On Capt. John Smith's map (circa-1608), the Mattawoman appeared as Mataughquamend, which is a word from the Algonquian language and roughly translates to, "Where one goes pleasantly.

The Mattawoman Creek is a 30 mile long, coastal-plain tributary to the Potomac River with a mouth at Indian Head.  It flows through Charles and Prince George's County. There is a 7-mile tidal-freshwater estuary in Charles County along with about three-fourths of its total watershed also in Charles County.

The Mattawoman is home to a total of 55 fish species. It has twice the population of Largemouth Bass as the Chesapeake Bay, and is a spawning ground for migratory fish such as the River Herring and the American Shad.

It has been said that the Mattawoman represents as near to ideal conditions as can be found in the northern Chesapeake Bay, perhaps unattainable in other systems.

There are two boat launching facilities within the creek; Smallwood State Park, near the mouth and at the end of Mattingly Avenue at Slavin's Dock, at mid-river.