Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city of 7,470 people in Penobscot County, Maine, founded in 1774.
Why visit Old Town
Townapedia lists 26 museums and landmarks, 34 parks and trails, 21 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include University of Maine, Black Bear Cinemas, Hudson Museum and Edith Marion Patch House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 6°F.
Weather in Old Town
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Old Town
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on the relatively large Marsh Island, but its boundaries extend beyond it. The island is surrounded and defined by the Penobscot River to the east and the Stillwater River to the west.
From the Wikipedia article Old Town, Maine (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
University of Maine
School · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Public research university in Orono, Maine, United States
Museums and landmarks26
Edith Marion Patch House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic house in Maine, United States
Gov. Israel Washburn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.1 mi
House in Orono, Maine
Nathaniel Treat House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.3 mi
Historic house in Maine, United States
Old Fire Engine House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.0 mi
Fire station in Maine, United States of America
Old Town Main Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Post office in Old Town, Maine, United States
Orono Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.0 mi
Historic district in Orono, Maine, United States
Orono Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.8 mi
Post office in Orono, Maine, United States
Page Farm & Home Museum
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
Farm museum in Maine, United States
Phi Gamma Delta House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic building in Orono, Maine, United States
William Colburn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic house at 91 Bennoch Road in Orono, Maine
Bodwell Water Power Company Plant
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
14 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds34
Orono Bog
Park · 5.9 mi
The Orono bog covers 6oo acres as part of the Caribou bog complex inPenobscot County, Maine.
Alfond Sports Stadium
Sports field and stadium · 4.7 mi
169 Munson Road, Orono
22 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes21
Angelo's Pizzeria & Family Restaurant
Restaurant · Pizza · 4.1 mi
484 Stillwater Avenue, Old Town
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00
Governor's Restaurant and Bakery
Diner · American · 3.8 mi
963 Stillwater Avenue, Old Town
Mo-Su 06:30-21:00
Nanny's
Diner · American · 4.7 mi
241 Main Street, Old Town
We-Th 08:00-14:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 08:00-14:00
Pepper's Landing
Restaurant · Seafood · 4.6 mi
170 Main Street, Old Town
Su-Th 11:00-20:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00
Riverside House of Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 4.0 mi
4 Free Street, Old Town
Mo-Sa 11:00-20:00; Su 12:00-19:00
Main Street Grill
Restaurant · 4.8 mi
268 Main Street, Old Town
Mo 15:00-21:00; Tu-We 15:00-21:00; Th 11:00-22:00; Fr 11:00-00:00;...
9 more on the map.
History
The Abenaki people called it Pannawambskek, meaning "where the ledges spread out," referring to rapids and drops in the river bed. The French established a Jesuit Catholic mission here in the 1680s and called the settlement, Panaouamské. Nearly a century later after Great Britain took over French territory following its victory in the Seven Years' War, the area was settled by English pioneers in 1774. The name Old Town derives from "Indian Old Town", which was the English name for the largest Penobscot Indian village, now known as Indian Island.
Located within the city limits but on its own island in the Penobscot River, the reservation is the current and historical home of the Penobscot Nation.
In 1820, when the present city was set off from neighboring Orono (named for a Penobscot sachem), it was given the name Old Town because it contained the Penobscot village. Over time, the Penobscot village ceased to be called Old Town, and the name migrated to the much newer American settlement across the river.
From the History section of Old Town, Maine on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship13
Milford Congregational Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.6 mi
St. Anne's Church and Mission Site
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
St. James Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Holy Family Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 4.9 mi
425 Main Street, Old Town
Saint Ann Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 4.4 mi
6 Down Street, Indian Island
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Healthcare3
Penobscot Nation Indian Health Services
Clinic and pharmacy · 4.5 mi
23 Wabanaki Way, Indian Island
Map of Old Town
135 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 6°F | 3.7 in |
| Feb | 31°F | 8°F | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 39°F | 19°F | 3.8 in |
| Apr | 52°F | 30°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 65°F | 41°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 50°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 53°F | 3.1 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 46°F | 3.7 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 36°F | 4.3 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 27°F | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 16°F | 4.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Old Town 2 W 72714 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Penobscot County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2024-01-30: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-09-14: Hurricane Lee (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-01-02: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-05-09: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Dewitt Field (OLD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Milford 5 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Orono 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Bangor 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Brewer 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Hampden 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Milo 23 mi northwest, about 37 min by car
- Bucksport 25 mi south, about 41 min by car
- Newport 26 mi west, about 43 min by car
- Dexter 27 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Ellsworth 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- OldTownME PostOffice, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougtone/8181884923/, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Main Building Page Farm and Home Museum Orono Maine, Drbnagy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Israel Washburn House, Namiba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- OldTownME StJamesChurch, Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
- William Colburn House, Namiba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Old Fire Engine House, Orono ME, E Julienn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Orono Post Office, Namiba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Nathaniel Treat House, Namiba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Orono Bog 1, Justin Henry from Portland, ME, USA, CC BY 2.0
- HirundoWildlifeRefugee, Namiba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kirkland Road - panoramio, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stillwater River Maine, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stillwater River - panoramio, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wetland along Stillwater River - panoramio, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fall Colors on Marsh Island, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wetland Foliage - panoramio, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Five year old male Bordoodle (Border Collie Poodle mix), Rmturner, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hirundo Site July 2020, SarekOfVulcan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS049-E-30901 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS049-E-30902 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-137835 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS038-E-55592 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-137834 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Boulder Pond - panoramio, Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS054-E-9856 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-11218 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106741 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS054-E-58483 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS054-E-13077 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106744 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106743 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS048-E-11219 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS055-E-57759 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS063-E-106742 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Braeside, E Julienn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS065-E-137833 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- St. Anne's Church and Mission Site, Melissa Vance, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Milford Plant of Emera Maine, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
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