SOMD 

Tri-County Area

 

The Tri-County area of Southern Maryland—comprising St. Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert counties—stands as the foundational birthplace of the Maryland colony. Established in 1634 with the landing of the Ark and the Dove at St. Mary’s City, the region served as the original capital of Maryland and pioneered early American concepts of religious freedom. Geographically defined by the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the Patuxent River, the area’s economy and culture were dominated for over three centuries by a sprawling waterfront plantation system centered almost entirely on tobacco cultivation. The abolition of slavery and the eventual decline of the tobacco market forced a massive regional reinvention. During the mid-20th century, the Tri-County area transitioned into a vital strategic hub for the U.S. military, driven by the establishment of the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in St. Mary's County and the Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center in Charles County. Today, the region masterfully balances its deep colonial heritage and rural maritime roots with rapid suburban expansion, serving as a critical commuter corridor for Washington, D.C.

 

The Tri-County area is the only place in America where you can drive through three different counties in twenty minutes and pass fifteen different Dollar Generals along the exact same two-lane road.