Hancock County, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hancock County
U.S. county
Egg Rock Light
Flag
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
Maine's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Maine
Founded	June 25, 1789
Named for	John Hancock
Seat	Ellsworth
Largest city	Ellsworth
Area
• Total	2,345 sq mi (6,070 km2)
• Land	1,587 sq mi (4,110 km2)
• Water	758 sq mi (1,960 km2)  32%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	55,478
• Density	23.658/sq mi (9.1344/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd

John Hancock of Massachusetts, who the county is named after

High tide near Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park

Ocean waves at Sand Beach in Acadia National Park

Jordan Pond in Acadia National Park

Hancock County is a beautiful area located in the state of Maine, United States. It's a place with a rich history and stunning natural beauty. In 2020, about 55,478 people called Hancock County home.

The main town, or county seat, is Ellsworth. Hancock County was officially created on June 25, 1789. It was named after John Hancock, a very important person in American history. He was the first governor of Massachusetts, which Maine was once a part of.

Exploring Hancock County's Geography

Hancock County covers a large area. It has a total size of about 2,345 square miles. A big part of this, about 758 square miles (32%), is water. The rest, 1,587 square miles, is land.

Mountains and Parks

The highest point in the county is Cadillac Mountain. It stands tall at 1,527 feet. This makes it the highest mountain right on the Atlantic coast of the United States!

Hancock County is also home to Acadia National Park. This is the only national park in all of New England. The park is mostly on Mount Desert Island, which is Maine's largest island. This island is surrounded by several big bays.

Rivers and Bridges

The county is on the eastern side of Penobscot Bay. It's also near the mouth of the Penobscot River. You can cross this river using the impressive Penobscot Narrows Bridge. Hancock County stretches from the coast far inland. This makes it one of Maine's eight counties that touch the ocean.

Neighboring Counties

Hancock County shares its borders with a few other counties:

• Penobscot County is to the north.
• Washington County is to the northeast.
• Waldo County is to the west.
• Knox County is to the southwest.

Main Roads and Highways

Several important roads run through Hancock County. These highways help people travel around the area. They connect different towns and attractions.

• US 1
• US 1A
• SR 3
• SR 9
• SR 15
• SR 102
• SR 172
• SR 175
• SR 176
• SR 179
• SR 180
• SR 181
• SR 184
• SR 200

People of Hancock County

How People Live

In 2010, there were 54,418 people living in Hancock County. There were 24,221 households, which are groups of people living together. About 14,834 of these were families.

The average age of people in the county was 46.3 years old. About 24.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many people in Hancock County are of English, American, Irish, German, and Scottish backgrounds.

Hancock County's Economy

Hancock County has the longest coastline of any county in Maine. This means it has many miles of shore along the ocean. Because of this, two very important industries here are commercial fishing and tourism.

Fishing and Tourism

Many towns in the county rely on fishing. These include Cranberry Isles, Deer Isle, Frenchboro, Gouldsboro, Southwest Harbor, Stonington, Swans Island, and Tremont (Bass Harbor). Other towns like Bar Harbor and Brooklin also have a lot of fishing activity.

Tourism is also a huge part of the economy. People come from all over to visit Acadia National Park. They also come to see Cadillac Mountain, which is a major attraction.

Other Important Businesses

Hancock County is home to Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. This is a famous place known for its important cancer research.

There are also two colleges in Hancock County:

• Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.
• College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor.

Air Quality

The American Lung Association checks air quality each year. They gave Hancock County an "F" for ozone pollution. Ozone is a type of air pollution. Hancock County was the only county in Maine to get this low score. This means the air quality for ozone could be better.

Towns and Communities

Hancock County has many different towns and communities.

City

• Ellsworth (This is the county seat, the main town)

Towns

Unorganized Territories

These are areas that don't have their own local government like towns do.

• Central Hancock
• East Hancock
• Northwest Hancock

Census-Designated Places

These are specific areas identified by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Bar Harbor
• Blue Hill
• Bucksport
• Castine
• Southwest Harbor
• Winter Harbor

Other Villages

These are smaller, unincorporated villages within the county.

Schools in Hancock County

Hancock County has many school districts. These districts help manage the schools for children of all ages, from kindergarten through high school.

K-12 Schools

These districts serve students from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade.

Secondary Schools

This district focuses on high school students.

• Mount Desert Community School District

Elementary Schools

These districts are for younger students, usually up to 8th grade.

• Bar Harbor School District
• Mount Desert School District
• Southwest Harbor School District
• Tremont School District

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Hancock (Maine) para niños