Washington

Formed September 6, 1776 (19^th county)

Washington County (154,709), Hagerstown (43,552)                

The 1874 red brick Italianate courthouse looks like many on the east coast.  It was built on Summit at Washington streets.  Washington Street is United States Highway 40.  Henry A. Simms and James F. Simms provided the designs.  There were also 1775 and 1822 facilities in Hagerstown, the only county seat.  The courthouse was renovated in 1992 and a Courts Building was added in 1963.  Washington County is named for General George Washington.  Hagerstown is named for settler Jonathan Hager.  Washington County was the birthplace of 2 Maryland Governors, William T. Hamilton and William P. Lane, Jr.  The county was formed from Frederick County on September 6, 1776 as the 19^th county.  The Potomac River forms its southern border. 

Washington County government consists of a treasurer, an administrator, and a sheriff (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eight Circuit Court Judges serve Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties, Four District Court Judges serve Washington and Frederick counties and a court clerk and a county attorney serve Washington County (judicial.) The county is in northwest Maryland.  Baltimore, Maryland is east and Washington, District of Columbia is southeast of the county.  The county center is 4.2 miles Southwest of Hagerstown nearer Williamsport.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pennsylvania and Frederick County and West Virginia and Allegany County. 

The area of the county is 468 square miles.  It is 15 out of 24 in the state.  It ranks 11 out of 24 in population in the state.  It has a density of 330.6 persons per square mile making it 10 out of 24 in the state.  Washington County has 36.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 68 originates in the county and goes west into Allegany County.  Interstate Highway 70 enters from the east, Frederick County, and exits north, Pennsylvania.  Interstate Highway 81 crosses north to south from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 81 from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Frederick County and then Interstate Highway 68 to Allegany County.  United States Highway 40 Alternate enters from Frederick County, terminates, and emerges again to parallel Interstate Highway 68 into Allegany County.   United States Highway 522 cuts the extreme west of the county north to south from Pennsylvania to West Virginia.  The county appears to be a pistol facing west.  Hagerstown is in the northeast quarter of the county.  Hagerstown is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 28.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced HAE-GURS-TOWN.  This county is in the Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.