Statewide Land Use Update

The Maryland Department of Planning’s (MDP) statewide land use map illustrates the general location of developed lands, including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, and other urban areas, as well as the overall density of residential development. This map was created using parcel polygons, attributed with tax assessment data from early 2020, Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) data from February 2020, and the Chesapeake Bay Program’s (CBP) 2017/18 Land Use Land Cover data ( CBP LULC 2022 edition ). It also integrates land use datasets and other feedback from county and municipal jurisdictions, while adhering to standard  statewide classification definitions .

Please note, the map aligns with 2018 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery for consistency with the available CBP LULC at the time of project completion. The map is being released as a beta version for public use, with future updates shaped by user feedback. The next vintage of the CBP LULC will reflect 2021 conditions.

This updated land use map reflects 2018 conditions, building on our 2010 map with several methodological updates based on stakeholder feedback and newly available data. A key change is the decision to update only urban land uses, as the CBP now publishes high-resolution data detailing non-urban land uses. We encourage users to access  CBP's products  for non-urban land use and land cover data. With these methodological updates, this map should not be compared directly with previous MDP products for assessing changes over time.

MDP’s land use map differs from CBP's high resolution data by classifying detailed land use types—like low vs. high-density residential, commercial, and other developed areas—whereas CBP datasets focus on different categories, such as impervious surfaces, tree canopy, wetlands, and croplands.

For a more detailed explanation of the methodology and changes, see the  methodology documentation .

MDP's statewide land use data has been used by local, state, and other stakeholders for various purposes. Key current and historical examples include:

• Comprehensive Planning Technical Assistance: MDP’s Western Maryland office supports local jurisdictions in updating comprehensive plans using land use data, funded by $40,000 grants from  the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Community Development Block Grant program . These grants enable jurisdictions to hire consultants, who incorporate MDP’s land use data into future land use planning and mapping. 
• Hazard Mitigation Planning: In Somerset County, Smith Planning and Design, LLC. uses land use data to meet  Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program  requirements to document land use changes and develops mitigation strategies to reduce potential hazards such as subsidence and sea-level rise.
• Identification of Potential Land Use Impacts of a Proposed Transportation Project: The  Maryland Transportation Authority's Chesapeake Bay Crossing Tier 2 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Study  uses land use data to evaluate transportation alternatives within the corridor and identify potential impacts to land use, communities and community facilities, including parks and recreation facilities. 

• Estimating Pollutant Loads into the Chesapeake Bay by Land Use: The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (SHA) estimated pollutant loads into the Chesapeake Bay by calculating runoff curve numbers and peak flood discharges using Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) hydrologic analysis. These calculations helped determine appropriate sizes for bridges and culverts, as well as roadway elevations at river crossings, ensuring road safety during floods.

• Prince George's County Planning at the Maryland National Park and Planning Commission: Used statewide land use data to calculate nitrogen and phosphorus runoff for environmental impacts of potential development scenarios for the Prince George's County General Plan.

The  Maryland Statewide Land Use map  estimates and generalizes the distribution of developed land statewide for general planning purposes and should not be used to identify land uses on individual parcels. Given methodology changes, the map is not comparable with MDP’s previous Land Use Land Cover products and should not be used to assess change over time. Land not classified as urban does not equate to developable land. Classifications for solar arrays vary throughout the map, as the beta release did not focus on incorporating solar arrays independently from other land uses. 

To access the data for analysis, visit the following  page .

Click  here  for land use statistics by county.

To learn more about the land use map, please contact Deborah Sward, Senior GIS Analyst, of the Maryland Department of Planning's Geospatial Data and Analysis unit at deborah.sward@maryland.gov. You can  email  MDP's GIS Team with questions or concerns regarding the application.