Baltimore is a big city.
It is in Maryland. Many people live there. It has many old buildings. You can see pretty statues.
Do you want to visit?
Baltimore is a big city in Maryland.
It sits near the water. Long ago, people hunted on this land.
The city has many old buildings. Many of them are very special. You can see many statues there.
A long time ago, a war happened here. A man wrote a famous song there. This song is the national anthem.
Many people work at a big hospital. There are also fun sports teams. You can watch baseball or football.
Baltimore is a very busy place to visit.
Baltimore is a large city in Maryland.
It is the biggest city in that state. Many people live there. In 2020, over 585,000 people lived in the city.
Long ago, Native Americans lived on this land. Later, people built a port for trading tobacco. In 1814, a big battle took place here. During the fight, a man wrote a famous poem. That poem became the national anthem.
Baltimore has many old and special buildings. It has more public statues than any other U.S. city. One famous monument is the Battle Monument.
People call it the "Monumental City."
The city used to be a center for big factories. Now, many people work in services. Johns Hopkins University and Hospital are top employers. You can also see sports teams there. The Baltimore Orioles play baseball. The Baltimore Ravens play football.
Baltimore is a large and busy city in the state of Maryland.
It is the most populous city in Maryland, with 585,708 people living there in 2020. The city sits near the coast and is part of the Central Maryland region.
While it is an independent city, it is near Baltimore County. The whole metropolitan area is quite big, with about 2.86 million residents. This makes it a very important place in the United States.
The city's story began long before modern buildings arrived. Paleo-Indians lived on this land for many thousands of years.
Later, the Susquehannock people used the area as a hunting ground. In 1706, people from the Province of Maryland built a port at Whetstone Point. They did this to trade tobacco with Europe. The Town of Baltimore was officially founded in 1729.
This small town grew into a major center for trade.
Baltimore has played a big role in American history. During the Revolutionary War, the city briefly served as the nation's capital. This happened from December 1776 to February 1777.
Later, the Battle of Baltimore took place during the War of 1812. During the bombardment of Fort McHenry, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem. This poem later became the national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The city also saw early violence during the American Civil War in 1861.
For a long time, Baltimore was a huge hub for moving goods. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built in 1830. It was the oldest railroad in the nation.
This helped connect the city to the Midwest and Appalachia. The Inner Harbor was a very important port for immigrants. It was the second-largest port of entry after Ellis Island in New York.
These connections helped the city grow into a major manufacturing center.
Today, the city looks and works differently than it did in the past. Instead of big factories, many people work in services.
Johns Hopkins University and Hospital are two of the biggest employers. You can also find famous sports teams here. The Baltimore Orioles play baseball, and the Baltimore Ravens play football.
Baltimore is also very famous for its many historic buildings. It has more public statues per person than any other U.S. city.
Nearly one third of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Baltimore is a major urban center located in the state of Maryland.
It is the most populous city in Maryland. According to the 2020 census, the city had 585,708 residents. Estimates for 2025 place the population at 569,997. The broader Baltimore metropolitan area is much larger. It contains 2.86 million people. This makes it the 22nd-largest metropolitan area in the United States. The city is part of a massive combined statistical area. This region held 9.97 million people in 2020.
The city's legal status is unique within its state. In 1851, the Constitution of Maryland made Baltimore an independent city. This means it does not sit under the jurisdiction of any county. However, it remains part of the Central Maryland region. It sits alongside the surrounding Baltimore County. The name "Baltimore" comes from Cecil Calvert. He was the 2nd Baron Baltimore and a founder of the Province of Maryland. The title came from Baltimore Manor in Ireland. The name is also an anglicization of the Irish phrase "Baile an Tí Mhóir." This phrase means "town of the big house."
Human history in this region spans many millennia. Paleo-Indians inhabited the land since at least the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological sites from the Archaic and Woodland periods exist here.
In the early 1600s, the Susquehannock people used the area for hunting. They controlled the upper tributaries of the Chesapeake. Later, the Potomac Creek complex resided in the area during the Late Woodland period. In 2021, researchers found artifacts in Herring Run Park. These items dated back 5,000 to 9,000 years.
European settlement began to change the landscape in the 18th century. The Maryland colonial government created the Port of Baltimore in 1706. This port supported the tobacco trade with Europe. The Town of Baltimore was officially founded on August 8, 1729.
By 1752, the town had only 27 homes. It grew quickly as a commercial hub for grain and tobacco. The city established its first public market system in 1763. Lexington Market, founded in 1782, still operates today. During the American Revolution, Baltimore served as a temporary capital. The Second Continental Congress met at the Henry Fite House from December 1776 to February 1777.
Conflict and war shaped the city's identity and landmarks. During the War of 1812, the British bombarded Fort McHenry.
Francis Scott Key wrote a poem during this event. This poem became "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem in 1931. The city earned the nickname "The Monumental City" in 1827. President John Quincy Adams gave this name during a visit. He noted that the city had many substantial monuments.
The city also experienced violence during the American Civil War. The Pratt Street Riot of 1861 was one of the earliest instances of such violence.
Industrialization transformed Baltimore into a massive transportation and manufacturing hub. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was built in 1830. It is the oldest railroad in the United States.
This railroad connected the Midwest and Appalachia to the port. The Inner Harbor became a massive port of entry for immigrants. It was the second-largest port for immigrants after Ellis Island.
As heavy industry declined, the economy shifted toward services. Today, Johns Hopkins University and Hospital are leading employers.
The city is also a center for professional sports. It hosts the Baltimore Orioles and the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore is a place of immense historical preservation. It contains some of the first National Register Historic Districts in the country. These include Fell's Point, Federal Hill, and Mount Vernon.
The city has 66 National Register Historic Districts. It also has 33 local historic districts. More than 65,000 buildings are designated as historic. This is more than any other city in the U.S.
Baltimore also holds a record for public art. It has more public statues and monuments per capita than any other American city.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (36)
+ 24 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.