Calvert County, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula
Calvert Peninsula
The Calvert Peninsula is part of the Western Shore region of the U.S. state of Maryland. It extends about into Chesapeake Bay with the main bay providing its eastern border and the Patuxent River defining its western border. It constitutes a total land area of about and is essentially...

 which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

 and on the west by the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...

. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland in popular usage is composed of the state's southernmost counties on the "Western Shore" of the Chesapeake Bay. This region includes all of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and sometimes the southern portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties.- History...

 region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest median household-income in the United States.

, the population was 88,737. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is the town of Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

.
The county's name is derived from the family name of the Barons of Baltimore
Baron Baltimore
Baron Baltimore, of Baltimore Manor in County Longford, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1625 for George Calvert and became extinct on the death of the sixth Baron in 1771. The title was held by several members of the Calvert family who were proprietors of the palatinates...

, the proprietors of the English Colony of Maryland.

Calvert County is one of the several Maryland counties that make up part of the Washington Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...

 or the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a combined statistical area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Jefferson County in the Eastern Panhandle of West...

.

Business and Industry

Calvert County is the home of the notable Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant
The Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay near Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland.-Overview:...

 at Lusby.

A branch of the United States Naval Research Laboratory
United States Naval Research Laboratory
The United States Naval Research Laboratory is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a program of scientific research and development. NRL opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison...

 is located at Chesapeake Beach
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...

.

The Cove Point LNG Terminal is located near Lusby
Lusby, Maryland
Lusby is a place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 1,666 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point community also use the Lusby zip code designation, making Lusby in fact a much larger community...

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

.

The Patuxent River Naval Air Station is located immediately to the south of Calvert County, in St. Mary's County.

Top employers

According to the County's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees
1 Calvert County Public Schools
Calvert County Public Schools
Calvert County Public Schools is a public school district serving all of Calvert County, Maryland. The district is governed by a six-person Board of Education, five of which are elected by the public in non-partisan elections, and a student elected by the Calvert Association of Student Councils...

2,264
2 Calvert County Government 1,257
3 Calvert Memorial Hospital
Calvert Memorial Hospital
Calvert Memorial Hospital is a small rural community hospital located in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Calvert Memorial is currently the only hospital serving the Calvert County, Maryland area...

1,057
4 Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy
Constellation Energy, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is an energy producer, trader, and distributor. The company operates over 35 power plants in 11 states under its operating company Constellation Commodities Group and/or Constellation Generation Group...

800
5 Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

500
6 Arc of Southern Maryland 455
7 Giant Food 385
8 Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...

290
9 Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa 230
10 Recorded Books 230

History

First settled as Charles County (not the same as present-day Charles County, Maryland
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

) around 1650,
it was renamed.
Patuxent County was established in 1654 by an Order in Council.
In 1658 the county was renamed Calvert County.
It is one of the older counties in Maryland, after
St. Mary's County, Kent County
Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, on its Eastern Shore. It was named for the county of Kent in England. Its county seat is Chestertown. In 2010, the county population was 20,197...

 and Anne Arundel County.

Once made up primarily of farms and tobacco fields, the county was/is slowly claiming its place as a fast-growing exurban neighbor of Washington. Many home prices have nearly quadrupled in the past decade, with many four-bedroom homes in the northern half of the county averaging over $1,000,000. The popular weekend resort towns Solomons, Maryland
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...

 and Chesapeake Beach
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...

 are notable.

The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Calvert County, Maryland
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Calvert County, Maryland.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Calvert County, Maryland, United States...

.

Law and government

Calvert County is governed by a group of five county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in the state of Maryland.
Current County Commissioners
Position Name Affiliation District
  Commissioner Susan Shaw Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

At-Large
  Commissioner Pat Nutter Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

At-Large
  Commissioner Steve Weems Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

At-Large
  Commissioner Gerald W. "Jerry" Clark Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

At-Large
  Commissioner Evan Slaughenhoupt Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

At-Large


Calvert is one of the more Republican-friendly areas in Maryland, although the county does have prominent Democrats, such as State Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, Jr. (D).

It is part of the 5th Congressional District
Maryland's 5th congressional district
Maryland's 5th congressional district comprises all of Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties, as well as portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. The district is currently represented by Democrat Steny Hoyer, the House Minority Whip....

, along with much of Southern Maryland. The current representative is Democratic House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 345.09 square miles (893.8 km²), of which 215.17 square miles (557.3 km²) (or 62.35%) is land and 129.91 square miles (336.5 km²) (or 37.65%) is water.

Education

Calvert County is served by Calvert County Public Schools
Calvert County Public Schools
Calvert County Public Schools is a public school district serving all of Calvert County, Maryland. The district is governed by a six-person Board of Education, five of which are elected by the public in non-partisan elections, and a student elected by the Calvert Association of Student Councils...

. The county's education system consists of 13 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 4 high schools, vocational education center, and a variety of other facilities.

Climate

Calvert County lies in the Humid subtropical climate
Humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...

 zone, with hot, humid summers and mild to chilly winters with plentiful precipitation year-round. Its proximity to the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

 has a moderating effect on temperatures compared with locales further inland.

Notable residents

  • Tom Clancy
    Tom Clancy
    Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...

    , author
  • Judy Woodruff
    Judy Woodruff
    Judy Woodruff is an American television news anchor and journalist.Woodruff is a Board Member at the IWMF .-Broadcast journalism career:...

    , news anchor and journalist
  • Al Hunt
    Al Hunt
    Albert R. Hunt Jr. is the executive Washington editor for Bloomberg News, a subsidiary of Bloomberg L.P. Hunt hosts the Sunday morning talk show Political Capital on Bloomberg Television, which airs on Friday night.-Personal life:...

    , Bloomberg News executive editor
  • Doug Hill
    Doug Hill
    Doug Hill is the Chief Meteorologist for ABC 7 News/WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. He is the meteorologist for ABC 7 News at 5, 6, and 11. He has been awarded the "Seal of Approval" from the American Meteorological Society. Hill has also been honored with a Washington Emmy Award for broadcast...

    , WJLA-TV
    WJLA-TV
    WJLA-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliated television station in Washington, D.C.. It is the flagship station of the Allbritton Communications Company, which also operates local cable station NewsChannel 8. The two stations share broadcast facilities in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia...

     weatherman
  • Robert Ulanowicz
    Robert Ulanowicz
    Robert Edward Ulanowicz is an American theoretical ecologist and philosopher who is best known for his search for a unified theory of ecology. He was born September 17, 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland....

    , theoretical ecologist
    Theoretical ecology
    Theoretical ecology is the scientific discipline devoted to the study of ecological systems using theoretical methods such as simple conceptual models, mathematical models, computational simulations, and advanced data analysis...

  • Bernie Fowler
    Bernie Fowler
    Clyde Bernard Fowler , is a former Maryland State Senator and County Commissioner from Calvert County, Maryland...

    , former Maryland State Senator and Patuxent River
    Patuxent River
    The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...

     advocate
  • Thomas V. Miller, Jr., Maryland Senate president
  • Michael Willis
    Michael Willis
    Michael Willis, born October 4, 1949, is an American television and movie character actor. Willis' credits include movie roles in Pushing Tin and Men in Black, and several episodes of Law & Order....

    , actor
  • Judith Catchpole
    Judith Catchpole
    Judith Catchpole, a young maidservant in colonial America, was tried in 1656 for witchcraft and infanticide before one of the earliest all-female juries in the United States. According to popular belief, all-female juries did not occur until much later. The state of Wyoming claims the first all...

    , an indentured servant
    Indentured servant
    Indentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...

     who in 1656 was tried and acquitted
    Acquittal
    In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...

     of murdering her unborn child by one of the earliest all-female juries
    Jury
    A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...

     in the United States
  • Roger Brooke Taney, Chief Justice of the United States
    Chief Justice of the United States
    The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...

    , presided over the Dred Scott decision
    Dred Scott v. Sandford
    Dred Scott v. Sandford, , also known as the Dred Scott Decision, was a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S...

  • Louis L. Goldstein
    Louis L. Goldstein
    Louis Lazarus Goldstein served as Comptroller, or chief financial officer, of Maryland from 1959 to 1998. He was born to a storekeeper in the small town of Prince Frederick, Maryland, and also died there. As a legislator in the Maryland General Assembly, he was known for his 11th-hour strong...

    , former Comptroller of Maryland
    Comptroller of Maryland
    The Comptroller of Maryland, United States, currently Peter Franchot, is the state's chief financial officer and is also elected by the people for a four year term. The comptroller is not term-limited. The office was established by the Maryland Constitution of 1851 due to concern about the...

  • Arthur Storer
    Arthur Storer
    Arthur Storer was America's first colonial astronomer. He came to Calvert County, Maryland, from Lincolnshire, England. He was among the first observers to sight and record data about a magnificent comet that passed over Patuxent skies in 1682. Storer's work shows up in a number of Newton's...

    , first astronomer
    Astronomer
    An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...

     in the American colonies
    Thirteen Colonies
    The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...

    , original namesake for Halley's Comet
  • Thomas Johnson, first elected governor of Maryland
    Governor of Maryland
    The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...

    , Continental Congress
    Continental Congress
    The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....

     delegate, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
    Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
    Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...

  • Louisa Adams
    Louisa Adams
    Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, born Louisa Catherine Johnson , wife of John Quincy Adams, was First Lady of the United States from 1825 to 1829.-Early life:...

    , First Lady of the United States
    First Lady of the United States
    First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...

    , wife of President John Quincy Adams
    John Quincy Adams
    John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...

  • Margaret Taylor
    Margaret Taylor
    Margaret Mackall Smith "Peggy" Taylor , wife of Zachary Taylor, was First Lady of the United States from 1849 to 1850.-Early Life and Marriage:...

    , First Lady of the United States
    First Lady of the United States
    First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...

    , wife of President Zachary Taylor
    Zachary Taylor
    Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...

  • Joseph Kent
    Joseph Kent
    Joseph Kent , a Whig, was a United States Senator from Maryland, serving from 1833 until his death in 1837...

    , U.S. Senator
    United States Senate
    The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

    , governor of Maryland
    Governor of Maryland
    The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of Maryland, and he is the commander-in-chief of the state's National Guard units. The Governor is the highest-ranking official in the state, and he has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments,...

  • Augustus Rhodes Sollers
    Augustus Rhodes Sollers
    Augustus Rhodes Sollers was an American politician who represented the seventh congressional district of the state of Maryland from 1841 to 1843, and the sixth congressional district from 1853 to 1855. He was a member of the Whig Party . He was born near Prince Frederick, Maryland, and was...

    , U.S. Representative
    United States House of Representatives
    The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

  • Cupid Childs
    Cupid Childs
    Clarence Algernon "Cupid" Childs was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball with a 13-season career from 1888, 1890–1901, playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos and Chicago Orphans of the National League and the Syracuse Stars of the American...

    , professional baseball player
  • Brett Cecil
    Brett Cecil
    Brett Aarion Cecil is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball. Cecil was drafted as the 38th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Blue Jays...

    , professional baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays

Movies and Television

Calvert County has been the setting for several movies and television programs. The opening scene of the 1993 Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...

 movie In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire is a 1993 American thriller film about a disillusioned and obsessed former CIA agent who attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Secret Service agent who tracks him...

 was filmed at Flag Harbor Marina in St. Leonard
St. Leonard, Maryland
St. Leonard is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 536 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Maryland community also use the St. Leonard zip code designation, making it in fact a much larger community...

. More recently, the Calvert County Sheriff's Department has been featured on several reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 programs, including Speeders
Speeders
Speeders is a reality television program on truTV that began airing in the summer of 2007.Unlike the more action-packed and felony-oriented show COPS, this show consists of clips of individuals being pulled over for offenses, most commonly speeding, as well as other things such as seat belt...

 on the truTV network and MTV's Busted
MTV's Busted
MTV's Busted is a reality TV show that depicts young adults getting arrested and penalized by police. Most arrests are for alcohol-related crimes, such as drunk driving and underage drinking. Arrests for possession of marijuana are also common. Busted began airing in summer 2008...

.

Adjacent counties

  • Anne Arundel County
    Anne Arundel County, Maryland
    Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...

     (north)
  • Prince George's County
    Prince George's County, Maryland
    Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....

     (northwest)
  • Charles County
    Charles County, Maryland
    Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

     (west)
  • Dorchester County
    Dorchester County, Maryland
    Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...

     (east)
  • Talbot County
    Talbot County, Maryland
    -2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*81.4% White*12.8% Black*0.2% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.6% Two or more races*2.7% Other races*5.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

     (east)
  • St. Mary's County (south)

Demographics

Historical populations
of the County
> Year Population
1790 8,652
1800 8,297
1810 8,005
1820 8,073
1830 8,900
1840 9,229
1850 9,646
1860 10,447
1870 9,865
1880 10,538
1890 9,860
> Year Population 1900 10,223 1910 10,325 1920 9,744 1930 9,528 1940 10,484 1950 12,100 1960 15,826 1970 20,682 1980 34,638 1990 51,372 2000 74,563 2010 88,737

2010

Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:
  • 81.4% White
    White American
    White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...

  • 13.4% Black
    African American
    African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

  • 0.4% Native American
    Native Americans in the United States
    Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

  • 1.4% Asian
    Asian American
    Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...

  • 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
    Pacific Islander American
    Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...

  • 2.7% Two or more races
    Multiracial American
    Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...

  • 0.7% Other races
    Race (United States Census)
    Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

  • 2.7% Hispanic or Latino
    Hispanic and Latino Americans
    Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...

     (of any race)

2000

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 74,563 people, 25,447 households, and 20,154 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 346 people per square mile (134/km²). There were 27,576 housing units at an average density of 128 per square mile (49/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83.93% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 13.11% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.30% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.88% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.27% from two or more races. 1.52% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 15.5% were of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 15.0% German, 12.0% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 11.5% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 or American and 7.1% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

 ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 25,447 households out of which 41.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.80% were non-families. 16.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the county the population was spread out with 29.60% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 8.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $65,945, and the median income for a family was $71,545 (these figures had risen to $88,989 and $100,229 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $48,664 versus $32,265 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $25,410. About 3.10% of families and 4.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.10% of those under age 18 and 5.70% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2010 Census the racial and ethnic make-up of the Calvert County Population was 79.65% Non-Hispanic whites, 13.44% blacks, 0.37% Native Americans, 1.42% Asians, 0.05% Pacific Islanders, 0.12% Non-Hispanics reporting some other race, 2.40% Non-Hispanics reporting multiple races and 2.75% Hispanic.

Cities and towns

Calvert County includes two municipalities, both classified as town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

s under Maryland law:
  1. Chesapeake Beach
    Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
    Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...

     (incorporated 1886)
  2. North Beach
    North Beach, Maryland
    North Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2000 census. The town is contiguous with the larger town of Chesapeake Beach which has a new boardwalk, a new resort spa hotel, a recreational water park, and new housing...

     (incorporated 1910)


Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

s in the county:
  1. Calvert Beach-Long Beach
    Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Maryland
    Calvert Beach-Long Beach is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,487 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Calvert Beach-Long Beach is located at ....

     (a combination of the communities of Calvert Beach and Long Beach recognized as a unit by many people)
  2. Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point
    Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point, Maryland
    Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, encompassing the distinctly separate communities of Chesapeake Ranch Estates and Drum Point. The population was 11,503 at the 2000 census...

     (a combination of the communities of Chesapeake Ranch Estates
    Chesapeake Ranch Estates, Maryland
    The Chesapeake Ranch Estates , also known locally as the Ranch Club, is located in Lusby, Maryland, in southern Calvert County. CRE was founded in 1958 as is governed by a homeowners' association, which is officially called the "Property Owner's Association of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates"...

     and Drum Point recognized as a unit by the Census Bureau)
  3. Dunkirk
    Dunkirk, Maryland
    Dunkirk is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. The area is very fast-growing, with many large estate homes. Considered one the wealthiest places to live inside the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with home prices...

  4. Huntingtown
    Huntingtown, Maryland
    Huntingtown is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,436 at the 2000 census. The community is growing, with many large estate homes in small developments off of Maryland Route 2/4. It has a public high school called Huntingtown High. The...

  5. Lusby
    Lusby, Maryland
    Lusby is a place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 1,666 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point community also use the Lusby zip code designation, making Lusby in fact a much larger community...

  6. Owings
    Owings, Maryland
    Owings is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Owings is located at ....

  7. Prince Frederick
    Prince Frederick, Maryland
    Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

  8. St. Leonard
  9. Solomons
    Solomons, Maryland
    Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...



Dunkirk
Dunkirk, Maryland
Dunkirk is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. The area is very fast-growing, with many large estate homes. Considered one the wealthiest places to live inside the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with home prices...

, Huntingtown
Huntingtown, Maryland
Huntingtown is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,436 at the 2000 census. The community is growing, with many large estate homes in small developments off of Maryland Route 2/4. It has a public high school called Huntingtown High. The...

, Lusby
Lusby, Maryland
Lusby is a place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 1,666 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point community also use the Lusby zip code designation, making Lusby in fact a much larger community...

, Owings
Owings, Maryland
Owings is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Owings is located at ....

, Prince Frederick
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

, St. Leonard and Solomons
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...

 have all been designated by Calvert County government as being "town centers." The "town center" designation means while these communities may not have incorporated central governments, they do have specified boundaries surrounding the central business and residential areas for zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...

 purposes. The reason behind the "town center" designation is to cluster new development within established areas with existing infrastructure, thus discouraging urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...

. The implementation of the "town center" concept in Calvert County over the past two decades has for the most part been successful in preserving rural and agricultural areas outside the designated "town centers", and stands as a key example of the smart growth
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...

 planning strategy.

Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
  1. Barstow
    Barstow, Maryland
    Barstow is a small, rural unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland located immediately west of Prince Frederick. The community maintains its own separate zip code, 20610....

  2. Broomes Island
    Broomes Island, Maryland
    Broomes Island, Maryland is a small waterfront community in Calvert County, Maryland, USA, on the Patuxent River. It is located approximately 10 miles south of Prince Frederick, Maryland....

  3. Dares Beach
    Dares Beach, Maryland
    Dares Beach is a small residential community located in Calvert County, Maryland. Dares Beach is situated along the Chesapeake Bay. It utilizes the Prince Frederick, Maryland zip code and is approximately 4 miles east of the town center of Prince Frederick, Maryland...

  4. Dowell
    Dowell, Maryland
    Dowell is a small, rural community in Calvert County, Maryland located immediately north of Solomons, Maryland. While many people consider Dowell to be a part of Solomons, Maryland, it maintains its own separate zip code, 20629....

  5. Lower Marlboro
    Lower Marlboro, Maryland
    Lower Marlboro, Maryland is a small, waterfront unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland along the Patuxent River....

  6. Port Republic
    Port Republic, Maryland
    Port Republic is a small, rural community located inCalvert County, Maryland. It is approximately5 miles south of Prince Frederick, Maryland, the countyseat of Calvert County...

  7. Sunderland
    Sunderland, Maryland
    Sunderland is a small, rural community located in Calvert County, Maryland, approximately 5 miles south of Dunkirk, Maryland and 10 miles north of Prince Frederick, Maryland. Although Sunderland is not incorporated and does not have a central business district, it does have a zip code, 20689...


Highways and Roads

The main artery serving Calvert County is Maryland Route 4
Maryland Route 4
Maryland Route 4 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from MD 5 in Leonardtown north to Southern Avenue at the Washington, D.C. border, past which the highway continues as Pennsylvania Avenue...

 (which begins in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 as Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...

 before crossing into Prince Georges County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...

). Route 4 in Calvert County begins at the very northern tip of the county at Lyons Creek, approximately 3 miles north of Dunkirk
Dunkirk, Maryland
Dunkirk is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2000 census. The area is very fast-growing, with many large estate homes. Considered one the wealthiest places to live inside the Washington, DC metropolitan area, with home prices...

. At Sunderland
Sunderland, Maryland
Sunderland is a small, rural community located in Calvert County, Maryland, approximately 5 miles south of Dunkirk, Maryland and 10 miles north of Prince Frederick, Maryland. Although Sunderland is not incorporated and does not have a central business district, it does have a zip code, 20689...

, Route 4 meets Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2
Maryland Route 2 is the longest state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The route runs from Solomons Island in Calvert County north to an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 40 Truck in Baltimore...

 (traveling south as a two-lane road from Annapolis
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...

) and the two roads merge as Maryland Route 2-4. Route 2-4 continues south through Prince Frederick
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

, St. Leonard
St. Leonard, Maryland
St. Leonard is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 536 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Maryland community also use the St. Leonard zip code designation, making it in fact a much larger community...

 and Lusby
Lusby, Maryland
Lusby is a place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 1,666 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Chesapeake Ranch Estates-Drum Point community also use the Lusby zip code designation, making Lusby in fact a much larger community...

. At Solomons
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...

, Routes 2 and 4 split again, with Route 2 heading towards downtown Solomons
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...

 and Route 4 crossing the Patuxent River
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...

 at the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge into St. Mary's County.

Route 2-4 is designated Solomons Island Road throughout much of the county, with the section south of Prince Frederick
Prince Frederick, Maryland
Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

 being recently renamed Louis Goldstein Highway in memory of Louis L. Goldstein
Louis L. Goldstein
Louis Lazarus Goldstein served as Comptroller, or chief financial officer, of Maryland from 1959 to 1998. He was born to a storekeeper in the small town of Prince Frederick, Maryland, and also died there. As a legislator in the Maryland General Assembly, he was known for his 11th-hour strong...

, the former comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...

 of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and Calvert County resident.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Route 2-4 underwent an extensive expansion project, with the formerly two-lane road becoming a four-lane dual highway. Certain portions of the highway were re-aligned, with the former roadway becoming Maryland Route 765
Maryland Route 765
Maryland Route 765 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These 26 highways are service roads constructed or old alignments maintained to provide access to private property or county highways whose access was compromised by the realignment of MD 2 and MD 4 in Calvert...

. The final portion of the dualized Route 2-4 between St. Leonard
St. Leonard, Maryland
St. Leonard is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was officially 536 at the 2000 census, although residents of the Calvert Beach-Long Beach, Maryland community also use the St. Leonard zip code designation, making it in fact a much larger community...

 and Solomons
Solomons, Maryland
Solomons is a community and census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,536 at the 2000 census...

 was completed in 1988. In 2009, a portion of Route 2-4 in Prince Frederick was expanded to 3 lines, along with sidewalks added.

Other major roadways in Calvert County include:
  • Maryland Route 231
    Maryland Route 231
    Maryland Route 231 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from Olivers Shop Road near Hughesville east to MD 765 in Prince Frederick. MD 231 crosses the Patuxent River on the Benedict Bridge, which connects Benedict in eastern Charles County...

    , which travels west from Prince Frederick
    Prince Frederick, Maryland
    Prince Frederick is a census-designated place in Calvert County, Maryland, United States, not to be confused with the incorporated, and much larger, city of Frederick some to the northwest in Frederick County...

     to the Patuxent River
    Patuxent River
    The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...

    , ultimately crossing the river at the Benedict Bridge into Charles County
    Charles County, Maryland
    Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....

    .
  • Maryland Route 260
    Maryland Route 260
    Maryland Route 260 is a state highway in Calvert County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Route 260 starts at the northern border of Calvert and Anne Arundel counties, branching off from Maryland Route 4 by way of an overpass interchange...

    , which starts at an overpass interchange at the Calvert-Anne Arundel border and travels southeast to Chesapeake Beach
    Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
    Chesapeake Beach is a town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Its major attractions include a Railway Museum & Trail, the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, marinas, piers, charter boat fishing, and a Veterans Memorial Park...

    . A portion of Route 260 is a four-lane dual highway.

External links

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