Claim: The United States Naval Academy is in the state capital of Maryland.

Maryland -LRB- -LSB- ˈmɛrᵻlənd -RSB- -RRB- is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States , bordering Virginia , West Virginia , and Washington , D.C. to its south and west ; Pennsylvania to its north ; and Delaware to its east . The state 's largest city is Baltimore , and its capital is Annapolis . Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State , the Free State , and the Chesapeake Bay State . The state is named after Henrietta Maria of France , the wife of Charles I of England .   One of the original Thirteen Colonies , Maryland is considered to be the birthplace of religious freedom in America , when it was formed by George Calvert in the early 17th century as an intended refuge for persecuted Catholics from England . George Calvert was the first Lord of Baltimore and the first English proprietor of the then-Maryland colonial grant . Maryland was the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution , and played a pivotal role in the founding of Washington , D.C. , which was established on land donated by the state .   Maryland is one of the smallest U.S. states in terms of area , as well as one of the most densely populated , with around six million residents . , Maryland had the highest median household income of any state , owing in large part to its close proximity to the nation 's capital and a highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing , services , and biotechnology .