thumb|upright=1.2|[[Sideling Hill Road Cut, a man-made mountain pass on Interstate 68/U.S. Route 40 near Hancock, Maryland]]
thumb|upright=1.2|An enlargeable map of [[Maryland's 23 counties and one independent city]]
Western Maryland, also known as the Maryland panhandle or Mountain Maryland, is the portion of the U.S. state of Maryland that typically consists of Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties.
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 78
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 88
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 96
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 107
|Aug record high F = 104
|Sep record high F = 101
|Oct record high F = 95
|Nov record high F = 83
|Dec record high F = 75
|year record high F = 107
|Jan avg record high F = 62.5
|Feb avg record high F = 64.2
|Mar avg record high F = 74.9
|Apr avg record high F = 84.3
|May avg record high F = 90.0
|Jun avg record high F = 93.8
|Jul avg record high F = 96.1
|Aug avg record high F = 94.3
|Sep avg record high F = 90.0
|Oct avg record high F = 82.4
|Nov avg record high F = 72.0
|Dec avg record high F = 62.6
|year avg record high F = 97.0
|Jan high F = 40.5
|Feb high F = 43.6
|Mar high F = 52.8
|Apr high F = 64.9
|May high F = 74.4
|Jun high F = 82.6
|Jul high F = 87.3
|Aug high F = 84.9
|Sep high F = 77.8
|Oct high F = 66.0
|Nov high F = 54.4
|Dec high F = 44.0
|year high F = 64.4
|Jan mean F = 32.9
|Feb mean F = 35.5
|Mar mean F = 43.4
|Apr mean F = 54.6
|May mean F = 64.4
|Jun mean F = 73.1
|Jul mean F = 77.6
|Aug mean F = 75.3
|Sep mean F = 68.4
|Oct mean F = 56.7
|Nov mean F = 45.9
|Dec mean F = 36.9
|year mean F = 55.4
|Jan low F = 25.3
|Feb low F = 27.3
|Mar low F = 34.0
|Apr low F = 44.3
|May low F = 54.5
|Jun low F = 63.7
|Jul low F = 67.9
|Aug low F = 65.7
|Sep low F = 58.9
|Oct low F = 47.4
|Nov low F = 37.4
|Dec low F = 29.8
|year low F = 46.3
|Jan avg record low F = 6.7
|Feb avg record low F = 10.0
|Mar avg record low F = 16.4
|Apr avg record low F = 28.4
|May avg record low F = 38.4
|Jun avg record low F = 49.2
|Jul avg record low F = 56.1
|Aug avg record low F = 54.1
|Sep avg record low F = 43.6
|Oct avg record low F = 32.0
|Nov avg record low F = 22.3
|Dec avg record low F = 13.8
|year avg record low F = 4.4
|Jan record low F = −27
|Feb record low F = −20
|Mar record low F = −7
|Apr record low F = 9
|May record low F = 23
|Jun record low F = 30
|Jul record low F = 42
|Aug record low F = 39
|Sep record low F = 25
|Oct record low F = 18
|Nov record low F = −4
|Dec record low F = −13
|year record low F = -27
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.46
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.97
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.04
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.33
|May precipitation inch = 3.55
|Jun precipitation inch = 3.36
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.94
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.90
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.83
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.76
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.63
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.83
|year precipitation inch = 35.60
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 10.0
|Feb precipitation days = 8.9
|Mar precipitation days = 10.3
|Apr precipitation days = 11.7
|May precipitation days = 14.0
|Jun precipitation days = 11.8
|Jul precipitation days = 11.4
|Aug precipitation days = 10.0
|Sep precipitation days = 9.5
|Oct precipitation days = 9.2
|Nov precipitation days = 8.4
|Dec precipitation days = 9.2
|year precipitation days = 124.4
|unit snow days = 0.01 in
|source 1 = NOAA
Below is climate data for Oakland, located in Garrett County, the westernmost and highest elevation county in Western Maryland.
Below is climate data for Cumberland, the seat of Allegany County:
According to the Köppen climate classification Hagerstown is Cfa, Oakland is Dfb, and Cumberland is Dfa.
History
In 1748, the Western Maryland population was finally large enough to create a new county called Frederick County; at the time, the county stretched further west than it does today. In the earliest part of the colonial days, German immigrants that came from Pennsylvania had the most influence on the development of the plains and valleys of Western Maryland.
Named for George Washington, Washington County was founded in 1776, by division of Frederick County. The largest city in this county is Hagerstown. It was named after Jonathan Hager, a German settler. the Act was passed because: (1) One in every three Appalachians lived in poverty; (2) Per capita income was 23% less than the US average; and (3) High unemployment and harsh living conditions had, in the 1950s, forced more than 2 million Appalachian people to leave their homes and seek work in other regions.
For the state of Maryland, this act was intended to bring awareness to the poverty levels of the Western Maryland counties. The program that was developed for this act was called the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The main goal of the ARC was to improve the development of the economy, and bring this region into socioeconomic parity with the rest of the nation.
County population
According to the 2010 U.S. census,
Western Maryland has a number of sites with significance for military history, particularly the Civil War. In 1862, Washington County was home to one of the Civil War's bloodiest single-day battles at Antietam National Battlefield.
Western Maryland, particularly Cumberland, is also home to transportation themed tourism. The Downtown Cumberland Historic District is a National Register Historic District, and Cumberland's Western Maryland Railway Station is a popular site.
Garrett County is also well known for its numerous state parks and outdoor activities. Places such as Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County are frequented by many visitors every year. The largest lake in Western Maryland is Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County. The 4,000 acre body of water is owned by the State of Maryland and is man made. Construction began in 1920 and the lake was filled by 1929. It was originally made to power a small scale hydroelectric plant, but was eventually turned into a tourist destination. The lake is currently managed for boating and fishing, although it still provides some water to generate electricity. The Deep Creek Lake State Park offers fishing piers, beach and swim area, covered pavilions, and opportunities for camping.
Maryland's only ski resort, Wisp Ski Resort, is located on a 172 acre property next to Deep Creek Lake. Hosting a year-round mountain coaster and cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, it is a major tourist attraction in the region.
Sports
Sports teams in Western Maryland include the following:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team name
! Sport
! Competition
! Stadium/Field
|-
| Frostburg State Bobcats || (multiple) || NCAA Division II (Mountain East) ||
|-
|}
Garrett County along the Savage River has played host to two ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 1989 and 2014.
Education
Colleges in Western Maryland include:
- Allegany College of Maryland – community college
- Frostburg State University
- Garrett College – community college
- Hagerstown Community College – community college
Potential state
In 2014, it was reported that some residents want the region to form a new state, which would include Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties. Local supporters of partitioning western Maryland (dubbed "the Western Maryland Initiative") cited a perception of political domination by the more populous eastern portion of the state, particularly with reference to such issues as gun control, taxation, and same-sex marriage.
See also
- List of Appalachian Regional Commission counties
References
External links
- Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Official Website for the Scenic Railroad and Canal Place.
- Walkersville Southern Railroad website , see also Walkersville Southern RR wiki article
- Western Maryland Tourism Website MDMountainside.com
- Rocky Gap Resort Western Maryland Park with Lake & Golf Course
- Heritage Days Festival
- Canal Place
- Queen City Striders Running Club
- Western Maryland Mountain Bike Association