54 Interesting Facts About Maine

Let’s Learn some fun facts about Maine!

Are you ready to discover some cool and interesting facts about Maine? This northeastern state is full of amazing things from tasty lobster to beautiful lighthouses and deep forests. Whether you’re learning about U.S. states or just curious about what makes Maine special, you’re in the right place!

Known as the Pine Tree State, Maine is famous for its rocky coastline, chilly weather, and wild blueberries. It’s a great place for outdoor adventures and is home to many animals, including moose and puffins! With rich history and fun traditions, there’s so much to explore and learn about this one-of-a-kind state.

Let’s dive into some awesome facts about Maine that will make you want to visit or at least add it to your bucket list!

Be sure to discover even more interesting facts with our Facts about Kentucky and our Facts about Idaho.

Facts About Maine

1. Maine is considered the sixth coldest state in the US with an average temperature of 44.9 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius.  In 1911, Maine recorded its hottest temperature, reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Maine is also a top producer of broccoli and potatoes.
3. Portland, Oregon is named after Portland, Maine. Founded by Francis Pettygrove
4. As of 2020, around 8,800 Native Americans are still living in Maine. They are from any of the four recognized Native American tribes of Maine – Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Micmac tribes. 
5. Maine is the US’s only continental state without a venomous snake.
6. Maine is known for producing 99% of blueberries in the US. As per USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service, the state produced around 105 million pounds of blueberries in 2021!
7. Maine is a paradise for nature lovers. Almost 90% of the total land of Maine is under forest cover. 
8. The state is home to approximately 58 mammal species, 18 reptiles, and 18 amphibians. Animals like moose, raccoon, bobcat, white-tailed deer, black bear, and red fox are quite common in Maine. 
9. Maine is rich when it comes to mining, with their biggest deposits being zinc and copper. In addition, they have garnet, amethyst, tourmaline, and topaz.
10. Maine has the highest number of breweries per capita in the US, and Portland, Maine is the highest of any city, with 36 breweries per 100,000 people.
11. It’s against the law in Maine to keep an armadillo as a pet.
12. The Mutual UFO Network and National UFO Reporting Center found that there were more than 59 UFO sightings in Main in 2022! In 2021, the number was around 73, whereas in 2020, it was around 98. 
13. The islands of Maine were mountains. However, during the last Ice Age (more than 20,000 years ago), the islands were a part of a huge landmass. 
14. Kennebunkport, Maine is home to the Seashore Trolley Museum, the world’s oldest and largest museum of mass transit.
15. Moose have a thriving population in Maine. Due to this reason, it was declared the official state animal in 1979. Maine is also one of the few states in the whole US to have moose in its wildlife population. The state is home to approximately 76,000 moose, the highest moose population in the lower 48 states.
16. Maine has its own desert, which spans 40 acres outside the town of Freeport. The desert originally developed as a result of over-farming in the area.
17. In 1975, the Maine Legislature declared the European honeybee as the state insect. This is because honeybees are extremely important for pollination in the agriculture sector. 
18. Maine is home to an Umbrella Cover Museum, which is situated in Portland. The museum showcases more than 2,000 umbrella covers from 66 different countries! It is open to the public only during the summer season. 
19. The softwoods in Maine’s forests include spruce, fir, and pine. Yellow birch, sugar maple, paper birch, and aspen are common hardwood trees.
20. Maine’s fishing and seafood industry is worth half a billion dollars! It sustains many families in Maine and the state’s local economy. One of the most important industries is the lobster fishing industry in Maine. It brought in about $740 million in 2021. 

21. In Maine, there’s a law that you can’t step out from a plane while it’s in flight.
22. 100,000 barrels of beer are produced each year by Portland’s Allagash Brewing Company, the state’s largest brewer.
23. If you are a resident of Rumford, it is illegal to bite your landlord. 
24. Many gemstones are found in the mines in Maine. Some of the standard ones are beryl, tourmaline, topaz, quartz-family minerals, beryllonite, and many more.
25. In the 17th century, Maine was a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It remained under the Massachusetts Legislature for many years and finally became the 23rd state of the US on March 15, 1820.
26. 90% of the country’s lobster supply comes from Maine. Before they became the delicacy, they are today, lobsters were fed to inmates and indentured servants, or ground up and used as fertilizer, during the colonial era.
27. Maine was known as the “Toothpick Capital of the World.”. The Strong in Franklin County, Maine, used to produce over 20 million toothpicks in just one day!
28. The First State to Ban Alcohol During Prohibition was Maine. The alcohol ban stayed until 1934 when the National Prohibition Law was revoked as a part of the 21st Amendment.
29. Maine is the only state out of all 50 states in the US that has only one syllable.
30. It’s technically prohibited to blow your nose in public if you’re in Waterville.
31. Maine is well-known for its lobster industry and fishers. Therefore, you will get to see that lobsters are an integral part of Maine’s cuisine. The most popular food in Maine is the Maine Lobster. It tastes scrumptious due to its sweet and tender flavors. 
32. The Maine Coon Cat, which is the official state cat of Maine, is the largest domestic cat breed
33. Apart from honeybees, Maine also declared a state butterfly, Pink-edged Sulphur, in 2023, as per a suggestion from two fifth-graders from Old Orchard Beach town! 
34. Donut holes were invented in Maine. Capt. Hansen Gregory, from Rockport, Maine came up with the hole in the donut after realizing the center of the pastry was not fully cooked.
35. The University of Maine Has a Lobster Institute. The Lobster Institute is a part of the College of Natural Sciences and Agriculture at the University of Maine. It offers a four-day-long educational program through the Lobster College. The program deals with the sustainability of American lobster fisheries in the US and Canada. 
36. Maine is the whitest state in the US. 94.4% of its population are of European descent.
37. If you decide to play the violin while walking down the street in Augusta, you’ll also be breaking the law.
38. The origins of the name “Maine” are not yet known. However, the most popular theory is that the name is taken from the French word “main”, translating to “Mainland” or “The Main.”
39. Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the East Coast.
40. Mount Katahdin, a part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, has Maine’s highest point at an elevation of 5,267 feet above sea level. 

41. The true origins of the state’s name aren’t truly known, but it’s believed that the state was named after Maine in France.
42. Nicknames of Maine include Vacationland or Vacation State. Because of its many forests, beaches, lakes, mountains, and so on, it is a very popular vacation spot among skiers, campers, fishermen, and so on.  
43. Augusta became the capital of Maine in 1832. The city is quite small and has a population of just 18,968 residents as per 2021 data.
44. The general coastline of Maine extends for about 366 kilometers. Yet, if you measure the state’s tidal coastline, consisting of all the bays, and inlets under the state, it’s about 5,597 kilometers!
45. Maine has around 292 bird species. Out of these, the Black-Capped Chickadee is found pretty much everywhere in Maine. It was declared the official state bird in 1927. 
46. The state flower of Maine, the White Pine Cone, isn’t an actual flower. It was declared the state’s official “flower” in 1945. The reason behind this is that Maine was also called the “Pine Tree State.”
47. 3.58% of all land in Maine is protected in state and national parks, the 10th highest in the US.
48. A 410-size boot sculpture is built in front of the main L.L. Bean store located in Freeport, Maine. The iconic rubber bottom boot is 16 feet tall and was constructed to celebrate L. L. Bean’s 100th anniversary. 
49.  Maine is the only state that shares its borders with only one other US state. That state is New Hampshire.
50. Maine’s Nickname Is the Pine Tree State because of the White Pine trees that are found in abundance in the state’s forests. These trees are also the biggest eastern conifers in the US.
51. The state motto of Maine is “Dirigo“, which is Latin for “I lead” or “I direct”.
52. The largest island off the coast of Maine is Mount Desert Island in Hancock County with an area of 280 square kilometres.
53. The state symbols for plants include state berry (wild blueberry), state flower (white pine cone), state herb (wintergreen), and state tree (white pine).
54. The official state insect of Maine is the honeybee. The state has a rich beekeeping culture and even has a non-profit organization, the Maine Beekeepers Association, which was founded in 1976 to promote understanding of the insect’s importance.