Baltimore is an independent city located in the state of Maryland in the United States. As of 2006, the population of Baltimore City was 640,961.^⎖] The city is a major U.S. seaport, situated closer to major Midwestern markets than any other major seaport on the East Coast. Once an industrial town with an economic base in manufacturing, Baltimore's economy has shifted primarily to a service sector-oriented, with the largest employer no longer Bethlehem Steel but The Johns Hopkins University and The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

The Baltimore Metropolitan Area, which includes the city's surrounding suburbs, has approximately 2.6 million residents. Baltimore is also part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area (CMSA) of approximately 8.1 million residents. Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland, and its metropolitan area is the 20th largest in the country.

The city is named after the founding proprietor of the Maryland Colony, Lord Baltimore in the Irish House of Lords. Baltimore himself took his title from a place named Baltimore in Ireland, which is the English transliteration of the Irish language Baile an Tí Mhoir, or "Town of The Big House".^⎗] Baltimore in County Cork was the seat of Lord Baltimore. ^⎘]

Baltimore became the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States during the 1800s.

Because there is also a Baltimore County surrounding (but not including) the city, it is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City when a clear distinction is desired.

"Most Dangerous City" Rankings (2006) ranks Baltimore as the 12^th most dangerous American city.^⎹] Baltimore is second only to Detroit among cities with a population over 500,000.^⎺]

According to crime statistics there were 269 homicides in Baltimore in 2005,^⎻] giving it the highest homicide rate per 100,000 of all U.S. cities of 250,000 or more population. ^⎺] Though this is significantly lower than the record-high 353 homicides in 1993, the homicide rate in Baltimore is nearly seven times the national rate, six times the rate of New York City, and three times the rate of Los Angeles. In addition, other categories of crime in Baltimore have also been declining, although overall crime rates are still high compared to the national average. The rate of forcible rapes has fallen below the national average in recent years; however, Baltimore still has much higher-than-average rates of aggravated assault, burglary, robbery, and theft.^⎼]

The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 raged in Baltimore, Maryland, from 10:48 a.m. Sunday, February 7, to 5:00 p.m. Monday, February 8, 1904. Over 1,231 firefighters were required to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was reported first at the John Hurst and Company building at 10:48 a.m. and quickly spread. By 1:30 p.m., units from Washington, DC, were arriving. To halt the fire, officials decided to use a firewall, and dynamited buildings around the existing fire. This tactic, however, was unsuccessful.