Mayor:

Honorable Joshua J. Cohen (D)
Annapolis Government Website

Population:

62,585 (Greater Annapolis)*

33,187** (Annapolis proper)

Location:

Maryland’s capital city is located on the Severn River where it meets North America’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. It is just 26 miles from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor; and 32 miles from Washington D.C. Its location on the map is 38 degrees, 58 minutes, 35 seconds north and 76 degrees, 28 minutes, and 46 seconds west.

Air Transportation:

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), the region’s strongest airport, is located just 24 miles from Annapolis in northwestern Anne Arundel County.

Rail Transportation:

Amtrak passenger service and MARC commuter rail link BWI Airport with Baltimore and Washington, D.C. CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern provide freight carriage.

City Transportation:

Visit the Annapolis Transit website

Climate:

Four distinct seasons with a moderately cold winter and hot, humid summer. Average annual rainfall is 39.03 inches per year. Average temperature is 55.6 degrees F. The average low temperature (winter) is 35.5 degrees F. The average high temperature (summer) is 85.2 degrees F. Annapolis is 92 feet above sea level.**

City Attractions:

Annapolis, America’s Sailing Capital, is home to the U.S. Naval Academy with its 4,000-strong Brigade of Midshipmen. Tours of The Yard begin at the Academy’s Armel-Leftwich Visitors Center. Maryland’s capital city boasts more 18th-century buildings than anywhere else in the country, including the homes of all four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. William Paca’s home features the only two-acre 18th-century pleasure garden of its kind in the country. The Hammond-Harwood House boasts the most beautiful doorway in America. The Banneker-Douglass Museum is the State’s official repository for African-American history. Annapolis is home to the oldest State House in continuous legislative use in the nation. It was here that General George Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1783 and Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. Boat cruises as well as trolley and Colonial walking tours provide informative overviews of the city.

County Attractions:

Opportunities for shopping, boating, and exploring history and the rural countryside abound in Anne Arundel County. The county is home to Maryland’s largest, ongoing archaeological dig at Historic London Town and Gardens in Edgewater. Popular sites in the county’s BWI Gatewa Community include: one of the top three shopping attractions in the nation, Arundel Mills Mall; the National Cryptologic Museum; and the Benson-Hammond House. Southern Anne Arundel County is home to the Captain Salem Avery House Museum in Shady Side and the Heritage Museum in Galesville.

Hotels:

More than 2,600 rooms and 60,000 square feet of meeting space in Annapolis & Greater Annapolis.

Bed & Breakfasts:

Annapolis is home to more than 30 bed & breakfasts, all with their unique style and history.

Restaurants:

Dozens of restaurants feature international cuisine in elegant to down-to-earth settings. An array of seafood, succulent steaks, and ethnic cuisine are found at a delightful mix of cafes, restaurants, and eateries.

Brief History:

Greenbury Point was the first settled area in what is now Annapolis. The Puritans called it Providence when they arrived on the north side of the Severn River in 1649. By 1694, the first royal assembly meeting under Governor Sir Francis Nicholson designated the settlement on the south side of the Severn as the new capital city for the Province of Maryland. The city was rechristened Annapolis in 1695 in honor of King James II’s daughter and future queen of England, Princess Anne. Its translation is Anne’s City. The early waterfront settlement area has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Governor John Seymour incorporated Annapolis on November 22, 1708 on behalf of Queen Anne. The charter is the only one issued under the Royal seal in Maryland.

Annapolis is home to many "firsts" in Maryland. It is the oldest incorporated city in the State. It is home to the first parochial libraries, and the colony’s first newspaper, the Maryland Gazette. The United States Naval Academy was founded in Annapolis in 1845. The State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the country. It is topped by the largest wooden dome in the United States.

The Historic District of Annapolis is comprised of approximately 45 blocks and is 1/3 of a square mile in size. The entire City of Annapolis encompasses 6.7 square miles.

Sports:

America’s Sailing Capital is home to a host of regattas and sailing competitions, including the Wednesday Night Sailing Races that take place weekly throughout the summer. The largest in-water sailboat and powerboat shows in the country are held in Annapolis each October. Annapolis hosted the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race for the second time in May of 2006. Naval Academy sporting events attract visitors from throughout the county.

Conference Info:

Annapolis has a broad spectrum of traditional and unique meeting venues.

Colleges:

Annapolis is home to both the United States Naval Academy and St. John's College, a liberal arts college that teaches from the great books. Founded in 1796, St. John's is the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.


*Source: Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning, March 2002
** Source: Anne Arundel County website