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List of counties in Maryland

There are 23 counties and one independent city in the U.S. state of Maryland. Though formally an independent city rather than a county, the City of Baltimore is considered the equal of a county for most purposes and is functionally a county-equivalent in most respects. 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]

Independent city and counties of Maryland
LocationState of Maryland
Number23 counties and 1 Independent city
Populations(Counties only): 19,303 (Kent) – 1,058,474 (Montgomery)
Areas(Counties only): 254 square miles (660 km2) (Howard) – 983 square miles (2,550 km2) (Dorchester)
Government
Subdivisions

History

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 changes to county borders 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 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 Baltimore County or 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.

List of counties

County
FIPS code[5]County seat[2][6]Est.[2][6]Origin[2]Etymology[2]Flag
Seal
Population[7]Area[6][7]Map
Allegany County001Cumberland1789Formed from part of Washington CountyFrom Lenape oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream" 67,273430 sq mi
(1,114 km2)
Anne Arundel County003Annapolis1650Formed from part of St. Mary's CountyAnne Arundell was the maiden name of the wife of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Between 1654 and 1658 it was known as Providence County by Puritan settlers 594,582588 sq mi
(1,523 km2)
Baltimore County005Towson1659Formed from unorganized territoryCecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony 844,703682 sq mi
(1,766 km2)
Baltimore City510Baltimore City1851Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore CountyCecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony 565,23992 sq mi
(238 km2)
Calvert County009Prince Frederick1654Formed as Patuxent County from unorganized territory. Renamed Calvert County in 1658The Calvert family; prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent County, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians 94,728345 sq mi
(894 km2)
Caroline County011Denton1773From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's CountyLady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore 33,593326 sq mi
(844 km2)
Carroll County013Westminster1837From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick CountyCharles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence 176,639452 sq mi
(1,171 km2)
Cecil County015Elkton1674From parts of Baltimore County and Kent CountyCecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 105,672418 sq mi
(1,083 km2)
Charles County017La Plata1658From unorganized territoryCharles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony 171,973643 sq mi
(1,665 km2)
Dorchester County019Cambridge1668From unorganized territoryDorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family 32,879983 sq mi
(2,546 km2)
Frederick County021Frederick1748From part of Prince George's CountyFrederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony 293,391667 sq mi
(1,728 km2)
Garrett County023Oakland1872From part of Allegany CountyJohn Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 28,423656 sq mi
(1,699 km2)
Harford County025Bel Air1773From part of Baltimore CountyHenry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore 264,644527 sq mi
(1,365 km2)
Howard County027Ellicott City1851From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore CountyJohn Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland 336,001254 sq mi
(658 km2)
Kent County029Chestertown1642From unorganized territoryThe English county of Kent 19,303414 sq mi
(1,072 km2)
Montgomery County031Rockville1776From part of Frederick CountyRichard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general 1,058,474507 sq mi
(1,313 km2)
Prince George's County033Upper Marlboro1696From parts of Calvert County and Charles CountyPrince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain 947,430498 sq mi
(1,290 km2)
Queen Anne's County035Centreville1706From parts of Talbot CountyAnne, Queen of Great Britain 52,508510 sq mi
(1,321 km2)
Somerset County039Princess Anne1666From unorganized territory.Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 24,910611 sq mi
(1,582 km2)
St. Mary's County037Leonardtown1637From 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 115,281611 sq mi
(1,582 km2)
Talbot County041Easton1662From part of Kent CountyGrace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 37,823477 sq mi
(1,235 km2)
Washington County043Hagerstown1776From part of Frederick CountyGeorge Washington, first President of the United StatesNone 155,813468 sq mi
(1,212 km2)
Wicomico County045Salisbury1867From parts of Somerset County and Worcester CountyThe Wicomico River; in Lenape, wicko mekee indicated "a place where houses are built", possibly in reference to a settlement 104,800400 sq mi
(1,036 km2)
Worcester County047Snow Hill1742From part of Somerset CountyMary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of Henry Somerset, 1st Marquess of Worcester, and sister of Anne Arundell, the wife of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 54,171695 sq mi
(1,800 km2)

Defunct counties

CountyYears of existenceEtymology
Old Charles County1650–1654King Charles I of England
Durham County1669–1672The English County Durham
Old Worcester County1672–1685Mary Arundell, the wife of Sir John Somerset, son of the 1st Marquess of Worcester,
and sister of Anne Arundell, wife of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

See also

References

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