Editing Carroll County, Maryland (section)

==Geography==
[[File:CarrollCountyMD.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Farm in Carroll County, Maryland]]

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|453|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|448|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|5.1|sqmi}} (1.1%) is 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>

Topographically, Carroll County is located within the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont Plateau]] region, with characteristic upland terrain of rolling hills and [[deciduous]] forest. The most prominent relief is [[Parr's Ridge]], which bisects the county from southwest to northeast. The highest point is an unnamed {{convert|1120|ft|m|adj=on}} hilltop a half-mile south of the Pennsylvania state line in the northeastern part of the county off Harvey Yingling Road.

Carroll County is bordered on the north by the [[Mason–Dixon line]] with [[Pennsylvania]], and on the south by [[Howard County, Maryland|Howard County]] across the South Branch of the [[Patapsco River]]. About half of the eastern border, with [[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore County]], is formed by the North Branch of the [[Patapsco River]] and by [[Liberty Reservoir]], though the northern half near [[Manchester, Maryland|Manchester]] and [[Hampstead, Maryland|Hampstead]] is a land border. Carroll County is bordered on the west by [[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick County]], across the [[Monocacy River]] and Sam's Creek. Other major streams in the county include Big Pipe Creek, Little Pipe Creek, and [[Double Pipe Creek]], Bear Branch, and the headwaters of the [[Gunpowder River|Gunpowder Falls]]. The [[Piney Run Reservoir]] is in the southern part of the county.

Three [[railroad]] lines cross Carroll County. The old [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad|Baltimore and Ohio]] (B&O) [[Old Main Line Subdivision|Old Main Line]] crosses the southern part of the county from east to west, with former stations in [[Sykesville, Maryland|Sykesville]] and [[Mount Airy, Maryland|Mount Airy]]. The original [[Western Maryland Railway]] (WM) main line track runs southeast to northwest through [[Carrollton, Maryland|Carrollton]], [[Westminster, Maryland|Westminster]], [[New Windsor, Maryland|New Windsor]], and [[Union Bridge, Maryland|Union Bridge]]. The old [[Baltimore and Hanover Railroad]] (later acquired by WM) runs further to the east through [[Hampstead, Maryland|Hampstead]], [[Millers, Maryland|Millers]], and [[Lineboro, Maryland|Lineboro]]. Two of these railroad lines are now operated by [[CSX Transportation]]; the former WM main line is now operated by [[Maryland Midland Railway]].

Carroll County has two water reservoirs at present, [[Liberty Reservoir|Liberty]] and [[Piney Run Park#Piney Run Reservoir|Piney Run]]; the county has also proposed a [[Union Mills Reservoir]] and Gillis Falls Reservoir.

===Climate===
The county is divided by the January freezing isotherm into a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'') and a hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfa''.) The [[hardiness zone]]s are 6b and 7a.
{{Weather box
|location = Westminster, Maryland (1981−2010 normals)
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 41.3
|Feb high F = 44.9
|Mar high F = 54.2
|Apr high F = 66.1
|May high F = 75.2
|Jun high F = 84.0
|Jul high F = 87.6
|Aug high F = 85.3 
|Sep high F = 78.4
|Oct high F = 67.6
|Nov high F = 56.0
|Dec high F = 43.9
|year high F= 65.4
|Jan low F = 22.9
|Feb low F = 24.2
|Mar low F = 30.4
|Apr low F = 40.4
|May low F = 49.4
|Jun low F = 58.8
|Jul low F = 63.3
|Aug low F = 61.4
|Sep low F = 54.9
|Oct low F = 43.6
|Nov low F = 34.6
|Dec low F = 26.2
|year low F= 42.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.88
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.49
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.59
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.50
|May precipitation inch = 4.15
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.92
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.32
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.72
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.28
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.64
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.27
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.64
|year precipitation inch=43.40
|Jul snow inch =   0
|Aug snow inch =   0
|Sep snow inch =   0
|Oct snow inch =   0
|Nov snow inch = 0.9
|Dec snow inch = 2.5
|Jan snow inch = 7.3
|Feb snow inch = 6.5
|Mar snow inch = 2.7
|Apr snow inch = 0.1
|May snow inch =   0
|Jun snow inch =   0
|year snow inch=20.0
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days =  8.4
|Feb precipitation days =  8.1
|Mar precipitation days =  9.9
|Apr precipitation days = 10.6
|May precipitation days = 11.9
|Jun precipitation days =  9.8
|Jul precipitation days =  8.8
|Aug precipitation days =  8.4
|Sep precipitation days =  7.8
|Oct precipitation days =  7.2
|Nov precipitation days =  8.9
|Dec precipitation days =  8.9
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jul snow days =   0
|Aug snow days =   0
|Sep snow days =   0
|Oct snow days =   0
|Nov snow days = 0.3
|Dec snow days = 1.1
|Jan snow days = 3.0
|Feb snow days = 1.9
|Mar snow days = 1.2
|Apr snow days = 0.1
|May snow days =   0
|Jun snow days =   0
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>
  {{cite web
  |url = ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USC00189440.normals.txt
  |title = Station Name: MD WESTMINSTER
  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |access-date = October 25, 2020}}</ref>
}}

===Adjacent counties===
*[[York County, Pennsylvania]] (northeast)
*[[Baltimore County, Maryland|Baltimore County]] (east)
*[[Howard County, Maryland|Howard County]] (south)
*[[Montgomery County, Maryland|Montgomery County]] (southwest)
*[[Frederick County, Maryland|Frederick County]] (west)
*[[Adams County, Pennsylvania]] (northwest)