Lincoln County, Maine

Lincoln County is a county in Maine, United States, on the midcoast between the Kennebec and Damariscotta rivers. It had a population of 35,237 at the 2020 census and covers 700 square miles (1,800 km2), of which 456 square miles (1,180 km2) are land and 244 square miles (630 km2) are water, centred near 44°00′49″N 69°32′31″W.

Wiscasset is the county seat; its postal code is 04578. The county has 18 incorporated towns, one island plantation (Monhegan), and dozens of unincorporated villages and coastal hamlets. Lincoln County keeps Eastern Time (UTC−5, UTC−4 in summer). Maine counties have no county government subdivisions below the town level, so there are no civil townships here.

Towns & Villages in Lincoln County

Lincoln County’s 18 towns handle nearly all local government; the county’s many smaller places are unincorporated villages, coastal necks and rural crossroads inside those towns, several with their own ZIP code. Monhegan, a small island 10 miles offshore, is organized as a plantation rather than a town but functions much like one. The table below carries the county’s full roster of named places; “Unincorp.” marks a hamlet or locale with no separate government and no dedicated ZIP.

A note on confusable names: East Boothbay, West Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay Harbor are three distinct places — two villages and one incorporated town — all inside the Boothbay peninsula, and Boothbay itself is a separate town further inland. Newcastle and North Newcastle, and Waldoboro’s North/South/West satellite villages, follow the same pattern: the plain name is the town center, the compass-prefixed names are outlying hamlets in the same town.

ZIP Codes

• 04578 — Wiscasset
• 04572 — Waldoboro
• 04537 — Boothbay
• 04538 — Boothbay Harbor
• 04539 — Bristol
• 04348 — Jefferson
• 04353 — Whitefield
• 04543 — Damariscotta
• 04553 — Newcastle
• 04555 — Nobleboro
• 04342 — Dresden
• 04556 — Edgecomb
• 04568 — South Bristol
• 04551 — Bremen
• 04535 — Alna
• 04576 — Southport
• 04544 — East Boothbay (also serves the Boothbay peninsula)
• 04564 — Round Pond (also serves Bristol’s shore villages)
• 04554 — New Harbor
• 04558 — Pemaquid
• 04573 — Walpole
• 04571 — Trevett
• 04575 — West Boothbay Harbor
• 04541 — Chamberlain
• 04341 — Coopers Mills
• 04570 — Squirrel Island
• 04549 — Isle of Springs
• 04852 — Monhegan

Westport Island and Somerville have no post office of their own; their addresses use the Wiscasset and Jefferson ZIP codes respectively. Small unincorporated hamlets such as the “Corner” crossroads carry their parent town’s ZIP.

Geography

Lincoln County sits on Maine’s midcoast, a drowned, glacially carved landscape of long tidal necks and rivers running roughly north-south into the Gulf of Maine — the Sheepscot, Damariscotta and Medomak among them. Water makes up 35% of the county’s area, more than almost any other Maine county, and its coastline is cut into peninsulas such as the Boothbay and Pemaquid necks, plus offshore islands including Monhegan, Southport and Squirrel Island. Inland terrain is low, rolling and forested, with Whitefield, Jefferson and Somerville the only towns without direct saltwater frontage.

The county borders Kennebec County to the north, Waldo County to the northeast, Knox County to the east, Sagadahoc County to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

Demographics

Lincoln County’s population was 35,237 at the 2020 census. Waldoboro, at 5,154 people, is its largest town, followed by Wiscasset at 3,742. The county’s median household income runs below the Maine median of $73,733, reflecting its mix of retirees, fishing and tourism-dependent households; its population density, roughly 77 people per square mile of land, is modest by New England standards and concentrated along the coastal towns rather than the inland ones.

Economy & Local Life

Lobstering and other commercial fishing anchor the local economy along the Boothbay, Pemaquid and Damariscotta shorelines, alongside boatbuilding and marine trades that trace back generations. Tourism is a major summer driver, centered on Boothbay Harbor’s working waterfront, windjammer cruises and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, plus the seasonal ferry to Monhegan Island. Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta is the county’s principal health-care employer, and Waldoboro and Wiscasset serve as year-round retail and service hubs for the inland towns.

History

Lincoln County was organized by the Massachusetts General Court on November 1, 1760, carved from the older York County when Maine was still part of Massachusetts. It was named for the English city of Lincoln, birthplace of Thomas Pownall, then the Massachusetts Bay provincial governor. At its founding the county stretched over most of eastern Maine; successive splits over the following century shrank it to its present midcoast boundaries. Shipbuilding and fishing shaped its towns through the 19th century, and Wiscasset’s brick Federal-era waterfront still reflects that era of maritime wealth.

Getting There

U.S. Route 1 runs the length of the county through Wiscasset, Newcastle, Damariscotta and Waldoboro, with Route 27 and Route 96 branching south to the Boothbay and Pemaquid peninsulas.

• Augusta — 20 miles northwest
• Brunswick — 25 miles southwest
• Rockland — 25 miles northeast
• Portland — 55 miles southwest

Portland International Jetport is the nearest commercial airport. Monhegan is reached only by seasonal ferry from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor or Port Clyde.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Lincoln County, Maine?
It is on Maine’s midcoast, between the Kennebec and Damariscotta rivers, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

What is the population of Lincoln County?
35,237 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Lincoln County?
700 square miles (1,800 km2) total, of which 456 square miles (1,180 km2) is land.

What is the county seat of Lincoln County?
Wiscasset is the county seat.

How many towns are in Lincoln County?
Eighteen incorporated towns, plus the island plantation of Monhegan.

What ZIP codes are in Lincoln County?
28 ZIP codes serve the county, from 04341 (Coopers Mills) to 04852 (Monhegan); Wiscasset’s is 04578.

How do you get to Monhegan Island?
By seasonal passenger ferry from Boothbay Harbor, New Harbor or Port Clyde — there is no bridge or car access.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Maine.