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Facts about Maryland

History | Symbols | Interesting Facts | Famous People

Demographics
Statehood:  April 28, 1788, the 7th state

Capital:  Annapolis

Total Area:  42nd among states, 32,133 sq km (12,407 sq mi)

Water Area:  6,532 sq km (2,522 sq mi)

Highest Point:  Backbone Mountain, 1,024 m (3,360 ft)

Total Population:   19th among states
2010 census -  5,773,552

Population Density in 2010:  594.8 people per sq mi

Distribution in 2000:  86.1% Urban, 13.9% Rural

Economy:  
 Gross State Product - $300 billion (2010)
Personal income per Capita - $48,285 (2009)

Largest cities in 2010: 
 Baltimore:  620,961
Rockville:  61,209
Frederick:  57,907

  • King Williams School, the first school in the United States, opened in 1696. 
     

  • The first dental school in the United States opened at the University of Maryland. 

  • Baltimore was home to the nation’s first umbrella factory, the first coal-burning steam engine in 1830, and elevated electric railway in 1893. 
     

  • On June 24, 1784, from Baltimore, 13-year-old Edward Warren flew in the first successful manned balloon launch in the United States. 
     

  • The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use. 
     

  • Maryland was the first state to enact Workmen’s compensation laws in 1902. 
     

  • The first practical refrigerator was invented in Baltimore in 1803. 
     

  • Channel 67 broadcast the state’s first public television programs on October 5, 1969. 
     

  • The 1,200-foot Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is the second longest continuous truss bridge in the nation. 

  • Baltimore is named after Cecil Calvert who received the Maryland Colony from King Charles I.  His title was “Lord Baltimore.”
     
  • The marshes of the Chesapeake Bay area, which lies in the Atlantic Flyway, harbor numerous migratory and resident waterfowl.
     
  • Annapolis, home of the U.S. Naval Academy, has served as the state capital of Maryland since 1694 and is one of the oldest settlements in Maryland.
     
  • Fort McHenry in Baltimore inspired the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
     

  • The Mason-Dixon Line, named after the British surveyors who mapped it between 1763 and 1767, marks the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania.