Middletown Valley Explained

Middletown Valley
Other Name:Catoctin Valley
Map:Maryland
Coordinates:39.43°N -77.53°W
Location:Frederick County, Maryland
Elevation Ft:479
Elevation Ref:[1]
Direction:North-South
Length:14miles
Width:7miles
Boundaries:South Mountain (west)
Catoctin Mountain (east)
Potomac River (south)
South Mountain/Catoctin Mountain convergence (north)
Towns:Middletown
Brunswick
Traversed:Interstate 70, U.S. Route 40, U.S. Route 340

Middletown Valley, also historically known as Catoctin Valley, is a valley in western Frederick County in the state of Maryland.

Geography

It is bound to the west by South Mountain, to the east by Catoctin Mountain, to the south by the Potomac River and to the north by the convergence of South Mountain and Catoctin Mountain, south of Quirauk Mountain. Geographically, it can be considered an extension of the Loudoun Valley which lies below the Potomac in Virginia. The valley derives its name from Middletown, the largest town in the Valley.

The use of the Catoctin Valley terminology was prevalent up through the American Civil War but afterwards was abandoned due to confusion between it and the northern portion of the Loudoun Valley also referred to as Catoctin Valley.

Notes and References

  1. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=139:3:877652202163002::NO:3:P3_FID,P3_TITLE:585836%2CMiddletown%20Valley GNIS