List of counties in Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Counties of Maine
Location	State of Maine
Number	16
Populations	17,486 (Piscataquis) – 310,230 (Cumberland)
Areas	370 square miles (960 km2) (Sagadahoc) – 6,829 square miles (17,690 km2) (Aroostook)
Government	County government
Subdivisions	cities, towns, plantations, unincorporated territories, census designated places, Indian reservations

Maine has 16 counties. These are like smaller areas within the state. Before Maine became its own state, it was part of Massachusetts. It was called the District of Maine.

Maine officially became a state on March 15, 1820. This happened because of something called the Missouri Compromise. Nine of Maine's 16 counties were already set up before Maine became a state. This means they are older than the state itself!

Even after 1820, the exact northern border of Maine was not clear. There was a disagreement with Britain. This problem was solved in 1842 with a special agreement called the Webster–Ashburton Treaty. Most of Aroostook County was part of this disputed land until the treaty was signed.

The very first county created was York County. It was set up in 1652 by the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They wanted to control the land they claimed in southern Maine. No new counties have been made since 1860. That's when Knox County and Sagadahoc County were created.

The counties with the most people are usually found along the Atlantic coast in the southeastern part of Maine. The largest counties by land area are further north and inland. The names of Maine's counties come from different places. Some are British, some are American, and some come from Native American languages. This shows Maine's long history.

What is a County?

A county is a type of local government area. It helps organize a state into smaller parts. Each county usually has a main town or city called a county seat. This is where the county government offices are located.

How Maine's Counties Were Formed

Many of Maine's counties were formed by dividing up older, larger counties. For example, Cumberland County and Lincoln County were both created from parts of York County. Later, these new counties were also divided to make even more counties. This process helped Maine grow and manage its land as more people moved there.

Alphabetical List of Maine's Counties

Here is a list of all 16 counties in Maine. You can see when each county was created and what its name means.

County	FIPS code	Seat	Est.	Origin	Etymology	Population	Area	Map
Androscoggin County	001	Auburn	1854	Created from parts of Cumberland, Kennebec, and Lincoln Counties	Named after the Androscoggin Native American tribe.	&&&&&&&&&0113765.&&&&&0113,765	&&&&&&&&&&&&0497.&&&&&0497 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01287.&&&&&01,287 km2)
Aroostook County	003	Houlton	1839	Created from parts of Penobscot and Washington Counties	A Mi'kmaq word meaning beautiful river.	&&&&&&&&&&067351.&&&&&067,351	&&&&&&&&&&&06829.&&&&&06,829 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&017687.&&&&&017,687 km2)
Cumberland County	005	Portland	1761	Created as Cumberland County, Massachusetts, from part of York County	Named after Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who was the son of George II of Great Britain.	&&&&&&&&&0310230.&&&&&0310,230	&&&&&&&&&&&01217.&&&&&01,217 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&03152.&&&&&03,152 km2)
Franklin County	007	Farmington	1838	Created from parts of Kennebec, Oxford, and Somerset Counties	Named after Benjamin Franklin, a famous Founding Father, scientist, and diplomat.	&&&&&&&&&&030828.&&&&&030,828	&&&&&&&&&&&01744.&&&&&01,744 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&04517.&&&&&04,517 km2)
Hancock County	009	Ellsworth	1790	Created as Hancock County, Massachusetts, from part of Lincoln County	Named after John Hancock (1737–1793), a Founding Father who signed the United States Declaration of Independence.	&&&&&&&&&&056526.&&&&&056,526	&&&&&&&&&&&02351.&&&&&02,351 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&06089.&&&&&06,089 km2)
Kennebec County	011	Augusta	1799	Created as Kennebec County, Massachusetts, from part of Lincoln County	Named after the Kennebec River in Maine.	&&&&&&&&&0127259.&&&&&0127,259	&&&&&&&&&&&&0951.&&&&&0951 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&02463.&&&&&02,463 km2)
Knox County	013	Rockland	1860	Created from parts of Lincoln and Waldo Counties	Named after Henry Knox (1750–1806), who was the first United States Secretary of War. He lived in Thomaston, Maine.	&&&&&&&&&&040977.&&&&&040,977	&&&&&&&&&&&01142.&&&&&01,142 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&02958.&&&&&02,958 km2)
Lincoln County	015	Wiscasset	1760	Created as Lincoln County, Massachusetts, from part of York County	Named after the city of Lincoln, England.	&&&&&&&&&&036507.&&&&&036,507	&&&&&&&&&&&&0700.&&&&&0700 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&01813.&&&&&01,813 km2)
Oxford County	017	Paris	1805	Created as Oxford County, Massachusetts, from parts of Cumberland and York Counties	Likely named for Oxford, Massachusetts.	&&&&&&&&&&059905.&&&&&059,905	&&&&&&&&&&&02175.&&&&&02,175 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&05633.&&&&&05,633 km2)
Penobscot County	019	Bangor	1816	Created as Penobscot County, Massachusetts, from part of Hancock County	Named after the Penobscot Native American tribe.	&&&&&&&&&0155312.&&&&&0155,312	&&&&&&&&&&&03556.&&&&&03,556 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&09210.&&&&&09,210 km2)
Piscataquis County	021	Dover-Foxcroft	1838	Created from parts of Penobscot and Somerset Counties	An Abenaki word meaning rapid waters.	&&&&&&&&&&017486.&&&&&017,486	&&&&&&&&&&&04377.&&&&&04,377 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&011336.&&&&&011,336 km2)
Sagadahoc County	023	Bath	1854	Created from part of Lincoln County	An Abenaki word meaning mouth of big river.	&&&&&&&&&&037513.&&&&&037,513	&&&&&&&&&&&&0370.&&&&&0370 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&&0958.&&&&&0958 km2)
Somerset County	025	Skowhegan	1809	Created as Somerset County, Massachusetts, from parts of Kennebec County	Named after the county of Somerset in England.	&&&&&&&&&&051302.&&&&&051,302	&&&&&&&&&&&04095.&&&&&04,095 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&010606.&&&&&010,606 km2)
Waldo County	027	Belfast	1827	Created from parts of Hancock, Kennebec and Lincoln Counties	Named after Samuel Waldo, a Maine landowner and soldier.	&&&&&&&&&&040620.&&&&&040,620	&&&&&&&&&&&&0853.&&&&&0853 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&02209.&&&&&02,209 km2)
Washington County	029	Machias	1790	Created as Washington County, Massachusetts, from part of Lincoln County	Named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.	&&&&&&&&&&031555.&&&&&031,555	&&&&&&&&&&&03255.&&&&&03,255 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&08430.&&&&&08,430 km2)
York County	031	Alfred	1652	Created as Yorkshire County, Massachusetts, from the southern part of the District of Maine. It was renamed York County in 1668	Named after York, England. This was the birthplace of Christopher Levett, who first tried to settle the area.	&&&&&&&&&0218586.&&&&&0218,586	&&&&&&&&&&&01271.&&&&&01,271 sq mi (&&&&&&&&&&&03292.&&&&&03,292 km2)

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Maine para niños