Charles County, Maryland

History

Charles County was created in 1658 by an Order in Council. It should be noted that from 1650 to 1653 there was an earlier Charles County, sometimes referred to in historic documents as Old Charles County.

On April 28, 2002, a tornado cut through the County and destroyed much of downtown La Plata.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,666 km² (643 mi²). 1,194 km² (461 mi²) of it is land and 472 km² (182 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 28.33% water.

Cities and towns

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

1. Indian Head (incorporated 1920)
2. La Plata (incorporated 1888)
3. Port Tobacco Village (incorporated 1888) (Note that, despite its name, Port Tobacco Village is a town, not a village.)

All three are classified as towns under Maryland law.

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

1. Bennsville
2. Bryans Road
3. Hughesville
4. Potomac Heights
5. Saint Charles
6. Waldorf

Colleges and universities

• College of Southern Maryland, located in La Plata.

Museums

1. Maryland Indian Cultural Center
2. Afro-American Heritage Society Museum
3. Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House
4. Piscataway Indian Museum

Churches

For a list of all churches, see http://somd.com/worship/.