A Complete Guide to Maine’s Cities, From Newest to Most Historic

Who doesn’t enjoy diving into some rich Maine history? Thanks to the wonders of the "Internet," I stumbled upon some fascinating details to explore. Thanks, Al Gore!

I stumbled upon some old Census data, which ended up being rather significant. The data has a chart of every municipality's incorporation date. It's a fascinating look at what Maine towns are considered cities, and where exactly you can find them.

The Development of Maine's Cities

A lot has changed in 200+ years, and many of those changes directly affected city and town categorizations. From commercial shipping and key industries to the rise of suburbia, economic booms, revitalization efforts, shifts in manufacturing, and the opening and closing of military bases, each factor has significantly shaped the development of cities.

I decided to chart the 23 municipalities in Maine (yes, somehow there are 23 "cities" in Maine. Who knew?) that are considered cities. I was curious to see how many of them earned that distinction and when.

Maine's 23 Cities Come from Across the State

The list includes some surprising discoveries. As expected, many of the cities are located in major counties like Cumberland and York. However, there is adequate representation across the central and northern parts of the state. And some of these cities are quite small, especially considering they are, well, cities.

READ MORE: Exploring Maine’s Skies: The State’s Most Traveled Airline Routes

You can find the complete list below. Original incorporation dates are listed as well, mainly to show the time difference between town and city reclassification.

For more info on the Census, you can click here.