Can someone explain to me why the state of Maryland is shaped funny?

Question

If you look at the map the state. The west part of the state almost ends then it expands. Why did it not just go to West Virgina?

Answer 1

I grew up in Maryland and said it looked like a caulking gun. The border where it is where narrow is because the Mason Dixon Line and the Potomac river are very close at Hancock, MD it is only about 6 miles wide.

It wouldn't have gone to West Virginia it would have went to Virginia at the time. West Virginia was taken from Virginia later on.

Maryland should be even wider in the western part. The surveyors who set the border made it at the North Branch of the Potomac River. Because they said it was the Potomac Rivers main tributary. However today we know the South Branch of the Potomac river has more waterflow and is actually the main tributary so maryland's border should be larger to the South. If you click on the link and draw an imaginary line north from the headwaters of the South Branch of the Potomac you can see how big Maryland should be.

Answer 2

Maryland State Shape

Answer 3

Because it's younger than Pennsylvania and Virginia, the bordering colonies that are older than Maryland. Other things that attribute to Maryland's odd shape: the Potomac River on the bottom, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Mason-Dixon Line.

And don't diss Maryland, it's a decent state.

Answer 4

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RE:
Can someone explain to me why the state of Maryland is shaped funny?
If you look at the map the state. The west part of the state almost ends then it expands. Why did it not just go to West Virgina?

Answer 5

The head springs of the Potomac River was the natural southern boundary between MD and VA. The charter defined MD from the Potomac River to whereever William Penn's border was defined - Penn having received his charter in 1632 before Calvert. The head springs were defined by the Fairfax Stone, named after Lord Fairfax who surveyed the border for VA. When WV broke away in 1864, MD wanted the 3 counties south of the Potomac but the Supreme Court ruled that the Fairfax Stone remained the defacto end of MD's border.

The Mason Dixon Line was created as the border between MD, PA and DE. The border between PA and DE was shifted in the 19th Century to correct a gap where the 12 mile radius circle from New Castle Courthouse intersected with the Mason Dixon Line.

At Hancock, the distance from the Potomac to the Mason Dixon Line is one mile.

Answer 6

Maryland and Virgina are part of the original 13 colonies. Virginia was steaked out first. They claimed the dirt to be in their state. When Maryland did their state they were fussy and wanted no part of Virginia dirt. The colonist worked like beavers to mark their territory. Maryland wanted to be different--cause they could--and made their state funny shaped. West Virginia---the whiskey makers--moonshiners wouldn't allow anyone to invade their stuff. Muskets would blow black powder and shot would be sent violently.to the trespassers. Tempers cooled when Marylanders found out that moonshine could be purchased. White flags came out and appologies was the order of the day along with a tankard of fine smooth tasting make your head dizzy mountain dew.

Answer 7

Well, during the pancross the land of the world were divided into seven continents. So as north america became the U.S.A., the whole continent was divided into 48 states (the other ones are alaska and hawaii) thus, according to measurements, was Maryland shaped like that.

Answer 8

the delmarva peninsula is even weirder -- why isn't delaware just part of maryland -- and why did virginia get the tip of it? i know you are supposed to answer questions with questions but maryland is kind of messed up. i think mostly they are just too close to dc -- and that place is even more messed up than maryland.

Answer 9

the potomic river