in 1894. Economy Garrett County produces natural gas, the only county in the state to do so. Much of the economic activity in the area centers around tourism. In the winter, the Wisp ski resort in Oakland and New Germany State Park's cross-country skiing trail are frequent destinations, and Deep Creek Lake sees much activity in the summer. The state parks in the county are frequented year-round. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, tourism boomed as many people from Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh wanted to get away from the city. The average sale price for a home in the county jumped $250,000 from July 2020 to July 2021. As of July 2021, the average price for a home in the county ($642,805) is the second-most expensive in Maryland, behind only Montgomery County. Transportation Major highways Airport Garrett County Airport (2G4) is a general aviation airport surrounded by the mountains of Western Maryland. The airport enhances the region's tourist industry and provides emergency air service evacuation and landing facilities for general aviation. Media Garrett County is part of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania television market. KDKA-TV and WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and WJAC-TV in Johnstown, Pennsylvania serves Oakland, the county seat. Oakland also has an educational television station (by way of PBS member station WGPT, part of state-wide Maryland Public Television; it also serves Pittsburgh-based member station WQED). It has a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican, which was purchased by NCWV Media in 2017. Events Annual events include the Autumn Glory Festival, the Scottish Highland Festival, and the Garrett County Agricultural Fair. Communities Towns Accident Deer Park Friendsville Grantsville Kitzmiller Loch Lynn Heights Mountain Lake Park Oakland (county seat) Census-designated places The United States Census Bureau recognizes seven census-designated places (CDPs) in Garrett County. Bloomington Crellin Finzel Gorman Hutton Jennings Swanton Unincorporated communities The following communities are classified as populated places or locales by the Geographic Names Information System. Altamont is where CSX's Mountain Subdivision rail line crosses the Eastern Continental Divide just west of the railroad's underpass of MD 135 east of Deer Park. Asher Glade is at the intersection of MD 42 and Asher Glade Road northwest of Friendsville and a short distance south of the Pennsylvania state line near Markleysburg, Pennsylvania. Avilton is at the intersection of Avilton Lonaconing Road and Green Lantern Road southwest of Finzel. Bethel is at the intersection of Walnut Bottom Road and Chestnut Grove Road