Caroline County, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caroline County
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County
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The Caroline County Courthouse in July 2012
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Location within the U.S. state of Maryland
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 Maryland's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Maryland |
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| Founded | 1774 | ||
| Named for | Caroline Eden | ||
| Seat | Denton | ||
| Largest town | Denton | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 326 sq mi (840 km2) | ||
| • Land | 319 sq mi (830 km2) | ||
| • Water | 6.5 sq mi (17 km2) 2.0% | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 33,293 | ||
| • Density | 102.13/sq mi (39.43/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||
| Congressional district | 1st | ||
Caroline County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,293. Its county seat is Denton. The county is part of the Mid-Eastern Shore region of the state.
Caroline County is bordered by Queen Anne's County to the north, Talbot County to the west, Dorchester County to the south, Kent County, Delaware, to the east, and Sussex County, Delaware, to the southeast.
Contents
History
Caroline County was created via 1773 Maryland General Assembly legislation from parts of Dorchester and Queen Anne's counties. The county derives its name from Lady Caroline Eden, wife of Maryland's last colonial governor, Robert Eden. Seven commissioners were originally appointed: Charles Dickinson, Benson Stainton, Thomas White, William Haskins, Richard Mason, Joshua Clark, and Nathaniel Potter. These men bought 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land at Pig Point (now Denton) on which to build a courthouse and jail.
Until the completion of these buildings, court was held at Melvill's Warehouse, approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Pig Point. Elections and other business transactions were completed there. The first commissioner meeting was held on March 15, 1774, at Melvill's Warehouse. In 1777, court was moved to Bridgetown (now Greensboro), but in the interest of convenience, court was moved back to Melvill's.
Disagreements arose concerning the permanent location of the county seat. The General Assembly reached a compromise in 1785 and ordered that 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land at Melvill's Landing should be purchased for a courthouse and jail. In 1790, the county court and its belongings moved to Pig Point. The Caroline County Courthouse was completed in 1797.
The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Park Service is developing a site in the southern half of Caroline County dedicated to interpreting the Underground Railroad as part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 326 square miles (840 km2), of which 319 square miles (830 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (2.0%) is water. It is the second-smallest county by total area in Maryland. Notable waterways include the Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek, as well as the man-made Williston Lake.
Caroline County currently ranks seventh nationally in terms of land protected under the Ag Preservation Program.
Its eastern border is the Mason–Dixon line.
Caroline is the only Eastern Shore county not to touch either the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, it is the only county on the Eastern Shore without an Interstate or United States Highway within its borders.
Tuckahoe State Park, Holiday Park Campgrounds and Martinak State Park are located in Caroline County.
The American Discovery Trail runs through the county.
Adjacent counties
- Kent County, Delaware (northeast)
- Sussex County, Delaware (southeast)
- Dorchester County (south)
- Talbot County (west)
- Queen Anne's County (northwest)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 9,506 | — | |
| 1800 | 9,226 | −2.9% | |
| 1810 | 9,453 | 2.5% | |
| 1820 | 10,108 | 6.9% | |
| 1830 | 9,070 | −10.3% | |
| 1840 | 7,806 | −13.9% | |
| 1850 | 9,692 | 24.2% | |
| 1860 | 11,129 | 14.8% | |
| 1870 | 12,101 | 8.7% | |
| 1880 | 13,766 | 13.8% | |
| 1890 | 13,903 | 1.0% | |
| 1900 | 16,248 | 16.9% | |
| 1910 | 19,216 | 18.3% | |
| 1920 | 18,652 | −2.9% | |
| 1930 | 17,387 | −6.8% | |
| 1940 | 17,549 | 0.9% | |
| 1950 | 18,234 | 3.9% | |
| 1960 | 19,462 | 6.7% | |
| 1970 | 19,781 | 1.6% | |
| 1980 | 23,143 | 17.0% | |
| 1990 | 27,035 | 16.8% | |
| 2000 | 29,772 | 10.1% | |
| 2010 | 33,066 | 11.1% | |
| 2020 | 33,293 | 0.7% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 33,593 | 1.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 25,853 | 24,114 | 78.19% | 72.43% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,520 | 4,368 | 13.67% | 13.12% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 95 | 67 | 0.29% | 0.20% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 186 | 345 | 0.56% | 1.04% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 13 | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 32 | 102 | 0.10% | 0.31% |
| Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 555 | 1,464 | 1.68% | 4.40% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,816 | 2,820 | 5.49% | 8.47% |
| Total | 33,066 | 33,293 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 33,066 people, 12,158 households, and 8,702 families living in the county. The population density was 103.5 inhabitants per square mile (40.0/km2). There were 13,482 housing units at an average density of 42.2 per square mile (16.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 79.8% white, 13.9% black or African American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% Pacific islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.7% were German, 15.6% were Irish, 12.3% were English, and 6.9% were American.
Of the 12,158 households, 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.4% were non-families, and 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age was 38.7 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $58,799 and the median income for a family was $65,801. Males had a median income of $45,944 versus $33,927 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,294. About 8.0% of families and 11.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 11.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Caroline County Public Schools provides public education in Caroline County.
- North Caroline High School
- Colonel Richardson High School
Media
The Caroline Review circulates monthly and is free of charge; a digital daily, Caroline Past and Present, was established in 2018.
Entertainment
- The citizens of the towns of Hickman and Preston were once recognized by the TV show Hee Haw. In fact, the Hickman segment is the episode featured in the comedy wing of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Baseball Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx began his career as a semipro catcher in Ridgely. Another Hall of Famer, Home Run Baker, played for the town team as well.
- Rocker George Thorogood played Caroline County bars while attending the University of Delaware before hitting the big time.
- The 2004 South Caroline baseball team made it to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and placed third in the nation.
- Summerfest is held each August in Denton.
- The Caroline-Dorchester County Fair is held each August in Williston.
- The Strawberry Festival is held every Memorial Day weekend in Ridgely.
Transportation
_from_the_overpass_for_Camp_Road_in_Denton,_Caroline_County,_Maryland.jpg)
Caroline County is one of three Maryland counties that does not have an Interstate or U.S. Highway running through it. Caroline's "major artery" is Maryland Route 404, four lanes in some parts but two lanes in others. It is chiefly used in the summertime by non-local beachgoers heading to Ocean City, Maryland, or Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
MD 16
MD 287
MD 302
MD 304
MD 306
MD 307
MD 308
MD 311
MD 312
MD 313
MD 314
MD 315
MD 317
MD 318
MD 328
MD 331
MD 404
MD 454
MD 480
MD 577
MD 578
MD 619
Communities
Towns
- Denton (county seat)
- Federalsburg
- Goldsboro
- Greensboro
- Henderson
- Hillsboro
- Marydel
- Preston
- Ridgely
- Templeville (partly in Queen Anne's County)
Census-designated places
The United States Census Bureau recognizes three Census-designated places in Caroline County:
Unincorporated communities
- American Corner
- Andersontown
- Baltimore Corner
- Bethlehem
- Brick Wall Landing
- Burrsville
- Gilpin Point
- Harmony
- Hickman
- Hobbs
- Jumptown
- Linchester
- Oakland
- Oil City
- Tanyard
- Two Johns
- Reliance (partial)
- Whiteleysburg
Notable people and animals
- James Gordon Bennett Jr., publisher, participated in a duel near Marydel in 1877.
- Buddy, U.S. President Bill Clinton's chocolate Labrador Retriever
- Charles Dickinson, killed in a duel in 1806 by future President Andrew Jackson
- Frederick Douglass, orator, social reformer, former slave
- Thomas Alan Goldsborough, noted jurist and congressman
- Harry R. Hughes, Governor of Maryland, 1979-1987
- Sophie Kerr, early 20th century author and benefactor of the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation, at Washington College in Chestertown
- William Richardson, hero of the Battle of Harlem Heights in the Revolutionary War
- Thomas Alexander Smith, early 20th century congressman and businessman
- Sherman W. Tribbitt, Governor of Delaware, 1973-1977
- Harriet Tubman, abolitionist, humanitarian, former slave
- George A. Waggaman, US senator from Louisiana
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Caroline (Maryland) para niños
