Editing Charles County, Maryland (section)

==Geography==
{{Location map+ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
| caption =[[Washington metropolitan area|Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/migration/metxmet/a47900.html|website=U.S. Census Bureau|publisher=U.S. Department of Commerce|access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref>
|width=380
| places =
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.53
    | lon_deg =-76.53
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =Charles
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.48
    | lon_deg =-77.01
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =39.47
    | lon_deg =-77.4
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =39.14
    | lon_deg =-77.2
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince&nbsp;George's]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.83
    | lon_deg =-76.85
    }}
 {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =bottom
    | lat_deg =38.804722
    | lon_deg =-77.047222
    }}
 {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.8807927
    | lon_deg =-77.172196
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Clarke County, Virginia|Clarke]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =39.12
    | lon_deg =-78
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Fairfax, Virginia|Fairfax]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.87
    | lon_deg =-77.304377
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax&nbsp;County]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.83
    | lon_deg =-77.28
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Falls Church, Virginia|Falls Church]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.882222
    | lon_deg =-77.171111
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Fauquier County, Virginia|Fauquier]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =bottom
    | lat_deg =38.74
    | lon_deg =-77.81
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Loudoun County, Virginia|Loudoun]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =39.09
    | lon_deg =-77.64
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.751415
    | lon_deg =-77.476396
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Manassas Park, Virginia|Manassas&nbsp;Park]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =left
    | lat_deg =38.773564
    | lon_deg =-77.453542
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Prince William County, Virginia|Prince&nbsp;William]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =bottom
    | lat_deg =38.7
    | lon_deg =-77.48
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Spotsylvania County, Virginia|Spotsylvania]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.18
    | lon_deg =-77.65
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Stafford County, Virginia|Stafford]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.41
    | lon_deg =-77.45
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.301829
    | lon_deg =-77.470778
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Warren County, Virginia|Warren]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =38.91
    | lon_deg =-78.21
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =right
    | lat_deg =38.95
    | lon_deg =-77.016389
    }}
  {{Location map~ | USA Washington Metropolitan Area
    | label =[[Jefferson County, West Virginia|Jefferson]]
    | label_size=80
    | marksize=2
    | position =top
    | lat_deg =39.31
    | lon_deg =-77.86
    }}
}}

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has an area of {{convert|643|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|458|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|185|sqmi}} (29%) water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_24.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913171515/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_24.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 13, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 12, 2014 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files }}</ref>

In its western wing, along the southernmost bend in [[Maryland Route 224]], Charles County contains a place due north, east, south, and west of the same state—Virginia.<ref>This oddity of political geography happens in other places in Maryland.</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
{{Div col}}
* [[Prince George's County, Maryland|Prince George's County]] (north)
* [[Fairfax County, Virginia]] (northwest)
* [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert County]] (east)
* [[Stafford County, Virginia]] (west)
* [[Prince William County, Virginia]] (west)
* [[Saint Mary's County, Maryland|St. Mary's County]] (southeast)
* [[Westmoreland County, Virginia]] (southeast)
* [[King George County, Virginia]] (south)
{{div col end}}

===National protected area===
* [[Thomas Stone National Historic Site]]
* [[Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary]]