The Calvert Peninsula is part of the Western Shore region of the U.S. state of Maryland. It extends about 25miles into Chesapeake Bay with the main bay providing its eastern border and the Patuxent River defining its western border.[1] It constitutes a total land area of about 350sqmi and is essentially conterminous with Calvert County.[2]
Immediately south of the Calvert Peninsula is the larger St. Mary's Peninsula, defined by the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers. Calvert Peninsula is connected to St. Mary's Peninsula by the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge.
See also: Calvert Formation and Chesapeake Group. The landmass of the peninsula was once covered by a warm shallow sea, 10 to 20 million years ago.[3] Today, the geography of peninsula is continually reforming due to erosion.[4]
Captain John Smith first explored the cliffs along the peninsula in 1607 and 1608.[5] Today the site is commemorated by the Calvert Cliffs State Park. In 1975, energy generation on the peninsula began with the opening of the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.[6] [7]