Hagerstown is a compact, affordable Western Maryland city with a walkable historic downtown, a growing arts/coffee/brewery scene, and enough restaurants and weekend events to keep multi‑week stays interesting. Its proximity to rolling Appalachian foothills and nearby trail networks makes day‑trip hiking, biking and scenic runs easy between shifts.
Big-city escapes are within reach — about 35 miles to Frederick and under 75 miles to Washington, D.C., so you can swap a quiet week for museums, nightlife, and larger hospital systems on weekends.