The county was named for John Eager Howard, an officer in the American Revolutionary War and Governor of Maryland. The only county that does not border another state or water. The first curved stone-arch bridge in America carried the B&O rail line over the Patapsco River near Elkridge.
Built in 1837, the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park was one of the first schools in the country to educate women academically. The B&O Railroad Station Museum features a light show with a 40-foot ong HO scale model. Fort Meade offers the Cryptologic Museum with exhibts on cracking codes and creating them also. The Savage Mill features more than 50 speciality shops, arts and crafts, antiques and collectibles. Next to the mill is the Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge built in 1869. It is one of two iron semi-suspension bridges in the world.
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| Size: 254 Square Miles |
| County Seat: Ellicott City |
| Government Form: Charter since 1968 |
| Population 2000: 247,842 |
| Median income for a household (2000): $74,167 |
| Median income for a family (2000): $85,422 |
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