The Edgewater/Mayo area across the South River from Annapolis includes four zip codes:
21106 Mayo, its many small peninsulas, and their various colorfully named communities like Turkey Point,
Cox Neck, Beverly Beach etc
21037 Edgewater itself the area with the highest population and many new home developments
21140 Riva has no close connections to Edgewater--but it is across the
South River and is part of the Annapolis Area
21035 Davidsonville would feel rural if not for the increasing traffic and increasing number of developments
with their scattering of McMansions.
Homes in this area tend to be older and smaller near the water, although there are growing numbers of larger homes being built near the water.
Mayo and Edgewater tended to be vacation home communities, or working class communities for people who could not live closer to metro area hot spots.
Riva was largely developed in the 60's and 70's as bedroom communities with easy access to commutes to DC and Baltimore.
Davidsonville still retains much of its rural character although much of the county's most expensive newer developments are in this area.
South River High School is the public High School serving Edgewater. Southern High school also serves the southernmost part of the area. Annapolis High School itself is located in Riva. Population in the area is growing fast and an increasing portion of the school budget is being devoted to it.
Major shopping in the area can be found at the intersection MD 2, here called Solomon's Island Road and Central Ave, and either direction down Central Ave and from Central Avenue north on Solomon's Island Road.
The major roads in the area are Riva Road with one of the bridges going over the South River from Annapolis. Solomon's Island Road with the other Bridge over the South River from Annapolis, continuing on into Southern Maryland. And Central Avenue which runs from Beverly Beach at the end of the Peninsula through Mayo, Edgewater, Davidsonville and on into Prince George's County and DC.
The other road that needs to be mentioned is Davidsonville Road, which starts north in Crofton crosses 50 and ends at Central Avenue. It provides one of the fastest routes to DC from this area of Anne Arundel county.