Maine counties by area
Official, comparable measurements for 16 counties and county equivalents.
- 254–468 mi²
- 730.2–867.5 mi²
- 991.2–1,697 mi²
- 2,077–3,397 mi²
- 3,924.3–6,671.2 mi²
- 4.4–13 per mi²
- 18–36 per mi²
- 47–80 per mi²
- 113–150 per mi²
- 224–379 per mi²
Understanding Maine’s county areas
The land-area range runs from Sagadahoc County at 254 mi² to Aroostook County at 6,671.2 mi². The largest has 26.3 times the land area of the smallest and accounts for 21.6% of the combined county land in Maine. Compare with every state’s largest county.
The median county-equivalent land area is 1,289.2 mi², above the national median of 604.5 mi². The median describes the middle of the county size distribution; it does not describe how people or development are distributed. A state with a few very large counties can have a much smaller median than its largest entry suggests.
Where water changes the picture
Knox County has the most assigned water area, at 767.4 mi². It also has the highest water share, with water making up 67.8% of its total area. Water area and water percentage answer different questions: the first measures an amount, while the second measures the mix of land and water.
Across all 16 entries, water accounts for 12.8% of the combined total area. This is calculated from the summed land and water measurements, rather than averaging county percentages, which would give each small and large county equal weight.
Where people live
An estimated 1,414,874 people lived in Maine on July 1, 2025 (+3.8% since 2020), or 0.4% of the national total in this dataset. Cumberland County is the most populous county equivalent, with 317,222 residents — 22.4% of the state. The largest by land, Aroostook County, has 66,609.
Across the state there are 46 people per square mile of land. County densities range from 379 in Cumberland County to 4.4 in Piscataquis County; the median county equivalent has 51. Switch the map above to density to see where the state’s population concentrates.
Compare the largest and smallest county equivalents in Maine to see land, water, and total area on the same scale.
These calculations use the 2026 Census county records listed below. County-equivalent boundaries vary between states; area alone does not measure population, density, or usable land. See coverage and calculation rules.
Complete area table
Sorted from largest to smallest land area.
| # | County / equivalent | Land | Water | Water share | Population | Per mi² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aroostook CountyGEOID 23003 | 6,671.2 mi² | 156.3 mi² | 2.3% | 66,609 | 10 |
| 2 | Piscataquis CountyGEOID 23021 | 3,960.8 mi² | 417.2 mi² | 9.5% | 17,409 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Somerset CountyGEOID 23025 | 3,924.3 mi² | 169.1 mi² | 4.1% | 51,620 | 13 |
| 4 | Penobscot CountyGEOID 23019 | 3,397 mi² | 160 mi² | 4.5% | 157,967 | 47 |
| 5 | Washington CountyGEOID 23029 | 2,562.7 mi² | 694.8 mi² | 21.3% | 31,334 | 12 |
| 6 | Oxford CountyGEOID 23017 | 2,077 mi² | 98.8 mi² | 4.5% | 60,346 | 29 |
| 7 | Franklin CountyGEOID 23007 | 1,697 mi² | 46.8 mi² | 2.7% | 30,824 | 18 |
| 8 | Hancock CountyGEOID 23009 | 1,587.2 mi² | 757.7 mi² | 32.3% | 57,171 | 36 |
| 9 | York CountyGEOID 23031 | 991.2 mi² | 278.5 mi² | 21.9% | 222,434 | 224 |
| 10 | Kennebec CountyGEOID 23011 | 867.5 mi² | 83.7 mi² | 8.8% | 129,067 | 149 |
| 11 | Cumberland CountyGEOID 23005 | 836.2 mi² | 381.2 mi² | 31.3% | 317,222 | 379 |
| 12 | Waldo CountyGEOID 23027 | 730.2 mi² | 134.2 mi² | 15.5% | 40,693 | 56 |
| 13 | Androscoggin CountyGEOID 23001 | 468 mi² | 29.2 mi² | 5.9% | 116,487 | 249 |
| 14 | Lincoln CountyGEOID 23015 | 455.9 mi² | 243.7 mi² | 34.8% | 36,595 | 80 |
| 15 | Knox CountyGEOID 23013 | 364.9 mi² | 767.4 mi² | 67.8% | 41,117 | 113 |
| 16 | Sagadahoc CountyGEOID 23023 | 254 mi² | 116.1 mi² | 31.4% | 37,979 | 150 |