Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County | |
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Flag Seal | |
Location within the U.S. state of Maryland | |
Maryland's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 38°25′N 76°05′W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| Founded | 1669 |
| Named for | Earl of Dorset |
| Seat | Cambridge |
| Largest city | Cambridge |
| Area | |
| • Total | 983 sq mi (2,550 km2) |
| • Land | 541 sq mi (1,400 km2) |
| • Water | 442 sq mi (1,140 km2) 45% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 32,531 |
| • Density | 60.13/sq mi (23.22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. At the 2020 census, the population was 32,531. Its county seat is Cambridge. 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).
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.