Talbot

Formed February 12, 1661 (7^th county)

Talbot County (37,520), Easton (17,097)

The 1796 red brick Colonial Revival courthouse for Talbot County was remodeled in 1898 and 1956.  The courthouse was enlarged in 1876 and 1958.  It is located on Washington Street between Federal and Dover streets.  United States Highway 50 is 5 blocks to the east of the courthouse.  Cornelius West is the architect.  1712 and 1766 courthouses existed in Talbot Courthouse.  Easton assumed the assumed the county seat in 1788.  A District Courthouse supports the county courthouse.  The county is named for Lady Talbot, sister of the 2^nd Lord Baltimore.  The county seat is named for Easton, England.  Talbot County was the birthplace of 5 Maryland Governors, Edward Lloyd V, Samuel Stevens, Jr., Daniel Martin, Philip F. Thomas, and Harry R. Hughes.  The county was established on February 12, 1661 from Kent County as the 7^th county. 

Talbot County government consists of a manager, an administrator, and a sheriff (executive).  It has 5 Council Members (legislative.)  Eight Circuit Court Judges and Six District Court Judges serve Talbot, Caroline, Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s counties and a court clerk and a county attorney serve Talbot County (judicial.) The county is in eastern Maryland.  Baltimore, Maryland is northwest and Washington, District of Columbia is west of the county.  The county center is 3.6 miles West of Easton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Dorchester, Calvert, and Anne Arundel counties. 

The area of the county is 477 square miles.  It is 14 out of 24 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 24 in population in the state.  It has a density of 78.7 persons per square mile making it 19 out of 24 in the state.  Talbot County has 53.3% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 50 crosses the county north to south from Queen Anne’s County to Dorchester County.  The county’s shape is a capital letter Y.  Easton is in the eastern half of the county.  Easton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 45.6% of the county population.  This county is in the Easton Micropolitan Statistical Area.