Allegany

Formed December 25, 1789 (20^th county)

Allegany County (68,115), Cumberland (19,081)

The 1893 red brick Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse with its defining tower was remodeled in 1916.  It is on Washington Street at Prospect Square.  United States Highway 40 is two blocks south of the location.  Wright Butler was the courthouse designer.  There were 1799 and 1841 courthouses in Cumberland the only county seat.  A District Courthouse augments in the county.  A statue of a young George Washington sits in front when he surveyed the area.  The county is named for the river which is Native American for “beautiful stream.”  The county seat is named for the Duke of Cumberland.  The Potomac River forms its southern border with Virginia.  Allegany County was created on December 25, 1789 from Washington County as the 20^th county.  It later yielded the land for Garrett County. 

Allegany County government consists of an executive, an administrator, and a sheriff (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eight Circuit Court Judges serve Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, Three District Court Judges serve Allegany and Garrett counties, and a court clerk and county attorney serve Allegany County (judicial.) The county is in western Maryland.  Baltimore, Maryland is southeast and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is northwest of the county.  The county center is 3.5 miles Southeast of Cumberland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pennsylvania and Washington County and West Virginia and Garrett County. 

The area of the county is 430 square miles.  It is 17 out of 24 in the state.  It ranks 16 out of 24 in population in the state.  It has a density of 158.4 persons per square mile making it 16 out of 24 in the state.  Allegany County has 44.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 68 goes east to west through the county from Washington County to Garrett County.  United States Highway 40 is combined with Interstate Highway 68 from Washington to Garrett counties.  United States Highway 40 Alternate parallels Interstate Highway 68 from Washington to Garrett counties.  United States Highway 220 travels north to southwest from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.  The county is shaped like a pistol facing southwest.  Cumberland is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Cumberland is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.0% of the county population.  This county is in the Cumberland Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Westernport