Charles County, Maryland
| Charles County, Maryland | ||
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 Location in the state of Maryland |
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 Maryland's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1658 | |
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| Seat | La Plata | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
643.22 sq mi (1,666 km²) 461.00 sq mi (1,194 km²) 182.22 sq mi (472 km²), 28.33% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
146,551 318/sq mi (122.7/km²) |
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| Website | www.charlescountymd.gov | |
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.[1] Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore.
Charles County is a part of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
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History[edit]
Charles County was created in 1658 by an Order in Council. There was an earlier Charles County from 1650 to 1653, sometimes referred to in historic documents as Old Charles County.[2][3][4]
In April 1865, John Wilkes Booth made his escape through Charles County after shooting President Abraham Lincoln. He was on his way to Virginia.
On April 28, 2002, a tornado cut through the County and destroyed much of downtown La Plata.
The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.[5] Among which, are the distinguished Green Park and the historical Pleasant Hill, home of the Green and Spalding Families.
Law and government[edit]
Charles County is reliably Democratic, although not as overwhelmingly so as other parts of Maryland's Washington, D.C. suburbs.[citation needed]
Board of Commissioners[edit]
Charles County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland. There are five commissioners. As of 2011[update], they are:
| Position | Name | Affiliation | District | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President | Candice Quinn Kelly | Democratic | At-Large | |
| Vice-President | Reuben B. Collins, II | Democratic | District 3 | |
| Commissioner | Ken Robinson | Democratic | District 1 | |
| Commissioner | Debra M. Davis, Esq. | Democratic | District 2 | |
| Commissioner | Bobby Rucci | Democratic | District 4 | |
Charles County is entirely located within the 5th Congressional District, which also includes Calvert, St. Marys, and parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. The current representative is Democratic House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer.
Geography[edit]
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 643.22 square miles (1,665.9 km2), of which 461.00 square miles (1,194.0 km2) (or 71.67%) is land and 182.22 square miles (471.9 km2) (or 28.33%) is water.[6]
In its western wing, along the southernmost bend in Maryland Route 224, Charles County contains a rare instance where the traveler is due north, east, south, and west of the same state—Virginia.[7]
Adjacent counties[edit]
- Prince George's County (north)
- Fairfax County, Virginia (northwest)
- Calvert County (east)
- Stafford County, Virginia (west)
- Prince William County, Virginia (west)
- St. Mary's County (southeast)
- Westmoreland County, Virginia (southeast)
- King George County, Virginia (south)
National protected area[edit]
Economy[edit]
Top employers[edit]
According to the County's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[citation needed] the top employers by number of employees in the county are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles County Board of Education | 3,509 |
| 2 | Naval Surface Warfare Center | 3,021 |
| 3 | Charles County Government | 1,719 |
| 4 | College of Southern Maryland | 1,090 |
| 5 | Civista Medical Center | 805 |
| 6 | Wal-Mart | 674 |
| 7 | Facchina Construction Company Inc. | 480 |
| 8 | Target | 467 |
| 9 | Reliable Contracting | 420 |
| 10 | Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative | 379 |
| 11 | The Wills Group | 377 |
| 12 | Genesis HealthCare | 320 |
| 13 | Lowe's | 306 |
| 14 | Macy's | 250 |
| 15 | Charles County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center | 250 |
| 16 | Chaney Enterprises | 226 |
| 17 | Sears | 220 |
| 18 | Keller Bus Service | 206 |
Transportation[edit]
One United States Numbered Highway runs through the county U.S. Route 301, some other notable highways are:
- Maryland Route 5
- Maryland Route 6
- Maryland Route 210
- Maryland Route 224
- Maryland Route 228
- Maryland Route 925
Hunters Brooke Arson[edit]
On December 4, 2004, an arson took place in the development of Hunters Brooke which is located a few miles southeast of Indian Head. It later became the largest residential arson[8] in the history of the state of Maryland.[9][10][11]
Demographics[edit]
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2010[edit]
The ethnic makeup of the country, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, was the following:
- 50.3% White
- 41.0% Black
- 0.7% Native American
- 3.0% Asian
- 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- 3.7% Two or more races
- 1.2% Other races
- 4.3% Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
2000[edit]
The county is experiencing a dramatic growth in African-American population, which began in 1990. Census figures below are from 2000:
As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 120,546 people, 41,668 households, and 32,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 262 people per square mile (101/km²). There were 43,903 housing units at an average density of 95 per square mile (37/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 68.51% White, 26.06% Black or African American, 0.75% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. 2.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.6% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 10.2% English, 9.3% American and 5.3% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 41,668 households out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.50% were non-families. 17.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 33.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $62,199, and the median income for a family was $67,602 (these figures had risen to $80,573 and $89,358 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[13]). Males had a median income of $43,371 versus $34,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,285. About 3.70% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2010 the county population's racial makeup was 48.38% Non-Hispanic whites, 40.96% blacks, 0.65% Native Americans, 2.98% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islanders, 0.17% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 3.20% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 4.27% Hispanic.
http://www.histopolis.com/Place/US/MD/Charles_County/Glymont==Cities and towns== This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:
- Indian Head (incorporated 1920)
- La Plata (incorporated 1888)
- Port Tobacco Village (incorporated 1888) (Note that, despite its name, Port Tobacco Village is a town, not a village.)
All three are classified as towns under Maryland law. About half the County population lives around the large unincorporated community of Waldorf, Maryland.[citation needed]
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, the United States Postal Service, 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 places in the county:
Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
- Bel Alton
- Benedict
- Bryantown
- Cobb Island
- Dentsville
- Faulkner
- Glymont
- Grayton
- Ironsides
- Issue
- Malcolm
- Marbury
- Morgantown
- Mount Victoria
- Nanjemoy
- Newburg
- Pisgah
- Pomfret
- Popes Creek
- Pomonkey
- Ripley
- Rison
- Rock Point
- Swan Point
- Welcome
- White Plains
Education[edit]
Colleges and universities[edit]
Public school system[edit]
Notable residents[edit]
- Chuck Brown (1936–2012), hip-hop musician, lived in Waldorf
- Gustavus Richard Brown, physician to George Washington
- George Cary (1811–1850), born near Allens Fresh in Charles County, United States Congressman from Georgia[14]
- Barnes Compton, US Congressman
- James Craik, Physician General during the American Revolution, physician to George Washington
- Danny Gatton (1945–1994), legendary guitarist, lived in Newburg
- John Hanson, American Revolutionary War statesman
- Josiah Henson (1789–1883), former slave and author
- Matthew Henson, co-discoverer of the North Pole; born near Nanjemoy
- Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, American Revolutionary War statesman
- Larry Johnson, running back for the Washington Redskins; from Pomfret
- Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long (1798–1880), considered to be the "Mother of Texas"
- Joel and Benji Madden from the band Good Charlotte; grew up in Waldorf
- Christina Milian, musician, lived in Waldorf
- Samuel Alexander Mudd (1833–1883), born in Charles County, the doctor implicated and imprisoned for aiding John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln
- James Neale (1615–1684), born London, England, immigrated 1634, founded Wollaston Manor plantation and Cobb Island
- Captain Raphael Semmes of the Confederate ship Alabama, born near Nanjemoy
- General William Smallwood, American Revolutionary War statesman
- Randy Starks, defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins; from Waldorf
- Robert Stethem, noted terror hijacking victim, grew up in Pinefield, Waldorf
- Benjamin Stoddert (1751–1813), first United States Secretary of the Navy
- Thomas Stone, American Revolutionary War statesman
Sports[edit]
| Club | League | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Maryland Blue Crabs | ALPB, Baseball | Regency Furniture Stadium | 2008 | 0 |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ The Counties of Maryland 630. The Archives of Maryland Online. pp. 122–124. Retrieved November 16, 2007
- ^ Maryland Geological Survey (1911). Prince Georges County. The Johns Hopkins Press. pp. 21–22. Retrieved November 16, 2007
- ^ Maryland Geological Survey (1906). Maryland Geological Survey: General Reports. The Johns Hopkins Press. pp. 474–477. Retrieved April 5, 2008
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ This oddity of political geography happens in other places in Maryland.
- ^ United States Attorney for the District of Maryland (March 1, 2006). "Violent Crime Program 2005 Annual Report". United States Department of Justice. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Courson, Paul; Joanthan Wild (December 21, 2004). "Two more arrested in Maryland fires". Washington, Dc: CNN. p. 1. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Witte, Brian (January 3, 2005). "Maryland Hunts for Motives Behind State's Largest Residential Arson". Insurance Journal. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ Hancock, David (Dec. 18, 2004). "3 More Charged In Maryland Arson". LA PLATA, Md: CBS NEWS. p. 1. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Charles County, Maryland - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder
- ^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963
External links[edit]
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