Kent County, Maryland
| Kent County, Maryland | ||
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| County | ||
| Kent County | ||
Kent County Courthouse in Chestertown
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 Location in the U.S. state of Maryland |
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 Maryland's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | December 30, 1642 | |
| Named for | Kent | |
| Seat | Chestertown | |
| Largest town | Chestertown | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 413 sq mi (1,070 km2) | |
| • Land | 277 sq mi (717 km2) | |
| • Water | 136 sq mi (352 km2), 33% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 19,787 | |
| • Density | 48/sq mi (19/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Kent County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 census, its population was 20,197, making it the least populous county in Maryland. Its county seat is Chestertown. The county was named for the county of Kent in England. The county is located on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
In 1642, the governor and council appointed commissioners for the Isle and County of Kent. This act appears to have led to the establishment of Kent County. In 1675, the first county seat was New Yarmouth. The seat was briefly moved upriver to Quaker Neck, and then to the site of modern Chestertown. Before the American Revolution New Town on Chester, now Chestertown, was a port entry for the counties of Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne's.
The county has a number of properties which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1793, the county had its first newspaper, called Apollo, or Chestertown Spy. It was succeeded by local papers such as the Chestertown Gazette.
Washington College, the oldest college in Maryland, is located in Kent County.
Kent County was granted home rule in 1970 under a state code. Kent County is the most politically competitive county on Maryland's eastern shore. In 2004, Republican George W. Bush won it with 52% of the vote to Democrat John Kerry's 46%. In the 2008 United States Presidential Election, Barack Obama won Kent County by 48 votes more than John McCain. In 2012 Republican Mitt Romney won Kent County by 28 votes over Democrat Barack Obama.
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