Madawaska, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madawaska, Maine Ville de Madawaska  (French)
Town
Flag Seal
Location of Madawaska, Maine
Madawaska, Maine Location in Maine Show map of Maine Madawaska, Maine Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Aroostook
Incorporated	1869
Villages	Madawaska Cleveland Fournier Lavertue St. David
Area
• Total	56.24 sq mi (145.66 km2)
• Land	55.56 sq mi (143.90 km2)
• Water	0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2)
Elevation	971 ft (296 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,867
• Density	70/sq mi (26.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	04756
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-42520
GNIS feature ID	0582576

Madawaska is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,867 at the 2020 census. Madawaska is opposite Edmundston, Madawaska County in New Brunswick, Canada, to which it is connected by the Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge over the Saint John River. The majority of its residents speak French; 83.4% of the population speak French at home.

History

During the early colonial period, Madawaska was a meeting place and hunting/fishing area for the Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) nation. Later, it was at the center of the bloodless Aroostook War. The final border between the two countries was established with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842, which gave Maine most of the disputed area, and gave the British a militarily vital connection between the province of Quebec and the province of New Brunswick. Many families were left divided after the settlement.

Economy

Madawaska is a rural town whose economy centers on the Saint John River paper industry. The river historically provided water power for the mills and was the route of log drives bringing pulpwood from upstream forests. The river still provides the water supply for paper manufacture, but environmental concerns encourage pulpwood delivery by highway and rail. Canadian corporation Twin Rivers (originally Fraser Papers) has a large facility located in Madawaska which processes the pulp produced by the mill's other plant in Edmundston. The pulp is shipped across the border through a mile-long high pressure pipeline running between both facilities, and is made into paper in Madawaska. The Madawaska mill specializes in fine-grade papers. The town's economy is highly dependent upon cross-border trade, to the extent that Madawaska and its larger sister city of Edmundston are considered by residents under many aspects, a single economic entity.

Madawaska is also home to the St. John Valley Times, a popular weekly newspaper circulated across Aroostook County.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.24 square miles (145.66 km²), of which 55.56 square miles (143.90 km²) is land and 0.68 square miles (1.76 km²) is water. Madawaska is located beside the Saint John River, the Canada–United States border. Four Corners Park commemorates its location as the most northeastern town in the contiguous United States. The town is served by U.S. Route 1.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Madawaska has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Panorama of Madawaska and the Saint John River as seen from Edmundston

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,035 people, 1,983 households, and 1,128 families living in the town. The population density was 72.6 inhabitants per square mile (28.0/km²). There were 2,398 housing units at an average density of 43.2 per square mile (16.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 1,983 households, of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.62.

The median age in the town was 51.2 years. 16.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.5% were from 25 to 44; 34.1% were from 45 to 64; and 26.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

Education

Madawaska's schools serve Madawaska, St. David, and Grand Isle. The Madawaska Elementary School has students from pre-kindergarten through the 6th grade. Madawaska Middle/High School contains grades 7 through 12.

Notable people

• Roger Albert, Maine state legislator
• Ashley Hebert, The Bachelorette Season 7
• Emilien Levesque, Maine state legislator
• Charles Theriault, Maine state legislator
• Roland White, bluegrass musician

See also

In Spanish: Madawaska (Maine) para niños