85 Maine Facts And Weird Laws

Think of a northernmost state spotted with fishing harbors, lighthouses, windjammers, beautiful waves, and colorful boats. 

The state of Maine matches these iconic images. The good thing about Maine is that it never disappoints.

Maine boasts beautiful woods, art heritage, outdoor activities, museums, natural wonders, and historical attractions that will give you a wide range of choices for your adventure.

Here are our Maine fun facts you probably didn’t know.

Best Fun Facts About Maine

1. No one knows the exact origin of the state’s name. 
2. Maine has been home to humans for at least 5,000 years.
3. The Vikings were the first Europeans to arrive in Maine.
4. The Spanish arrived in Maine about 300 years after the Vikings from Norway.
5. The French established the first settlement in Maine in 1604.
6. Britain and France fought over Maine for more than 100 years.
7. Maine contributed more people to the Union army than any other state.
8. Maine is the most forested of any state in the nation.
9. Maine boasts 3,500 miles of Coastline.
10. Stephen King set most of his books in Maine.
11. Maine has the lowest population density in the eastern United States.
12. Maine is home to a small desert.
13. Maine was once home to the toothpick capital of the world. The state leads in the country’s toothpick supply.
14. Maine is home to bizarre museums.
15. Maine is home to the largest breed of domestic cats.

Maine Facts—Politics And Government

1. Maine is a solid Democratic Party stronghold. Democratic presidential candidates have carried Maine in the last 8 elections.
2. Maine and Nebraska are the only US states that do not rely on the winner-take-all system. The candidate receives one vote for winning a congressional district. The overall winner (popular vote) gets additional two votes.
3. The Maine government consists of executive, legislature, and judiciary branches.
4. The current governor of Maine is Janet Mills. She is the head of the executive charged with executing laws.
5. Maine does not have a lieutenant governor alongside four other states–Arizona, Wyoming, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
6. The Maine two-house legislature comprises a 151-member House of Representatives and a 35-member Senate.
7. Maine’s legislature needs a two-thirds majority in both houses to override a veto (by a governor).
8. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the top court in the state. This court has its principal office in Portland.
9. Other courts include the Probate Court, Superior Court, and District Court.
10. Voters elect Probate judges to a part-time role for four years while the governor nominates and the legislature approves the other judges to seven-year full-time positions.
11. Maine is one of the easiest states to vote in. A study in 2020 ranked the state 14th by the ease of voting.
12. Maine has 16 counties.

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Maine Facts—History

13. Wabanaki people were the original occupants of present-day Maine. These people merged during King Philip’s war, forming the Wabanaki Confederacy.
14. The majority of the Wabanaki tribe lived in this region up to the American Revolution.
15. The first Europeans to visit Maine were the Norwegian. They traded with the Penobscot in Hancock County. 
16. Though unconfirmed, there are claims that Maine is the first region the Europeans visited in the entire nation–1200 CE.
17. Maine Penny dug from a Native American site was used in Norway in the 11th century.
18. The French, Pierre Dugua, led the first European settlement. The French settled on Saint Croix Island in 1604. 
19. The State of Maine was formerly part of Acadia, given by the early French settlers.
20. The Plymouth Company founded the first European settlement in this state in 1607.
21. The coastal region in eastern Maine became the province of Maine in 1622. 
22. Western Maine was formerly known as the Territory of Sagadahoc.
23. The British, French, and Native Americans fought to gain control of Maine before the 19th century. 
24. The Maine territory became part of Massachusetts when the American Revolution ended.
25. Maine seceded from Massachusetts in 1820 following the War of 1812.
26. In the same year (1820), Maine  Union was the 23rd state. This feat for Maine was due to the Missouri Compromise.
27. Augusta became the capital city in 1832. Portland was the state’s original capital city.
28.  During the Battle of Gettysburg, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain via the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was crucial to the Union army.
29. Did you know that four US Navy Ships were named USS Maine? The most notable was the armored cruiser USS Maine (ACR-1), whose sinking sparked the Spanish-American war.
30. Maine was home to the first naval battle during the American Revolutionary War.

Maine Facts—Geography

31. Maine is the 39th most extensive state in the US, with 35,385 square miles.
32. Occupying the northernmost part of New England, Maine is the only state which borders one US state–New Hampshire. 
33. The state also shares its borders with the two Canadian provinces of Quebec and Brunswick.
34. The US easternmost settlement is in Lubec, Maine. It’s home to the country’s most eastern city, Eastport.
35. Mount Katahdin is the state’s highest point at 5,270 feet above sea level.
36. The Atlantic Ocean is the state’s lowest point at sea level.
37. Maine is home to Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the closest place from the US to Europe and Africa.
38. Estcourt Station is both Maine’s and New England’s northernmost points.
39. Moosehead Lake is the largest lake occurring within New England. 

40. Lake Champlain runs through Vermont, Quebec, and New York. Therefore, it isn’t the largest lake entirely located within New England.
41. Mount Katahdin is the Appalachian Trail’s northern terminus.
42. The North Rock and Machias Seal Island lies in a disputed region between Canada and America.
43. Mount desert island the state’s largest island.
44. Maine is home to the Bay of Fundy –the West Hemisphere’s largest tidal whirlpool.
45. More than 80% of Maine is forested. The state’s nickname is the Pine Tree State.
46. Maine’s ocean coastline is nearly 230 miles in length.
47. The state’s coastal region has fishing villages, offshore islands (Isles of Shoals), and lighthouses.
48. The Maine landscape has bays, cliffs, rocks, rocky coastline, forests, rivers, lakes, and mountains.
49. Popular glacial features in the state are the Bubble Rock and Somes Sound in Acadia National Park.
50. The New England states combined have only one national park, the Acadia National Park.

51. Maine’s climate is snowy in the winters and warm in the summers. Northern Maine and Western Maine experience the most severe winter in the Pine Tree State.
52. Tornadoes and thunderstorms are not common in Maine.

Maine Facts—Animals And Plants

53. The common animals in Maine include garter snakes, wild turkeys, mudpuppy salamanders, and Canada lynx.
54. Maine has the highest Moose populations of all the states east of the Mississippi River.
55. Moose is the official state animal of Maine.
56. The state of Maine has an official state cat, Maine Coon. This cat weighs 18 pounds, making it one of the largest breeds.
57. Moose is the largest of all the deer species.
58. Chickadee is the official state bird of Maine.
59. The American lobster, native to Maine, is the state crustacean.
60. When in Maine, the animals to watch out for include Coyotes, North American Black bears, Porcupines, and snapping turtles.
61. Redfin pickerel, Black racer, Golden Eagle, and the Katahdin Arctic are some of the state’s endangered animals.
62. Maine is the US’s only continental state without a venomous snake.
63. The softwoods in Maine’s forests include spruce, fir, and pine. Yellow birch, sugar maple, paper birch, and aspen are common hardwood trees.
64. The state symbols for plants include state berry (wild blueberry), state flower (white pine cone) , state herb (wintergreen), and state tree (white pine).

Maine Facts—Demographics

65. With a population of 1,362,359 (2020), Maine is the 10th least populated state.
66. Cumberland County is the most populous county in Maine. Cape Elizabeth is one of the towns in this county.
67. Portland is the only city with a population exceeding 50,000. 

68. Other major cities in Maine are Bangor, Westbrook, Lewiston, Biddeford, Auburn, and Augusta.
69. Maine state ranks last by population density. The Pine Tree State has about 43 people per square mile.
70. The median age is 44 years.
71. The dominant religion in Maine is Christianity representing 60% of the state’s residents.
72. Whites are the dominant racial group in the state–94% of the state’s population.
73. The major ancestry group is the French (or French-Canadians), English, Irish, American, and Italian, German.
74. English is the official language of Maine.

Maine Facts—Economy

75. Maine ranks 26th in long-term fiscal stability with its key attributes as crime & corrections(2), natural environment(14), and healthcare(26).
76. Maine leads in the nation’s lobster supply.
77. The state’s main agricultural products are dairy products, cattle, wild blueberries, maple sugar, and maple syrup.
78. The state’s industrial outputs are textiles, wood, electronic equipment, food, biotechnology, and leather products.
79. Naval Shipbuilding is important to the economy of the state. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Kittery) and the Bath Iron Works are ship construction plants.

80. Maine is home to the Brunswick landing, initially known as the Naval Air Station Brunswick. 
81. Maine was once home to Strong, the nation’s largest toothpick manufacturer.
82. Maine is a popular tourism spot with amazing outdoor activities such as skiing, snowmobiling, sports fishing, and hiking.
83. The expansion of Portland International Airport has had a good effect on air traffic in the state.
84. Portland, Maine was once home to the bean company, B & M Baked Beans Factory.
85. The leading supplier of purebred mice, Jackson laboratory, is in Maine.

Famous Locations In Maine

1. Acadia National Park which is home to Cadillac Mountain.
2. The Old Port and Portland Head Lighthouse have seafood restaurants, docks, and boats that may appeal to you.

3. Marginal Way and Ogunquit Beaches offer you the best of the rocky coast.
4. Pemaquid Point Light in the coastal region of Maine is an iconic lighthouse.
5. Old Orchard Beach in Maine is the only beach you can access by train.
6. Farnsworth Art Museum has an extensive collection of arts, particularly the works of artists related to the state.
7. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and Boothbay Harbor.

8. Maine Maritime Museum houses information on lobster heritage, seafaring, and shipbuilding.
9. West Quoddy Head lighthouse.
10. Portland Museum of Art
11. Victoria Mansion is a historic home located in Portland.
12. Monhegan Island is one of the coastal islands of Maine.

Famous People From Maine

• Anna Kendrick, the actress, was born in Portland, Maine.
• Stephen King, the author, was born in Portland, Maine.
• Erin Andrews, the journalist, was born in Lewiston, Maine.
• Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine.
• Andrew Martin, the actress, was born in Portland, Maine.
• The former US vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, was born in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Common Misconceptions About Maine

Here are some of the misconceptions non-natives believe about this state.

Everyone eats lobsters.

Maine is the top producer of lobsters in the nation, but not everyone within the state eats lobsters.

There is no internet.

While the Internet connection is low in rural areas, other places boast good internet speeds.

Everywhere is covered by snow.

There are about five months without snow.

Top 10 Weird Maine Laws

Here are 10 Maine weird laws you might not know exist today. Read the Craziest Laws in the United States, if you want more.

1. It’s illegal to step out of an airplane while in flight. (Is this even possible…?)
2. Turn off your holiday lights on January 14th.
3. It’s illegal to walk down the street of Augusta while playing the violin.
4. It’s illegal to spit from all windows on the second floor.
5. Biting your landlord is illegal in Rumford.
6. It’s illegal to put an advert in the cemetery in Wells, Maine.
7. Don’t think of keeping an armadillo as a pet in Maine.
8. You shouldn’t blow your nose when you are in a public place in Waterville.
9. Cleaning salmon on the upper Kennebec River may land you into trouble.
10. Tickling a woman’s chin using a feather duster in Portland is illegal.

Final Thoughts

We brought you a list of interesting facts about Maine’s history, politics, government, geography, and top attractions. 

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. 

What is the interesting fact you learned about Maine today?

Maine Facts And Stats

Capital	Augusta
Population	2020 (1,362,359)
Governor	Janet Mills (Democratic Party)
Date Of Admission	March 15, 1820
U.S. Senators	Susan Collins(R) Angus King(I)
US House of Representatives	2 (of 435 Seats)
State Nickname	Pine Tree State
State Motto	“Dirigo” Latin for “I lead” or ” I direct”
State Song	“Grand State of Maine” by Roger Vinton Snow
State Flower	White Pine Cone
State Fish	Atlantic Salmon
State Bird	Black-capped Chickadee
State Tree	Eastern White Pine
State Animal	Moose
State Drink	Moxie
State Mineral	Tourmaline
State Gem	Tourmaline
State Fossil	Pertica quadrifaria
Neighbor States	New Hampshire

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Maine famous for?

• Seafood.
• Rocky beaches.
• Umbrella Cover Museum.
• Portland head light –the state’s oldest lighthouse.
• First Ship Landmark.
• Baxter State Park.
• Lobsters.
• Wild blueberries.

What are the 10 interesting facts about Maine?

1. Maine shares its border with only one US state–New Hampshire.
2. The state nickname “The Pine Tree State” is believed to have originated from the many pine trees in the state.
3. Maine state ranks top in the country’s lobster supply.
4. The Vikings were the first to explore Maine.
5. Maine is home to York –the first US chartered city.
6. Maine is the birthplace of Burt’s Bees.
7. Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name in the US.
8. Only Alaska is colder than Maine in Spring.
9. Maine sees the Sun earlier than all the US states every day.
10. Portland in Oregon got its name from the one in Maine.

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Related Content: 

• Maine Senator Susan Collins Bio | Contact | Quotes
• Maine Senator Angus King Bio | Contact | Quotes
• Maine Unemployment Insurance Benefits Guide

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References

[1] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/topics/us-states/maine

[2] https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/places/north-america/us/maine-state-united-states/geography

[3] https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-places-to-visit-in-maine/

[4] https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/maine