Maryland's Counties - Kids Page

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2000
Census Information

Maryland Counties in 1790

How the
Counties Began

Brief History of
the Counties

Around the State:
Size & Population

Click on the map below or use the links below the map to find information on each county.

|| Allegany || Anne Arundel || Baltimore City || Baltimore || Calvert || Caroline || Carroll || Cecil || Charles ||
|| Dorchester || Frederick || Garrett || Harford || Howard || Kent || Montgomery || Prince George's ||
|| Queen Anne's || St. Mary's || Somerset || Talbot || Washington || Wicomico || Worcester ||

Click image to take a look at the Maryland counties in 1790

Formation & County Seats of Maryland Counties
County Name (click link for County homepage)	Date Formed	County Seat	Formed From
Allegany	1789	Cumberland	Washington
Anne Arundel	1650	Annapolis	Original County
Baltimore City	1729	Baltimore	Baltimore
Baltimore County	1659	Towson	Original County
Calvert	1654	Prince Frederick	Original County
Caroline	1773	Denton	Dorchester, Queen Anne's
Carroll	1837	Westminister	Baltimore, Frederick
Cecil	1674	Elkton	Kent
Charles	1658	La Plata	Original County
Dorchester	1668	Cambridge	Original County
Frederick	1748	Frederick	Prince George's
Garrett	1872	Oakland	Allegany
Harford	1773	Bel Air	Baltimore
Howard	1851	Ellicott City	Baltimore, Anne Arundel
Kent	1642	Chestertown	Original County
Montgomery	1776	Rockville	Frederick
Prince George's	1695	Upper Marlboro	Charles, Calvert
Queen Anne's	1706	Centreville	Talbot
St. Mary's	1637	Leonardtown	Original County
Somerset	1666	Princess Anne	Original County
Talbot	1662	Easton	Kent
Washington	1776	Hagerstown	Frederick
Wicomico	1867	Salisbury	Somerset
Worcester	1742	Snow Hill	Somerset

A Brief History of the Maryland Counties
1637 - St. Mary's created as original colony. Covered both sides of Chesapeake Bay.
1642 - Kent created from St. Mary's east of the bay.
1650 - Anne Arundel and Charles Counties are created from St. Mary's.
1654 - Patuxent is created from St. Mary's; Charles (old), non-county area. Charles (old) abolished. Anne Arundel name changed to Providence. St. Mary's name changed to Potomac.
1658 - Charles is created from Potomac. Patuxent name changed to Calvert. Potomac name changed back to St. Mary's. Providence name changed back to Anne Arundel.
1659 - Baltimore is created from Anne Arundel, Kent and non-county area.
1662 - Talbot is taken from Kent.
1666 - Somerset is taken from non-county area and extends to Atlantic.
1669 - Dorchester is created from non-county area; Durham and an unnamed county are created from Somerset in an area that is now Delaware.
1671 - Kent gained from Talbot but still appears smallest of counties.
1672 - Worcester is created from Durham and the unnamed county in the area that is now Delaware.
1674 - Cecil County is created from Baltimore.
1685 - There was a royal decision dividing peninsula between Maryland and Delaware Colony but the boundary was not established. Worcester County, Md., was effectively eliminated.
1695 - Prince George's was created from Charles, Calvert and non-county area effective 1696.
1696 - Prince George's organized. Charles and St. Mary's gained from Calvert. Kent exchanged land with Talbot.
1698 - Anne Arundel exchanged land with Baltimore.
1706 - Queen Anne's was created from Kent, Talbot and Dorchester, effective 1707.
1707 - Kent gained from Cecil (but lost to QA).
1727 - Anne Arundel gained from Baltimore.
1742 - Worcester was created from Somerset.
1748 - Frederick was created from Prince George's and non-county area. Charles gained from Prince George's on the Potomac.
1750 - Frederick gained from Baltimore.
1773 - Harford was created from Baltimore effective 1774 and Caroline was created from Dorchester and Queen Anne's effective 1774.
1776 - Montgomery and Washington were created from Frederick.