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Annapolis
Capital of Maryland, a sailing city on Chesapeake Bay
Annapolis sits where the Severn River meets Chesapeake Bay, a small colonial city that briefly served as capital of the entire United States in 1783–84. Maryland's capital since 1694, it preserves one of the finest collections of 18th-century architecture in the country around a compact, walkable historic core laid out in radiating streets. Its deep, sheltered harbor opens straight onto the bay.
That harbor made Annapolis a sailing capital — home of the United States Naval Academy and a hub of recreational boating on the Chesapeake. The bay and its tidal rivers nearly surround the city, giving it an outsized maritime character for its small size. State government, the Academy, and the water define it.