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There are twenty-four counties and county-equivalents in the U.S. state of Maryland. Though an independent city rather than a county, the City of Baltimore is considered the equal of a county for most purposes and is a county-equivalent. Many of the counties in Maryland were named for relatives of the Barons Baltimore who were the proprietors of the Maryland colony from its founding in 1634 through 1771. The Barons Baltimore were Catholic, and George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, originally intended that the colony be a haven for English Catholics, though for most of its history Maryland has had a majority of Protestants.[1]

The last new county formation in Maryland occurred when Garrett County was formed in 1872 from portions of Allegany County.[2] However, there have been numerous border changes since that time, most recently when portions of the city of Takoma Park that had previously been part of Prince George's County were absorbed into Montgomery County in 1997.[3]

Outside of Baltimore (which is an independent city) the county is the default unit of local government. Under Maryland law, counties exercise powers reserved in most other states at the municipal or state levels, so there is little incentive for a community to incorporate. Many of the state's most populous and economically important communities, such as Bethesda, Silver Spring, Columbia and Towson are unincorporated and receive their municipal services from the county. In fact, there are no incorporated municipalities at all in Howard County. The county-equivalent is also the provider of public schools - School districts as a separate level of government do not exist in Maryland.

The City of Baltimore generally possesses the same powers and responsibilities as the counties within the state. It is an entity nearly surrounded by but separate from the County of Baltimore, which has its county seat in Towson.

The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry.[4] Maryland's code is 24, which when combined with any county code would be written as 24XXX. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.

Alphabetical listing[]

County
FIPS code
[5]
County seat
[2][6]
Established
[2][6]
Origin
[2]
Etymology
[2]
Population
[7]
Area
[6][8]
Map
Allegany County 001 Cumberland 1789 Formed from part of Washington County. From the Lenape Indian word oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream" &&&&&&&&&&075087.&&&&&075,087 &&&&&&&&&&&&0430.&&&&&0430 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01114.&&&&&01,114 km2)
State map highlighting Allegany County
Anne Arundel County 003 Annapolis 1650 Formed from part of St. Mary's County. Anne Arundell was the maiden name of the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Between 1654 and 1658 it was known as Providence County by Puritan settlers &&&&&&&&&0537656.&&&&&0537,656 &&&&&&&&&&&&0588.&&&&&0588 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01523.&&&&&01,523 km2)
State map highlighting Anne Arundel County
Baltimore County 005 Towson 1659 Formed from unorganized territory Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony &&&&&&&&&0805029.&&&&&0805,029 &&&&&&&&&&&&0682.&&&&&0682 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01766.&&&&&01,766 km2)
State map highlighting Baltimore County
Baltimore City 510 Baltimore City 1851 Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore County Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony &&&&&&&&&0620961.&&&&&0620,961 &&&&&&&&&&&&&092.&&&&&092 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0238.&&&&&0238 km2)
State map highlighting Baltimore City
Calvert County 009 Prince Frederick 1654 Formed as Patuxent County from unorganized territory. Renamed Calvert County in 1658 The Calvert family; prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent County, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians &&&&&&&&&&088737.&&&&&088,737 &&&&&&&&&&&&0345.&&&&&0345 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0894.&&&&&0894 km2)
State map highlighting Calvert County
Caroline County 011 Denton 1773 From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's County Lady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&&033066.&&&&&033,066 &&&&&&&&&&&&0326.&&&&&0326 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0844.&&&&&0844 km2)
State map highlighting Caroline County
Carroll County 013 Westminster 1837 From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick County Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence &&&&&&&&&0167134.&&&&&0167,134 &&&&&&&&&&&&0452.&&&&&0452 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01171.&&&&&01,171 km2)
State map highlighting Carroll County
Cecil County 015 Elkton 1672 From parts of Baltimore County and Kent County Cecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&0101108.&&&&&0101,108 &&&&&&&&&&&&0418.&&&&&0418 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01083.&&&&&01,083 km2)
State map highlighting Cecil County
Charles County 017 La Plata 1658 From unorganized territory Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony &&&&&&&&&0146551.&&&&&0146,551 &&&&&&&&&&&&0643.&&&&&0643 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01665.&&&&&01,665 km2)
State map highlighting Charles County
Dorchester County 019 Cambridge 1668 From unorganized territory Dorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family &&&&&&&&&&032618.&&&&&032,618 &&&&&&&&&&&&0983.&&&&&0983 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&02546.&&&&&02,546 km2)
State map highlighting Dorchester County
Frederick County 021 Frederick 1748 From part of Prince George's County Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony &&&&&&&&&0233385.&&&&&0233,385 &&&&&&&&&&&&0667.&&&&&0667 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01728.&&&&&01,728 km2)
State map highlighting Frederick County
Garrett County 023 Oakland 1872 From part of Allegany County John Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad &&&&&&&&&&030097.&&&&&030,097 &&&&&&&&&&&&0656.&&&&&0656 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01699.&&&&&01,699 km2)
State map highlighting Garrett County
Harford County 025 Bel Air 1773 From part of Baltimore County Henry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&0244826.&&&&&0244,826 &&&&&&&&&&&&0527.&&&&&0527 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01365.&&&&&01,365 km2)
State map highlighting Harford County
Howard County 027 Ellicott City 1851 From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County John Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland &&&&&&&&&0287085.&&&&&0287,085 &&&&&&&&&&&&0254.&&&&&0254 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&&0658.&&&&&0658 km2)
State map highlighting Howard County
Kent County 029 Chestertown 1642 From unorganized territory The English county of Kent &&&&&&&&&&020197.&&&&&020,197 &&&&&&&&&&&&0414.&&&&&0414 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01072.&&&&&01,072 km2)
State map highlighting Kent County
Montgomery County 031 Rockville 1776 From part of Frederick County Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general &&&&&&&&&0971777.&&&&&0971,777 &&&&&&&&&&&&0507.&&&&&0507 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01313.&&&&&01,313 km2)
State map highlighting Montgomery County
Prince George's County 033 Upper Marlboro 1696 From parts of Calvert County and Charles County Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain &&&&&&&&&0863420.&&&&&0863,420 &&&&&&&&&&&&0498.&&&&&0498 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01290.&&&&&01,290 km2)
State map highlighting Prince George's County
Queen Anne's County 035 Centreville 1706 From parts of Talbot County Anne, Queen of Great Britain &&&&&&&&&&047798.&&&&&047,798 &&&&&&&&&&&&0510.&&&&&0510 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01321.&&&&&01,321 km2)
State map highlighting Queen Anne's County
Saint Mary's County 037 Leonardtown 1637 From unorganized territory. Was named Potomac County between 1654 and 1658. The Virgin Mary, first county named in a colony intended to be a haven for Catholics &&&&&&&&&0105151.&&&&&0105,151 &&&&&&&&&&&&0611.&&&&&0611 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01582.&&&&&01,582 km2)
State map highlighting Saint Mary's County
Somerset County 039 Princess Anne 1666 From unorganized territory. Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&&026470.&&&&&026,470 &&&&&&&&&&&&0611.&&&&&0611 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01582.&&&&&01,582 km2)
State map highlighting Somerset County
Talbot County 041 Easton 1662 From part of Kent County Grace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&&037782.&&&&&037,782 &&&&&&&&&&&&0477.&&&&&0477 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01235.&&&&&01,235 km2)
State map highlighting Talbot County
Washington County 043 Hagerstown 1776 From part of Frederick County George Washington, first President of the United States &&&&&&&&&0147430.&&&&&0147,430 &&&&&&&&&&&&0468.&&&&&0468 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01212.&&&&&01,212 km2)
State map highlighting Washington County
Wicomico County 045 Salisbury 1867 From parts of Somerset County and Worcester County The Wicomico River; in Lenape, wicko mekee indicated "a place where houses are built," possibly in reference to a settlement &&&&&&&&&&098733.&&&&&098,733 &&&&&&&&&&&&0400.&&&&&0400 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01036.&&&&&01,036 km2)
State map highlighting Wicomico County
Worcester County 047 Snow Hill 1742 From part of Somerset County Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of the 1st Marquess of Worcester, and sister of Anne Arundell, the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore &&&&&&&&&&051454.&&&&&051,454 &&&&&&&&&&&&0695.&&&&&0695 sq mi
(&&&&&&&&&&&01800.&&&&&01,800 km2)
State map highlighting Worcester County

Map[]

Map of maryland counties

Counties of Maryland.

Defunct counties[]

County Years of existence Etymology
Old Charles County 1650–1654 Charles I, King of England
Durham County 1669–1672 The English County Durham
Old Worcester County 1672–1685 Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of the 1st Marquess of Worcester,
and sister of Anne Arundell, wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

References[]

  1. ^ Brugger, Robert J. (1988). Maryland: A Middle Temperament, 1634–1980. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 080183399X
  2. ^ a b c d e "Counties". Maryland Manual Online. http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/county.html. Retrieved 2007-06-24. 
  3. ^ Brown, Deneen (June 28, 1997). "As Unification Nears, Takoma Park Residents Still a Divided People". The Washington Post: pp. A1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/sept99/takoma062897.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-24. 
  4. ^ "FIPS Publish 6-4". National Institute of Standards and Technology. http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip6-4.htm. Retrieved 2007-04-11. 
  5. ^ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/codes/md.html. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  6. ^ a b c National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/state.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=MD. Retrieved 2008-04-30. 
  7. ^ http://factfinder2.census.gov
  8. ^ "Maryland QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/maryland_map.html. Retrieved 2007-06-22. 


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at List of counties in Maryland. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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