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Portland, Maine
City
City of Portland
Clockwise: Portland waterfront, the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill, the corner of Middle and Exchange Street in the Old Port, Congress Street, the Civil War Memorial in Monument Square, and winter light sculptures in Congress Square Plaza.
Clockwise: Portland waterfront, the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill, the corner of Middle and Exchange Street in the Old Port, Congress Street, the Civil War Memorial in Monument Square, and winter light sculptures in Congress Square Plaza.
Flag of Portland, Maine
Flag
Official seal of Portland, Maine
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Forest City
Motto(s): 
Resurgam  (Latin)
"I Will Rise Again"
Country United States
State Maine
County Cumberland
Settled 1632
Incorporated July 4, 1786
Named for Isle of Portland
Government
 • Type City council and city manager
Area
 • City 69.44 sq mi (179.85 km2)
 • Land 21.54 sq mi (55.79 km2)
 • Water 47.90 sq mi (124.06 km2)
 • Urban
135.91 sq mi (352.0 km2)
Elevation
62 ft (19 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 68,408
 • Rank US: 519th
 • Density 3,175.86/sq mi (1,226.21/km2)
 • Urban
243,537 (US: 177th)
 • Urban density 1,791/sq mi (692/km2)
 • Metro
551,740 (US: 104th)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
04101–04104, 04108–04109, 04112, 04116, 04122–04124
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-60545
GNIS feature ID 573692

Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Portland's economy relies mostly on the service sector and tourism. The Old Port district is known for its nightlife and 19th-century architecture. Marine industry still plays an important role in the city's economy, with an active waterfront that supports fishing and commercial shipping. The Port of Portland is the second-largest tonnage seaport in New England.

The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, a reference to recovery from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, Dorset. In turn, the city of Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine. The word Portland is derived from the Old English word Portlanda, which means "land surrounding a harbor". The Greater Portland area has emerged as an important center for the creative economy, which is also bringing gentrification.

History

Fort Casco, Brunswick, Maine by Cyprian Southack, 1720 map inset
Fort Casco, Portland, Maine built by Wolfgang William Romer; map by Cyprian Southack

Native Americans originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck"). Portland, Maine was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon was in turn named for Portland, Maine. The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England and wrote a book about his voyage to drum up support for the settlement. The settlement failed, and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.

The peninsula was first permanently settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Abenaki during King Philip's War. It was rebuilt. During King William's War, a raiding party of French and Native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in the Battle of Fort Loyal (1690).

Gun recovered from the USS Maine
Gun recovered from USS Maine on Munjoy Hill

On October 18, 1775, Falmouth was burned in the Revolution by the Royal Navy under command of Captain Henry Mowat.

Longfellow Square, Portland, ME
Longfellow Square (c. 1906)

Following the war, a section of Falmouth called The Neck developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786, the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland, after the isle off the coast of Dorset, England. Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the Embargo Act of 1807 (prohibition of trade with the British), which ended in 1809, and the War of 1812, which ended in 1815.

In 1820, Maine became a state with Portland as its capital. In 1832, the capital was moved north to Augusta. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes." The law subsequently became known as the Maine law, as 18 states quickly followed. On June 2, 1855, the Portland Rum Riot occurred.

In 1853, upon completion of the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal, Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports. The Portland Company manufactured more than 600 19th-century steam locomotives. Portland became a 20th-century rail hub as five additional rail lines merged into Portland Terminal Company in 1911. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, causing marked local economic decline. In the 20th century, icebreakers later enabled ships to reach Montreal in winter, drastically reducing Portland's role as a winter port for Canada.

On June 26, 1863, a Confederate raiding party led by Captain Charles Read, entered the harbor at Portland and the Battle of Portland Harbor ensued, one of the northernmost battles of the Civil War. The 1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine of July 4, 1866, ignited during the Independence Day celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10,000 people were left homeless.

By act of the Maine Legislature In 1899, Portland annexed the city of Deering despite a vote by Deering residents rejecting the annexation greatly increasing the size of the city and opening areas for development beyond the peninsula.

The construction of The Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland during the 1970s, economically depressed downtown Portland. The trend reversed when tourists and new businesses started revitalizing the old seaport, locally known as the Old Port. Since the 1990s, the historically industrial Bayside neighborhood saw rapid development. The emerging harborside Ocean Gateway neighborhood at the base of Munjoy Hill The Maine College of Art has been a revitalizing force downtown, attracting students from around the country. The historic Porteous building on Congress Street was restored by the College.

Portland skyline at sunset

Geography and climate

Porltland, Maine, USA, aerial view
Aerial view of Portland
Deering Oaks Park and fountain, Portland, ME IMG 1838
Deering Oaks Park with fountain and castle pavilion is located at the point where Interstate 295 meets State Street, Park Avenue, and Deering Avenue

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 69.44 square miles (179.85 km2), of which, 21.31 square miles (55.19 km2) is land and 48.13 square miles (124.66 km2) is water. Portland is on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Gulf of Maine and the Atlantic Ocean.

Portland borders South Portland, Westbrook and Falmouth. The city is located at 43.66713 N, 70.20717 W.

Portland has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), with rather cold, snowy winters, and warm, occasionally almost hot, summers. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 22.3 °F (−5.4 °C) in January to 69.1 °F (20.6 °C) in July. Daily high temperatures reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on only 4.6 days per year on average, while cold-season lows of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below are reached on 7.7 nights per year on average. The area can be affected by severe nor'easters during winter, with high winds and snowfall totals. Annual precipitation averages 47.2 inches (1,200 mm) and is plentiful year-round, but with a slightly drier summer; snowfall averages 61.9 inches (157 cm). In coastal Maine, winter-season mid-latitude storms can be intense from November to March, while warm-season thunderstorms are markedly less frequent than in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern U.S. Direct strikes by hurricanes or tropical storms are rare, partially due to the normally cooler Atlantic waters off the Maine coast (which weaken tropical systems), but primarily because most tropical systems approaching or reaching 40 degrees North latitude recurve (Coriolis effect), carrying most such storms well south and east of the Portland area. Extremes range from −39 °F (−39 °C) on February 16, 1943 to 103 °F (39 °C) on July 4, 1911 and August 2, 1975.

Climate data for Portland International Jetport, Maine (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1871–present )
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 67
(19)
64
(18)
88
(31)
92
(33)
94
(34)
98
(37)
100
(38)
103
(39)
95
(35)
88
(31)
74
(23)
71
(22)
103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 50.2
(10.1)
51.4
(10.8)
61.5
(16.4)
74.7
(23.7)
83.8
(28.8)
88.8
(31.6)
91.3
(32.9)
90.1
(32.3)
85.6
(29.8)
74.7
(23.7)
65.3
(18.5)
55.6
(13.1)
93.4
(34.1)
Average high °F (°C) 31.2
(−0.4)
34.6
(1.4)
42.1
(5.6)
53.3
(11.8)
63.5
(17.5)
73.2
(22.9)
78.8
(26.0)
77.7
(25.4)
70.0
(21.1)
58.7
(14.8)
48.0
(8.9)
37.3
(2.9)
55.8
(13.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.3
(−5.4)
25.5
(−3.6)
33.5
(0.8)
44.0
(6.7)
53.9
(12.2)
63.4
(17.4)
69.1
(20.6)
68.0
(20.0)
60.1
(15.6)
48.8
(9.3)
39.4
(4.1)
28.8
(−1.8)
46.5
(8.1)
Average low °F (°C) 13.4
(−10.3)
16.4
(−8.7)
24.9
(−3.9)
34.7
(1.5)
44.2
(6.8)
53.6
(12.0)
59.4
(15.2)
58.2
(14.6)
50.3
(10.2)
38.9
(3.8)
30.9
(−0.6)
20.4
(−6.4)
37.2
(2.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −7
(−22)
−3.1
(−19.5)
5.9
(−14.5)
23.9
(−4.5)
32.2
(0.1)
42.6
(5.9)
49.9
(9.9)
46.7
(8.2)
36.5
(2.5)
25.6
(−3.6)
16.1
(−8.8)
2.1
(−16.6)
−9.9
(−23.3)
Record low °F (°C) −26
(−32)
−39
(−39)
−21
(−29)
8
(−13)
23
(−5)
33
(1)
40
(4)
33
(1)
23
(−5)
15
(−9)
3
(−16)
−21
(−29)
−39
(−39)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.38
(86)
3.25
(83)
4.24
(108)
4.32
(110)
4.01
(102)
3.79
(96)
3.61
(92)
3.14
(80)
3.69
(94)
4.87
(124)
4.93
(125)
4.02
(102)
47.25
(1,200)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 19.2
(49)
12.1
(31)
12.7
(32)
2.8
(7.1)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
trace 1.9
(4.8)
13.2
(34)
61.9
(157)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.1 9.8 11.7 11.2 12.6 11.8 11.0 9.3 9.2 10.5 11.2 11.5 130.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 7.9 6.1 5.1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.5 6.1 27.7
Average relative humidity (%) 66.8 65.2 66.3 66.8 71.1 74.7 75.3 76.3 76.7 73.9 72.6 70.2 71.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 164.8 172.8 205.2 213.5 243.2 259.1 282.2 267.6 229.1 195.7 138.7 140.9 2,512.8
Percent possible sunshine 57 59 55 53 53 56 60 62 61 57 48 51 56
Source: NOAA (relative humidity and sun 1961–1990),

Neighborhoods

Portland is organized into neighborhoods generally recognized by residents, but they have no legal or political authority. In many cases, city signs identify neighborhoods or intersections (which are often called corners). Most city neighborhoods have a local association, which usually maintains ongoing relations of varying degrees with the city government on issues affecting the neighborhood.

On March 8, 1899, Portland annexed the neighboring city of Deering. Deering neighborhoods now comprise the northern and eastern sections of the city before the merger. Portland's Deering High School was formerly the public high school for Deering.

Portland's neighborhoods include the Arts District, Bayside, Bradley's Corner, Cushing's Island, Deering Center, Deering Highlands, Downtown, East Deering, East Bayside, East End, Eastern Cemetery, Great Diamond Island, Highlands, Kennedy Park, Libbytown, Little Diamond Island, Lunt's Corner, Morrill's Corner, Munjoy Hill, Nason's Corner, North Deering, Oakdale, the Old Port, Parkside, Peaks Island, Riverton Park, Rosemont, Stroudwater, West End, and Woodford's Corner.

Old port 21
Moulton Street in Old Port

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 2,240
1800 3,704 65.4%
1810 7,169 93.5%
1820 8,581 19.7%
1830 12,598 46.8%
1840 15,218 20.8%
1850 20,815 36.8%
1860 26,341 26.5%
1870 31,413 19.3%
1880 33,810 7.6%
1890 36,425 7.7%
1900 50,145 37.7%
1910 58,571 16.8%
1920 69,272 18.3%
1930 70,810 2.2%
1940 73,643 4.0%
1950 77,634 5.4%
1960 72,566 −6.5%
1970 65,116 −10.3%
1980 61,572 −5.4%
1990 64,358 4.5%
2000 64,249 −0.2%
2010 66,194 3.0%
2020 68,408 3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census


Raymond H. Fogler Library

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 66,194 people, 30,725 households, and 13,324 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,106.2/sq mi (1,199.3/km2). There were 33,836 housing units at an average density of 1,587.8/sq mi (613.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% White (83.6% non-Hispanic White alone), down from 96.6% in 1990, 7.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population. 40.7% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.

There were 30,725 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.

Portlandmaine povmap (Converted)
Map of Portland's poverty rate and accessibility to public transit and grocery stores

Culture

MNGRR1
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad
Old casco bank 2
Old Casco Bank Building

Sites of interest

The Arts District, centered on Congress Street, is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Stage Company, Maine Historical Society & Museum, Portland Public Library, Maine College of Art, Children's Museum of Maine, SPACE Gallery, Merrill Auditorium, the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, and Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as many smaller art galleries and studios.

Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Lincoln Park and Riverton Park are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include Payson Park, Post Office Park, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetery, Western Cemetery and the Fore River Sanctuary.

In the 2010s, Thompson's Point, located in the Libbytown neighborhood, began a process of renovation and development,. The location hosts a concert venue, ice rink, hotels, restaurants, wineries and breweries.

Other sites of interest include:

Notable buildings

Portland Maine Custom House
Custom House, completed 1872

The spire of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been a notable feature of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. In 1859, Ammi B. Young designed the Marine Hospital, the first of three local works by Supervising Architects of the U.S. Treasury Department. Although the city lost to redevelopment its 1867 Greek Revival post office, which was designed by Alfred B. Mullett of white Vermont marble and featured a Corinthian portico, Portland retains his equally monumental 1872 granite Second Empire–Renaissance Revival custom house.

A more recent building of note is Franklin Towers, a 16-story residential tower completed in 1969. At 175 feet (53 meters), it is Portland's (as well as Maine's) tallest building. It is next to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the city skyline. During the building boom of the 1980s, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including the 1983 Charles Shipman Payson Building by Henry N. Cobb of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners at the Portland Museum of Art complex (a component of which is the 1801 McLellan-Sweat Mansion), and the Back Bay Tower, a 15-story residential building completed in 1990.

477 Congress Street (known locally as the Time and Temperature Building) is situated near Monument Square in the Arts District and is a major landmark: the 14-story building features a large electronic sign on its roof that flashes time and temperature data, as well as parking ban information in the winter. The sign can be seen from nearly all of downtown Portland. The building is home to several radio stations.

Park Street
Townhouses, completed 1835

The Eastland Park Hotel, completed in 1927, is a prominent hotel located on High St. in downtown Portland. Photographer Todd Webb lived in Portland during his later years and took many pictures of the city. Some of Webb's pictures of Portland can be found at the Evans Gallery in South Portland.

Notable people

Food and beverage

Portland rest scene
A few of the many restaurants in Portland, Maine

The downtown area of Portland, including the Arts District and the Old Port have a high concentration of eating and drinking establishments, with many more to be found throughout the rest of the peninsula, outlying neighborhoods, and neighboring communities.

Portland ranks among the top U.S. cities in restaurants and bars per capita. According to the TripAdvisor, Portland is currently home to about 389 restaurants.

Portland has developed a national reputation for the quality of its restaurants and eateries. In 2009, Portland was named the "Foodiest Small Town in America" by Bon Appétit magazine, and was featured in the New York Times as a food destination.

In the spring of 2007, Portland was nominated as one of three finalists for "Delicious Destination of the Year" at the 2007 Food Network Awards.

Many local chefs have gained national attention over the past few years.

The city and outlying region played host to Rachael Ray in an episode of her Food Network Series $40 a Day, and was also featured in the Travel Channel series Man v. Food and Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in 2010.

In 2015, Portland ranked 14th on Travel + Leisure's end of year list, "America's 20 Best Cities for Beer Lovers".

Portland is home to a number of microbreweries and brewpubs, including the D. L. Geary Brewing Company, Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company, Casco Bay Brewing Company, and Allagash Brewing Company.

Portland is the birthplace of the Italian sandwich. Southern Maine's signature sandwich, it is called simply "an Italian" by locals. Italian sandwiches are available at many stores, but most famously at Amato's Italian delicatessens, which claims to have originated the sandwich (hence the name).

The Portland Farmers' Market, which has been in continuous operation since 1768, takes place every Wednesday morning in Monument Square and every Saturday in Deering Oaks Park from early May to the end of November, and every Saturday indoors at 200 Anderson Street in the East Bayside Neighborhood, from early December to the end of April. Fresh fish and seafood can be purchased at a number of markets on the wharves along Commercial Street, and numerous artisan bread makers bake fresh loaves every day.

Appreciation for sustainable food and farming gained a significant boost throughout the state in the 1970s when back-to-the-landers moved to Maine in droves. With them came the resurgence of farmers' markets (including the expansion of the Portland market), a significant organic farming movement and an increased interest in plant-based cuisine. The echoes of this movement continue in Portland, where restaurants emphasize local and organic food and where the state's greatest concentration of vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants can be found.

Portland hosts a number of food and beverage festivals, including:

  • Festival of Nations
  • Greek Festival
  • Harvest on the Harbor
  • Italian Heritage Festival
  • Maine Brewers Festival
  • Maine Vegetarian & Vegan Food Festival
  • Taste of the Nation

Infrastructure

Fire department

The Portland Fire Department (PFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Portland 24/7, 365. Established on March 29, 1768, the PFD is made up of over 230 paid, professional firefighters and operates out of seven Fire Stations, located throughout the city, in addition to Fire Stations staffed by "on-call" firefighters on Peaks Island; Great Diamond Island; Cushing Island; and Cliff Island. The Portland Fire Department also operates an Airport Division Station at 1001 Westbrook St., at the Portland International Jetport, and a Marine Division Station, located at 54 Commercial St. The PFD operates a 4 Platoon shift schedule. Each platoon works for 24 hours followed by one day off. They then work another 24-hour shift followed by five days off. The cycle then repeats.

The Portland Fire Department operates a fire apparatus fleet of 5 Engine Companies; 4 Ladder Companies (including 3 Quints); 1 Rescue Company; 1 Hazardous Materials (Haz-Mat.) Unit; 1 Confined-Space Rescue Unit; 5 ARFF Crash Rescue Units; 3 Marine Units (Fireboats); 5 MEDCU Units (Ambulances); and numerous special, support, and reserve units. Island "call" firefighters man a total of 4 Engines, 1 Ladder, 4 Water Tank Units, and 3 MEDCU Units (Ambulances).

Each frontline fire company is staffed by one Officer and two Firefighters each shift. Each MEDCU Unit (Ambulance) is staffed by two Firefighters (one Paramedic and one AEMT) each shift. The Marine Division is staffed by one Officer and two Firefighters each shift, who also cross-staff Engine 37 in the event of a structural fire in the city not requiring a Marine Unit. Each platoon has an on duty Deputy Chief, Car 32, who is responsible for day-to-day operations of the shift.

The firefighters are members of IAFF Local 740.

Hospitals

Jetblue and mmc 07302009
Maine Medical Center and a jetBlue airliner, viewed from the South Portland side of the Portland International Jetport, 2009

Maine Medical Center is the state's only Level I trauma center and is the largest hospital in Maine.

Mercy Hospital, a faith-based institution, is the fourth largest in the state. It completed the first phase of its new campus along the Fore River in 2008.

The formerly-independent Brighton Medical Center (once known as the Osteopathic Hospital) is now owned by Maine Medical Center and is operated as a minor care center under the names Brighton First Care and New England Rehab. In 2010, Maine Medical Center's Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation, and Simulation opened at the Brighton campus. The former Portland General Hospital is now home to the Barron Center nursing facility.

Wastewater management

One wastewater management project is named the Bedford Street Sewer Separation, with its goal to "improve the water quality and health of Back Cove by reducing the amount of combined sewer overflows (CSO) that over flow during heavy rain events through the use of sewer separation and water treatment devices."

Transportation

Roads

PortlandMEskyview
Portland from above, looking north along I-295

Portland is accessible from I-95 (the Maine Turnpike), I-295, and US 1. U.S. Route 302, a major travel route and scenic highway between Maine and Vermont, has its eastern terminus in Portland. State Routes include SR 9, SR 22, SR 25, SR 26, SR 77, and SR 100. SR 25 Business goes through southwestern Portland.

Intercity buses and trains

Amtrak's Downeaster service offers five daily trains connecting the city's station with eight towns and cities to the south, ending at Boston's North Station. Trains, with the exception of one weekend trip, also go north to Freeport and Brunswick.

Concord Coach Lines bus service connects Portland to 14 other communities in Maine as well as to Boston's South Station and Logan Airport. Both the Downeaster and the Concord Coach Lines can be found at the Portland Transportation Center on Thompsons Point Road, in the Libbytown neighborhood.

The city bus service is provided by Greater Portland Metro.

Airports

Portland me waterfront
Waterfront in Portland

Commercial air service is available at the Portland International Jetport, located in Stroudwater, west of the city's downtown district. American, Southwest, JetBlue, Delta, and United Airlines service the airport. Direct flights are available to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Sarasota, and Washington, D.C.

Water transportation

The Port of Portland is the second-largest cruise and passenger destination in the state (next to Bar Harbor) and is served by the Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal. Ferry service is available year-round to many destinations in Casco Bay. From 2006 to 2009, Bay Ferries operated a high speed ferry called The Cat featuring a five-hour trip to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, for summer passengers and cars. In years past the Scotia Prince Cruises trip took eleven hours. A proposal to replace the defunct Nova Scotia ferry service was rejected in 2013 by the province. From May 15, 2014, until October 2015, the cruise ship ferry Nova Star made daily trips to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Due to poor passenger numbers and financial problems, Nova Scotia selected Bay Ferries, the prior operator of The Cat, to operate the service starting in 2016, citing the company's experience and industry relationships. Nova Star officials pledged a smooth transition to the new operator. The Nova Star was later ordered seized by federal marshals for nonpayment of bills.

Portland old port 3
New hotel in the Old Port

Bay Ferries announced on March 24, 2016, the charter of the former Hawaii Superferry boat HST-2 from the US Navy for the Portland-Yarmouth service for two years. Bay Ferries signed a 10-year deal with Nova Scotia to run the ferry route, which will take about five and a half hours each way. They stated that the boat would be renamed The Cat and that service would begin around June 15, after refitting in South Carolina. There is still a dispute as to whether the ferry will be permitted to carry trucks, desired by Nova Scotia businesses but opposed by the City of Portland.

The Casco Bay Lines operate several passenger ferries with dozens of trips every day year-round to the major populated islands of Casco Bay. The service to Peaks Island also provides an auto ferry for most of its schedule.

Honors

DowntownPortlandMe1
Downtown Portland

Food and drink

  • Ranked as Bon Appétit magazine's "America's Foodiest Small Town" (2009).
  • Ranked fourth on Sperlings Best Places list for America's Foodie Cities!
  • Named "Best American City for Food" by the Daily Meal, April 2015.
  • Named "No. 1 city in U.S. for beer drinkers" by NYC personal finance tech company, SmartAsset, December 2015.
  • Ranked No. 1 city in the world (April, 2016) for craft beer by the largest independent travel publisher in the world, The Matador Network.

Lifestyle and Travel

  • Ranked No. 12 on Frommer's 2007 "Top Travel Destinations".
  • Named Best Adventure Town in the East by Outside Magazine.

Other

  • Ranked as Forbes magazine's "Top City for Empty Nesters" (2012)."Top City for Empty Nesters" (Kiplingers)
  • Ranked No. 1 on Forbes.com "America's Most Livable Cities" (2009).
  • Ranked No. 13 on Men's Health Magazine's list of America's 100 most "car crazed" cities.
  • Ranked No. 20 on the list of Top 20 Best Small Cities for College Students by the American Institute for Economic Research.
  • Named one of the "Coolest Small Cities in America" by GQ Magazine.
  • Ranked as the third gayest city in the nation by UCLA's Williams Institute.
  • Ranked No. 3 on Men's Journal's list, "The 10 Best Places to Live Now". (2015)
  • Ranked No. 5 on Jetsetter's list, "America's Coolest Small Towns". (2015)

Sister cities

Portland has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International (SCI):

Economy

Portland Waterfont 2016
Municipal ferries on the Portland waterfront
Lobster boat in marina
Lobster boat in Portland Harbor marina

Portland has become Maine's economic capital because the city has Maine's largest port, largest population, and is close to Boston (105 miles to the southwest). Over the years, the local economy has shifted from fishing, manufacturing, and agriculture towards a more service-based economy. Most national bank institutions and other related financial organizations such as Bank of America and Key Bank base their Maine operations in Portland. Unum, Covetrus, TruChoice Federal Credit Union, People's United Bank, ImmuCell Corp, and Pioneer Telephone have headquarters here, and Portland's neighboring cities of South Portland, Westbrook and Scarborough, provide homes for other corporations including IDEXX and WEX Inc. Since 1867, Burnham & Morrill Co., maker of B&M Baked Beans, has had its main plant in Portland and is considered a landmark.

The city's port is also undergoing a revival and the first-ever container train departed from the new International Marine Terminal with 15 containers of locally produced bottled water in early 2016.

Americold, a US-based international provider of temperature-controlled storage and distribution, won a bid to develop a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled storage facility adjacent to the port. The facility will support perishable produce, meats, and seafood imports with direct exports but construction has not yet begun.

Portland has a low unemployment rate (3% in June 2017) when compared to national and state averages. The city and its adjacent communities also have higher median incomes than most of the state.

In January 2020 Portland was announced to be the location of a new research institute that will focus on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Northeastern University was selected by technology entrepreneur David Roux to lead the institute that will include programs that will allow graduate student research.

Portland also has a large subsidized housing industry with more than five large real estate companies entirely in the business.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Portland Sea Dogs Double-A Northeast, Baseball Hadlock Field 1994 1
Maine Mariners ECHL, Ice hockey Cross Insurance Arena 2018 0
Maine Celtics NBA G League, Basketball Portland Exposition Building 2009 0
GPS Portland Phoenix USL League Two, Soccer Memorial Stadium 2009 0
Portland Rugby Football Club New England Rugby Football Union, Rugby Union Fox Street Field 1969 1
Maine Roller Derby WFTDA, Roller Derby Portland Exposition Building 2006 0
Portland Lumberjacks PBA Tour,

Professional Bowling Team

Bayside Bowl 2016 2
Maine Cats USAFL, Aussie Rules Football Dougherty Field 2018 0
Cross Arena Basketball
University of Maine women's basketball game at Cross Arena
Hadlock Field and Slugger
Entrance area of Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs
Fitzpatick stadium
State Soccer Championship, Fitzpatrick Stadium

The city is home to three minor league teams. The Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A farm team of the Boston Red Sox, play at Hadlock Field. The Maine Celtics, the NBA G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics, play at the Portland Exposition Building. The GPS Portland Phoenix soccer teams plays in USL League Two.

Previously, Portland was home of several minor league ice hockey teams: the Maine Nordiques (NAHL) from 1973 to 1977, the Maine Mariners (AHL) from 1977 to 1992, and the Portland Pirates (AHL) from 1993 to 2016. The Mariners were three-time Calder Cup winners. In 2018, another Maine Mariners, an ECHL team, returned a minor league hockey team to Portland.

The Maine Mammoths of the National Arena League played in 2018 and were the first indoor football team to call Portland home. The team suspended operations after one season while it negotiated with local ownership groups.

The Portland Sports Complex, located off of Park and Brighton Avenues near I-295 and Deering Oaks park, houses several of the city's stadiums and arenas, including:

  • Hadlock Field – baseball (Capacity 7,368)
  • Fitzpatrick Stadium – football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and outdoor track (Capacity 6,000+ seated)
  • Portland Exposition Building – basketball, indoor track, concerts and trade shows (Capacity 3,000)
  • Portland Ice Arena – hockey and figure skating (Capacity 400)

Cross Insurance Arena has 6,733 permanent seats following renovation in 2014.

The Portland area has eleven professional golf courses, 124 tennis courts, and 95 playgrounds. There are also over 100 mi (160 km) of nature trails.

Portland hosts the Maine Marathon each October.

Bayside Bowl was expanded in 2017 to 20 lanes, including a rooftop deck. It hosted the 2017 PBA League and Elias Cup.

Memorial Stadium is the home of the Deering High School sports teams and is located behind the school.

Education

Maine College of Art
MECA during the holidays
Portland High School 1
Portland High School
UNE College of Pharmacy 1
College of Pharmacy, University of New England

High schools

  • Baxter Academy for Technology and Science (charter)
  • Casco Bay High School (public-expeditionary)
  • Cheverus High School (private)
  • Deering High School (public)
  • Portland Arts & Technology High School (public-vocational)
  • Portland High School (public)
  • Waynflete School (private)

Colleges and universities

Notable people

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Portland (Maine) para niños

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Portland, Maine Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.