Location
Annapolis is located in Anne Arundel County, in the Baltimore-Washington metro area.
Situated in central Maryland, it is both the state capital and the county seat. Anne Arundel County is bordered by the county and city of Baltimore to the north, Calvert County to the south, Kent County to the northeast, Howard County to the northwest, Prince George’s County to the west, Queen Anne’s County to the east and Talbot County to the southeast.
Geography/Terrain
Covering a total area of 7.6 square miles, Annapolis has 6.7 square miles of land and 0.9 square miles of water. The city sits at an average elevation of 40 feet with 17 miles of waterfront on the south bank of the Severn River, about 2 miles from its entrance into Chesapeake Bay. As a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain the terrain is reasonably flat, ranging from sea level to 92 feet above sea level.
Distance to 3 Closest Major Cities
The closest state capital to the national capital, Annapolis is 30 miles east of Washington, D.C. It is 23 miles south of Baltimore and 58 miles southeast of Frederick, MD.
Jobs
While its economy has long been based in federal, state, and local government, Annapolis is also becoming a hub for high-tech development, with companies such as the National Security Agency, the county’s largest employer. The city has a prime location in the high-tech corridor between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Tourism is also an important industry in the area.
The major employers in Annapolis are: Anne Arundel County Public Schools; State of Maryland; Anne Arundel County Government; U.S. Naval Academy; Anne Arundel Health System, Inc.; ARINC; Home Depot; Verizon Communications Maryland; City of Annapolis Government; and Baltimore Gas and Electric. Educational, health and social services provide 22.1% of the employment in the city; professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services provide13.5%; arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services provide12.1%; and retail trade provides10.7%. The unemployment level in the city is a low 4% and there has been a 1.57% increase in available jobs within the last year. The average commute time to work in Annapolis is 27 minutes. The median household income is $69,325 and the per capita income is $35,273.
Housing
There are a good number of homes available in Annapolis, making it a buyer’s market at the moment. Properties are on the market for an average of 60 days. There is an excellent range of home styles and prices to choose from. You can find everything from classic historic district homes and waterfront estates, to condominium community homes, townhouses, and golf course homes. There is something here for everyone.
Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf
Recreational opportunities abound in this city. The Annapolis Department of Recreation and Parks boasts over 15 neighborhood parks, encompassing more than 96 acres of land. The parks are equipped with ball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, playgrounds, and boating facilities. Truxton Park offers 70 acres for outdoor activities, with 12 tennis courts, 5 basketball courts, 3 outdoor playing fields, and a public boat launch. Sandy Point State Park offers a boat launch, cross country skiing, fishing, historic interest, hiking trails, a playground, swimming and some of the best beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. Back Creek Nature Park, known as the hidden jewel of Annapolis city parks, is an area dedicated to both eco-education and recreation.
The local Recreation Department provides a variety of programs such as arts and crafts, athletic tournaments, with the county also providing activities such as sports leagues, fitness and self-defense classes. The city’s public schools are equipped with recreational facilities for both sports and leisure activities. The Arundel Olympic Swim Center has a 50-meter pool, wading pool, hot tub, and diving boards. You can also swim at the Anne Arundel Community College Pool, the Truxton Park pool, or the pool at the Community Center at Woods in Severna Park. Ice-skating is available at the Naval Academy’s Dahlgren Hall or Quiet Waters Park, and there are a number of nearby areas where horseback riding can be enjoyed.
Annapolis, which calls itself the Sailing Capital of the World, provides vast opportunities for yachting and other water sports. The city holds the nation's largest in-water sailboat and powerboat show. Sailboat racing is a favorite sport and there are numerous events such as regattas, boat festivals, and races. For those who like to watch sporting events, there are the Marlborough Hunt Races in March as well as various athletic events at the U.S. Naval Academy including football, basketball, lacrosse and women's basketball.
There is no shortage of first-class golf courses in Annapolis. The Annapolis Golf Club is an old, semi-private, links-style course built on rolling terrain with small, elevated greens surrounded by deep sand bunkers. Heritage Harbour Golf Club is a unique private course located within Heritage Harbour Community. Heritage Harbour is ranked as the nation’s 20th best retirement community. The United States Naval Academy Golf Club is a military course with narrow, tree-lined fairways. The terrain is hilly and the greens are small, undulating, and fast.
Special Attractions/Events
Annapolis, an 18th-century seaport town, has a fascinating historic district with beautiful Colonial-era buildings. Tours are available of many of the interesting private residences. At the U.S. Naval Academy with its National Historic Landmark campus, you can view 4,000 midshipmen in impressive formation. You can tour the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy, referred to as "the Yard," where statues, artifacts, paintings, and ships represent the history of the American Navy. And not far away, the downtown harbor offers stunning views of the Severn River out to Chesapeake Bay, with 500 miles of magnificent shoreline and historic lighthouses.
Annapolis has a lively and ongoing community theatre scene. Colonial Players produces approximately half a dozen shows a year on a small, theatre-in-the-round stage. Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre puts on three shows during the warmer weather, and the King Williams Players is a student theatre group, which presents free performances. Other local arts groups include the Chesapeake Music Hall; the Talent Machine Company, a children's theater group; and Them Eastport Oyster Boys, who provide a comical musical history of the area.
Cultural life abounds in Annapolis, with performances by the Annapolis Chorale; the Annapolis Opera; the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Annapolis Brass Quintet. The Ballet Theatre of Maryland, which offers both classical and modern ballet, is the state's largest professional ballet company. Classes from pottery to puppetry are offered at the Maryland Hall for Creative Arts. Annapolis is also home to first-rate museums. The Maryland Federation of Art Gallery on the Circle provides juried exhibitions by regional artists. The Mitchell Art Gallery at St. John's College features art shows, gallery talks, and tours.
There are special events and festivities throughout the year in Annapolis. In September there is the Anne Arundel County Fair and the Maryland Seafood Festival. October's events include the U.S. Sailboat Show and Powerboat Show, and the Scottish Highland Games. The holiday season brings candlelight tours through historic homes and the Lights on the Bay displays. In December there is the Lights Parade of decorated sailboats and First Night Annapolis, the New Year's Eve celebration. In January there is the Annapolis Heritage Antique Show and April's hosts the Spring Boat Show. May offers the Waterfront Arts Festival and the Children's Fair. Summer activities include June's Annapolis JazzFest and the Star-Spangled Celebration and Fourth of July fireworks. August brings the Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival and the Annapolis Rotary Club Crab Feast, which is the world's largest event of its kind. The Maryland Renaissance Festival begins in August, and continues through to October.
If shopping is your thing, the options are endless in the one-of-a-kind boutiques in downtown Annapolis or at Arundel Mills, one of the largest malls in the country.
Interesting Facts/Historic Buildings and Places
Annapolis is unique, with more surviving colonial buildings than any city in the country, and an entire downtown area that is registered as a National Historic Landmark. You can walk the streets and see over 60 eighteenth-century buildings in a unique street layout. The street layout, with its mix of Colonial, Federal, and Victorian architecture, consists of two major circles with streets spreading out like spokes around them.
Of particular historical interest is the Maryland State House, which has a unique narrow dome topped by an unusual tower and observation deck. The dome is the largest wooden dome built without nails in the United States. It was built in 1772, the Maryland legislature first met there in 1779, and it is the oldest capital building in the nation that has been in continuous use.
The Banneker-Douglass Museum celebrates the city's African-American heritage. It is dedicated to Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, with memorials to Alex Haley, the author of Roots, and his ancestor, Kunta Kinte, who arrived in Annapolis on the slave ship, Lord Ligonier in 1767.
The peace treaty ending the Revolutionary War was signed in Annapolis in 1784. The city dock, which is the center of Annapolis, was developed as a port for the tobacco trade in the 17th and 18th century. Governor Francis Nicholson, who would later design Williamsburg, VA, was the man who laid out the city. The community was named after Princess Anne.
Annapolis is the filming location for the 2004 movie, "Ladder 49.” Well-known residents have included: Tom Clancy, the writer; Debbie Meyer, a swimmer and Olympic medallist; Barbara Kingsolver, a writer and Charlie Byrd, jazz musician.
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