Annapolis has been Maryland’s capital city since 1694. On November 22, 1708, Governor John Seymour, acting in the name of Queen Anne, granted a charter to the city, which makes Annapolis the oldest incorporated municipality in Maryland and the only Maryland city whose charter was issued under the Royal seal. In a quirk of history, it was while Annapolis was the capital of the United States of America (November 1783 to August 1784) that the King of England, by a treaty signed in Paris, officially lost his claim to sovereignty over “the American colonies.”

Over the more than 350 years since it was first settled in 1649, Annapolis has matured into a center of government, culture, commerce, entertainment, and recreation; it is renowned worldwide as a visitor destination. It lives on as the seat of government of the State of Maryland and of Anne Arundel County. It is the site of eminent centers of education: the United States Naval Academy (established in 1845) and St. John’s College, the nation’s third-oldest institution of higher learning, established as King William’s School in 1695. For its relatively small size, Annapolis boasts an unusually large number of cultural organizations. Residents and visitors can enjoy theatrical performances, opera and symphony concerts, boat cruises, historical tours, visits to museums and art galleries, and a wide variety of special events and festivals.

The downtown section of the city is a registered Historic Landmark. Its street plan of two major circles and radiating streets remains much the same as it was when executed by Governor Francis Nicholson in 1695. The Historic District reflects colonial heritage, federal vitality, 19th-century vivacity, and contemporary vision. The tightly woven texture of modest buildings and grand buildings, punctuated by chimneys, church spires, and cupolas, gives Annapolis its unrivaled streetscapes.

Living within about 35 miles of both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., many of the 35,000 residents find employment outside the city. However, as Maryland’s capital, the city experiences a daily population swell of up to 150,000 on any given day on which the legislature is in session. It is easy to see why so many of the 4.5 million annual visitors to Annapolis decide to stay for a lifetime. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The situation of this place is extremely beautiful.”