Head of Elk, Maryland
| Town of Elkton, Maryland | ||
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View of Main Street
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| Nickname(s): "The Elopement capital of the East Coast" | ||
 Location in Cecil County and the state of Maryland |
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 Elkton
Elkton
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| Coordinates: 39°36′36″N 75°49′33″W / 39.61000°N 75.82583°WCoordinates: 39°36′36″N 75°49′33″W / 39.61000°N 75.82583°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Maryland | |
| County | Cecil | |
| Incorporated | 1787 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Robert J. Alt | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 8.61 sq mi (22.30 km2) | |
| • Land | 8.35 sq mi (21.63 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.26 sq mi (0.67 km2) | |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 15,443 | |
| • Estimate (2016) | 15,744 | |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (690/km2) | |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP codes | 21921-21922 | |
| Area code(s) | 410 | |
| FIPS code | 24-25800 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0590150 | |
| Website | Official website | |
The town of Elkton is the county seat of Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 15,443 at the 2010 census. It was formerly called Head of Elk because it sits at the head of navigation on the Elk River, which flows into the nearby Chesapeake Bay.
Elkton was once known as the "Gretna Green of the West" because of its popularity as a place for eloping couples to marry. However, a state law was passed in 1938 requiring a 48-hour waiting period. To this day, there are several wedding chapels in the town.
The town was founded by Swedish mariners and fisherman from Fort Casimir who settled the area in 1694. They called their settlement Head of Elk, as it was the head of navigation of the Elk River.
The town saw several actions during the American Revolutionary War. On Aug. 25, 1777, Sir William Howe's Anglo-German army (13,000 British soldiers and 5,000 Germans) landed on the Elk River and marched 11 miles north to Head of Elk. Howe soon advanced to the short and victorious campaign of the Brandywine, and thence to capture Philadelphia. On March 8, 1781, the Marquis de Lafayette embarked his troops there to attempt a capture of Benedict Arnold. Returning on April 9, he began his overland march to Virginia.George Washington and Rochambeau with their combined forces stopped in Elkton on September 6–7, 1781, on their way to Yorktown.
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