York County, Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids York County
U.S. county
York County Courthouse in Alfred
Flag Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
Maine's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Maine
Founded	1639
Named for	York, England
Seat	Alfred
Largest city	Biddeford
Area
• Total	1,270 sq mi (3,300 km2)
• Land	991 sq mi (2,570 km2)
• Water	279 sq mi (720 km2)  22%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	211,972
• Estimate  (2021)	214,591
• Density	166.9/sq mi (64.44/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	1st

York County is a special place in Maine. It's the southernmost and westernmost county in the state. It sits right on the border with New Hampshire. Two rivers, the Salmon Falls River and the Piscataqua River, separate it from Strafford County, New Hampshire.

York County was officially started in 1639. This makes it the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the entire United States. Many of Maine's first settlements by European colonists were here. In 2020, about 211,972 people lived in York County. This makes it the second-most populated county in Maine. The main town where the county government is located, called the county seat, is Alfred. York County is also part of the larger Portland-South Portland Metropolitan Area.

History of York County

Early Beginnings: Land Grants and Names

The story of York County began with special land grants from England. On August 10, 1622, two men named Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason received the first grant for a large area. This land was along the coast of North America. It stretched between the Merrimack River and Kennebec River in what is now Maine.

In 1629, Gorges and Mason decided to split their land. Mason took the land south of the Piscataqua River, which became New Hampshire. Gorges kept the northern part, which he called New Somersetshire. This first attempt to create a colony didn't work out well. There wasn't enough money or enough people to settle there.

How York County Got Its Name

Another attempt to start a colony was made by Captain Christopher Levett. He was given 6,000 acres of land where Portland is today. Levett wanted to name his new settlement "York" after his hometown in England. Sadly, his project failed. The men he left behind disappeared, and Levett himself died in 1630. Even though his colony didn't last, the name "York" did. It's now the name of the county!

A place called Fort Levett on Cushing Island is named after Captain Levett.

A New Start and Growth

In 1639, Ferdinando Gorges got a new land grant from King Charles I of England. This grant covered the same area between the Piscataqua and Kennebec Rivers. This second colony also struggled, but it kept going even after Gorges died in 1647.

Joining Massachusetts

In the 1650s, the powerful Massachusetts Bay Colony began to claim land in southern Maine. By 1658, Massachusetts had taken over what is now southwestern Maine. This area became known as York County, Massachusetts.

A Famous Land Deal

One interesting story from this time is about Francis Small. In 1668, he traded goods with the Newichewannock tribe. Their chief, Wesumbe (also called Captain Sandy), warned Small about a plan to harm him. Some tribe members wanted to kill Small instead of paying him with furs. Small escaped, but his house in what is now Cornish burned down.

Chief Wesumbe helped Small make up for his loss. He sold Small a huge area of land. This land was bordered by the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers, the Saco River, and the New Hampshire border. Today, this area includes the towns of Limington, Limerick, Cornish, Newfield, and Parsonsfield.

Dividing the County

York County was very large. Because of its size, it was divided in 1760. Cumberland and Lincoln counties were created from its eastern parts. When Massachusetts formed its own state government in 1780, it created the District of Maine to manage its eastern lands.

In 1805, the northern part of York County was separated to form part of Oxford County. Finally, in 1820, Maine became its own state. All the areas that were part of the District of Maine became the counties of Maine, including York County.

Geography of York County

York County covers a total area of 1,270 square miles. About 991 square miles of this is land, and 279 square miles (22%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

York County shares borders with several other counties:

• Oxford County – to the north
• Cumberland County – to the northeast
• Rockingham County, New Hampshire – to the southwest
• Strafford County, New Hampshire – to the west
• Carroll County, New Hampshire – to the northwest

Protected Natural Areas

Part of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is located in York County. This refuge helps protect important wildlife and their habitats.

People of York County

Population Facts from 2010

In 2010, there were 197,131 people living in York County. Most people (96.4%) were white. Other groups included Asian (1.1%), Black or African American (0.6%), and American Indian (0.3%). About 1.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in York County have roots from different countries. The largest groups were English (22.3%), Irish (19.3%), French Canadian (9.8%), German (8.1%), Italian (7.9%), American (5.8%), and Scottish (5.6%).

The average age of people in York County in 2010 was 43 years old. About 29.3% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.40 people.

Cities and Towns in York County

Cities

• Biddeford
• Saco
• Sanford

Towns

Smaller Communities (Census-Designated Places)

These are smaller areas that are recognized for census purposes:

Unincorporated Villages or Neighborhoods

These are smaller communities that are not officially separate towns or cities:

• Bald Head
• Bar Mills
• Bedell Crossing
• Cape Porpoise
• East Parsonsfield
• East Waterboro
• Felch Corner
• Ocean Park
• Springvale
• York Beach
• York Cliffs

Images for kids

• 

  The York County Courthouse in Alfred, Maine.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de York (Maine) para niños