Belair swim clubs are all private membership clubs today: Belair Swim and Racquet at 12728 Midwood Lane in Meadowbrook, the Whitehall Pool and Tennis Club, and Belair Bath and Tennis at Belair Drive and Tulip Grove Drive. The City also runs Whitemarsh Park, a 182 acre park with the Bowie Playhouse, ballfields, trails and a playground. Daily shopping is along Annapolis Road. See our parks and recreation guide.

For commuting, MD 197 runs north toward Laurel, Route 32 and Fort Meade and south to Route 50 for DC and Annapolis. Our commuting guide covers MARC and Metro options.

Before you buy

Expect the federal lead paint disclosure on every Idlewild house. Inspect plumbing, the electrical panel, moisture, windows and the permit history of any addition, and scope the sewer lateral if there are mature trees in the front yard.

Watching for an Idlewild house?

Because so few come up, set an alert by section name and street letter on our listings page, compare it on our Belair page, or get a home value estimate. Call or text Bruno at (240) 418-3809, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Sources: Historic American Buildings Survey, Belair at Bowie (HABS MD-1253), HABS MD-1265, Belair Bath and Tennis Club, City of Bowie New Residents (water service areas), City of Bowie neighborhoods by council district, City of Bowie water and sewer rates, City of Bowie parks, SDAT 2026 to 2027 tax rates, PGCPS School Finder, Bright MLS data, April to September 2026.