List of counties in Maryland

There are 23 counties and one independent city 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]

Independent city and counties of Maryland
LocationState of Maryland
Number23 counties and 1 Independent city
Populations(Counties only): 19,320 (Kent) – 1,052,521 (Montgomery)
Areas(Counties only): 254 square miles (660 km2) (Howard) – 695 square miles (1,800 km2) (Worcester)
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][8] Map
Allegany County 001 Cumberland1789Formed from part of Washington CountyFrom Lenape oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream" 67,267 430 sq mi
(1,114 km2)		State map highlighting Allegany County
Anne Arundel County 003 Annapolis1650Formed 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 593,286 588 sq mi
(1,523 km2)		State map highlighting Anne Arundel County
Baltimore County 005 Towson1659Formed from unorganized territoryCecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony 846,161 682 sq mi
(1,766 km2)		State map highlighting Baltimore County
Baltimore City 510 Baltimore City1851Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore CountyCecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony 569,931 92 sq mi
(238 km2)		State map highlighting Baltimore City
Calvert County 009 Prince 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 94,573 345 sq mi
(894 km2)		State map highlighting Calvert County
Caroline County 011 Denton1773From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's CountyLady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore 33,433 326 sq mi
(844 km2)		State map highlighting Caroline County
Carroll County 013 Westminster1837From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick CountyCharles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence 175,305 452 sq mi
(1,171 km2)		State map highlighting Carroll County
Cecil County 015 Elkton1674From parts of Baltimore County and Kent CountyCecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 104,942 418 sq mi
(1,083 km2)		State map highlighting Cecil County
Charles County 017 La Plata1658From unorganized territoryCharles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony 170,102 643 sq mi
(1,665 km2)		State map highlighting Charles County
Dorchester County 019 Cambridge1668From unorganized territoryDorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family 32,726 540 sq mi
(1,399 km2)		State map highlighting Dorchester County
Frederick County 021 Frederick1748From part of Prince George's CountyFrederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony 287,079 667 sq mi
(1,728 km2)		State map highlighting Frederick County
Garrett County 023 Oakland1872From part of Allegany CountyJohn Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 28,579 656 sq mi
(1,699 km2)		State map highlighting Garrett County
Harford County 025 Bel Air1773From part of Baltimore CountyHenry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore 263,867 527 sq mi
(1,365 km2)		State map highlighting Harford County
Howard County 027 Ellicott City1851From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore CountyJohn Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland 335,411 254 sq mi
(658 km2)		State map highlighting Howard County
Kent County 029 Chestertown1642From unorganized territoryThe English county of Kent 19,320 414 sq mi
(1,072 km2)		State map highlighting Kent County
Montgomery County 031 Rockville1776From part of Frederick CountyRichard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general 1,052,521 507 sq mi
(1,313 km2)		State map highlighting Montgomery County
Prince George's County 033 Upper Marlboro1696From parts of Calvert County and Charles CountyPrince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain 946,971 498 sq mi
(1,290 km2)		State map highlighting Prince George's County
Queen Anne's County 035 Centreville1706From parts of Talbot CountyAnne, Queen of Great Britain 51,711 510 sq mi
(1,321 km2)		State map highlighting Queen Anne's County
Somerset County 039 Princess Anne1666From unorganized territory.Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 24,546 611 sq mi
(1,582 km2)		State map highlighting Somerset County
St. Mary's County 037 Leonardtown1637From 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 114,877 611 sq mi
(1,582 km2)		State map highlighting St. Mary's County
Talbot County 041 Easton1662From part of Kent CountyGrace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore 37,932 477 sq mi
(1,235 km2)		State map highlighting Talbot County
Washington County 043 Hagerstown1776From part of Frederick CountyGeorge Washington, first President of the United States 155,590 468 sq mi
(1,212 km2)		State map highlighting Washington County
Wicomico County 045 Salisbury1867From 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 104,664 400 sq mi
(1,036 km2)		State map highlighting Wicomico County
Worcester County 047 Snow 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 53,866 695 sq mi
(1,800 km2)		State map highlighting Worcester County

Defunct counties
County Years of existence Etymology
Old Charles County 1650–1654 King Charles I 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 Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore

See also

References
  1. Brugger, Robert J. (1988). Maryland: A Middle Temperament, 1634–1980. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. ISBN 0-8018-3399-X.
  2. "Counties". Maryland Manual Online. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  3. Brown, Deneen (June 28, 1997). "As Unification Nears, Takoma Park Residents Still a Divided People". The Washington Post. pp. A1. Retrieved June 24, 2007.
  4. "FIPS Publish 6-4". National Institute of Standards and Technology. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
  5. "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Archived from the original on September 28, 2004. Retrieved February 23, 2008.
  6. National Association of Counties. "NACo – Find a county". Archived from the original on October 25, 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  8. "Maryland QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 22, 2007.

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