Caroline County is a rural county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States 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.
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 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 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. 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.
Government
Caroline County was granted home rule in 1984 under state code in an initiative led by County Commissioner Charles T. Dean, Sr.
- The County Commissioners as of 2022 are:
- Frank Bartz - Republican
- J. Travis Breeding - Republican
- Larry C. Porter - Republican
- County Administrator: Jeremy Goldman
- Executive Assistant to the County Commissioners: Kaleigh Leager
Growth is a major issue faced by Caroline County and several other Mid-Shore counties. Retirees and workers willing to commute across the Chesapeake Bay to the western shore are increasingly attracted by the rural environment and low cost of living.
From 1994 to 2014 Caroline was the only county in the state not represented by a resident legislator in the Maryland General Assembly. Redistricting and a sparse population were the chief causes.
Law enforcement
The Sheriff of Caroline County is Donnie Baker, who has held the position since 2022.
Politics
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At a Presidential level, Caroline is the “reddest” county on the mostly Republican Eastern Shore, and rivals Carroll and Cecil Counties as the most Republican counties in the state outside of Appalachian Western Maryland. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Caroline County since Lyndon Johnson’s landslide in 1964, and before then it had last gone Democratic in 1940 with Franklin D. Roosevelt. Indeed, the last Democrat to reach forty percent of the county's vote was Jimmy Carter in 1980. In earlier times Caroline was a swing county, less secessionist than Wicomico, Worcester, Queen Anne's or Cecil.
Voter registration
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! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024
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| Republican
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| Democratic
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| Unaffiliated
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| Libertarian
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| Other parties
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! colspan = 2 | Total
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Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (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)