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Baltimore [a] is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census, it is the 30th-most populous city in the United States. [15] . Baltimore was designated an independent city by the Constitution of Maryland [b] in 1851, and is currently the most populous independent city in the nation.
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Baltimore, city, north-central Maryland, U.S., about 40 miles (65 km) northeast of Washington, D.C. It lies at the head of the Patapsco River estuary, 15 miles (25 km) above Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is Maryland’s largest city and economic centre and constitutes the northeastern hub of the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. The city, separated...
Baltimore was established in 1729 and named for the Irish barony of Baltimore (seat of the Calvert family, proprietors of the colony of Maryland). It was created as a port for shipping tobacco and grain, and soon local waterways were being harnessed for flour milling. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, it was a bustling seaport and shipbuilding centre. Baltimore clippers plied the seas, and trade extended to the Caribbean. The U.S. Navy’s first ship, the Constellation, was launched in Baltimore in 1797, and its namesake, the last all-sail warship built (1854) for the navy, has been moored in the city’s harbour since 1955; in the late 1990s the ship underwent extensive restoration. The Continental Congress met in Baltimore (December 1776–March 1777) when it was feared that the British would attack Philadelphia, then the national capital.
During the War of 1812 the British tried to capture Baltimore; U.S. forces’ successful defense (September 13–14, 1814) of nearby Fort McHenry (now a national monument and historic shrine) was the inspiration for Francis Scott Key’s poem “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The eastern terminus for the nation’s first railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio (1827), was the city’s Mount Clare Station; the station has been preserved and is now the site of a railroad museum. During the American Civil War (1861–65), though Maryland did not secede from the Union, many of its citizens had Southern sympathies. Union troops occupied Baltimore throughout the war, and the city recovered only gradually from that period of severe disruption.
Baltimore is now a major seaport with ship-repair facilities and a highly diversified economy. The port opens to the sea through Chesapeake Bay and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and is a major automobile-shipping point. Services, including health care, education, finance, and insurance, are a major component of the economy. The headquarters of the Federal Social Security Administration is in the city, and other federal government services and the military are also important. Manufactures include automobiles, electronics, steel, processed foods, paper and plastic products, and aircraft parts.
The city is part of the busy Northeast Corridor passenger rail system. Baltimore/Washington International Airport, just south of the city, also serves Washington, D.C. The Baltimore Harbor (1957) and Fort McHenry (1985) tunnels and Francis Scott Key Bridge (1977) cross the Patapsco River. There is a dense network of interstate highways and other roads between Baltimore and Washington.
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Baltimore and the surrounding area is a centre of higher education. Located there are the renowned Johns Hopkins University (1876), which includes the Peabody Institute Conservatory of Music (1857; affiliated with Johns Hopkins since 1977); Coppin State University (1900), Towson University (1866), the University of Maryland, Baltimore (1807), and the University of Baltimore (1925), all part of the University of Maryland system; Loyola University Maryland (1852); the Notre Dame of Maryland University (1873); Morgan State University (1867); the Maryland Institute College of Art (1826); Goucher College (1885); and Baltimore City Community College (1947).
Among the city’s other cultural institutions are the Enoch Pratt Free Library (1882), the Baltimore Museum of Art (1914), the Walters Art Museum (1934; formerly called Walters Art Gallery), a symphony orchestra, and opera and theatre companies. The Baltimore Civil War Museum (1997) has exhibits on the city’s role in the Underground Railroad. The Inner Harbor area, revitalized in the 1980s, includes the National Aquarium in Baltimore and other attractions.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Widen The Spectrum At The American Visionary Art Museum. The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM), located in Federal Hill Park, specializes in original thematic exhibitions and is the nation’s museum for intuitive and self-taught artistry.
- Step Back In Time At The Baltimore Museum Of Industry. In an 1860s oyster cannery, the Baltimore Museum Of Industry presents various types of industry and manufacturing from the early 20th century.
- Learn About African American History At The Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Named after one of the wealthiest African-American men in the 1980s who became the first African American to build a billion-dollar company, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum is the largest African American museum in Maryland.
- Peer At Ancient Artifacts At The Walters Art Museum. Founded in 1934, the Walters Art Museum preserves and presents collections established in the mid-19th century.
Welcome to Charm City. Dine, shop, celebrate and chill in Baltimore—jewel of the Chesapeake and cultural capital of the region. Things to do. Events. Restaurants. Places to Stay. Indulge in Flavor: Upper Central Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail. More Information. Bizarre Baltimore: Quirky Adventures Await. More Information. Get The Official.
Music & Performances. From outdoor concerts to indoor acoustic venues to large stages, from local bands to performer residencies to top international names—Baltimore will entertain you. Top 20 Things to Do in Baltimore. Baltimore is an eclectic and exciting city, and it’s always beckoning to adventurers, explorers, artists and dreamers.
Cope. Go next. For other places with the same name, see Baltimore (disambiguation). Baltimore is a huge city with several district articles that contain information about specific sights, restaurants, and accommodation. Slices of American history are around every corner in Baltimore.
