Aroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

. In 2010, its population was 71,870. In land area, it is the largest county in the state and the largest U.S. county east of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

. Its seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 is Houlton

Houlton, Maine

Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith...

. Among residents of Maine, it is often referred to simply as "The County."

As Maine's northernmost county, its northernmost town, Estcourt Station

Estcourt Station, Maine

Estcourt Station is a village in Big Twenty Township, Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It is the northernmost point in Maine and New England....

, is therefore also the northernmost town of New England

New England

New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...

 and of the continental U.S. east of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

.

Aroostook County is known for its potato crops, as well as its Acadian culture. In the northernmost region of the county, which borders Madawaska County, New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

, many of the residents are bilingual.

The county is an emerging hub for wind power.

Aroostook County was formed in 1839 from parts of Penobsco

Penobscot County, Maine

Penobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923...

 and Washington

Washington County, Maine

Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 32,856. Its county seat is Machias.Sometimes referred to as "Sunrise County" because it is the easternmost county in the United States, and it is often where the rising sun first shines on the 48...

 Counties. In 1843, Aroostook gained land from Penobscot County; in 1844, Aroostook again gained land from Penobscot, plus it exchanged land with Piscataquis County. In 1889, Aroostook gained slightly from Penobscot, but gave back the land in 1903 when Aroostook County gained its final form.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 6828.79 square miles (17,686.5 km²), of which 6671.54 square miles (17,279.2 km²) (or 97.70%) is land and 157.25 square miles (407.3 km²) (or 2.30%) is water. Aroostook County is about the size of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

 and Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

 combined.

Adjacent U.S. counties

• Washington County, Maine
  Washington County, Maine
  Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 32,856. Its county seat is Machias.Sometimes referred to as "Sunrise County" because it is the easternmost county in the United States, and it is often where the rising sun first shines on the 48...
  
   - southeast
• Penobscot County, Maine
  Penobscot County, Maine
  Penobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923...
  
   - south
• Piscataquis County, Maine
  Piscataquis County, Maine
  Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 17,535, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft....
  
   - south
• Somerset County, Maine
  Somerset County, Maine
  Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 52,228. Its county seat is Skowhegan.-History:...
  
   - southwest

Adjacent regional county municipalities

• Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Montmagny is a county regional municipality of Quebec in Canada. Montmagny is the seat.This area was named after Charles de Montmagny, the second governor of New France.According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:*Population: 23,438...
  
   - west
• L'Islet Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  L'Islet Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  L'Islet is a Regional County Municipality in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec in Canada.The county seat is Saint-Jean-Port-Joli.According to the 2001 Statistics Canada Census:*Population: 19,368*% Change : −2.3*Dwellings: 8,944...
  
   - west
• Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Kamouraska is a regional county municipality in eastern Quebec, Canada. Regional County municipality seat is Saint-Pascal. The other main town is La Pocatière, Quebec....
  
   - northwest
• Témiscouata Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Témiscouata Regional County Municipality, Quebec
  Témiscouata is a county regional municipality of Quebec in Canada. It is located southeast of Rivière-du-Loup, bordering New Brunswick, and is centred around Lake Témiscouata.Major industries include forestry, agriculture and maple syrup products....
  
   - north

Adjacent Canadian counties

• Madawaska County, New Brunswick
  Madawaska County, New Brunswick
  Madawaska County , also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle", is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Over 90% of the county's population speaks French...
  
   - northeast
• Victoria County, New Brunswick
  Victoria County, New Brunswick
  Victoria County is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Farming, especially of potatoes, is the major industry in the county.-Communities:...
  
   - east
• Carleton County, New Brunswick
  Carleton County, New Brunswick
  Carleton County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada.The county is located in western New Brunswick, it borders on the west, the State of Maine; on the south, York County; on the north, Victoria County and is bisected by the Saint John River. Potato farming is a major industry...
  
   - east
• York County, New Brunswick
  York County, New Brunswick
  York County is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The county contains the provincial capital, Fredericton. Outside the city, farming and forestry are two major industries in the county, which is bisected by the Saint John River...
  
   - southeast

Cities, towns, and plantations

• Allagash
  Allagash, Maine
  Allagash is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 277 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and 2.8 square miles is water...
  
  
• Amity
  Amity, Maine
  Amity is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 199 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.-Demographics:...
  
  
• Ashland
  Ashland, Maine
  Ashland is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,474 at the 2000 census.DIRTY town-External links:**...
  
  
• Bancroft
  Bancroft, Maine
  Bancroft is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 61 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Benedicta Township
• Blaine
  Blaine, Maine
  Blaine is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 806 as of the 2000 census. It was known as Alva prior to incorporation in 1874, when it was renamed in honor of James G. Blaine, then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives...
  
  
• Bridgewater
  Bridgewater, Maine
  Bridgewater is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 612 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Caribou
  Caribou, Maine
  Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 8,189 at the 2010 census.-History:Between 1838 and 1839, the undeclared Aroostook War flared between the United States and Canada, and the Battle of Caribou occurred in December 1838...
  
  
• Caswell
  Caswell, Maine
  Caswell is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 326 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Chapman
  Chapman, Maine
  Chapman is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 465 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Crystal
  Crystal, Maine
  Crystal is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 285 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Dickey
• Easton
  Easton, Maine
  Easton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Frenchville
  Frenchville, Maine
  Frenchville is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,225 at the 2000 census: 80 percent are habitual speakers of French, aided by its proximity to French-speaking Quebec and New Brunswick in Canada....
  
  
• Hamlin
  Hamlin, Maine
  Hamlin is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It is located on the Canada-US border with a border crossing into Grand Falls, New Brunswick...
  
  

• Hammond
  Hammond, Maine
  Hammond is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 98 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Haynesville
  Haynesville, Maine
  Haynesville is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 122 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Hersey
  Hersey, Maine
  Hersey is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 63 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
  
  
• Hodgdon
  Hodgdon, Maine
  Hodgdon is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,240 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Houlton
  Houlton, Maine
  Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, on the United States – Canada border, located at . As of the 2010 census, the town population was 6,123. It is perhaps best known as being at the northern terminus of Interstate 95 and for being the birthplace of Samantha Smith...
  
  
• Limestone
  Limestone, Maine
  Limestone is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,314 at the 2010 census. The town is best known for being the home of the Loring Commerce Center...
  
  
• Linneus
  Linneus, Maine
  Linneus is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 892 at the 2000 census. It is named after Carl Linnaeus.-Geography:...
  
  
• Littleton
  Littleton, Maine
  Littleton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 955 at the 2000 census. In 1800 the southern half of the town was given as a land grant to Williams College and in 1801 the northern half was given as a grant to Framingham Academy...
  
  
• Ludlow
  Ludlow, Maine
  Ludlow is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 402 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.0 square miles , of which, 22.0 square miles of it is land and 0.05% is water...
  
  
• Madawaska
  Madawaska, Maine
  Madawaska is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,035 at the 2010 census. Madawaska is opposite Edmundston in Madawaska County in New Brunswick, Canada, to which it is connected by the Edmundston-Madawaska Bridge. Today many of its residents speak French; 83.4% of...
  
  
• Mapleton
  Mapleton, Maine
  Mapleton is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,948 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Mars Hill
  Mars Hill, Maine
  Mars Hill is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,480 at the 2000 census.-History:The town is named for Hezekiah Mars, who camped for three years at the base of Mars Hill Mountain. In 1834, the first industry was cutting timber, particularly trees for masts....
  
  
• Masardis
  Masardis, Maine
  Masardis is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 255 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Merrill
  Merrill, Maine
  Merrill is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Monticello
  Monticello, Maine
  Monticello is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States on the northern branch of the Meduxnekeag River. The population was 790 at the 2000 census...
  
  

• Oakfield
  Oakfield, Maine
  Oakfield is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 732 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Orient
  Orient, Maine
  Orient is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 145 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Oxbow (plantation)
  Oxbow, Maine
  Oxbow is a plantation in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 56 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the plantation has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Perham
  Perham, Maine
  Perham is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 434 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Maine's 33rd governor, Sidney Perham.-Geography:...
  
  
• Sherman
  Sherman, Maine
  Sherman is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 458 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Smyrna
  Smyrna, Maine
  Smyrna is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 415 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Stockholm
  Stockholm, Maine
  Stockholm is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 253 at the 2010 census.-History:Starting in 1870, a Swedish-immigrant colony was established by the State of Maine in Aroostook County. The State of Maine had appointed William W...
  
  
• Wade
  Wade, Maine
  Wade is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 250 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:...
  
  
• Wallagrass
  Wallagrass, Maine
  Wallagrass is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 561 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Washburn
  Washburn, Maine
  Washburn is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. It was incorporated on February 25, 1861, and named after Israel Washburn, the governor of Maine at the time...
  
  
• Weeksboro
• Westfield
  Westfield, Maine
  Westfield is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 559 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Westmanland
  Westmanland, Maine
  Westmanland is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 71 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.49%, is water.-History:...
  
  
• Weston
  Weston, Maine
  Weston is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 203 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
  
  
• Woodland
  Woodland, Aroostook County, Maine
  Woodland is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,403 at the 2000 census. Because the state of Maine has a law stating that no two towns may share the same name, Woodland of Aroostook County and Woodland of Washington County found themselves before the Maine State...
  
  

Territories

• Central Aroostook
  Central Aroostook, Maine
  Central Aroostook is an unorganized territory in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 95 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
  
  
• Connor
  Connor, Maine
  Connor is an unorganized territory in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 424 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
  
  
• Northwest Aroostook
  Northwest Aroostook, Maine
  Northwest Aroostook is an unorganized territory in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 27 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
  
  
• South Aroostook
  South Aroostook, Maine
  South Aroostook is an unorganized territory in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 486 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
  
  
• Square Lake
  Square Lake, Maine
  Square Lake is an unorganized territory in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 615 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 414.9 square miles , of which, 383.2 square miles of it is...
  
  
• Madawaska Lake
• Cross Lake
• Sinclair

Indian reservations

• Aroostook Band of Mi'kmaq Indians Reservation, located in Presque Isle, Maine
• Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Reservation, located in Houlton, Maine

Government and politics

The county has gone for the Democratic Presidential candidate in the last five elections, but often not with more than 50% of the vote. In the Maine Senate

Maine Senate

The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution allows for "an odd number of Senators, not less than...

, the county's delegation includes six Democrats and five Republicans. In 2009 it voted 73% in favor of a referendum rejecting same-sex marriage and 54% against the Maine Medical Marijuana Act.

Politicians of Aroostook County, Maine, have proposed spinning off the county as its own state, probably named Aroostook, since the 1990s. As recently as 2005 the question has been brought up before the state legislature.

Voter registration

Voter registration

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of August 2011
Party		Total Voters	Percentage	Democratic Maine Democratic Party The Maine Democratic Party is the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of Maine.-Current Democratic officeholders:The Maine Democratic Party is the minority party in both the Maine Senate and Maine House of Representatives. The party, however, holds both of the state's U.S...	25,475	34.96%	Unenrolled	16,868	33.93%	Republican Maine Republican Party The Maine Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Maine. It was founded in Strong, Maine on August 7, 1854. The state Chairman is Charles M. Webster....	14,188	28.54%	Green Party Maine Green Independent Party The Maine Green Independent Party is the oldest state Green party in the United States. It was founded following an informal meeting of 18 environmental advocates, including Bowdoin College professor John Rensenbrink and others in Augusta, Maine...	1,271	2.56%
Total		49,703	100%

Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 73,938 people, 30,356 households, and 20,429 families residing in the county. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 11 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 38,719 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.80% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.38% Black or African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.6% were of French, 15.4% United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 or American, 14.6% English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 14.3% French Canadian

French Canadian

French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

 and 10.2% Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

 ancestry. According to the 2000 United States Census, 22.37% of the population speak French at home.

There were 30,356 households out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,837, and the median income for a family was $36,044. Males had a median income of $29,747 versus $20,300 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $15,033. About 9.80% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

History

Some of the territory in this county was part of the land dispute that led to the "Aroostook War

Aroostook War

The Aroostook War was an undeclared nonviolent confrontation in 1838/1839 between the United States and Great Britain over the international boundary between British North America and Maine. The compromise resolution win a mutually accepted border between the state of Maine and the provinces of...

".

External links

• Aroostook County Government
• Aroostook County on Maine.gov