Charles County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the U.S. state of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is

La Plata La Plata () is the capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. According to the 2022 Argentina census, census, the La Plata Partido, Partido has a population of 772,618 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 938,287 inhabit ...

. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. The county is part of the Southern Maryland region of the state. With a median household income of $103,678, Charles County is the 39th-wealthiest county in the United States as of 2020, and the highest-income county in the United States with a Black-majority population.

History

Charles County was created in 1658 by an

Order in Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

. There was also an earlier Charles County from 1650 to 1654, sometimes referred to in historic documents as Old Charles County, which consisted largely of lands within today's borders but "included parts of St. Mary’s, Calvert, present-day Charles, and Prince George’s County". John Tayloe I purchased land around Nanjemoy Creek after 1710 from which to mine iron and ship to his furnaces at Bristol Iron Works, Neabsco Iron Works and later Occoquan Ironworks. In April 1865, John Wilkes Booth made his escape through Charles County after shooting President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. He was on his way to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. He stopped briefly in Waldorf (then called Beantown) and had his broken leg set by local Doctor Samuel Mudd, who was later sent to prison for helping him. Booth then proceeded to hide in the Zekiah Swamp in Charles County, avoiding search parties for over a week until he and his accomplice were able to successfully cross the

Potomac River The Potomac River () is in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands in West Virginia to Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography D ...

. The 1911 Digges Amendment, which attempted to disenfranchise African Americans in Maryland, was drafted by Democratic state delegate (lower house) Walter Digges and co-sponsored by state senator (upper house) William J. Frere, both from Charles County, Maryland. In Maryland's unrestricted general election of 1911, the Digges Amendment was defeated with 46,220 votes for and 83,920 votes against the proposal. Nationally Maryland citizens achieved the most notable rejection of a black-disfranchising amendment.STEPHEN TUCK, "Democratization and the Disfranchisement of African Americans in the US South during the Late 19th Century" (pdf)
, Spring 2013, reading for "Challenges of Democratization", by Brandon Kendhammer, Ohio University In 1926, a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

ripped through the county leaving 17 dead (including 13 schoolchildren). On April 28, 2002, another tornado (rated an F-4) destroyed much of downtown

killing 3 and injuring over 100 people. The county has numerous properties on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Among them are Green Park and Pleasant Hill, home of the Green and Spalding Families. On December 4, 2004, an arson took place in the development of Hunters Brooke, a few miles southeast of Indian Head. The Hunters Brooke Arson was the largest residential arson in Maryland history.

Politics and government

Owing to the considerable voting power of its large number of freedmen following the Civil War, and later its growth as a suburban area, Charles County was for a long time solidly Republican. The only Democrat to carry Charles County until 1960 was

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

in 1932, although Alf Landon and Wendell Willkie defeated Roosevelt in the next two elections by a combined margin of just 50 votes. Since the turn of the millennium, Charles County has become reliably Democratic, although not as overwhelmingly so as other parts of Maryland's Washington, D.C. suburbs. Charles County is one of only two counties in the nation to have voted for

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...

in 2000 after voting for Bob Dole in 1996, along with Orange County, Florida.

Voter registration

Board of Commissioners

Charles County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland. There are five commissioners. , they are: Charles County is entirely within the 5th Congressional District, which also includes Calvert, St. Mary's, and parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. The current representative is former Democratic House Majority Leader and former House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (29%) water. 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.

Adjacent counties

* Prince George's County (north) * Fairfax County, Virginia (northwest) * Calvert County (east) * Stafford County, Virginia (west) * Prince William County, Virginia (west) * St. Mary's County (southeast) *

Westmoreland County, Virginia Westmoreland County is a County (United States), county located in the Northern Neck of the Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross, Virginia, Montross ...

(southeast) *

King George County, Virginia King George County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 26,723. Its county seat is the census designated place of King George. The county's largest employer is the U.S. Naval S ...

(south)

National protected area

* Thomas Stone National Historic Site * Mallows Bay–Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 146,551 people, 51,214 households, and 38,614 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 54,963 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 50.3% white, 41.0% black or African American, 3.0% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 12.6% were German, 10.8% were Irish, 8.7% were English, 6.3% were American, and 5.1% were Italian. Of the 51,214 households, 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.6% were non-families, and 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.24. The median age was 37.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $88,825 and the median income for a family was $98,560. Males had a median income of $62,210 versus $52,477 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,780. About 3.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 120,546 people, 41,668 households, and 32,292 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 43,903 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 68.51%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 26.06%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.75% Native American, 1.82% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.72% from other races, and 2.08% from two or more races. 2.26% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 11.6% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 10.2% English, 9.3% American and 5.3% Italian ancestry. There were 41,668 households, out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.50% were non-families. 17.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.21. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 33.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $62,199, and the median income for a family was $67,602 (these figures had risen to $80,573 and $89,358 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $43,371 versus $34,231 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $24,285. About 3.70% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the

, including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over. As of 2010, the county population's racial makeup was 48.38% Non-Hispanic whites, 40.96% blacks, 0.65% Native Americans, 2.98% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islanders, 0.17% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 3.20% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 4.27% Hispanic.

Economy

Top employers

According to the 2022 publication "Meet Charles County" of the County Department of Economic Development, its top employers are:

Education

Public schools

Colleges and universities

* College of Southern Maryland, in

Transportation

Charles County is served by numerous state highways and one U.S. Highway:

Major highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Communities

Towns

* Indian Head *

(county seat) * Port Tobacco Village

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

s in the county: *

Bensville Bensville is a List of Central Coast suburbs, suburb of the Central Coast (New South Wales), Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Local government areas of New South Wales, local government area. The main secti ...

* Bryans Road * Bryantown * Cobb Island * Hughesville * Pomfret * Potomac Heights * Rock Point * Saint Charles * Waldorf

Unincorporated communities

* Bel Alton * Benedict * Dentsville * Faulkner * Glymont * Grayton * Ironsides * Issue * Malcolm * Marbury * Morgantown * Mount Victoria * Nanjemoy * Newburg * Pisgah * Popes Creek * Port Tobacco * Pomonkey * Ripley * Rison * Swan Point * Welcome * White Plains

Notable people

Colonial and Revolutionary Periods

* Charles Brooke (1636–1671) English immigrant & first Southerner to graduate from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

, Class of 1655; Sheriff, Calvert County 1665 * Gustavus Richard Brown (1747–1804)

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

-educated doctor; served in Revolutionary War; physician to

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, attended his death * James Craik (1727–1814) Scottish immigrant; Physician General of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

; friend & physician to

, attended his death * John Hanson (1721–1783) born Port Tobacco; Founding Father of United States; Signer,

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...

; President, Confederation Congress * Robert H. Harrison (1745-1790), judge; officer in the Continental Army;

's military secretary. * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer (1723–1790) born Port Tobacco; Founding Father of U.S.; Delegate, Constitutional Convention; Signer, U.S. Constitution * Capt. James Neale (1615–1684) born in London, immigrated around 1635; Member, Maryland Council; founded Wollaston Manor & Cobb Island * Leonard Neale (1746–1817) born Port Tobacco;

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

President of Georgetown; Archbishop of Baltimore; first U.S.-consecrated Catholic

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

(1800) * William Smallwood (1732–1792) Officer, Provincial Troops; Major General, 1st Maryland Regiment of the

; Governor of Maryland * Benjamin Stoddert (1751–1813) Captain of

Cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

in the

; first U.S. Secretary of the Navy in the

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before Presidency of John Adams, his presidency, he was a leader of ...

administration * Thomas Stone (1743–1787) born at Poynton Manor near Port Tobacco; Founding Father of the United States; Signer, U.S. Declaration of Independence * Andrew White (1579–1656) born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

;

with first colonists arriving on ''Ark'' & ''Dove''; established mission to the Potapoco at Chapel Point (1641)

19th century

* George Cary (1789–1843) born near Allen's Fresh; practiced law in Frederick; moved to Appling County, Georgia; Member, U.S. House 1823-27 * Barnes Compton (1830–1898) born Port Tobacco, Princeton '51; Pres.,

Maryland Senate The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single ...

; Treasurer of Maryland; Member, U.S. House 1885-90,91-94 * Josiah Henson (1789–1883) born into slavery in Port Tobacco; escaped to Canada & founded community of fugitive slaves; author, abolitionist & minister * Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long (1798–1880) born Charles County; Texas Patriot & boarding-house matron; dubbed " Mother of Texas" by Sam Houston * Samuel A. Mudd (1833–1883) born near Bryantown; physician imprisoned for aiding John Wilkes Booth after assassination of Pres.

* Sydney E. Mudd (1858–1911) born in Gallant Green; Speaker,

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly, legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House ...

; Member, U.S. House of Reps 1890–91, 1897-1911 * Francis Neale (1756–1836) born Port Tobacco;

pastor of St. Thomas Manor & Holy Trinity, first Catholic Church in D.C., President of Georgetown * Raphael Semmes (1809–1877) born near Nanjemoy; US Navy officer; Captain, CSS ''Sumter'' & CSS ''Alabama''; Rear Adm., Confederate States Navy

20th & 21st centuries

* Walter M. Digges (1877–1934) Delegate who drafted Digges Amendment that was defeated in statewide election; Justice, Court of Appeals 1923-34 * Danny Gatton (1945–1994) Virtuoso guitarist; created a jazz fusion musical style he called "redneck jazz"; lived in Newburg, died by suicide * Matthew Henson (1866–1955) born in Nanjemoy; African-American explorer; first to reach

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

in 1909, with Robert Peary & 4

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

companions * Larry Johnson (born 1979) from Pomfret; former NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

; played for K.C. Chiefs,

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...

& Miami Dolphins * Shawn Lemon (born 1988) Attended Westlake H.S. in Waldorf; played with seven teams in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

as a defensive lineman * Joel & Benji Madden (born 1979) Identical twins from Waldorf; both with bands The Madden Brothers & Good Charlotte; Benji married to Cameron Diaz * Christina Milian (born 1981) Movie & TV actress;

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

singer/songwriter in US (Top 4 in UK); raised in Waldorf to age 13 & part of high school * Sydney E. Mudd, Jr. (1885–1924) born in Gallant Green; Member, U.S. House of Representatives; 1915-1924, died in office * Randy Starks (born 1983) Attended Westlake in Waldorf; played NFL as a defensive end with

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...

, Miami Dolphins & Cleveland Browns * Robert Stethem (1961–1985) U.S. Navy diver; murdered in

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

during hijacking of TWA Flight 847; grew up in Pinefield community of Waldorf * Turkey Tayac (1895–1978) born Charles County; Chief, one branch of Piscataway Indian Nation; WWI veteran; Medicine Man & Native American activist * Angela Renée White ''a.k.a.'' "Blac Chyna" (born 1988) Model, socialite & television personality; attended Henry E. Lackey High School in Indian Head

Sports

References

External links

* * {{authority control Maryland counties Maryland counties on the Potomac River Washington metropolitan area 1658 establishments in Maryland Populated places established in 1658 Majority-minority counties and independent cities in Maryland