Profile for Portland, Maine, ME

Portland is on Casco Bay.

Former and merged names include:
· Falmouth
· Machigonne
· Pasco

British ships nearly destroyed the town in 1775. The economy flourished in the 19th century, with shipyards, railroads, lumber, sugar refining and textile mills.

More than 1,800 buildings burned in a fire started during a Fourth of July celebration in 1866.

In recent years, the city has restored its waterfront. The area thrives as a popular tourist/entertainment district of restaurants and stores.

Public transportation: Regional Transportation Program (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 242. The number of murders and homicides was 1. The violent crime rate was 3.8 per 1,000 people.

Filming location for:
· 1996 movie, "The Preacher's Wife"
· 1993 movie, "The Man Without a Face"
· 1996 movie, "Thinner"

Setting for Longfellow's poems "My Lost Youth" and "The Lighthouse."

Well-known residents have included:
· Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet
· Judd Nelson, actor
· Stephen King, author

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Starbucks

Local festivals include:

• Festival of Nations - July 28, 2007
• Maine Brewers' Festival - Nov. 3, 2007
• Maine Festival of the Book - June 22-24, 2007
• Maine Boatbuilders Show - March 16-18, 2007
• Portland Festival of Nations - July 28, 2007
• Old Port Festival - June 3, 2007
• Baystock Festival - Aug. 18, 2007
• Greek Heritage Festival - June 21-23, 2007
• Steam Fest - Oct. 6-8, 2007

Performing arts: Portland Symphony Orchestra

Nearby parks & recreation: Deering Oaks, Crescent Beach State Park

Portland attractions: Portland Public Market

Sports teams: Sea Dogs (minor league baseball), Pirates (AHL)

Historic sites and museums: Center for Maine History, Portland Museum of Art, Portland Fire Museum, Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum, Children's Museum of Maine

Colleges and universities: Maine College of Art, Andover College, Casco Bay College, University of New England-Westbrook College Campus, University of Southern Maine

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 225

Quotes:
Portland people are steadied by the vistas that play a large part in their lives -- vistas of sea and sky, of islands in the bay, of coves, of lighthouses outlined against craggy rocks.
-- An American Notebook
Philip Hamburger

Listed places near Portland

Airports (1)

Archives (1)

Attractions (1)

Cemeteries (46)

Colleges (1)

Communities (11)

Hotels (37)

Libraries (16)

Museums (7)

Parks (2)

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

• Portland population
• Ancestry of people in Portland
• Housing in Portland
• Income in Portland
• Marital status of adults in Portland
• Place of birth of people in Portland
• Residence in 1995, of people in Portland
• School enrollment & education levels in Portland
• Transportation & commute times in Portland
• Cumberland County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Maine
• State data - Maine
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Portland demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Cumberland County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Portland area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 04108 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Portland city government
• Cumberland County government
• Portland tourism

6% of Portland residents report German ancestry, and 18% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Portland ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Portland
• Cemeteries in Cumberland County
• Genealogy page (ME GenWeb) for Cumberland County
• Records of immigrants arriving in Portland ( National Archives)
• Libraries in or near Portland

Post a query on a message board:

• Cumberland County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - ME data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

Music

• Portland Symphony Orchestra

Recommendations: A ferry ride to Peaks Island; dinner at the Fore Street restaurant

• Portland area attractions
• Portland museums
• Portland historic sites
• Portland area parks
• Wineries near Portland

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Portland area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Cumberland County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Maine cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Portland
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Cumberland County

• Portland business guide
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Maine
• Local ordinances in Maine

• Crime in Cumberland County
• Arrests in Cumberland County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Maine
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Portland was $22,698, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Cumberland County economic census
• Cumberland County economic summary
• Cumberland County employment growth
• Cumberland County unemployment rate
• Maine economic data

36% of Portland residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Portland
• Colleges in Maine
• Learning Disabilities Association in Maine
• Schools in or near Portland
• School districts in or near Portland
• Yearbooks (old) of Maine high schools

• Movies & TV shows filmed in Portland
• Movies playing in or near Portland
• YouTube videos about Portland

• Air pollution in Cumberland County
• Diesel soot in Cumberland County
• Land contamination in Cumberland County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Maine
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Toxic chemical releases in Cumberland County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Maine

Portland festival dates:

• Festival of Nations - July 28, 2007
• Maine Brewers' Festival - Nov. 3, 2007
• Maine Festival of the Book - June 22-24, 2007
• Maine Boatbuilders Show - March 16-18, 2007
• Portland Festival of Nations - July 28, 2007
• Old Port Festival - June 3, 2007
• Baystock Festival - Aug. 18, 2007
• Greek Heritage Festival - June 21-23, 2007
• Steam Fest - Oct. 6-8, 2007

Dates often change. Check with local tourism officials to be sure.

Portland festival web sites:

• Baystock Festival
• Festival of Nations
• Maine Brewers' Festival

• ePodunk festival listings
• Maine county fairs
• Maine festivals (Maine tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Portland

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Portland
• Geocaches in Maine

• Portland items now on sale

• Portland local government Web site
• Cumberland County government
• Maine state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Portland medical services & health statistics

• Local historical societies in Maine
• State historical society

Historic districts in Portland include Deering Street Historic District, Portland Waterfront, Rockland Main Street Historic District, Spring Street Historic District, Stroudwater Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Portland
• Historic sites in Maine
• Museums in or near Portland
• Museums in Maine
• Maine state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Cumberland County genealogy forum

Median rent in Portland, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $552.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $1,088.

• Research Portland Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Portland
• Homes for sale in Portland
• Find a Portland Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Maine mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Portland area
• Job services in Maine
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Portland include Portland - Burbank Branch Library, Portland - Cliff Island Library Club, Portland - Munjoy Branch Library, Portland - Reiche Branch Library, Portland - Riverton Branch Library, Portland Public Library ... View libraries

• Maine library

• Maine statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Portland
• Get directions to Portland
• Census map of Portland area
• Historic maps of ME cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Maine
• Topographic map of Portland

Newspapers in Portland include Portland Press Herald

TV stations in Portland include WCSH, WGME, WPXT.

National Public Radio programming is carried locally by WMEA.

• Daily newspapers in or near Portland
• AM radio stations in or near Portland
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Portland
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Portland
• TV stations in or near Portland
• Media ownership in the Portland area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Maine

• Military bases in Maine
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Portland
• Search obituaries in Maine
• Recent death notices - selected ME newspapers

• Chambers of commerce in Maine
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Maine
• Lions clubs in Maine
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Portland
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Portland

• Parks near Portland
• National forests in Maine
• Ski areas near Portland
• Ski areas in Maine
• State parks in Maine

• Find friends & family
• Photos of people from Portland

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Portland
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Maine communities
• Photos of Maine places
• Post cards of Maine communities

• Maine Democratic party
• Maine Republican party
• Maine elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Portland
• Total membership by faith, in Cumberland County

Portland restaurants taking online reservations include Back Bay Grill, Cinque Terre, Fore Street, Vignola ... View restaurants

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for ME

The average commute time for Portland workers is 19 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 8 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Portland between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of 1.2 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

• Bus schedules
• Ferry schedules

• Portland travel guide
• Airports near Portland
• Amtrak station in Portland
• Hotels near Portland
• Maine tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• Maine coastal water temperatures
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Maine
• Wildlife refuges in Maine

Browse list of Maine community profiles