Central Maryland, Maryland travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

This region of Maryland contains both its capital, Annapolis, and its most populous city, Baltimore.

3 sights · 2 things to do

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Best things about Central Maryland

Rocks State Park

Palmer State Park

Patapsco Valley State Park

Gunpowder Falls State Park

Susquehanna State Park

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 30°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jul and Sep. (climate data from nearby Baltimore)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
BWI Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore — 8 mi away (major hub). Directions
DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington — 38 mi away (major hub). Directions

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is a major point of entry to the region, with the Southwest Airlines hub providing a lot of cheap flights from all over the country.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

Day 1: Annapolis — Maryland State House, Sandy Point State Park, William Paca House.
Day 2: Columbia — Robinson Nature Center, Lake Kittamaqundi, Lake Elkhorn.
Day 3: Ellicott City — Ellicott City B & O Railroad Station Museum, Patapsco Valley State Park, Thomas Isaac Log Cabin.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Photos

Places in Central Maryland

Annapolis

Place · 37 listings

Columbia

City / town · 28 listings

Ellicott City

City / town · 23 listings

Havre de Grace

City / town · 17 listings

Savage

City / town · 13 listings

Linthicum

City / town · 10 listings

Baltimore

City / town · 9 listings

Westminster

City / town · 8 listings

Glen Burnie

City / town · 6 listings

Hanover

City / town · 5 listings

Patapsco Valley State Park

Park · 3 listings

Severna Park

City / town · 3 listings

Bel Air

City / town · 2 listings

Edgewood

City / town · 1 listings

Baltimore County

Region

Aberdeen

City / town

Sykesville

City / town

Cities

Aberdeen
Annapolis
Baltimore
Baltimore County (excluding Baltimore itself) — Mostly the densely populated suburbs of Baltimore.
Bel Air
Columbia
Edgewood
Ellicott City
Glen Burnie
Hanover
Havre de Grace
Savage
Severna Park
Sykesville - Downtown Sykesville has a restored African-American schoolhouse. The scenery is pristine. The B&O railroad museum has information on the history of the town and the railroad. The Patapsco river has beautiful scenery.
Westminster - features old homes, and McDaniel college and the Carroll County farm museum, which is dedicated to rural life in the 1800s.

Other destinations

Patapsco Valley State Park

Get in

By plane

Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) is a major point of entry to the region, with the Southwest Airlines hub providing a lot of cheap flights from all over the country.

By car

The big highway running north-south is I-95, which runs up from D.C., past BWI, through Baltimore, and then up the coast through all the major East Coast cities.

Other important routes include I-70, which goes into Baltimore from Western Maryland; I-83, which runs north from Baltimore to York, Pennsylvania; I-97 between Baltimore and Annapolis; and US-50, connecting Annapolis to D.C.

By train

Amtrak is the major operator on the East Coast, and the Northeast Corridor, which runs between D.C. and New York, crosses the region, with notable stops (from south to north) at New Carrollton, BWI Airport, Baltimore, and Aberdeen.

The MARC trains provide a commuter rail service between D.C. and the Delaware border, passing through the same stations as Amtrak, but with a few more stops, and lower passenger fares.

See

Sights in Central Maryland are concentrated in Baltimore and Annapolis. The biggest attractions are likely the Inner Harbor and the National Aquarium, the Annapolis State Capitol building, the Naval Academy (also in Annapolis), and more generally the Chesapeake Bay. There are plenty of other interesting attractions off the beaten path, though, like the National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade.

Do

Medieval Times — located in the Arundel Mills Mall complex
Merriweather Post Pavilion — large outdoor concert venue located in Columbia
Historic Ellicott City — shopping, antiques and restaurants in downtown Ellicot City

Community Events and Festivals

Maryland Renaissance Festival
Wine in the Woods — Located in Columbia at Symphony Woods, this annual event features wineries from across the state, live entertainment, food vendors, arts & crafts and live demonstrations on wines and food.