This is a list of the sixteen counties in the U.S. state of Maine. Prior to statehood, Maine was officially part of the state of Massachusetts and was called the District of Maine. Maine was granted statehood on March 15, 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Nine of the sixteen counties had their borders defined while Maine was still part of Massachusetts, and hence are older than the state itself. Even after 1820, the exact location of the northern border of Maine was disputed with Britain, until the question was settled and the northern counties took their final, official form by treaty in 1845. Almost all of Aroostook County was disputed land until the treaty was signed.[1]
No new counties have been created since 1860, when Knox County and Sagadahoc County were created. The most populous counties tend to be located in the southeastern portion of the state, along the Atlantic seaboard. The largest counties in terms of land area are inland. Maine's county names derive from a mix of British, American, and Native American sources, reflecting Maine's pre-colonial, colonial, and national heritage.[1]
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry. Maine's code is 23, which when combined with any county code would be written as 23XXX. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.[2]
|
County |
FIPS Code [3] |
Seat [4] |
Established [4] |
Origin |
Etymology |
Population [4][5] |
Area [4][5] |
Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin County | 001 | Auburn | 1854 | From parts of Cumberland County, Kennebec County, and Lincoln County | The Androscoggin Native American tribe. | 103,793 | 497 mi² (1,287 km²) |
 |
| Aroostook County | 003 | Houlton | 1839 | From parts of Penobscot County, and Washington County | A Native American word meaning beautiful river. | 73,938 | 6,829 sq mi (17,687 km 2) |
 |
| Cumberland County | 005 | Portland | 1761 | As Cumberland County, Massachusetts from part of York County | Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, son of George II of Great Britain. | 265,612 | 1,217 sq mi (3,152 km 2) |
 |
| Franklin County | 007 | Farmington | 1838 | From parts of Kennebec County, Oxford County, and Somerset County | Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father, scientist, printer, and diplomat. | 29,467 | 1,744 sq mi (4,517 km 2) |
 |
| Hancock County | 009 | Ellsworth | 1790 | As Hancock County, Massachusetts, from part of Lincoln County | John Hancock (1737–1793), the Founding Father and president of the convention that produced the United States Declaration of Independence. | 51,791 | 2,351 sq mi (6,089 km 2) |
 |
| Kennebec County | 011 | Augusta | 1799 | As Kennebec County, Massachusetts from part of Lincoln County | The Kennebec River in Maine. | 117,114 | 951 sq mi (2,463 km 2) |
 |
| Knox County | 013 | Rockland | 1860 | From parts of Lincoln County and Waldo County | Henry Knox (1750–1806), the first United States Secretary of War (1789 - 1794), who lived in Thomaston, Maine. | 39,618 | 1,142 sq mi (2,958 km 2) |
 |
| Lincoln County | 015 | Wiscasset | 1760 | As Lincoln County, Massachusetts from part of York County | The city of Lincoln, England. | 33,616 | 700 sq mi (1,813 km 2) |
 |
| Oxford County | 017 | Paris | 1805 | As Oxford County, Massachusetts from parts of Cumberland County and York County | Probably named for Oxford, Massachusetts. | 54,755 | 2,175 sq mi (5,633 km 2) |
 |
| Penobscot County | 019 | Bangor | 1816 | As Penobscot County, Massachusetts from part of Hancock County | The Penobscot Native American tribe. | 144,919 | 3,556 sq mi (9,210 km 2) |
 |
| Piscataquis County | 021 | Dover-Foxcroft | 1838 | From parts of Penobscot County and Somerset County | An Abenaki word meaning rapid waters. | 17,235 | 4,377 sq mi (11,336 km 2) |
 |
| Sagadahoc County | 023 | Bath | 1860 | From part of Lincoln County | A Native American word meaning mouth of big river. | 35,214 | 370 sq mi (958 km 2) |
 |
| Somerset County | 025 | Skowhegan | 1809 | As Somerset County, Massachusetts from parts of Kennebec County | The county of Somerset in England. | 50,888 | 4,095 sq mi (10,606 km 2) |
 |
| Waldo County | 027 | Belfast | 1827 | From parts of Hancock County, Kennebec County and Lincoln County | Samuel Waldo, a colonial soldier in the siege of Louisbourg in 1745. | 36,280 | 853 sq mi (2,209 km 2) |
 |
| Washington County | 029 | Machias | 1790 | As Washington County, Massachusetts from part of Lincoln County | George Washington, the first President of the United States. | 33,941 | 3,255 sq mi (8,430 km 2) |
 |
| York County | 031 | Alfred | 1652 | As Yorkshire County, Massachusetts from the southern part of the District of Maine. Renamed York County by Massachusetts in 1668 | King James II of England, earlier Duke of York. | 186,742 | 1,271 sq mi (3,292 km 2) |
 |
A song is taught to many elementary school children across the state, entitled the Maine County Song, to aid in memorizing the names of the state's 16 counties. It is sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle.
Sixteen counties has our state
Cumberland and Franklin
Piscataquis and Kennebec
Oxford, Androscoggin
Waldo, Washington, and York
Lincoln, Knox, and Hancock
Sagadahoc and Somerset
Aroostook and Penobscot[6]
An alternate version as put forth by the Maine Secretary of
State's Kids' Page:
The sixteen counties in our state
Are Cumberland and Franklin
Piscataquis and Somerset
Aroostook, Androscoggin
Sagadahoc and Kennebec
Lincoln, Knox and Hancock
Waldo, Washington and York
Oxford and Penobscot[7]
|
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This is a list of the sixteen counties in the U.S. state of Maine. Prior to statehood, Maine was officially part of the state of Massachusetts and was called the District of Maine. Maine was granted statehood on March 15, 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Nine of the sixteen counties had their borders defined while Maine was still part of Massachussetts, and hence are older than the state itself. Even after 1820, the exact location of the northern border of Maine was disputed with England, until the question was settled and the northern counties took their final, official form by treaty in 1845. Almost all of Aroostook County was disputed land until the treaty was signed.[1]
No new counties have been created since 1860, when Knox County, Maine and Sagadahoc County, Maine were created. The most populous counties tend to be located in the southeastern portion of the state, along the Atlantic seaboard. The largest counties in terms of land area are inland. Maine's county names derive from a mix of British, American, and Native American sources, reflecting Maine's pre-colonial, colonial, and national heritage.[1]
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify states and counties, is provided with each entry. Maine's code is 23, which when combined with any county code would be written as 23XXX. The FIPS code for each county links to census data for that county.[2]
| County |
FIPS Code[3] | County Seat [4] |
Created [4] |
Origin [1] |
Etymology [5] |
Population (2000) [6] |
Area [6] |
Map |
| Androscoggin County | 001 | Auburn | 1854 | From parts of Cumberland County, Kennebec County, and Lincoln County | The Androscoggin Native American tribe. | 103,793 | 497 mi² (1,287 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Androscoggin County.svg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook County | 003 | Houlton | 1839 | From parts of Penobscot County, and Washington County | A Native American word meaning beautiful river. | 73,938 | 6,829 sq mi (17,687 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Aroostook County.svg |
| Cumberland County | 005 | Portland | 1761 | As Cumberland County, Massachusetts from part of York County | Prince William Augustus, son of George II of Great Britain. | 265,612 | 1,217 sq mi (3,152 km²) |
 |
| Franklin County | 007 | Farmington | 1838 | From parts of Kennebec County, Oxford County, and Somerset County | Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father, scientist, printer, and diplomat. | 29,467 | 1,744 sq mi (4,517 km²) |
 |
| Hancock County | 009 | Ellsworth | 1790 | As Hancock County, Massachusetts, from part of Lincoln County | John Hancock (1737 – 1793), the Founding Father and president of the convention that produced the United States Declaration of Independence. | 51,791 | 2,351 sq mi (6,089 km²) |
 |
| Kennebec County | 011 | Augusta | 1799 | As Kennebec County, Massachusetts from part of Lincoln County | The Kennebec River in Maine. | 117,114 | 951 sq mi (2,463 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Kennebec County.svg |
| Knox County | 013 | Rockland | 1860 | From parts of Lincoln County and Waldo County | Henry Knox (1750 – 1806), the first United States Secretary of War (1789 - 1794), who lived in Thomaston. | 39,618 | 1,142 sq mi (2,958 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Knox County.svg |
| Lincoln County | 015 | Wiscasset | 1760 | As Lincoln County, Massachusetts from part of York County | The city of Lincoln. | 33,616 | 700 sq mi (1,813 km²) |
 |
| Oxford County | 017 | Paris | 1805 | As Oxford County, Massachusetts from parts of Cumberland County and York County | Probably named for Oxford. | 54,755 | 2,175 sq mi (5,633 km²) |
 |
| Penobscot County | 019 | Bangor | 1816 | As Penobscot County, Massachusetts from part of Hancock County | The Penobscot Native American tribe. | 144,919 | 3,556 sq mi (9,210 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Penobscot County.svg |
| Piscataquis County | 021 | Dover-Foxcroft | 1838 | From parts of Penobscot County and Somerset County | An Abenaki word meaning rapid waters. | 17,235 | 4,377 sq mi (11,336 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Piscataquis County.svg |
| Sagadahoc County | 023 | Bath | 1860 | From part of Lincoln County | A Native American word meaning mouth of big river. | 35,214 | 370 sq mi (958 km²) |
File:Map of Maine highlighting Sagadahoc County.svg |
| Somerset County | 025 | Skowhegan | 1809 | As Somerset County, Massachusetts from parts of Kennebec County | The county of Somerset in England. | 50,888 | 4,095 sq mi (10,606 km²) |
 |
| Waldo County | 027 | Belfast | 1827 | From parts of Hancock County, Kennebec County and Lincoln County | Samuel Waldo, a colonial soldier in the siege of Louisbourg in 1745. | 36,280 | 853 sq mi (2,209 km²) |
 |
| Washington County | 029 | Machias | 1790 | As Washington County, Massachusetts from part of Lincoln County | George Washington, the first President of the United States. | 33,941 | 3,255 sq mi (8,430 km²) |
 |
| York County | 031 | Alfred | 1652 | As Yorkshire County, Massachusetts from the southern part of the District of Maine. Renamed York County by Massachusetts in 1668 | King James II of England, earlier Duke of York. | 186,742 | 1,271 sq mi (3,292 km²) |
 |
| Lists of counties in the United States (parishes in Louisiana; boroughs and census areas in Alaska) |
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at List of counties in Maine. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
   | Maine QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau - Maine QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau |
| | FIPS Publish 6-4 - FIPS 6-4 - County Names and Codes of the US |
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| | EPA County FIPS Code Listing - EPA | Envirofacts | County FIPS Code Listing |
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