County Background

Origin:

Charles County was created in 1658 by an Order in Council.  It is not to be confused with an earlier Charles County (1650-1653) known as Old Charles County.  The County was named for Charles Calvert (1637-1715), 3rd Lord Baltimore.  Calvert lived in Maryland from 1661 until he returned to England in 1684.  He was Proprietor of the Maryland colony from 1675 to 1689, when he lost his right to govern.  From 1692 until Calvert's death in 1715, Maryland was governed as a royal colony.

[Source:  Charles County, Maryland, Government]

Current Statistics:

Land Area:  461 square miles (1,194 km²)

Water Area:  182 square miles (472 km²)

Total Area:  643 square miles (1,666 km²)

Population:  120,546 (2000); 140,764 (2008)  [Source:  U. S. Census Bureau]

Cities and Towns:

Cities

Indian Head (incorporated 1920)
La Plata (incorporated 1888)
Port Tobacco Village (incorporated 1888)

Unincorporated Census-Designated Places
Bennsville
Bryans Road
Hughesville
Potomac Heights
Saint Charles
Waldorf

Other unincorporated places not listed as Census-Designated Places but known in the area include:
Bel Alton
Benedict
Bryantown
Cobb Island
Dentsville
Faulkner
Ironsides
Issue

Malcolm
Marbury
Morgantown
Mount Victoria
Nanjemoy
Newburg
Pisgah
Pomfret

Pomonkey

Popes Creek

Ripley
Rison
Rock Point
Swan Point
Welcome
White Plains