Editing St. Mary's County, Maryland

{{short description|County in Maryland, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = St. Mary's County
 | state                = Maryland
 | ex image             = Rebuilt Blackistone Lighthouse View 1 Sept 09.JPG
 | ex image size        = 300px
 | ex image cap         = Reconstructed [[Blakistone Island Light]] in 2009
 | seal                 = Seal of St. Mary's County, Maryland.png
 | flag                 = Flag of St. Mary's County, Maryland.png
 | type                 = County
 | official_name        = 
 | founded date         = January 24
 | founded year         = 1637
 | seat wl              = Leonardtown
 | largest city         = [[California, Maryland|California]]
 | city type            = community
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 764
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 357
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 407
 | area percentage      = 53
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 113777 {{increase}}
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2021
 | population_est       = 
 | density_sq_mi        = 318.7
 | web                  = www.stmarysmd.com
 | district             = 5th
 | time zone            = Eastern
 | named for            = [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary the mother of Jesus]] }}

'''St. Mary's County''', established in 1637, is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Maryland]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 113,777.<ref>{{Cite web|title=St. Mary's County, Maryland|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US24037|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 30, 2022}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The name is in honor of [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]], the mother of [[Jesus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/36loc/sm/html/sm.html|title=St. Mary's County, Maryland - Government}}</ref> St. Mary's County comprises the [[California, Maryland|California]]-[[Lexington Park, Maryland|Lexington Park]], Maryland [[Metropolitan Statistical Area]], which also is included in the [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]-[[Baltimore]]-[[Arlington County, Virginia|Arlington]], DC-MD-[[Virginia|VA]]-[[West Virginia|WV]]-[[Pennsylvania|PA]] [[Washington metropolitan area|Combined Statistical Area]]. It is part of the [[Southern Maryland]] region. The county was the home to the first Maryland Colony, and the first capital of the [[Colony of Maryland]]. Settled by English Catholics, it is considered to be the birthplace of [[religious freedom]] in North America, at a time when the British colonies were settled primarily by Protestants.<ref>Cecilius Calvert, "Instructions to the Colonists by Lord Baltimore, (1633)" in Clayton Coleman Hall, ed., ''Narratives of Early Maryland, 1633-1684'' (NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910), 11-23.</ref> The county is home to the [[Patuxent River Naval Air Station]] and [[St. Mary's College of Maryland]]. Traditionally, St. Mary's County has been known for its unique and historic culture of Chesapeake Bay tidewater farming, fishing, and crabbing communities. But with the advent of the military bases, growth of an extensive defense contractor presence, and the growth of St. Mary's College of Maryland, as well as increasing numbers of long-distance Washington, D.C. commuters, it has been undergoing a decades-long transformation which has seen the county's population double since 1970.<ref name="news.google.com">{{Cite web |title=The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=20050328&id=0_EyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zAgGAAAAIBAJ&pg=6552,7842571 |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=news.google.com}}</ref> The county is part of the [[Southern Maryland]] region of the state.

==History==

===Settlement===
The settlement of [[Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore|Lord Baltimore]]'s Maryland began with the arrival of passengers from England at [[St. Clement's Island]] in the [[Potomac River]] in what is now southwestern St. Mary's County on March 25, 1634, and the annual anniversary of this landing is celebrated as ''[[Maryland Day]]''. The passengers arrived in two vessels, the ''Ark'' and the ''Dove'' that had set sail from the [[Isle of Wight]] on November 22, 1633. The county is the site of the first Catholic Mass celebrated in one of the original thirteen colonies (after they had become English colonies). Earlier dates of masses being said were during 1526–1527 at [[San Miguel de Gualdape]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10534b.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Antonio Montesino|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

Due to the small size of the island and its lack of resources, there was no intention to make a permanent settlement on the island. Instead St. Clement's was used as a base for the settlers while scouting for a more suitable site. This was how a bluff overlooking the nearby St. Mary's River was chosen for numerous reasons, and became the site of the first permanent settlement. It would soon be named, "[[St. Mary's City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]]".

[[St. Mary's City, Maryland]] is the site of the first Maryland Capitol and remained so for more than 50 years, until 1695, when the state capital was moved to Annapolis.

Today Historic [[St. Mary's City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]] is a major attraction in Maryland with four museums, a reconstructed colonial village, and the reconstructed [[Maryland Dove]] settlers ship. It also has become one of the top archeological research sites in North America.

St. Mary's County was the first county established in Maryland, in 1637, probably by an order of the governor.

In 1649, Lord Baltimore, with the Maryland General Assembly, passed the [[Maryland Toleration Act]], which provided religious freedom for any (Christian) sect and which was the first law of its kind in the New World.<ref>Perry G. E. Miller, "Colonial Religious History," ''Church History'', Vol. 4 No. 1 (March 1935), 45-48.</ref> There is a statue in [[St. Mary's City]] commemorating this event, along with extensive museums, a reconstructed Colonial town, [[living history]] actors, and a replica of the [[Maryland Dove]].

===Historic buildings===
St. Mary's County has some of the oldest extant buildings in English North America. Many of these properties are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary's County, Maryland|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref> These buildings range through many historical periods, from the 1600s to the 1800s. There are notable buildings of the early twentieth century, as well.<ref name="nris"/>

===Memorial===
The [[United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue (Lexington Park, Maryland)|United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue]] is a memorial to the more than 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served among the Union forces during the American Civil War. The memorial site includes an educational display and special celebrations are held there each year.

==Politics and government==
[[Image:St Marys County Courthouse Jul 09.JPG|thumb|200px|St. Mary's County Courthouse, July 2009]]

In presidential elections, St. Mary's County leans strongly toward the Republican Party. No Democrat has won the county since [[Jimmy Carter]] did so in 1976. In 2020, [[Donald Trump]] received the lowest percentage for a Republican candidate since [[Bob Dole]] in 1996.

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024<ref name="MDBOE">{{cite web |title=Maryland Board of Elections Voter Registration Activity Report March 2024 |url=https://elections.maryland.gov/pdf/vrar/2024_03.pdf |website=Maryland Board of Elections |access-date=April 9, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 31918}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |31918 |75,966 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 24800}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |24800 |75,966 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unaffiliated
| align = center | {{formatnum: 17906}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |17906 |75,966 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 490}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |490 |75,966 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|None}}
| [[Third party (U.S. politics)|Other parties]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 852}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |852 |75,966 |2}}
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | {{formatnum: 75,966}}
! align = center | {{Percentage |100}}
|}

{{PresHead|place=St. Mary's County, Maryland|whig=yes|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=June 12, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|33,582|23,531|1,841|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|30,826|23,138|1,701|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|28,663|17,534|3,645|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|26,797|19,711|1,316|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|24,705|19,023|681|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|23,725|13,776|415|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|16,856|11,912|733|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|11,835|9,988|1,985|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|11,485|8,931|4,669|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|12,767|7,434|89|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|11,201|6,420|49|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|8,267|6,773|1,016|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|5,640|7,227|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|7,689|3,571|122|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|3,348|3,280|2,547|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|2,878|5,831|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|3,080|5,752|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|4,336|3,443|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|4,270|3,588|33|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|2,247|2,293|66|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|2,673|1,891|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|2,301|2,860|44|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|2,286|2,829|124|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,322|2,885|93|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,609|3,006|118|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|1,653|1,949|101|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|2,175|1,861|58|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,064|1,443|104|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|1,262|843|231|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|1,333|1,011|103|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|1,174|1,247|25|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,089|1,584|23|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,044|1,471|36|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,693|1,482|45|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|1,772|1,551|34|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|1,773|1,540|23|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|1,772|1,530|2|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|1,540|1,502|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|1,536|1,139|19|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1868|Democratic|39|1,182|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1864|Democratic|99|986|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1860|Southern Democratic|1|190|1,181|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1856|Democratic|0|1,052|247|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1852|Whig|681|440|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1848|Whig|788|422|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1844|Whig|783|468|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1840|Whig|895|415|0|Maryland}}
{{PresRow|1836|Whig|643|190|0|Maryland}}
|}

St. Mary's County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland.

===Board of commissioners===
{| class=wikitable
|-
! colspan=2 align=center valign=bottom | Position
! style="text-align:center;" | Name
! valign=bottom | Affiliation
! valign=bottom align=center | District
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
| President
| James R. Guy
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | At-Large
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner
| Eric Colvin
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | District 1
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner
| Michael L. Hewitt
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | District 2
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner
| Mike Alderson Jr.
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | District 3
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
| Commissioner
| Scott R. Ostrow
| style="text-align:center;" | [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;" | District 4
|-
|}

===County executive===
The county commissioners exercise such executive powers as exist in the government of the county.

===Circuit court judges===
* '''Hon. Amy D. Lorenzini'''
* '''Hon. Michael J. Stamm''', administrative judge
* '''Hon. Joseph Stanalonis'''

===Law enforcement===
St. Mary's County has the oldest documented [[St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office|sheriff's office]] in Maryland and one of the oldest in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstsheriff.com/|title=St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office - St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office|website=www.firstsheriff.com}}</ref> In 1637, James Baldridge was appointed sheriff. Since 1776, sheriffs in St. Mary's County have been determined by election. Steven A. Hall is the current sheriff. He was sworn in on December 5, 2022.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|764|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|357|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|407|sqmi}} (%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_24.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 14, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913171515/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_24.txt|archive-date=September 13, 2014}}</ref> It is the second-largest county in Maryland by total area.

Located on the [[St. Mary's Peninsula]], St. Mary's County is largely bordered by water: the [[Patuxent River]] (northeast), the [[Chesapeake Bay]] (east), the [[Potomac River]] (southwest), and the [[Wicomico River (Potomac River)|Wicomico River]] (west). Its coastline has many coves, tidal creeks, bays, and inlets. Many coastal areas are made up of mixed clay-and-sand cliffs and bluffs, which protect many parts of the county from storm surges, however, there are low-lying coastal areas with coarse sand or gravel beaches or tidal marshlands, as well. The county has a tiny exclave on the other side of the Potomac river due to the Maryland-Virginia border cutting through a beach near the little wicomico river.

The interior of much of the county is hilly to varying degrees, with forests and agricultural fields. There also are coastal plain areas, much of which are under agriculture or under new development. Residential development has been increasing steadily for decades.

The county's very extensive waters are mostly [[brackish]], ranging from significant degrees of saltwater in tidal areas that are on or near the Chesapeake Bay, to a greater predominance of freshwater and lower-salt-concentrations in its interior tidal waterways and also further up its bordering rivers.

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], the county has a [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa''.) According to the [[Trewartha climate classification]], the climate is ''Cf'' or [[oceanic climate|oceanic]] (''Do'') depending on whether eight or seven months average above {{convert|50|°F|°C|abbr=on}},) respectively. Average monthly temperatures in Leonardtown range from 36.3&nbsp;°F in January to 78.1&nbsp;°F in July.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/ | title=PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University }}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert County]] (northeast)
*[[Charles County, Maryland|Charles County]] (northwest)
*[[Somerset County, Maryland|Somerset County]] (southeast)
*[[Northumberland County, Virginia]] (South)
*[[Westmoreland County, Virginia]] (southwest)
*[[Dorchester County, Maryland|Dorchester County]] (east)

St. Mary's County borders [[Virginia]], across the Potomac River.<ref name="nsglc.olemiss.edu">"Supreme Court Rules for Virginia in Potomac Conflict: Virginia v. Maryland, 124 S.Ct. 598," 2003 LEXIS 9192 (2003), The National Sea Grant Law Center, http://nsglc.olemiss.edu/SandBar/SandBar2/2.4supreme.htm"</ref> St. Mary's County waters also are bordered by Virginia's territorial waters in Potomac tributary mouths on the Virginia side,<ref name="nsglc.olemiss.edu"/> tidal interface zones,<ref name="nsglc.olemiss.edu"/> and the Chesapeake Bay.<ref>"Virginia-Maryland Boundary for Chesapeake Bay/Eastern Shore", Virginiaplaces.org, http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundaries/mdboundarycbay.html</ref> Sometimes, water rights in all of these areas are still disputed.<ref name="nsglc.olemiss.edu"/><ref>"Modern Maryland-Virginia Boundary Disputes" Virginiaplaces.org, http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundaries/mdboundarymodern.html</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 15544
|1800= 13699
|1810= 12794
|1820= 12974
|1830= 13459
|1840= 13224
|1850= 13698
|1860= 15213
|1870= 14944
|1880= 16934
|1890= 15819
|1900= 17182
|1910= 17030
|1920= 16112
|1930= 15189
|1940= 14626
|1950= 29111
|1960= 38915
|1970= 48388
|1980= 59895
|1990= 75974
|2000= 86211
|2010= 105151
|2020= 113777
|estyear=2023
|estimate=115281
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote==U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/md190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 14, 2014}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''St. Mary's County, Maryland - Demographic Profile'''<br> (''NH = Non-Hispanic'')
!Race / Ethnicity
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - St. Mary's County, Maryland|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US24037&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - St. Mary's County, Maryland|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=0500000US24037&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2010
!% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|80,402
|80,233
|76.46%
|70.52%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|14,831
|15,994
|14.10%
|14.06%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|339
|318
|0.32%
|0.28%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|2,552
|3,301
|2.43%
|2.90%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|64
|86
|0.06%
|0.08%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Some Other Race]] alone (NH)
|119
|533
|0.11%
|0.47%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial]] (NH)
|2,872
|6,767
|2.73%
|5.95%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|3,972
|6,545
|3.78%
|5.75%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''105,151'''
|'''113,777'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|}
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 105,151&nbsp;people, 37,604&nbsp;households, and 27,084&nbsp;families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US24037
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=January 22, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213033237/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US24037
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The population density was {{convert|294.4|PD/sqmi}}. There were 41,282 housing units at an average density of {{convert|115.6|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US24037
  |access-date=January 22, 2016
  |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213185354/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US24037
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 78.6% white, 14.3% black or African American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.8% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 17.4% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 17.3% were [[Germans|German]], 16.0% were [[English people|English]], 8.8% were [[Americans|American]], and 5.2% were [[Italians|Italian]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US24037
  |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=January 22, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213033038/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US24037
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Of the 37,604&nbsp;households, 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% were non-families, and 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 36.0 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $80,053 and the median income for a family was $89,385. Males had a median income of $61,971 versus $46,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,000. About 4.7% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US24037
  |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=January 22, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213034833/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US24037
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

===2000 census===
As of 2010, there were 105,000 people in St. Mary's County,<ref>"U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2013.</ref> up from 84,000 in the year 2000.<ref name="ReferenceA">This is incorrect. It is the data for Somerset County.</ref> families residing in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|238|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 34,081 housing units at an average density of {{clarify span|text=36 persons/km<sup>2</sup> (94 persons/sq&nbsp;mi)|explain=Really mean 'persons' or should it be 'housing units'?|date=April 2023}}. The racial makeup of the county was 81.57% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 13.92% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.34% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.80% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.07% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.61% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.00% of the population. 14.8%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> were of [[United States|American]], 13.9%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[german people|German]], 13.3%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[english people|English]] and 12.1%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[irish people|Irish]] ancestry.

There were 30,642 households, out of which 25.90%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 15.10%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.90%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> were non-families. 29.40%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.90%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.90% under the age of 18, 15.70%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> from 18 to 24, 29.50%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> from 25 to 44, 22.20%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.10<ref name="ReferenceA"/> males.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,706, and the median income for a family was $61,397. Males had a median income of $27,496<ref name="ReferenceA"/> versus $23,035<ref name="ReferenceA"/> for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $22,662. 7.20% of the population and 5.20% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 28.40%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> are under the age of 18 and 19.10%<ref name="ReferenceA"/> are 65 or older.

===Amish and Old Order Mennonite community===
[[File:Amish parking lot Mechanicsville Maryland.jpg|thumb|right|Amish horse and buggy in Mechanicsville]]
St. Mary's County is home to an [[Amish]] community in the [[Mechanicsville, Maryland|Mechanicsville]] area in the northern part of the county that consists of eight church districts and about 1,000 people. The Amish first came to the area in 1940 after some members left the Amish community in [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]] over a conflict with schooling. The Amish in St. Mary's County maintain dairy and produce farms along with small Amish businesses. There is also an [[Old Order Mennonite]] community in the county that stretches as far south as [[Loveville, Maryland|Loveville]]. In recent years, increasing development has threatened the Amish community.<ref name=amishamerica>{{cite web|title=Maryland Amish|date=March 2011 |publisher=Amish America|url=http://amishamerica.com/maryland-amish/|access-date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>

==Education==
* [[St. Mary's College of Maryland]] is in St. Mary's City, Maryland and has been ranked "6th in the nation" under the category, ''" Public Liberal Arts Colleges"'', by the ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]'' 2014 ''University and College Rankings report''.<ref>"National Liberal Arts Colleges Summary: St. Mary's College of Maryland" U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges and Universities Ranking, 2014 http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/st-mary-s-college-of-maryland-163912/overall-rankings {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225160526/http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/st-mary-s-college-of-maryland-163912/overall-rankings |date=February 25, 2014 }}</ref> 
* The [[College of Southern Maryland]] is located in [[Leonardtown, Maryland]].
* Southern Maryland Higher Education Center is located in [[California, Maryland]].
* [[Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education]] is a [[merchant marine|Merchant Marine]] school in [[Piney Point, Maryland]].

==Naval bases==
The county has three naval bases:

* "Pax River", officially called the [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River]], is the largest of the naval bases in the county. It is in [[Lexington Park, Maryland]], and includes the headquarters of the ''[[Naval Air Systems Command]]'' and the ''[[United States Naval Test Pilot School|Naval Test Pilot School]]'', both of which play a significant role in the local economy, and trained many test pilots who went on to become astronauts, such as [[Alan Shepard]], the first American to reach space, and [[John Glenn]], the first American to reach orbit.
* "Webster Field" is a smaller naval annex and secondary airfield and it is located in [[Saint Inigoes, Maryland|Saint Inigoes]]. It is used for avionics engineering testing and development.
* Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes (also in [[St. Inigoes, Maryland|Saint Inigoes]]), technically two bases because it comprises two separate areas, however, it is all under the same command.

==Transportation==
Numerous state highways serve St. Mary's County, including:

{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
*[[File:MD Route 4.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 4]]
*[[File:MD Route 5.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 5]]
*[[File:MD Route 6.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 6]]
*[[File:MD Route 234.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 234]]
*[[File:MD Route 235.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 235]]
*[[File:MD Route 236.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 236]]
*[[File:MD Route 237.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 237]]
*[[File:MD Route 238.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 238]]
*[[File:MD Route 239.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 239]]
*[[File:MD Route 242.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 242]]
*[[File:MD Route 243.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 243]]
*[[File:MD Route 244.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 244]]
*[[File:MD Route 245.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 245]]
*[[File:MD Route 246.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 246]]
*[[File:MD Route 247.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 247]]
*[[File:MD Route 249.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 249]]
*[[File:MD Route 470.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 470]]
*[[File:MD Route 471.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 471]]
*[[File:MD Route 472.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 472]]
*[[File:MD Route 489.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 489]]
*[[File:MD Route 520.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 520]]
*[[File:MD Route 584.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 584]]
*[[File:MD Route 712.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 712]]
*[[File:MD Route 863.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 863]]
*[[File:MD Route 868.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 868]]
*[[File:MD Route 944.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 944]]
*[[File:MD Route 945.svg|20px]] [[Maryland Route 945]]
{{div col end}}

Limited local buses are provided through St. Mary's Transit<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 28, 2010|title=STS Overview|url=http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=stsstartcontent.asp|access-date=September 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528195926/http://www.co.saint-marys.md.us/dpw/dpwtemplate.asp?content=stsstartcontent.asp|archive-date=May 28, 2010}}</ref> and commuter bus service to Washington, D.C. is provided by [[Maryland Transit Administration|MTA]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Schedules {{!}} Maryland Transit Administration|url=https://www.mta.maryland.gov/schedule?type=commuter-bus|access-date=September 1, 2021|website=www.mta.maryland.gov}}</ref> Southern Maryland Express shuttle services daily schedules to Baltimore (BWI), Dulles (IAD), and Ronald Reagan (DCA).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southern Maryland Express (SME) |url=http://www.somdexpress.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402043959/http://www.somdexpress.com/ |archive-date=April 2, 2023}}</ref>

The nearest commercial airports are [[Reagan National Airport]] in [[Arlington County, Virginia]] and [[Baltimore Washington International Airport]] in suburban Baltimore.

St. Mary's County also is served by a general aviation airport, [[Captain Walter Duke Regional Airport]] near [[California, Maryland]]

==Communities==

===Towns===
* [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]] (county seat)

===Census-designated places===
The Census Bureau recognizes the following [[census-designated place]]s in the county:
{{div col}}
* [[California, Maryland|California]]
* [[Callaway, Maryland|Callaway]]
* [[Charlotte Hall, Maryland|Charlotte Hall]]
* [[Golden Beach, Maryland|Golden Beach]]
* [[Lexington Park, Maryland|Lexington Park]]
* [[Mechanicsville, Maryland|Mechanicsville]]
* [[Piney Point, Maryland|Piney Point]]
* [[St. George Island, Maryland|St. George Island]]
* [[Tall Timbers, St. Mary's County, Maryland|Tall Timbers]]
* [[Wildewood, Maryland|Wildewood]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
* [[Abell, Maryland|Abell]]
* [[Avenue, Maryland|Avenue]]
* [[Beachville-St. Inigoes, Maryland|Beachville-St. Inigoes]]
* [[Beauvue, Maryland|Beauvue]]
* [[Bushwood, Maryland|Bushwood]]
* [[Chaptico, Maryland|Chaptico]]
* [[Clements, Maryland|Clements]]
* [[Coltons Point, Maryland|Coltons Point]]
* [[Compton, Maryland|Compton]]
* [[Dameron, Maryland|Dameron]]
* [[Drayden, Maryland|Drayden]]
* [[Great Mills, Maryland|Great Mills]]
* [[Helen, Maryland|Helen]]
* [[Hollywood, Maryland|Hollywood]]
* [[Hopewell, St. Mary's County, Maryland|Hopewell]]
* [[Huntersville, Maryland|Huntersville]]
* [[Hurry, Maryland|Hurry]]
* [[Loveville, Maryland|Loveville]]
* [[Maddox, Maryland|Maddox]]
* [[Morganza, Maryland|Morganza]]
* [[Oakley, Maryland|Oakley]]
* [[Oakville, St. Mary's County, Maryland|Oakville]]
* [[Oraville, Maryland|Oraville]]
* [[Park Hall, St. Mary's County, Maryland|Park Hall]]
* [[Ridge, Maryland|Ridge]]
* [[St. Inigoes, Maryland|St. Inigoes]]
* [[St. Mary's City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]]
* [[Scotland, Maryland|Scotland]]
* [[Spencers Wharf, Maryland|Spencers Wharf]]
* [[Valley Lee, Maryland|Valley Lee]]
{{div col end}}

==Notable sites==
* [[Point Lookout State Park]], a nationally recognized natural area and historic site, features a former Civil War prison camp, beaches, fishing, and camping
* [[St. Mary's City]], the site of first settlement in the [[Maryland colony]], includes four museums, a reconstructed colonial town, and a [[living history]] center 
* [[United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue (Lexington Park, Maryland)|United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue]], in Lexington Park, honors and tells story of 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War
* [[Patuxent River Naval Air Museum]] features Naval aviation history, the history of test pilots and naval aviation development at PAX River NAS, and many aircraft on display
* [https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Regions/ndw/installations/nas_patuxent_river/ffr/solomons_recreation_center/ Solomons Island Naval recreation facility] in nearby Solomons Island Maryland, accessed by bridge, is used by military and DOD personnel and families only. It is a guarded facility and ID is required
* [[Sotterley (Hollywood, Maryland)|Sotterley Plantation]] is a reconstructed antebellum plantation with a history museum that features pre-Civil War history
* [[USS Tulip (1862)|USS ''Tulip'' monument]] and federal grave site for Civil War sailors who died in the explosion of a Union gunship in area waters in 1864 
* [[Point Lookout Light|Point Lookout Light House]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140228220736/http://www.visitstmarysmd.com/activities-attractions/piney-point-lighthouse-museum-and-historic-park/ Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum]
* [http://www.cecilsoldmill.com/ Cecils Old Mill] museum, art gallery, and artists co-op in nearby [[Great Mills, Maryland]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary's County, Maryland]] many buildings in the county are listed, dating to the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s
* [[Tudor Hall (Leonardtown, Maryland)|Tudor Hall]], St. Mary's County Historical Society (limited hours)

==Notable residents==
* [[Jerome Adams]]: served as the twentieth surgeon general of the United States from September 5, 2017, until January 20, 2021.
* [[Richard H. Alvey]]: chief justice of the Maryland Supreme Court, a federal judge in the 1870s and 1880s, born and raised in St. Marys County
* [[William H. Barnes (Medal of Honor)|William H. Barnes]]: [[Medal of Honor]] recipient for valor in the [[Battle of Chaffin's Farm]] while serving in the Union Army during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], was a free African American farmer from St. Mary's County
* [[Margaret Brent]]: English immigrant to the first Colony of Maryland who lived in St. Mary's City, was an early (indirect) advocate for [[women's rights]] by asserting her own right to run an estate and vote, and was the first woman in the English North American colonies to appear before a court of the Common Law
* [[Leonard Calvert]]: leader of the first English settlers in Maryland and first governor of the Maryland Colony, lived in St. Mary's City
* [[Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore|Charles Calvert]]: 3rd Baron Baltimore (1637–1715), second long-term governor of the Maryland Colony (his Uncle [[Phillip Calvert (governor)|Philip Calvert]] also governed before him, but only very briefly), lived in St. Mary's City
* [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]]: Grammy winning folk, country, and rock singer and songwriter who composed a song about St. Mary's County and has lived in St. Mary's County at various times
* [[Betty Currie]]: personal secretary to the president of the United States (Bill Clinton), personal secretary to the director of the Peace Corps
* [[Norton Dodge]]: economist, collector of dissident Soviet era art, smuggled thousands of Soviet dissident paintings, prints and sculptures out of communist Russia over a series of visits and at great risk to his own life and amassed one of the largest collections of Soviet-era art outside the Soviet Union, taught at [[St. Marys College of Maryland|St. Mary's College]] in [[St. Marys City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]]
* [[John Dorsey (American football)|John Dorsey]]: also known as Johnny Dorsey, general manager of the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] professional football team, NCAA College Football winner, and professional football player whose pro football career was cut short due to injuries, born in [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]]
* [[William P. Duvall]], U.S. Army major general, born on [[St. George Island, Maryland|St. George Island]]<ref name="Prominent">{{cite news |date=May 20, 1898 |title=A Prominent Son of Harford |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106161598/harford/ |work=[[The Aegis & Intelligencer]] |location=Bel Air, MD |page=3 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* [[Benedict Joseph Fenwick]]: Catholic Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846, born in [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]]
* [[Henry Fowler (Maryland and Wisconsin)|Henry Fowler]]: former member of the [[Maryland House of Delegates]] and of the [[Wisconsin State Assembly]]
* [[Michael Glaser]]: poet, educator, literary editor, the Poet Laureate of the State of Maryland from 2004 through 2009, was awarded the Andrew White Medal for contributions to intellectual and artistic life in Maryland, taught at [[St. Marys College of Maryland|St. Mary's College]], and lives in St. Mary's County
* [[Alfred Gough]]: screenwriter and author of scripts for numerous Hollywood films, born and raised in [[Leonardtown, Maryland|Leonardtown]]
* [[Scott Hall]]: professional wrestling star and professional wrestling entrepreneur, born and raised in St. Mary's County, Maryland
* [[Dashiell Hammett]]: American author of [[hardboiled]] detective novels and short stories, was born in St. Mary's County
* [[James H. Harris]]: Medal of Honor recipient for heroism in the Battle of Chaffin's farm during the Civil War, an African American Union soldier who grew up as a free Black tenant farmer in Great Mills
* [[Joseph B. Hayden]], Medal of Honor recipient for actions during the American Civil War on the [[USS Ticonderoga (1862)|USS Ticonderoga]], born in St. Mary's City<ref>{{cite web |title=JOSEPH B HAYDEN |url=https://www.cmohs.org/recipients/joseph-b-hayden |website=Congressional Medal of Honor Society |access-date=December 31, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Robert E. Hogaboom]]: four-star Marine Corps general, chair of the Historic St. Mary's City Commission and advocate for decades for the reconstruction and development of Historic St. Mary's City
* [[Steny Hoyer]]: former State Senator and [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]]
* [[Louise Daniel Hutchinson]]: noted historian of [[African American history]], was born in Ridge, Maryland<ref name=SIA1>{{cite web|title=Louise Daniel Hutchinson Interviews|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217726|work=Record Unit 9558|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution Archives]]|access-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref>
* [[Francis Scott Key]]: composer of the [[Star Spangled Banner]], grew up in St. Mary's County
* [[Ted Koppel]]: journalist and former host of the news show [[Nightline]], lived in Southern St. Mary's County
* William and [[Dinah Nuthead]]: established the first printing house in the Southern Colonies at St. Mary's City, Maryland
* [[J. Frank Raley]]: State Senator and state representative, trustee of [[St. Marys College of Maryland]], credited for helping to establish St. Mary's College as a four-year institution and playing key roles in its development into a nationally top-ranked public college, born and raised in St. Mary's County
* [[Tubby Smith]]: college basketball coach, grew up in [[Scotland, Maryland]]
* [[William C. Somerville]]: author, historian, diplomat, War of 1812 soldier, born and raised in St. Mary's County
* [[Norwood Sothoron]]: athlete, soldier, commandant of Charlotte Hall Military Academy, inducted into the [[National Lacrosse Hall of Fame]] in 1972, born and raised in [[Charlotte Hall, Maryland]]
* [[Sylvester Stallone]]: award-winning actor and director who attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy and boarding school in St. Mary's County as a teenager
* [[Father Andrew White]]: Jesuit priest and settler on first voyage to establish the new Maryland colony, one of the founders of the first Catholic mission and parish in North America, was instrumental in negotiating peace and territory deals with the [[Piscataway people|Piscataway Indian tribes]] in St. Marys County, lived in [[St. Marys City, Maryland]]

==In popular culture==
Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter [[Mary Chapin Carpenter]] wrote a song about St. Mary's County, entitled, "Down in Mary's Land", in 1989{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} She is known for having great affection for St. Mary's County.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

An expansion pack for the 2008 video game [[Fallout 3]], entitled [[Fallout 3 downloadable content#Point Lookout|Point Lookout]], is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the [[Point Lookout State Park|titular State Park]] and its surrounding areas.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Subhan |first1=Ishraq |title=This Fallout 4 mod recreates all of Fallout 3's Point Lookout DLC |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/fallout-4/mod-point-lookout-dlc-fallout-3 |access-date=March 24, 2024 |agency=[[PCGamesN]] |date=May 11, 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Maryland}}
* [[St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office]]
* [[St. Mary's Peninsula]]
* [[St. Mary's City, Maryland]]
* [[St. Mary's College of Maryland]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|St. Mary's County, Maryland}}
* [http://www.stmarysmd.com/ Saint Mary's County government]
* [http://www.visitstmarysmd.com/ St. Mary's County Travel and Tourism]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20001204150100/http://www.stmaryscity.org/ Historic St. Mary's City] Official website
* [http://www.smcm.edu/ St. Marys College of Maryland website]
* [http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/photos/lowe/html/sm_2.html Historical photos of life in St. Mary's County provided by the Maryland State Archives]
* [http://www.somdweather.com/ Live Southern Maryland Weather]
* [http://www.firstsheriff.com/ Sheriff's office]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre = St. Mary's County, Maryland
|North = [[Patuxent River]]
|Northeast = [[Calvert County, Maryland|Calvert County]]
|East = [[Chesapeake Bay]]
|Southeast =    
|South = [[Potomac River]]
|Southwest =    
|West = [[Wicomico River (Potomac River)|Wicomico River]]
|Northwest = [[Charles County, Maryland|Charles County]]
}}
{{Saint Mary's County, Maryland}}
{{Maryland}}

{{authority control}}

{{coord|38|15|8|N|76|33|49|W|region:US-MD|display=title}}

[[Category:St. Mary's County, Maryland| ]]
[[Category:Maryland counties]]
[[Category:1637 establishments in Maryland]]
[[Category:Maryland counties on the Potomac River]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1637]]
[[Category:Maryland counties on the Chesapeake Bay]]