Baltimore is the largest
city in the U.S. state of Maryland and the 26th largest city in the country. It
is located in the central area of the state along the tidal portion of the
Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. The independent city is often
referred to as Baltimore City to distinguish it from surrounding
Baltimore County. Founded in 1729, Baltimore is the second largest seaport in
the Mid-Atlantic United States and is situated closer to Midwestern markets
than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Baltimore's Inner Harbor was
once the
