[2] MD 36 is the main road connecting the towns of Westernport, Lonaconing, and Midland in southwestern Allegany County, as well as Frostburg, Mount Savage, and Corriganville in northwestern Allegany County.

MD 36 has two main sections: Georges Creek Road, which runs along the Georges Creek Valley, from Westernport to Frostburg in southwestern Allegany County, and Mount Savage Road, which runs eastward from Frostburg to Cumberland in northwestern Allegany County.

MD 36 is a part of the National Highway System as a principal arterial from Interstate 68 (I-68) to US 40 Alt.

[1][3] MD 36 begins at the WV 46 bridge in Westernport, crossing MD 135 in Westernport, and runs northeast across western Allegany County as a two-lane undivided road named Georges Creek Road, named for Georges Creek, a North Branch Potomac River tributary which the road parallels.

[5] Between Midland and Frostburg, there is a short section near the I-68/US 40 interchange where MD 36 expands to four lanes.

[1] MD 36 passes through the Georges Creek Valley, which has a long history of coal mining.

In recognition of this, the MDSHA has designated MD 36 as part of the Coal Heritage Scenic Byway.

[8] MD 36 was assigned a route number before 1927, earlier than most of the other Maryland state highways.

[9][10] The original alignment of MD 36 in southern Allegany County closely paralleled the Georges Creek Railroad.

[12] Over the years, multiple new alignments of MD 36 have been built for various reasons, such as to smooth out curves in the road.

Prior to this change, MD 55 ended in Midland;[13] it has since been truncated to its current terminus at Vale Summit.

[14] North of Frostburg, several old alignments are designated as MD 831, though these segments of road are not signed.