Waldo, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waldo, Maine
Town
Location of Waldo (in yellow) in Waldo County and the state of Maine
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Waldo
Incorporated	1845
Named for	Samuel Waldo
Area
• Total	19.30 sq mi (49.99 km2)
• Land	19.29 sq mi (49.96 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation	226 ft (69 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	795
• Density	41/sq mi (15.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	04915
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-79480
GNIS feature ID	0582785
Website	Town of Waldo

Waldo is a small town located in Waldo County, Maine, in the United States. In 2020, about 795 people lived there. It is known as the hometown of Heather Hemmens, an actress from the TV show Hellcats.

History of Waldo, Maine

This area was once part of the Waldo Patent. This was a very large piece of land. It belonged to Brigadier-General Samuel Waldo from Boston.

Early Settlement and Founding

The first person to settle here was Henry Davidson in 1811. The area was then organized as Waldo Plantation in 1821. On March 17, 1845, the state government officially made it a town. It was named after its first owner, Samuel Waldo.

Farming and Industry

Much of Waldo's land was rocky and not good for growing crops. However, some parts had excellent soil. This allowed for successful farms and farmers. The town became famous for its award-winning cattle.

Waldo also had many forests. A lot of the timber from these forests was used for Belfast shipbuilding. Wescott Stream provided water power for businesses. By 1859, Waldo had seven busy sawmills. There was also a gristmill (for grinding grain), machines for making shingles, and a tannery (for making leather).

In 1870, the Belfast & Moosehead Lake Railroad started running. Its trains traveled right through the town.

Geography of Waldo

Waldo is located in Maine. The United States Census Bureau says the town covers about 19.30 square miles (49.99 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit of water.

Rivers and Streams

The town's water comes from the Passagassawakeag River and Wescott Stream. These are important natural features of the area.

Roads and Neighbors

Several state roads pass through Waldo. These include Route 7, Route 131, Route 137, and Route 203.

Waldo shares its borders with several other towns:

• To the north: Brooks
• To the east: Swanville
• To the south: Belfast
• To the west: Morrill

Population in Waldo

The population of Waldo has changed over the years. The table above shows how many people lived in the town during different census years.

Waldo Population in 2010

According to the census from 2010, there were 762 people living in Waldo. These people made up 332 households and 219 families. The town had about 39.5 people per square mile. There were 373 homes, with about 19.3 homes per square mile.

Most of the people in Waldo were White (96.9%). A small number were African American, Native American, Asian, or other races. About 0.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Households and Families

• About 25.9% of households had children under 18 living with them.
• 52.4% were married couples living together.
• About 8.7% had a female head of household with no husband.
• About 4.8% had a male head of household with no wife.
• 34.0% were not families.
• 27.7% of all households were single people.
• 6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

The average household had 2.30 people. The average family had 2.78 people.

Age Distribution

The average age in Waldo in 2010 was 42.9 years old.

• 19.3% of residents were under 18.
• 7.4% were between 18 and 24.
• 26.2% were between 25 and 44.
• 34.3% were between 45 and 64.
• 12.9% were 65 or older.

The town was made up of 52.2% males and 47.8% females. In Spanish: Waldo (Maine) para niños