Maryland: Fast Facts

Capital: Annapolis

Largest City: Baltimore

Nickname(s): Old Line State (thought to have originated with George Washington); Free State (for refusing to pass a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol)

State Abbreviation / Postal Code: MD

Major Airport(s): Baltimore / Washington International Airport (BWI)

Location: A mid-Atlantic state, bordered to the north by Pennsylvania, to the east by Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Virginia, and to the south and west by West Virginia

Highest Point: Backbone Mountain (3360 ft.)

Lowest Point: Sea level along the Atlantic Ocean (0 ft.)

Climate: Hot, humid summers with cold winters (milder near the coast) and plentiful rainfall year-round

Time Zone: EST (GMT -5)

Area Code(s): 240, 301, 410, 443

Flag: Heraldic banners of the Calvert family which founded Maryland

Admitted to the Union: 7th in 1778 (one of the original 13 colonies)

Geographic Note: There are no natural lakes in the state.