La Plata, MD

La Plata is the county seat of Charles County, south of Washington, D.C. Local tradition says the town was named by Colonel Samuel Chapman, whose family owned a large tract of land in Charles County, though the story is not fully confirmed. La Plata has a courthouse-town role, commuter ties to the capital region, and a growing Southern Maryland suburban feel. In 2020, the town adopted the Purple Martin as its official bird, a small civic detail that fits its locally minded character.