County outline
Where York County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 78.1% of York County’s measured area and water for 21.9%. Its combined area converts to 3,288.5 square kilometers or approximately 812,616 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 991.193 | 2,567.178 | 634,363.5 |
| Water | 278.519 | 721.361 | 178,252.2 |
| Total | 1,269.712 | 3,288.539 | 812,615.7 |
How York County compares
By original Census land area, York County ranks #9 of 16 in Maine and #694 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.769 times the Maine county-equivalent median of 1,289.2 square miles. It accounts for 3.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Maine ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of York County
The Census Bureau estimates that 222,434 people lived in York County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #324 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #2 of 16 in Maine. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 211,987, the population has grown by 10,447 (+4.9%), compared with +3.8% for Maine as a whole.
With 991.2 square miles of land, that is 224 people per square mile (87 per km²), placing York County #604 nationally for density and #3 in Maine. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Maine median is 51. Put another way, there are about 2.9 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 212,272 | 215,063 | 217,376 | 219,839 | 221,106 | 222,434 |
| Change | — | +2,791 | +2,313 | +2,463 | +1,267 | +1,328 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in York County
York County is divided into 29 cities and towns. In Maine, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Sanford city, with 22,663 residents (10.2% of the county). The largest by land is Parsonsfield town, at 58.9 mi², or 5.9% of the county’s land. The county seat, Alfred town, has 3,188 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Eliot town grew fastest since then (+13.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford city | 22,663 | +3.2% | 47.8 | 4.8% |
| Biddeford city | 22,399 | −0.7% | 30.1 | 3% |
| Saco city | 21,159 | +3.8% | 38.6 | 3.9% |
| York town | 14,293 | +4.2% | 54.7 | 5.5% |
| Kennebunk town | 12,152 | +5.3% | 35.1 | 3.5% |
| Wells town | 12,094 | +6.8% | 57.7 | 5.8% |
| Kittery town | 11,420 | +13.4% | 17.8 | 1.8% |
| Old Orchard Beach town | 9,533 | +6.4% | 7.434 | 0.8% |
| Buxton town | 8,681 | +3.5% | 40.5 | 4.1% |
| Berwick town | 8,436 | +6.1% | 37.5 | 3.8% |
| Waterboro town | 8,219 | +3.7% | 55.3 | 5.6% |
| South Berwick town | 7,941 | +6.4% | 32.1 | 3.2% |
| Eliot town | 7,643 | +13.7% | 19.8 | 2% |
| Lebanon town | 6,801 | +5.2% | 55 | 5.5% |
| North Berwick town | 5,355 | +7.3% | 38 | 3.8% |
Show the other 14 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hollis town | 5,003 | +5.4% | 32 |
| Lyman town | 4,713 | +3.9% | 39 |
| Arundel town | 4,596 | +7.5% | 23.9 |
| Limington town | 4,173 | +7.2% | 42 |
| Kennebunkport town | 3,717 | +2.8% | 20.6 |
| Limerick town | 3,575 | +12.1% | 27.1 |
| Alfred townCounty seat | 3,188 | +4.3% | 27.3 |
| Shapleigh town | 3,025 | +3.6% | 38.7 |
| Acton town | 2,735 | +2.3% | 37.8 |
| Dayton town | 2,182 | +2.7% | 17.9 |
| Parsonsfield town | 1,837 | +2.7% | 58.9 |
| Newfield town | 1,693 | +2.5% | 32.3 |
| Ogunquit town | 1,606 | +1.9% | 4.082 |
| Cornish town | 1,602 | +6.2% | 22.2 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside York County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
York County is a central county of the Portland-South Portland, ME Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 577,635 residents on 2,081.4 square miles of land; York County accounts for 47.6% of the land and 38.5% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #153 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #103 by population. It belongs to the Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, ME Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 317,222 | 836.2 |
| York County | 222,434 | 991.2 |
| Sagadahoc County | 37,979 | 254 |
ZIP codes
36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in York County, and each lies mostly inside the county.
039010390203903039040390503906039070390803909039100391104001040020400504006040200402704030040420404304046040470404804049040560406104063040640407204073040760408304087040900409304095
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering York County
York County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents, including 3 in New Hampshire. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Oxford County (2,077 mi²) and the smallest is Strafford County (367.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, York County forms a block of 5,899.3 mi² of land, of which it holds 16.8%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. York | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford County | 2,077 | 2.1× larger | Compare |
| Carroll CountyNew Hampshire | 931.9 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Cumberland County | 836.2 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Rockingham CountyNew Hampshire | 695.6 | 1.4× smaller | Compare |
| Strafford CountyNew Hampshire | 367.5 | 2.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is York County compared with U.S. states?
York County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1 times as much. Maine’s county land could hold about 31 areas the size of York County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 31.5 miles (50.7 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about York County?
York County has more land than 2,528 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places York County at #551 nationally by total area, 143 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 21.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 20.8 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside York County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #693 | Arkansas County, Arkansas | 992.1 | Compare |
| #694 | York County, Maine | 991.2 | This county |
| #695 | Motley County, Texas | 989.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 43.428852, -70.673778. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,567,179,253 m²; AWATER: 721,359,674 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is York County?
York County, Maine has 991.2 square miles (2,567.2 km²) of land and 278.5 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,269.7 square miles. It ranks #694 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is York County the largest county in Maine?
No. York County ranks #9 of 16 in Maine by land area. The largest is Aroostook County, with 6,671.2 square miles of land.
What counties border York County?
York County shares a land border with Cumberland County, Strafford County, New Hampshire, Carroll County, New Hampshire, Oxford County, and Rockingham County, New Hampshire.
What is the population of York County?
The Census Bureau estimates York County had 222,434 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #324 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 224 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of York County?
The county seat of York County is Alfred.
What cities and towns are in York County?
York County has 29 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Sanford city, Biddeford city, Saco city, York town, and Kennebunk town.
Is York County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Portland-South Portland, ME Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 577,635 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in York County?
36 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in York County, and 36 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does York County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in York County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 634,364 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 812,616 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.