At one point, at the town of Hancock, the northern and southern boundaries are separated by just 1.8 miles, the narrowest stretch in the state.

Western Maryland is more rural than the Washington-Baltimore area, where most of the state's population lives, and is noted for its mountainous terrain.

In comparison, Prince George's County, in the eastern part of the Washington metropolitan area, would previously average only 25 inches (0.64 m) of snow and wintertime maxima exceeded 50 °F (10 °C) on a third of all days.

In the earliest part of the colonial days, German immigrants that came from Pennsylvania had the most influence on the development of the plains and valleys of Western Maryland.

The main goal of the ARC was to improve the development of the economy, and bring this region into socioeconomic parity with the rest of the nation.

In 2021 a delegation of Maryland Republican legislators George Edwards, Jason Buckel, Mike McKay and Wendell Beitzel traveled to Charleston, West Virginia, to petition the state of West Virginia annexing the Western Maryland counties via a referendum.

[11] Jake Shade, who was running against McKay in the primaries, criticized the proposal due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

[11] West Virginia Governor Jim Justice endorsed the proposal on October 25, however, by then Edwards and Buckel had retracted their support for annexation, and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan denounced the effort as “a mistake” and “just a game for attention” as the effort largely petered out due to lack of any sign of support in Annapolis.

In 1862, Washington County was home to one of the Civil War's bloodiest single-day battles at Antietam National Battlefield.

It was originally made to power a small scale hydroelectric plant, but was eventually turned into a tourist destination.

The Deep Creek Lake State Park offers fishing piers, beach and swim area, covered pavilions, and opportunities for camping.

Hosting a year-round mountain coaster and cross country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter, it is a major tourist attraction in the region.

[16] Sports teams in Western Maryland include the following: Garrett County along the Savage River has played host to two ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in 1989 and 2014.

[17] Local supporters of partitioning western Maryland (dubbed "the Western Maryland Initiative") cited a perception of political domination by the more populous eastern portion of the state, particularly with reference to such issues as gun control, taxation, and same-sex marriage.