Maine has a rich history, a beautiful environment, and is well-respected as a safe place to live and raise children. You'll find city lights and ocean lighthouses and plenty of wide open spaces where you can get away from it all, refresh your spirit and recharge your energies. Hiking and outdoor activities have always been a popular leisure-time activity in Maine. Maine's many parks and recreational areas offer a diverse selection of leisure-time activities to enjoy.

Maine By The Numbers
Year 2000 census figures put Maine's population at close to 1,300,000. Portland, the state's largest metropolitan area, is a diverse city with a population of 62,800, situated on a peninsula jutting into spectacular Casco Bay. Including the surrounding suburbs, the total area population is 230,000. Portland offers eclectic sights, soothing sounds and the great salt air. A combination of big city life blends nicely with its cozy appeal. Only two hours from Boston, Portland offers all the amenities of a big city: arts districts, waterfront, museums, parks, elegant hotels, historical sites and diverse shopping opportunities but within minutes, you can be strolling through the Maine woods, canoeing down a river or skiing some of the most thrilling mountains in New England.

Maine boasts 17 million acres of forestland and 3,500 miles of beautiful, rugged coastline, plus 2,295 square miles of inland water area and more than 2,000 coastal islands. Maine is also home to the impressive Mt. Katahdin which rises 5,268 feet above sea level. The state has more than 25 ski areas and 542,630 acres of State and National Park lands, including Baxter State Park and Acadia National Park, and the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway in northern Maine.

Maine is consistently listed as one of the four safest states in the country, along with New Hampshire, West Virginia and Kentucky.

Maine The Great Outdoors
Maine is an outdoor lover's haven. Parks abound with hiking trails, beaches, historic forts, lighthouses, sandy beaches, hidden tidal pools, dramatic crashing surf and foggy vistas, all part of the infinite variety of life in Maine.

There are 6,000 lakes and ponds and 32,000 miles of rivers and streams. Many state and national parks have mountain and road biking trails as well as snow mobile and cross-country skiing trails. There are more than 25 ski areas for both cross-country and downhill skiing within one to three hours of most points in Maine. Maine is a boating paradise, with many islands, inlets and coves to explore along the coast and inland lakes.

Climate

• Maine Weather Clear days without fog or precipitation: 120
• Average summer temperature is 70^o F
• Average precipitation: 43 inches
• Number of thunderstorms annually: 15 to 20
• Average winter temperature is 22^o F
• Average snowfall on the coast: 50 to 70 inches
• Average snowfall in southerly interior regions: 60 to 90 inches
• Average snowfall in northern regions: 90 to 110 inches
• Snowiest month: January, with an average of 20 inches
• Number of sub-zero days along the coast: 10 to 20

Sports Teams

• Professional Double A baseball team: Portland Sea Dogs (a farm team of the Boston Red Sox)
• AHL Hockey team: Portland Pirates (past Calder Cup champions)

Other Attractions

• Portland Symphony Orchestra
• Maine State Music Theater
• Opera and Ballet
• Portland Museum of Art
• Theater Portland Players and Portland Stage Company
• Children's Museum of Maine
• Cumberland County Civic Center
• Maine Maritime Museum
• Historic Old Port area for dining and shopping
• Local and Regional Festivals

Transportation/Distances to Major Cities
Maine's major airports are Portland International Jetport and Bangor International Airport. Several bus lines serve Maine, including Concord Trailways, Greyhound, and Vermont Transit. Passenger Rail Service to Boston and other major cities is also available.

Boston is 111 miles away, approximately two hours by car, depending on actual destination. New York City is 328 miles. Quebec, Canada is 277 miles. Montreal, Canada is 280 miles.

Educational Opportunities

• Bates College
• Bowdoin College
• Colby College
• Husson College
• Maine College of Art
• Saint Joseph's College
• Thomas College
• Unity College
• University of Maine
• University of Southern Maine
• University of New England

Links to Additional Information about Portland, Maine

• www.mainechamber.org
• www.visitportland.com
• www.mainetoday.com

Back to top