Maine's 10 Oldest Cities Ranked by Incorporation Date

Who doesn't love diving into a little Maine history?

While browsing online recently, I stumbled across a fascinating set of old U.S. Census records that turned out to be quite the hidden gem.

One chart in particular caught my attention. It lists the incorporation date of every municipality in Maine, offering a unique look at when each town and city officially came to be. It's a fun look at the state's history and an interesting way to see which communities have been around the longest—and where they're located.

How Much has Maine Changed Over the Years?

Much has changed over the past 200+ years, and many of those changes have directly impacted how cities and towns are categorized. Factors like commercial shipping, specific industries, the rise of suburbia, revitalization efforts, economic booms, shifts in manufacturing, and the opening or closing of military bases have all played a role in shaping city development.

I decided to chart the 10 oldest municipalities in Maine that are considered cities. I was curious to see how many of them came to get that distinction and when.

Where Can Maine's Oldest Cities be Found?

There are some interesting surprises on the list. There's fairly balanced representation across much of the state, which is definitely unexpected. And some of these cities are quite small, especially considering they are, well, cities. Honestly, some of them I would never have guessed were technically cities, but here we are.

You can find the oldest ten listed below. Original incorporation dates are included as well, mainly to highlight the time gap between a town's founding and its reclassification as a city. The oldest dates back to about 20 years after the state was founded, which means Maine technically had no cities for the first few decades of its existence. That’s quite interesting, to say the least.

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