Calvert County, one of the older political sub- divisions of the state, was first settled about 1642. The county was organized in 1654 and assumed much of its present shape when Prince George's County was split off in 1695-96. Calvert County, once called Patuxent County (1634-1654), takes its name from the family name of Lord Baltimore.
The Calvert Cliffs, along with the Chesapeake Bay, were first described by Captain John Smith. The county seat is Prince Frederick.
