Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Maryland Halethorpe Maryland's 3rd Congressional District

Maryland's 3rd Congressional District

A winding district gerrymandered into the shape of a mantis.

Halethorpe, Maryland

Added By
Molly McBride Jacobson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.   GIS / Public Domain
An older version of the 3rd Congressional District map. It has since been expanded to include parts of Baltimore.   nationalatlas.gov / Public Domain
Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District in yellow.   USGS / Public Domain
Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District.   GIS / Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Maryland's strangely shaped 3rd Congressional district stretches all the way from Baltimore to Montgomery, and contains portions of both cities along with some rural areas in between. It weaves through skinny ribbons of four different counties. Some portions of the district don't even touch the rest of the district. Some say it looks like a praying mantis. One judge compared it to a "broken-winged pterodactyl."

This nonsensical border is widely considered one of the nation's most egregious examples of gerrymandering, in which legislators manipulate the boundaries of a district to favor one political party over another. North Carolina's 12th Congressional District was another notorious case, but gerrymandered districts exist all over the United States. This redrawing business often ends up cordoning off minority groups, and has drawn a lot of criticism. Some even call it election rigging.

In the case of this region, it's the Democratic party that holds power. Though courts found the district's borders to be constitutional and a 2012 referendum vote failed to call for a redrawing of the district, many Marylanders have protested the scattered district. For now though, the 3rd District remains.

Related Tags

Borders Politics Government

Know Before You Go

No longer exists after redistricting. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Molly McBride Jacobson

Edited By

Rijaco2, Meg

  • Rijaco2
  • Meg

Published

November 7, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland%27s_3rd_congressional_district
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/
  • http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-07-11/news/bs-md-congressional-redistrict-20120711_1_congressional-map-new-map-state-board
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland%27s_3rd_congressional_district
Maryland's 3rd Congressional District
Halethorpe, Maryland
United States
39.238855, -76.681167

Nearby Places

Urology Museum

Linthicum Heights, Maryland

miles away

Babe Ruth Field at Gibbons Commons

Baltimore, Maryland

miles away

The B&O Railroad Museum

Baltimore, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Nearby Places

Urology Museum

Linthicum Heights, Maryland

miles away

Babe Ruth Field at Gibbons Commons

Baltimore, Maryland

miles away

The B&O Railroad Museum

Baltimore, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Related Places

  • Eskişehir, Turkey

    Uğur Mumcu Park

    This harrowing memorial remembers a murdered investigative journalist.

  • Pelješac Bridge

    Duboka, Croatia

    Pelješac Bridge

    Construction of this bridge was once described as an "act of violence" against a neighboring country.

  • Rutherford B. Hayes exhibit

    Villa Hayes, Paraguay

    Museo Municipal de Villa Hayes

    How did 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes become so beloved in Paraguay?

  • Pastor Sir Douglas & Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial

    Melbourne, Australia

    Pastor Sir Douglas & Lady Gladys Nicholls Memorial

    This 2008 memorial commemorates two leading Aboriginal Australian rights activists.

  • Presidential Palace

    Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

    Presidential Palace

    Built by Portuguese colonizers, the palace is now the seat of power for the independent nation.

  • Verdisian Flag Waving

    Kopačevo, Croatia

    Verdis

    A small self-proclaimed micro-state located on a piece of disputed territory between Croatia and Serbia, near Liberland.

  • The actual Dixville Notch

    Colebrook, New Hampshire

    Dixville Notch

    A mere dot on the map in the great north woods is the first place in America to vote in Presidential elections.

  • First Amendment Museum.

    Augusta, Maine

    The First Amendment Museum

    Located in the historic home of a newspaper publisher, this museum is dedicated to the Freedom of Speech.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.