District 1 Profile

Welcome to Maryland’s First District, one that is blessed with rich heritage and natural beauty.

Maryland’s First District encompasses all nine counties of the Eastern Shore; Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, Dorchester, Caroline, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Kent and Cecil, along with substantial portions of Harford and Baltimore Counties (Belair, Churchville, Level, Hickory, Kingsville, Mays, Chapel, Germantown, Glen Arm and parts of Perry Hall and Cockeysville) and a small part of Anne Arundel county across the Chesapeake Bay (Broadneck, Arnold, Severna Park and Millersville).

Many of the roads traveled in Kent County, also called Chesapeake Country, are part of a recent designation as a National Scenic Byway. The long flat roads attract cyclists; the marshes are exceptional bird watching territory and the towns of Chestertown and Rock Hall each offer visitors a unique charm. Chestertown, the county seat, is home to the first college founded in the new United States, Washington College. It is the only college to which George Washington gave permission to use his name. Lastly, Kent County has dedicated 3,300 acres of Chesapeake Farms to the development, evaluation and demonstration of advanced agricultural practices and wildlife management techniques.

Queen Anne’s County was formally established in 1708 with the county seat at Queen Anne’s Town (Queenstown). Within a few years it was moved up the Corsica River to Centreville, which has the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Maryland (built in 1792). This area, which includes the Bay Bridge, Kent Island and the gateway to the Eastern Shore, remains largely farmland. Queen Anne’s County continues to live its Chesapeake legacy, cherishing the past and treasuring the present.

Though Talbot County has the longest shoreline of any county in the United States, agriculture still ranks number one as its largest local commercial industry. The waters including the Tred Avon, Tuckahoe, Wye, Miles and Choptank Rivers produce their own riches, from seafood to dockage. Easton, the county seat, serves as the commercial and industrial hub for the Mid-shore region. Easton is also the home of the Third Haven Meeting House, the oldest church in the country.

Dorchester County is largely rural, threaded by rivers, including the 68-mile long Choptank. Cambridge, the county seat is the largest town in the county and one of the oldest in the state of Maryland, settled in 1684. Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County. The Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1933 to provide sanctuary for migrating waterfowl. Blackwater is also the haven for three endangered or threatened species: the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and the Delmarva fox squirrel. The refuge is stunningly beautiful.

Located on the banks of the Choptank River and bounded on the east by the Mason-Dixon Line, Caroline County is a treasure rich in history and natural resources. A wealth of rivers and waterways make Caroline County a haven for adventures on water, while 120,000 acres of farmland represent more than half of the county’s total acreage. The county is dotted with many quaint, historic towns such as Denton, the county seat. Caroline County is the only county that is not bordered by water.

Wicomico County is home to Salisbury: the largest city on the Eastern Shore. It began as a mill community in the center of dense woods in 1732. The Wicomico River provided critical water access to the Chesapeake, and Salisbury grew as the principal crossroads of the southern Delmarva Peninsula. Today the town of Salisbury continues to thrive as a center of commerce and offers major historical and recreational activities. The art of decoy and bird carving is celebrated at the famous Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art.

The farther south one travels, the more things seem to slow down. Traveling through this rich farming region, you will pass seemingly endless fields of sorghum and soy. Princess Anne, the county seat of Somerset County, is a municipality with centuries of well-preserved architecture. It is also the site of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. The town of Crisfield is known as “The Crab Capital of the World”. It is a busy fishing and commercial seafood port that supports a bustling tourist industry. Deal Island, Smith Island and Tangier Island all offer mellow getaways and an atmosphere reminiscent of the deep south.

Worcester County is the easternmost county located in the state of Maryland. Snow Hill, the county seat of Worcester was settled in 1642 and made its mark as a trading port for schooners and steamboats. Famous for its Ocean City Beach Resort, Worcester County also offers one of the nations most unique scenic rivers, the Pocomoke, which is known for its black waters (Indian meaning of Pocomoke) travels the entire length of the county. Fishermen enjoy the Assateague surf and off shore canyons, the back bays – Assawoman, Sinepuxent and Chincoteague. Worcester County is Maryland’s only seaside county.

Cecil County is located in the northeastern corner of Maryland, atop the Chesapeake Bay. The County is steeped in American history dating to 1608, when Captain John Smith arrived. Today about 70 percent of the County is farmland; its major industrial centers are located in the towns of Elkton (the county seat), North East and Perryville. The land and water connection deepens in Cecil County, as it is known for its horse farms and historic churches and taverns, as well as many miles of waterway. The town of Chesapeake City recalls famous visitors, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson as they passed through the C & D Canal, which connected the Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River.

The county seat in Harford County is Bel Air. Harford County is home to several scenic small towns with plenty of amenities, several verdant parks, and the busiest canal in America: the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. The Canal is 14 miles long, 450 feet wide and 35 feet deep, and connects the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay and the Port of Baltimore.

Across the Bay Bridge are still 534 miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay, where Anne Arundel County successfully combines natural beauty and rural charm with metropolitan sophistication. While Baltimore County is a suburban county, it has over 175 miles of waterfront and 60 marinas, making Baltimore County a major gateway to the Chesapeake Bay.