- US map
- State capitals
- Augusta
Capital of Maine · Kennebec County · capital since 1832 · 44.3°N 69.8°W
Augusta, Maine
Augusta, on the Kennebec River, became the capital of Maine in 1832, twelve years after the state separated from Massachusetts. With under 19,000 people it is the third-smallest state capital.
Where Augusta is
Augusta is the seat of Kennebec County, at 44.31°N, 69.78°W, on both banks of the Kennebec River about 40 miles above its mouth on the Gulf of Maine. The river is tidal up to the city, which was the head of navigation before the Edwards Dam was removed in 1999. The site was a trading post of the Plymouth Colony in 1628 and Fort Western, built in 1754, still stands on the east bank. Interstate 95 runs past the west side of the city. Augusta is on Eastern Time.
How it became the capital
Maine was part of Massachusetts until it became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, under the Missouri Compromise. Portland, the largest town, served as the first capital. The legislature wanted a more central site as settlement moved up the river valleys, and in 1827 it chose Augusta; the government moved when the State House was ready in 1832. Portland tried several times in the 19th century to win the capital back and failed.
Population
Augusta had 18,899 residents in 2020, smaller than every state capital except Montpelier and Pierre. Portland, Maine's largest city, had 68,408; Lewiston and Bangor are also larger than Augusta. The Augusta–Waterville area has about 124,000 people, and the whole state 1,362,359.
The capitol
The Maine State House was designed by Charles Bulfinch, architect of the Massachusetts State House, and built of Hallowell granite between 1829 and 1832. It was enlarged in 1890 and then substantially rebuilt in 1909–10 by G. Henri Desmond, who doubled its length and replaced Bulfinch's low dome with the present 185-ft dome topped by a gilded figure of Wisdom. The Blaine House, the governor's residence, is across the street.
Distances to other cities
| City | Direction | Road distance |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, ME | southwest | about 55 mi |
| Bangor, ME | northeast | about 75 mi |
| Boston, MA | southwest | about 165 mi |
Augusta is the easternmost state capital in the United States. The Canadian border at the St. Croix River is about 120 miles to the east.
Related maps
- Maine map — the whole state with borders, cities and counties.
- Maine county map · blank Maine map · printable Maine map.
- All 50 state capitals on one map, and the state capitals quiz.
- Northeast region · New England division · Eastern Time Zone.