List of counties in Maryland
{{Short description|None}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox subdivision type
| name = Independent city and counties of Maryland
| alt_name =
| map = File:Map of maryland counties.jpg
| category =
| territory = State of Maryland
| start_date =
| current_number = 23 counties and 1 Independent city
| number_date =
| population_range = (Counties only): 19,557 (Kent) – 1,082,273 (Montgomery)
| area_range = (Counties only): {{Convert|254|sqmi}} (Howard) – {{Convert|983|sqmi}} (Dorchester)
| government = County government
| subdivision =(Counties): cities, towns, unincorporated communities, census designated place
(Independent city): Neighborhoods
}}
There are 23 counties and one independent city in the U.S. state of Maryland. 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.Brugger, Robert J. (1988). Maryland: A Middle Temperament, 1634–1980. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. {{ISBN|0-8018-3399-X}}.
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.
History
The most recent county formation in Maryland occurred in 1872 when Garrett County was split from Allegany County.{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/county.html|title=Counties|work=Maryland Manual Online|publisher=Maryland State Archives|access-date=June 24, 2007}} 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.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Deneen |title=As Unification Nears, Takoma Park Residents Still a Divided People |newspaper=The Washington Post |pages=A1 |date=June 28, 1997 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/daily/sept99/takoma062897.htm |access-date=June 24, 2007}}
Within Maryland 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.{{Cite web |date=April 9, 2024 |title=Maryland Government, State, local & federal |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/govern.html |access-date=January 3, 2025 |website=Maryland State Archives}} 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.{{Cite web |date=February 2011 |title=Place Alpha Vacancy 2000-2010 |url=https://planning.maryland.gov/MSDC/Documents/Census/Cen2010/PL94-171/housing/Place_Alpha_Vacancy_2000-2010.pdf |access-date=January 3, 2025 |publisher=Maryland Department of Planning}} In fact, there are no incorporated municipalities at all in Baltimore County or Howard County.{{Cite web |date=March 11, 2022 |title=Baltimore County, Maryland, Municipalities |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/bco/html/bcomu.html |access-date=January 3, 2025 |website=Maryland State Archives}}{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2024 |title=Howard County, Maryland, Municipalities |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/how/html/howmu.html |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=Maryland State Archives}} The county-equivalent is also the provider of public schools as school districts do not exist as a separate level of government in Maryland.{{cite web |title=Maryland |url=https://www2.census.gov/govs/cog/gc0212md.pdf |access-date=December 14, 2024 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |page=1}}
The City of Baltimore is an entity nearly surrounded by but separate from the County of Baltimore. The City has been considered on par with the counties within the state since it became an independent city after it separated from Baltimore County in 1851.{{cite web |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/bcity/html/bcity.html |title=Baltimore City, Maryland |website=Maryland Manual Online |publisher=Maryland State Archives |access-date=December 4, 2024}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip6-4.htm|title=FIPS Publish 6-4|publisher=National Institute of Standards and Technology|access-date=April 11, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929074056/http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip6-4.htm|archive-date=September 29, 2013}} Maryland's code is 24, which when combined with any county code would be written as 24XXX.{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-identifiers.html |title=Understanding Geographic Identifiers (GEOIDs) |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 4, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/ansi/ansi-codes-for-states.html |title=American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Codes for States |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 4, 2024}} The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.
List of counties
{{Countytabletop
| region_width =
| region_seat_title = County seat
| region_seat_width =
| region_seat_ref ={{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/state.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=MD |title=NACo – Find a county |author=National Association of Counties |access-date=April 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025113200/http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=%2Fcffiles%2Fcounties%2Fstate.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=MD |archive-date=October 25, 2007 }}
| data2_title = {{abbr|Est.|Established}}
| data2_width =
| data3_title = Origin
| data3_width =
| data4_title = Etymology
| data4_width =
| data4_unsortable = yes
| area_ref ={{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/maps/maryland_map.html|title=Maryland QuickFacts|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=March 15, 2025}}
| data5_title = Flag
| data5_width =
| data5_ref =
| data5_unsortable = yes
| data6_title = Seal
| data6_width =
| data6_ref =
| data6_unsortable = yes
}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=001 |Name=Allegany |Seat=Cumberland |Data2=1789 |Data3=Formed from part of Washington County |Data4=From Lenape oolikhanna, which means "beautiful stream" |Population=67097|Area=430|Data5=File:Flag of Allegany County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of Allegany County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=003 |Name=Anne Arundel |Seat=Annapolis |Data2=1650 |Data3=Formed from part of St. Mary's County |Data4=Anne 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 |Population=602350|Area=588|Data5=File:Flag of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Anne Arundel County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=005 |Name=Baltimore |Seat=Towson |Data2=1659 |Data3=Formed from unorganized territory |Data4=Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony |Population=852425|Area=682|Data5=File:Flag of Baltimore County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Baltimore County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=510 |Type=City |Name=Baltimore |Seat=Baltimore City |Data2=1851 |Data3=Founded in 1729. Detached in 1851 from Baltimore County |Data4=Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, first proprietor of the Maryland colony |Population=568271|Area=92|Data5=File:Flag of Baltimore, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Baltimore, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=009 |Name=Calvert |Seat=Prince Frederick |Data2=1654 |Data3=Formed as Patuxent County from unorganized territory. Renamed Calvert County in 1658 |Data4=The Calvert family; prior to 1658 it was called Patuxent County, after the Patuxent Indians, a branch of the Algonquians |Population=94913|Area=345|Data5=File:Flag of Calvert County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Calvert County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=011 |Name=Caroline |Seat=Denton |Data2=1773 |Data3=From parts of Dorchester County and Queen Anne's County |Data4=Lady Caroline Eden, daughter of Charles Calvert, 5th Baron Baltimore |Population=34248|Area=326|Data5=File:Flag of Caroline County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Caroline County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=013 |Name=Carroll |Seat=Westminster |Data2=1837 |Data3=From parts of Baltimore County and Frederick County |Data4=Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a representative to the Continental Congress and signatory of the Declaration of Independence |Population=177108|Area=452|Data5=File:Flag of Carroll County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of Carroll County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=015 |Name=Cecil |Seat=Elkton |Data2=1674 |Data3=From parts of Baltimore County and Kent County |Data4=Cecil is an Anglicized form of the first name of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore |Population=106305|Area=418|Data5=File:Flag of Cecil County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of Cecil County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=017 |Name=Charles |Seat=La Plata |Data2=1658 |Data3=From unorganized territory |Data4=Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, second proprietor of the Maryland colony |Population=174478|Area=643|Data5=File:Flag of Charles County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Charles County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=019 |Name=Dorchester |Seat=Cambridge |Data2=1668 |Data3=From unorganized territory |Data4=Dorchester in Dorset, England; the Earl of Dorset was a friend of the Calvert family |Population=33138|Area=983|Data5=File:Flag of Dochester County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of Dorchester County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=021 |Name=Frederick |Seat=Frederick |Data2=1748 |Data3=From part of Prince George's County |Data4=Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, final proprietor of the Maryland colony |Population=299317|Area=667|Data5=File:2023 flag of Frederick County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Frederick County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=023 |Name=Garrett |Seat=Oakland |Data2=1872 |Data3=From part of Allegany County |Data4=John Work Garrett, president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |Population=28393|Area=656|Data5=File:Flag of Garrett County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Garrett County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=025 |Name=Harford |Seat=Bel Air |Data2=1773 |Data3=From part of Baltimore County |Data4=Henry Harford, illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore |Population=265514|Area=527|Data5=File:Flag of Harford County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of Harford County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=027 |Name=Howard |Seat=Ellicott City |Data2=1851 |Data3=From parts of Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County |Data4=John Eager Howard, an American Revolutionary War officer and governor of Maryland |Population=339668|Area=254|Data5=File:Flag of Howard County, Maryland (2025).svg|Data6=File:Seal of Howard County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=029 |Name=Kent |Seat=Chestertown |Data2=1642 |Data3=From unorganized territory |Data4=The English county of Kent |Population=19557|Area=414|Data5=File:Flag of Kent County, Maryland.gif|Data6=File:Seal of Kent County, Maryland.gif}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=031 |Name=Montgomery |Seat=Rockville |Data2=1776 |Data3=From part of Frederick County |Data4=Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general |Population=1082273|Area=507|Data5=File:Flag of Montgomery County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Montgomery County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=033 |Name=Prince George's |Seat=Upper Marlboro |Data2=1696 |Data3=From parts of Calvert County and Charles County |Data4=Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Queen Anne of Great Britain |Population=966629|Area=498|Data5=File:Flag of Prince George's County, Maryland (1963–present).svg|Data6=File:Seal of Prince George's County, Maryland.svg}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=035 |Name=Queen Anne's |Seat=Centreville |Data2=1706 |Data3=From parts of Talbot County |Data4=Anne, Queen of Great Britain |Population=53688|Area=510|Data5=File:Flag of Queen Anne's County, Maryland.gif|Data6=File:Seal of Queen Anne's County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=039 |Name=Somerset |Seat=Princess Anne |Data2=1666 |Data3=From unorganized territory. |Data4=Mary, Lady Somerset, sister-in-law of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore |Population=25241|Area=611|Data5=File:Flag of Somerset County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Somerset County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=037 |Name=St. Mary's |Seat=Leonardtown |Data2=1637 |Data3=From unorganized territory. Was named Potomac County between 1654 and 1658. |Data4=The Virgin Mary, first county named in a colony intended to be a haven for Catholics |Population=116469|Area=611|Data5=File:Flag of St. Mary's County, Maryland.png|Data6=File:Seal of St. Mary's County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=041 |Name=Talbot |Seat=Easton |Data2=1662 |Data3=From part of Kent County |Data4=Grace, Lady Talbot, sister of Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore |Population=38244|Area=477|Data5=File:Flag of Talbot County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Talbot County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=043 |Name=Washington |Seat=Hagerstown |Data2=1776 |Data3=From part of Frederick County |Data4=George Washington, first President of the United States |Population=157228|Area=468|Data5=File:Washington County, Maryland.webp|Data6=File:Seal of Washington County, Maryland (1950–1988).png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=045 |Name=Wicomico |Seat=Salisbury |Data2=1867 |Data3=From parts of Somerset County and Worcester County |Data4=The Wicomico River; in Lenape, wicko mekee indicated "a place where houses are built", possibly in reference to a settlement |Population=106329|Area=400|Data5=File:Flag of Wicomico County, Maryland.gif|Data6=File:Seal of Wicomico County, Maryland.png}}
{{Countyrow |N=24 |Num=047 |Name=Worcester |Seat=Snow Hill |Data2=1742 |Data3=From part of Somerset County |Data4=Mary 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 |Population=54337|Area=695|Data5=File:Flag of Worcester County, Maryland.svg|Data6=File:Seal of Worcester County, Maryland.png}}
|}
See also
Further reading
- {{cite web |year=2022 |title=Maryland County Government Overview |url=https://ce.naco.org//app/profiles/CountyGov/CountyGov_24000.pdf |agency=National Association of Counties (NACo) |access-date=January 3, 2025}}