Maryland (US: /ˈmɛrɪlənd/ ^ⓘ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions of the United States. It borders Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east, as well as with the Atlantic Ocean to its east, and the national capital and federal district of Washington, D.C. to the southwest. With a total area of 12,407 square miles (32,130 km²), Maryland is the ninth-smallest state by land area, and its population of 6.1 million ranks it the 19th-most populous state and the fifth-most densely populated. Maryland's capital city is Annapolis, and the state's most populous city is Baltimore.

Maryland
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames:  "Old Line State", "Free State", "Little America", "America in Miniature"
Mottoes:  "Fatti maschii, parole femine" (English: "Strong Deeds, Gentle Words") (lit.: Manly deeds, womanly words) The Latin text encircling the seal: Scuto bonæ voluntatis tuæ coronasti nos ("With Favor Wilt Thou Compass Us as with a Shield") Psalm 5:12
Location of Maryland within the United States
Country	United States
Before statehood	Province of Maryland
Admitted to the Union	April 28, 1788 (7th)
Capital	Annapolis
Largest city	Baltimore
Largest county or equivalent	Montgomery
Largest metro and urban areas	Washington–Baltimore (combined) Baltimore (metro and urban)
Government
• Governor	Wes Moore (D)
• Lieutenant Governor	Aruna Miller (D)
Legislature	General Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Delegates
Judiciary	Supreme Court of Maryland
U.S. senators	Chris Van Hollen (D) Angela Alsobrooks (D)
U.S. House delegation	7 Democrats 1 Republican (list)
Area
• Total	12,407 sq mi (32,133 km2)
• Land	9,774 sq mi (25,314 km2)
• Water	2,633 sq mi (6,819 km2)  21%
• Rank	42nd
Dimensions
• Length	200 mi (320 km)
• Width	120 mi (200 km)
Elevation	350 ft (110 m)
Highest elevation (Hoye-Crest)	3,360 ft (1,024 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean)	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2025)
• Total	6,265,347
• Rank	19th
• Density	632/sq mi (244/km2)
• Rank	5th
• Median household income	$98,700 (2023)
• Income rank	3rd
Demonym	Marylander
Language
• Official language	None (English, de facto)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	MD
ISO 3166 code	US-MD
Traditional abbreviation	Md.
Latitude	37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N
Longitude	75° 03′ W to 79° 29′ W
Website	maryland.gov

State symbols of Maryland

List of state symbols
Flag of Maryland
Seal of Maryland
Coat of arms of Maryland
Song	None. Formerly: "Maryland, My Maryland" by James Ryder Randall (1861), (adopted 1939, repealed 2021)
Living insignia
Bird	Baltimore oriole
Cat breed	Calico cat
Crustacean	Blue crab
Dog breed	Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Fish	Rock fish
Flower	Black-eyed Susan
Horse breed	Thoroughbred
Insect	Baltimore checkerspot butterfly
Reptile	Diamondback terrapin
Tree	White oak
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Dance	Square dance
Dinosaur	Astrodon johnstoni
Food	Smith Island cake
Fossil	Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae
Gemstone	Patuxent River stone
Ship	Skipjack
Sport	Jousting Lacrosse
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 2000
Lists of United States state symbols

Maryland's coastline was first explored by Europeans in the 16th century. Prior to that, it was inhabited by several Native American tribes, mostly the Algonquian peoples. One of the original Thirteen Colonies, the Province of Maryland was founded in 1634 by George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore^{[dubious – discuss]}, who sought to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England. Religious strife was common in Maryland's early years, and Catholics remained a minority, albeit in greater numbers than in any other English colony. Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco. Demand for cheap labor from Maryland colonists led to the importation of numerous indentured servants and enslaved Africans. In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following the settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Although it was a slave state, Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War, and its proximity to Washington D.C. and Virginia made it a significant strategic location. After the Civil War ended in 1865, Maryland took part in the Industrial Revolution, driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe.

Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015^[update], Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, retail services, public administration, real estate, higher education, information technology, defense contracting, health care, and biotechnology. Maryland is one of the most multicultural states in the country; it is one of the nine states where non-Whites compose a majority of the population, with the fifth-highest percentage of African Americans, and high numbers of residents born in Africa, Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean. The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita.

The western portion of the state contains stretches of the Appalachian Mountains, the central portion is primarily composed of the Piedmont, and the eastern side of the state makes up a significant portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, and the city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature. Maryland's geography, culture, and history are diverse, including elements of the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, and Southern regions of the country.