Geography
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) covers an area of 1,019 square miles (2,640 km2).
The MSA is roughly bordered to the east by South Mountain, to the west by Sideling Hill, to the north by the Mason-Dixon Line, and to the south by Northern Virginia. Elevations run from about 250 feet (76 m) above sea level in low-lying valleys to approximately 1,250 feet (380 m) above sea level at Sideling Hill. The Potomac River runs from west to east through the heart of the metro area with tributaries including Sideling Hill Creek, Conococheague Creek, and Antietam Creek. Terrain in the region is very well-suited and used for dairy farming, cornfields, and fruit orchards. Some undeveloped deciduous forestry also exists, especially in the mountainous portions of the area. However, much of the region's land is becoming increasingly threatened by urban sprawl.
Hagerstown is situated in the transition between the humid subtropical climate zone and the humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfa), with hot, humid summers and cool to moderately cold winters where average annual snowfall exceeds 20 inches and temperatures below 10 °F (−12 °C) are annual occurrences.
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—Willard Van Orman Quine (b. 1908)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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