Annapolis's first official flag, though not adopted until January 1965, is styled after the personal royal badge of BritishQueen Anne after whom the city was named.[5] It resembles thefloral badge of Great Britain: a crown hovers over a thistle (representing Scotland) and arose (representing England), growing from a single stalk to portray their1706-07 union during Anne's reign.[5]Vixi liber et moriar means "I have lived free and will die so".[5]
In 1694, soon after the overthrow of the Catholic government of second Royal GovernorThomas Lawrence (1645–1714, in office for a few months in 1693), the third Royal GovernorFrancis Nicholson (1655-1727/28, in office: 1694–1698), moved the capital of the royal colony, theProvince of Maryland, to Anne Arundel's Towne and renamed the town "Annapolis"[8] afterPrincess Anne of Denmark and Norway, soon to becomeQueen Anne ofGreat Britain (1665–1714, reigned 1702–1714). Annapolis was incorporated as a city in 1708.[9]Colonel John Seymour, the Governor of Maryland from 1704 to 1709, wrote Queen Anne on March 16, 1709, with qualifications for municipal officials and provisions for fairs and market days for the town.[10]
In the 17th century, Annapolis was little more than a village, but it grew rapidly for most of the 18th century until theAmerican Revolutionary War as a political and administrative capital, aport of entry, and a major center of theAtlantic slave trade.[11] TheMaryland Gazette, which became an important weekly journal, was founded there by Jonas Green[12][13] in 1745; in 1769 a theater opened; during this period also the commerce was considerable, but it declined rapidly after Baltimore, with its deeper harbor, was made a port of entry in 1780.[14] Water trades such as oyster-packing, boatbuilding and sailmaking became the city's chief industries. Annapolis is home to a large number of recreational boats that have largely replaced the seafood industry in the city.
The "Old Treasury Building" on State Circle (adjacent theMaryland State House) was built in 1735 and is the oldest extant government building in Annapolis.
Dr. Alexander Hamilton (1712–1756), a Scottish-born doctor and writer, lived and worked in Annapolis. Leo Lemay says his 1744 travel diaryGentleman's Progress: The Itinerarium of Dr. Alexander Hamilton is "the best single portrait of men and manners, of rural and urban life, of the wide range of society and scenery in colonial America."[15]
Annapolis became the temporary capital of the United States after the signing of theTreaty of Paris in 1783. Congress was in session in thestate house from November 26, 1783, to August 19, 1784, and it was in Annapolis on December 23, 1783, thatGeneralWashington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.[14]
For the 1783 Congress, the Governor of Maryland commissionedJohn Shaw, a local cabinetmaker, to create anAmerican flag. Shaw's flag is slightly different from other designs of the time: the blue field extends over the entire height of the hoist. Shaw developed two versions of the flag: one which started with a red stripe and another that started with a white one.[16][17]
In 1786, delegates from all states of the Union were invited to meet in Annapolis to consider measures for the better regulation of commerce.[18] Delegates from only five states—New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware—actually attended the September 1786 gathering, known afterward as theAnnapolis Convention. Without proceeding to the business for which they had met, the delegates passed a resolution calling for another convention to meet at Philadelphia in the following year to amend theArticles of Confederation. The resultingPhiladelphia Convention drafted and approved theConstitution of the United States, which remains in force.[14]
On April 24, 1861, the midshipmen of theNaval Academy relocated their base in Annapolis and were temporarily housed inNewport, Rhode Island, until October 1865.[19]
In 1861, the first of three camps that were built for holding paroled soldiers was created on the campus ofSt. John's College. The second location ofCamp Parole would house over 20,000 and would be located where Forest Drive is currently. The third and final location was finished in late 1863 and would be placed near the Elkridge Railroad, as to make transportation of soldiers and resources easier before and allowing the camp to grow to its highest numbers.[20] This area just west of the city is still referred to asParole. The soldiers who did not survive were buried in theAnnapolis National Cemetery.[21]
In 1900, Annapolis had a population of 8,585. On December 21, 1906, Henry Davis was lynched in the city.[23] He was suspected of assaulting a local woman. Nobody was ever tried for the crime.
DuringWorld War II, shipyards in Annapolis built a number of PT Boats, and military vessels such as minesweepers and patrol boats were built in Annapolis during the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was at Annapolis in July 1940 thatGrand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg arrived in exile during World War II.
In the summer of 1984, the Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis hosted soccer games as part of theXXIII Olympiad.
During September 18–19, 2003,Hurricane Isabel created the largest storm surge known in Annapolis's history, cresting at 7.58 feet (2.31 m). Much of downtown Annapolis was flooded and many businesses and homes in outlying areas were damaged. The previous record was 6.35 feet (1.94 m) during a hurricane in 1933, and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) duringHurricane Hazel in 1954. Downtown Annapolis has high-tide "sunny day" flooding. AStanford University study found that this resulted in 3,000 less visits and $172,000 in lost revenue for local business in 2017.[24]
From mid-2007 through December 2008, the city celebrated the 300th anniversary of its 1708 Royal Charter, which established democratic self-governance. The many cultural events of this celebration were organized by Annapolis Charter 300.
Annapolis was home of the Anne Arundel County Battle of the Bands, which was held at Maryland Hall from 1999 to 2015. The event was a competition between musical groups from each high school in the county; it raised over $100,000 for the county's high school music programs during its 17-year run.[25]
On June 28, 2018, at theCapital Gazette, a gunman killed five journalists and injured two more.[26]
AnEF-2 tornado struck the western edge of the city on September 1, 2021, during the remnants ofHurricane Ida.[27] Homes, businesses, and restaurants had significant damage nearMaryland Route 450, where EF-2 damage was observed with estimated winds of 125 mph. The tornado dissipated immediately past U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 301.[28]
TheMaryland State House is the oldest in continuous legislative use in the United States. Construction started in 1772, and the Maryland legislature first met there in 1779. It is topped by the largest wooden dome built without nails in the country. The Maryland State House housed the workings of the United States government from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784, and theTreaty of Paris was ratified there on January 14, 1784, so Annapolis became the first peacetime capital of the U.S.[29][30]
TheUnited States Naval Academy was founded in 1845 on the site ofFort Severn, and now occupies an area of landreclaimed from theSevern River. Students who attend the Naval Academy are enrolled for four years with a following five-year commitment to serving on active duty in the Marine Corps or Navy. Students hold the naval rank ofmidshipman, and on average about 4,500 are enrolled.
St. John's College is a non-sectarian private college that was once supported by the state. It was opened in 1789 as the successor of King William's School, which was founded by an act of the Maryland legislature in 1696 and was opened in 1701. Its principal building, McDowell Hall, was originally to be the governor's mansion; although £4,000 was appropriated to build it in 1742, it was not completed until after the War of Independence.[14][31]
The city is a part of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and is relatively flat, with the highest point being only 50 feet (15 m) above sea level.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.10 square miles (20.98 km2), of which 7.18 square miles (18.60 km2) is land and 0.92 square miles (2.38 km2) is water.[33][34]
Annapolis lies within thehumid subtropical climate zone (KöppenCfa), with hot, humid summers, cool winters, and generous precipitation year-round. Low elevation and proximity to the Chesapeake Bay give the area more moderate spring and summertime temperatures and slightly less extreme winter lows than locations further inland, such as Washington, D.C.
Climate data for Annapolis, Maryland[a] (1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1894–present[c])
In November 2020,NASA reported that Annapolis had 18 days ofhigh-tide (non-storm-related) flooding from May 2019 to April 2020, an increase over 2018's 12 days, and higher than the 1995-2005 average of 2 days annually.[41] The increase is attributed tosea level rise caused byclimate change.[41] Resultant flood damages caused local businesses to lose as much as $172,000 a year.[41] On Naval Academy grounds, seawater came out of storm drains, with McNair Road and Ramsay Road flooding 20 times in 2020 and more than 40 times each in 2018 and 2019.[41] Though a $37 million sea wall was completed in 2024 to adapt to flooding occurring 30 to 40 times a year,[42] adaptation approaches such as sea walls and building up the height of roadways and athletic fields are predicted to last only a few decades.[41]
Annapolis has seen the highest increased rate of coastal flooding in the country.[43] The Naval Academy is especially vulnerable to sea rise, as it is surrounded on three sides by water, and has some land only three feet above the 2019 water line.[43] Hurricanes—which have been increasing in intensity because of global warming—pose additional flooding threats, withHurricane Isabel having caused $100 million in flood damage in 2003.[43] The Academy's Sea Level Rise Advisory Council has created a climate change adaptation plan including seawall repair, door dams, doorway barriers, backflow preventers in storm drain systems, and elevated building entrances.[43]
After 2024's record 120 flooding events, on November 3, 2025, ground was broken on an $87 million City Dock Project designed to protect against expected flooding events through 2060.[44] Specifically, the goal is to protect against flood waters up to 8.77 feet (2.67 m) above the daily average lowest level of the water—higher than the 7.2 feet (2.2 m) experienced during 2003'sHurricane Isabel.[44] The plan involves adding floodgates, raising land to block rising water levels, installing a park, and constructing a Maritime Welcome Center.[44]
Parole - Former site ofCivil War era prisoner-of-war exchange of Camp Parole, 1861–1865, later 20th century residential and commercial development including first area shopping center of Parole Center in 1960s.
As of the census[59] of 2010, there were 38,394 people, 16,136 households, and 8,776 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,347.4 inhabitants per square mile (2,064.6/km2). There were 17,845 housing units at an average density of 2,485.4 units per square mile (959.6 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 60.1%White, 26.0%African American, 0.3%Native American, 2.1%Asian, 9.0% fromother races, and 2.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino people of any race were 16.8% of the population.
There were 16,136 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.6% were non-families. Of all households, 35.0% were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.02.
The median age in the city was 36 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
As of the census[60] of 2000, there were 35,838 people, 15,303 households, and 8,676 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,326.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,056.4/km2). There were 16,165 housing units at an average density of 2,402.3 units per square mile (927.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 62.66%White, 31.44% Black orAfrican American, 0.17%Native American, 1.81%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 2.22% from other races, and 1.67% from two or more races. 8.42% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 15,303 households, out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.6% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. Of all households, 32.9% were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, 21.7% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.8 males age 18 and over.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,243, and the median income for a family was $56,984 (these figures had risen to $70,140 and $84,573 respectively, according to a 2007 estimate[update]).[61] Males had a median income of $39,548 versus $30,741 for females. The per capita income for the city was $27,180. About 9.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were living in poverty, of which 20.8% were under age 18 and 10.4% were age 65 or over.
Annapolis has a thriving community theater scene which includes two venues in the historic district.
On East Street, Colonial Players produces approximately six shows a year in its 180-seat theater.A Christmas Carol has been a seasonal tradition in Annapolis since it opened at the Colonial Players theater in 1981. Based on the play byCharles Dickens, the 90-minute production by the Colonial Players is an original musical adaptation, with play and lyrics by Richard Wade and music by Dick Gessner. Colonial Players, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1949. Its first production,The Male Animal, was performed in 1949 at the Annapolis Recreation Center on Compromise Street. In 1955, the organization moved to its venue in a former automotive repair shop on East Street.[63][64]
During the warmer months,Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre presents three shows on its outdoor stage, which is visible from the City Dock. A nonprofit organization, Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre has been providing "theatre under the stars" since 1966, when it performedYou Can't Take It with You andBrigadoon at Carvel Hall Hotel. It began leasing its site at 143 Compromise Street, the former location of the Shaw Blacksmith Shop, in 1967, and became owner of the property in 1990.[65][66][67]
The Naval Academy Masqueraders, a theater group at the United States Naval Academy, produces one "main-stage show" each fall and student-directed one-act plays in the spring. Founded in 1847, the Masqueraders is the oldest extracurricular activity at the Naval Academy. Its shows, performed in Mahan Hall, are selected to support the academy's English curriculum.[68]
The King William Players, a student theater group atSt. John's College, holds two performances each semester in the college's Francis Scott Key Auditorium. Admission is usually free and open to the public.[69]
Over Annapolis Harbor & Dock StreetDowntown Annapolis's Main Street in September 2004
TheBanneker-Douglass Museum, located in the historic Mount Moriah Church at 87 Franklin Street, documents the history of African Americans in Maryland. Since its opening on February 24, 1984, the museum has provided educational programs, rotating exhibits, and a research facility. Admission is free.[70]
Preble Hall, named forEdward Preble, houses theUnited States Naval Academy Museum, founded in 1845. Its Beverley R. Robinson Collection contains 6,000 prints depicting European and American naval history from 1514 through World War II. It is also home to one of the world's best ship model collections, donated byHenry Huttleston Rogers. Rogers's donation was the impetus for the construction of Preble Hall. The museum has approximately 100,000 visitors each year.[71]
TheHammond-Harwood House, located at 19 Maryland Avenue, was built in 1774 for Matthias Hammond, a wealthy Maryland farmer. Its design was adapted byWilliam Buckland fromAndrea Palladio'sVilla Pisani to accommodate American Colonial regional preferences. Since 1940, when the house was purchased from St. John's College by the Hammond-Harwood House Association, it has served as a museum exhibiting a collection of John Shaw furniture andCharles Willson Peale paintings. Its exterior and interior preserve the original architecture of a mansion from the late Colonial period.[72][73]
View into City Dock with Market House at right and Main Street to left
Annapolis City Dock lies at the foot of Main Street that slopes down from Church Circle andSt. Anne's Church. The dock is now a narrow waterway from Spa Creek, once named Carrol's Creek with the dock area called Dock Cove, into the heart of the lower town. At the head of the dock is a small park with the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial with the Market House and a traffic circle in an expanse of asphalt surrounded by historic buildings. The Market House, though relatively modern, stands in a vicinity occupied by similar market houses dating to 1730 when the city market was moved from theState House area to the head of the dock. The dock itself is now used largely by recreational vessels rather than the commercial boats and boats of Chesapeake Bay watermen selling catches. The dock and surroundings are part of the Colonial Annapolis National Historic Landmark (NHL) District.[74][75]
TheKunta Kinte-Alex Haley memorial, located in a park at the head of Annapolis City Dock, commemorates the arrival point of Alex Haley's African ancestor, Kunta Kinte, whose story is related in Haley's 1976 novelRoots: The Saga of an American Family. A sculpture group at the memorial site portrays Alex Haley seated, reading from a book to three children. The final phase of the memorial's construction was completed in 2002.[76]
ThePaca House and Garden encompasses an 18th-century Georgian mansion constructed byWilliam Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The property includes a terraced garden that has been restored to its colonial-era design.[77]
Annapolis often serves as the end point for the 3,000-mile annual transcontinentalRace Across America bicycle race.
To the north of the state house is a monument toThurgood Marshall, the first black justice of theUS Supreme Court and formerly a Maryland lawyer who won many importantcivil rights cases.
Located just before the Naval Academy Bridge is the World War II Memorial, which was constructed in 1998 to symbolize the sacrifice made by the 275,000 citizens from Maryland who joined the service to fight in the war. The memorial is composed of 48 granite columns to represent the 48 states at the time of the war surrounding an amphitheater in which are the names of 6,454 men who gave their lives in the war. Directly behind the memorial are both the Maryland, and United States flags, and a star shaped column with a seven sided base to represent Maryland being the seventh state in the Union.[78]
The city boasts over 200 acres (81 ha) of parkland,[80] with the largest being the 70-acre Truxtun Heights Park.[81]Quiet Waters Park, a 340-acre regional park run by Anne Arundel County, offers water access, a playground area, over six miles of paved trails, and ice skating rink, and a dog beach.[82]
Annapolis is home to many seasonal or holiday-themed events and festivals that take place throughout the year. Some examples are the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, May Day, and United States Naval Academy Commissioning Week.[83]
Annapolis is governed via theweak mayor system. The city council consists of eight aldermen who are elected from single member wards. The mayor is elected directly in a citywide vote. Since 2008, several aldermen have introduced unsuccessful charter amendments to institute acouncil-manager system, a move opposed by both Democratic mayorJoshua J. Cohen and his Republican successorMike Pantelides.[84][85]
The Capital covers the news of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. In addition to being in the broadcast areas of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., television and most radio stations, Annapolis is home of radio stationWNAV.
No major highways enter the city limits of Annapolis. Just outside the city limits,I-595/US 50/US 301 traverses the region on an east–west route, connecting the Annapolis area toWashington, D.C., and theEastern Shore of Maryland.I-97 interchanges with I-595/US 50/US 301 a few miles west of Annapolis and provides the most direct link toBaltimore.MD 2 also passes just outside the city limits and is the best connection toSouthern Maryland, while also providing an alternate route to Baltimore.
The most prominent roads directly accessing the city includeMD 70, which connects downtown Annapolis to US 50/US 301, andMD 665, which does likewise for the southwestern portions of the city. Other state highways serving Annapolis includeMD 181,MD 387,MD 393,MD 435,MD 436,MD 450,MD 788 andMD 797.
The Annapolis Department of Transportation provides bus service with eight routes, collectively brandedAnnapolis Transit. The system serves the city with recreational areas, shopping centers, educational and medical facilities, and employment hubs. ADOT also offers transportation for the elderly and persons with disabilities.[87] SeveralMaryland Transit Administration commuter buses also allow for access to Baltimore or Washington, D.C.
From 1840 to 1968, Annapolis was connected to the outside world by railroad. TheWashington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway operated two electrifiedinterurban lines that brought passengers into the city from both the South and the North. The southern route ran down King George Street and Main Street, leading directly to the statehouse, while the northern route entered town viaGlen Burnie. In 1935, the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Electric Railway went bankrupt due to the effects of theGreat Depression and suspended service along its southern route, while the newly createdBaltimore & Annapolis Railroad retained service on the northern route. Steam trains of theBaltimore and Ohio Railroad also occasionally operated over the line to Annapolis, primarily for special Naval Academy movements. Passenger rail service on the Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad was eventually discontinued in 1950; freight service ceased in 1968 after the dilapidated trestle crossing theSevern River was condemned. The tracks were eventually dismantled in 1976.[88]
^The main weather station of Annapolis is located inNaval Academy. For details, please refer to the specific information of the weather station.[35]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^David Ridgely, ed. (1841).Annals of Annapolis. Cushing & Brother. pp. 34, 35. RetrievedJuly 11, 2022.In 1683 Annapolis was erected into a town, port, and place of trade, under the name of the 'Town Land at Proctors.
^David Ridgely, ed. (1841).Annals of Annapolis. Cushing & Brother. pp. 34, 35. RetrievedJuly 11, 2022.[Anne Arundel county] was probably so called from the maiden name of Lady Baltimore, then late deceased — Lady Anne Arundel, the daughter of Lord Arundel of Wardour, whom Cecilius Lord Baltimore had married. [...] In 1694 [the settlement] was constituted a town, port, and place of trade, under the name of Anne Arundel Town [...].
^David Ridgely, ed. (1841).Annals of Annapolis. Cushing & Brother. pp. 34, 35. RetrievedJuly 11, 2022.[...] the first assembly was held at Anne Arundel Town, on the 28th of February, 1694, (old style.) At the next session it acquired the name of the 'Port of Annapolis' and became the place of sessions for the courts of Anne Arundel county. [...] In this year it was enacted by the general assembly that there be one or more places laid out and reserved [...] That the naval-officer reside there; and that Anne Arundel Town for the future, should be called, known and distinguished by the name of 'Annapolis'.
^Colonel John Seymour, Governor of Maryland, to Queen Anne. (16 March 1709). Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices, Empire Marketing Board, and related bodies. Image library reference:CO 5/716 (1 of 6).The National Archives websiteArchived December 23, 2019, at theWayback Machine Retrieved 25 May 2019.
^McWilliams, Jane W. (2011).Annapolis, City on the Severn: A History. Johns Hopkins University Press.
^Wright Jr., Robert K; MacGregor Jr., Morris J. (1987).Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution. Washington, D.C.: Center of Military History. p. 265.ISBN978-1125939758.
^"Station: ANNAPOLIS NAF, MD".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived fromthe original on July 15, 2023. RetrievedJuly 15, 2023.
^abcdef"Beating Back the Tides".SeaLevel.NASA.gov. NASA. November 11, 2020.Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. High-tide flooding is also known as tidal flooding, sunny day flooding and nuisance flooding. See archive link for actual chart of tidal flooding days.
^abcdePaterson, Pat (October 2019)."Climate Change is Coming for Annapolis".Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute.145 (10). United States Naval Institute.Archived from the original on January 16, 2025.NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer
^abcdeMainStreet Annapolis Partnership.Walk Annapolis map(JPG) (Map). MainStreet Annapolis Partnership.Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. RetrievedMay 20, 2017.
^"United States Naval Academy".Maryland's National Register Properties. Maryland Historical Trust. 2015.Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. RetrievedMay 20, 2017.
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