Kent County occupies the northern part of Maryland’s Eastern Shore between Chesapeake Bay, Sassafras River, Chester River, and the Delaware state line. Chestertown is the county seat, Rock Hall sits on the southwestern bay side, Betterton and Galena mark different parts of the north, and Millington lies close to the eastern boundary. The county combines small towns, broad agricultural areas, tidal shorelines, and a dense network of creeks. This page explains the major roads, town connections, water features, and low-relief elevation pattern shown on the supplied maps, and matching high-resolution JPG files are available together in a downloadable ZIP archive.
Kent County planning material identifies five incorporated towns—Betterton, Chestertown, Galena, Millington, and Rock Hall—and names Chestertown as the county seat. The county’s western edge is formed by Chesapeake Bay, Sassafras River defines the north, Chester River shapes the south, and Delaware lies to the east. The general map also labels smaller communities such as Kennedyville, Worton, Fairlee, Georgetown, Edesville, and Crumpton, giving a broader view than the municipal list alone.
Table of Contents
Chestertown provides the easiest reference for Rock Hall, Betterton, Galena, and Millington
Chestertown is the clearest place to begin on the general map. It sits slightly southwest of the county’s center and connects toward Fairlee and Georgetown in the west, Rock Hall in the southwest, Worton and Kennedyville in the north, and Crumpton and Millington in the east. Its position near Chester River and at the meeting point of several state roads makes it the most practical orientation point for the county.
Rock Hall occupies the southwestern Chesapeake Bay side. MD 20 connects the Chestertown direction with Rock Hall, while MD 445 continues along the long southern coastal section. Edesville is labeled northeast of Rock Hall, and MD 446 and MD 289 help organize the inland side. Creeks and small bays interrupt the shoreline, so roads curve more often than they do through the broad agricultural interior.
Betterton and Galena provide two different northern anchors. Betterton lies in the northwest close to the Sassafras-Chesapeake side and is reached by MD 292. Galena sits farther northeast near MD 290, MD 313, and MD 299, making it useful for understanding the Delaware- and Cecil-facing side. Kennedyville and broad farm areas separate the two towns, so the northern county is not one continuous built-up corridor.
Millington sits near the eastern boundary and is easy to locate from U.S. 301, MD 313, and MD 290. Crumpton lies farther southwest near Chester River. The eastern state line is comparatively straight, while the western and southern county outlines bend around Chesapeake Bay and Chester River. That contrast makes water a major part of the county’s shape even before the terrain-water map is opened.
MD 213 and U.S. 301 organize the interior and eastern side of the county
MD 213 is one of the strongest north-south road references in the county interior. It passes north from the Chestertown area toward Kennedyville and connects with the broader northern road system. Around Chestertown, MD 291, MD 514, and MD 289 branch toward different parts of the county, while MD 20, MD 445, and MD 446 provide important links toward Rock Hall and the western shore.
U.S. 301 is the main road reference near Millington and the eastern edge. MD 313, MD 290, and MD 299 branch across the Galena-Millington side, while MD 330 and MD 6 appear near the far east. This part of Kent County is characterized by small towns surrounded by farmland rather than a single dense suburban corridor.
MD 292 and MD 298 help locate the Betterton-Chesapeake Landing side, and MD 514 is useful between Worton and Chestertown. Readers do not need to memorize every route number. A practical approach is to use MD 20 for Rock Hall, MD 292 for Betterton, MD 213 for the central north-south corridor, and U.S. 301 for Millington, then add the smaller road nearest the place of interest.
This map is not a live navigation product. Construction, closures, incidents, and seasonal traffic are not shown. Actual travel should be checked with current Maryland transportation information and a navigation service, while the county map is best used to understand relative position and which major roads serve each town.
The Chestertown hub graphic shows straight-line distances to all four other incorporated towns
The City Connections graphic uses Chestertown as the hub and connects it with Rock Hall, Galena, Millington, and Betterton. The lower index prints the values 5,594 for Chestertown, 1,215 for Rock Hall, 728 for Galena, 465 for Millington, and 391 for Betterton. The image does not identify a reference year or statistical definition, so those figures should not be presented as current population counts. Current figures should come from the latest U.S. Census Bureau or town data.
The mileage labels are explicitly described as direct distances. Betterton is shown 10 miles from Chestertown, Rock Hall 11 miles, and both Galena and Millington 13 miles. These are straight-line measurements, not driving mileage. Actual routes must follow state roads around creeks, shoreline, and local intersections, so road distance and travel time can differ substantially.
The five markers also correspond to Kent County’s five incorporated towns. Chestertown is central, Rock Hall lies southwest, Betterton northwest, Galena northeast, and Millington east. That makes this City Connections graphic unusually useful for a quick municipal overview, although smaller communities such as Kennedyville, Worton, and Fairlee still require the general county map.
The graphic is best for direction and relative distance. It does not show detailed road choices, bridges, traffic, or current travel time. For a trip, use the straight-line distances only as geographic context and verify the actual route with the full road map and current navigation information.
Sassafras River and Chester River frame a creek-filled peninsula beside Chesapeake Bay
The water map is organized by three major features: Sassafras River in the north, Chester River along the south, and Chesapeake Bay on the west. Together they define much of the county boundary. The western shoreline is especially irregular, with small inlets and creek mouths cutting into the land before the county narrows toward the Rock Hall and Eastern Neck area.
Churn Creek and Mill Creek appear in the northwestern interior, while Morgan Creek runs across the central-eastern part of the county. Stillpond Creek occupies the northeast and connects with a network of smaller tributaries. These streams are modest compared with the major rivers, but their valleys help explain many of the lower corridors visible on the elevation map.
East Fork Langford Creek extends southwest of Chestertown, and numerous smaller channels reach toward Chesapeake Bay. Browns Cove and Sillery Bay are labeled around the southern coastal area. As the land narrows south of Rock Hall, water occupies an increasingly large share of the surrounding landscape.
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge lies on an island at the mouth of Chester River in Kent County. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service describes the 2,285-acre refuge as a mix of brackish marsh, natural ponds, upland forest, and grasslands that provides important habitat for migratory and wintering waterfowl. That official description gives useful real-world context to the low, water-dominated southern end of the county.
A mean elevation of 13 meters keeps the county low, but the northeast stands above the bay shore
The elevation graphic reports an actual data range from -1 to 31 meters and a mean elevation of 13 meters. Kent County is therefore a low-relief Eastern Shore county, but it is not perfectly flat. Tan and brown terrain is more common across the northern and eastern interior, while green lowlands expand toward Chesapeake Bay and Chester River.
The Galena-Millington side contains broad areas of relatively higher land separated by green creek valleys. Tributaries descending toward Sassafras River also form narrow lower corridors. Around Chestertown and Chester River, lower terrain becomes more common and the river-connected drainage network becomes easier to see.
Rock Hall and the southern peninsula are dominated by low coastal terrain. Chesapeake Bay, coves, and tidal creeks surround much of this section, and the elevation colors remain mostly green. Slightly higher ground persists farther inland, showing that even within a county averaging only 13 meters, small elevation differences can shape wetlands, drainage, and shoreline character.
The -1 to 31 meter range is the overall range printed on the supplied map and should not be used as the exact elevation of a property, building, or road. Engineering, drainage design, surveying, and flood-risk work require detailed USGS elevation information, professional measurements, and current FEMA or local flood products. Low map color alone cannot determine flood exposure.
Use Chestertown for road orientation and the river-bay maps for the county’s natural geography
The general county map is the best starting point for Chestertown, Rock Hall, Betterton, Galena, Millington, MD 213, MD 20, and U.S. 301. The City Connections view is cleaner when the goal is simply to compare all five incorporated towns and their straight-line distance from Chestertown. For natural geography, the terrain-water map shows Chesapeake Bay, Sassafras River, Chester River, and the creek network, while the elevation map explains the subtle transition from higher northeastern farmland to low coastal ground.
Kent County planning material describes Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and productive farmland as long-standing foundations of the county’s landscape and planning. The maps reinforce that description. Chestertown sits on Chester River, Rock Hall faces Chesapeake Bay, and Betterton and Galena are oriented toward the Sassafras side, so water is closely tied to the location of several of the county’s principal towns.
The downloadable originals are JPG files measuring 3638 × 2572 pixels each. They work well in landscape documents and can be enlarged around Chestertown, Rock Hall, Betterton, Galena, or the southern shoreline for classroom material, presentations, and personal reference. Enlargement does not add live traffic, parcel boundaries, flood zones, water depth, or survey-grade elevation, so specialized decisions should always use current official data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the county seat of Kent County, Maryland?
Chestertown is the county seat. Kent County planning material identifies Chestertown as the county seat, and the general map shows it as the central road reference near Chester River and several state highways.
Are the 10–13 mile City Connections labels driving distances from Chestertown?
No. The graphic labels them as direct distances. Betterton is 10 miles, Rock Hall 11 miles, and Galena and Millington 13 miles from Chestertown by straight-line distance, so actual road mileage can be different.
Can the -1 to 31 meter elevation range be used for flood or survey decisions?
No. It is the broad dataset range printed on the supplied elevation graphic. Exact property elevation should come from authoritative USGS or professional survey data, and flood decisions should rely on current FEMA and local flood information.
Map File Information
The ZIP archive contains high-resolution JPG maps of Kent County matching the map themes described on this page.
- Included Files: county and major roads map, City Connections map, terrain and water map, elevation map
- Printable Size: 3638 × 2572 pixels each
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and References
- Kent County Comprehensive Plan
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge
- U.S. Census Bureau – TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- USGS – National Hydrography
- USGS – 3D Elevation Program
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data. These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
