Baltimore City

Baltimore was incorporated in 1796 and named after Lord Baltimore, the first proprietary governor of the Province of Maryland.  The city grew throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, prospering from the sugar and tobacco industries, and by 1850 it was the second largest city in the U.S.

In the past few decades, the municipality has experienced a steady population loss.  In 2000 the population was 651,154 and is projected to be 658,300 by 2015.  The city has approximately 52,070 acres of land, 5,700 of which are managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks.