Dorchester County, Maryland

38°25′N 76°05′W / 38.42°N 76.08°W / 38.42; -76.08

Dorchester County
Dorchester County Courthouse and Jail
Flag of Dorchester County
Official seal of Dorchester County
Map of Maryland highlighting Dorchester County
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
Map of the United States highlighting Maryland
Maryland's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 38°25′N 76°05′W / 38.42°N 76.08°W / 38.42; -76.08
Country United States
State Maryland
Founded1669
Named forEarl of Dorset
SeatCambridge
Largest cityCambridge
Area
 • Total983 sq mi (2,550 km2)
 • Land541 sq mi (1,400 km2)
 • Water442 sq mi (1,140 km2)  45%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total32,531
 • Density60.13/sq mi (23.22/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitewww.dorchestercountymd.com

Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. At the 2020 census, the population was 32,531.[1] Its county seat is Cambridge.[2][3] The county was formed in 1669 and named for the Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calverts (the founding family of the Maryland colony).[4]

Dorchester County comprises the Cambridge, MD Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Salisbury-Cambridge, MD-DE Combined Statistical Area. It is located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Dorchester County is the largest county by total area in Maryland. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake Bay to the west. Dorchester County uses the slogan, "The Heart of Chesapeake Country", due to its geographical location and the heart-like shape of the county on a map.

  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Dorchester County, Maryland". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Dorchester County, Maryland - Government. Msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 108.

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