Presque Isle, Maine
Presque Isle is a city of 8,736 people in Aroostook County, Maine, founded in 1859.
Why visit Presque Isle
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 30 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 13 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Braden Theater, Beecher H. Duncan Farm, Northern Maine Museum of Science and Aroostook State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 78°F; January lows average 3°F, and about 98 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Presque Isle
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Presque Isle
Presque Isle is the commercial center and largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,797 at the 2020 Census. The city is home to the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College, Northern Maine Fairgrounds, the Aroostook Centre Mall, and the Presque Isle International Airport.
From the Wikipedia article Presque Isle, Maine (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do13
Gauvin Family Center for Cultural Arts
Cinema and theater · 1.6 mi
15 University Drive, Presque Isle
1 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks12
Beecher H. Duncan Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Farm in Westfield, Maine
Northern Maine Museum of Science
Museum · 1.6 mi
Natural history museum in Presque Isle, Maine
9 University Drive, Presque Isle
Presque Isle National Bank
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Bank in Presque Isle, United States of America
US Post Office-Presque Isle Main
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Post office in Presque Isle, Maine, United States
Nordic Heritage Center
Monument and historic site · 4.2 mi
450 Fort Road, Presque Isle
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
Francis Malcom Science Center Hiking and Snowshoeing Trails
Hiking and trails · 5.7 mi
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes30
Mai Tai
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.2 mi
449 Main Street, Presque Isle
11:00-21:00
Tim Hortons
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
779 Main Street, Presque Isle
24/7
Shogun Japanese Restaurant
Restaurant · Japanese · 0.6 mi
150 Maysville Street, Presque Isle
Houlton Farms Dairy Bar
Restaurant · Ice Cream · 1.1 mi
786 Main Street, Presque Isle
18 more on the map.
History
The first European settlers were British Loyalists who reached the area in 1819 hoping to obtain land for lumber. Border disputes between the United States and the United Kingdom over the area, however, made it impossible for pioneers to gain title to the land. In response, the government of the neighboring British colony of New Brunswick (now a Canadian province) gave out patents for pioneers to live on the land but not claim ownership or sell it. By 1825, surveyors traveling along the Aroostook River noted that twenty families lived along it and noted that while agriculture was present, all of the families employed most of their time towards wood production.
The boundary dispute slowed development in the area, but the government of Massachusetts, which governed the territory at the time, saw the territory as theirs and encouraged the development of settlements in northern Maine by offering land grants and mill privileges in the 1820s. The first American to settle in the area was Dennis Fairbanks in 1828 who gained ownership over the land under the provisions set up by Massachusetts and later Maine, which gained statehood in 1820.
From the History section of Presque Isle, Maine on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Churches and places of worship18
Maple Grove Friends Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.0 mi
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.3 mi
333 Main Street, Presque Isle
Grant Memorial United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.8 mi
79 Fleetwood Street, Presque Isle
Presque Isle Congregational Church
Church · Congregational · 1.0 mi
27 Church Street, Presque Isle
Saint John's Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · 1.2 mi
52 Second Street, Presque Isle
State Street Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.1 mi
221 State Street, Presque Isle
Shopping13
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries24
Mark and Emily Turner Memorial Library
Library · 1.1 mi
39 Second Street, Presque Isle
Presque Isle High School
School · 0.5 mi
16 Griffin Street, Presque Isle
Presque Isle Reg Career & Tech Ctr
School · 0.6 mi
79 Blake St Suite #3, Presque Isle
Center for Innovative Learning
Library · 1.6 mi
17 University Drive, Presque Isle
Healthcare4
Northern Light Work Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
19 North Street, Presque Isle
Map of Presque Isle
140 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22°F | 3°F | 2.5 in | 21.1 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 5°F | 1.9 in | 21.7 in |
| Mar | 36°F | 16°F | 2.4 in | 19.0 in |
| Apr | 50°F | 29°F | 2.8 in | 6.3 in |
| May | 65°F | 41°F | 3.3 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 50°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 78°F | 56°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 54°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 69°F | 47°F | 3.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Oct | 54°F | 36°F | 4.2 in | 1.2 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 26°F | 3.1 in | 6.1 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 12°F | 3.2 in | 21.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Presque Isle Hcn (2 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
Aroostook County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2023-09-14: Hurricane Lee (Hurricane)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-02-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-05-09: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2006-02-24: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Presque Isle International Airport (PQI) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Mapleton 8 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Fort Fairfield 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Washburn 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Caribou 11 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Mars Hill 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Limestone 17 mi northeast, about 28 min by car
- Ashland 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Houlton 40 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Madawaska 48 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fort Kent 48 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 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
- City of Presque Isle, Maine Montage, Dayzle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Presque Isle, Maine, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- ISS052-E-77208 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS052-E-77209 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS052-E-77210 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-127799 - View of Massachusetts, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS061-E-19758 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- STS122-E-8675 - View of Earth, NASA, Public domain
- ISS006-E-9713 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS035-E-28905 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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