Saint Mary's County, Maryland

Saint Mary's County is a located in the  of.

As of 2000, the population was 86,211. Its is. The name is in honor of, the mother of.

The county is one of the several Maryland counties that make up the. It is also a part of the.

History
The settlement of 's Maryland began with the arrival of passengers from at  in the  in what is now southwestern St. Mary's County on,  (the anniversary of this landing being annually celebrated as ). The passengers arrived in two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, which had set sail from the on,. The county is also home to the first Catholic Mass celebrated in the original thirteen colonies.

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

The county seat and state capital was.

St. Mary's County is where, the author of a poem which became , and professional wrestler grew up. St. Mary's County was the birthplace of, and , head basketball coach at the. The largest employer is and its related aerospace contract firms. There are both and  communities who follow traditional ways. Tobacco, once dominant crop, has declined in recent years. Maryland International Raceway (Budd's Creek) attracts many auto racing enthusiasts.

Notable residents

 * Former State Senator and member of the .  He is currently the House Majority Leader.

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

Board of Commissioners

 * Francis Jack Russell, President
 * Kenneth R. Dement, District 1
 * Thomas A. Mattingly, Sr., District 2
 * Lawrence D. Jarboe, District 3
 * Daniel H. Raley, District 4

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

Circuit Court judges

 * Hon. C. Clarke Raley, senior judge
 * Hon. Karen H. Abrams, Administrative judge
 * Hon. Michael J. Stamm

Law enforcement
St. Mary's County has the oldest documented in the United States. In 1637 James Baldridge was appointed sheriff. Beginning in 1776, sheriffs in St. Mary's County are determined by election. Tim Cameron is the sheriff.

Geography
The county has a total area of 1,980 (764.5 ). 935 km² (361 sq mi) of it is land and 1,045 km² (403 sq mi) of it (52.78%) is water.

The county is largely bordered by water: the, the , the , and the.

Adjacent counties

 * (northeast)
 * (northwest)

Demographics
As of 2000, there were 86,211 people, 8,361 households, and 5,443 families residing in the county. The was 29/km² (76/sq mi). There were 10,092 housing units at an average density of 12 persons/km² (31 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 81.6%, 13.9% , 0.37% , 1.8% , 0.02% , 0.48% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. or of any race were 1.35% of the population. 14.8% were of, 13.9% , 13.3% and 12.1%  ancestry according to.

There were 8,361 households out of which 25.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10% were living together, 15.10% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.90% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the county the population was spread out with 18.50% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 114.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $29,903, and the median income for a family was $37,643. Males had a median income of $27,496 versus $23,035 for females. The for the county was $15,965. 20.10% of the population and 15.00% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 28.40% are under the age of 18 and 19.10% are 65 or older.

Cities and towns
Saint Mary's County includes one municipality, classified as a under Maryland law:, the county seat (incorporated ).

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, the , 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 s in the county:



Other unincorporated areas include:



Colleges and universities

 * , in.
 * The, in.

Military bases
The county houses the, which plays a significant role in the local economy. The Naval Air Station also has an annex at Webster Field in Saint Inigoes, MD.