Rockland, Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rockland is a city in Knox County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 7,609. It is the county seat of Knox CountyGR6. It was settled in 1769, and was originally part of Thomaston, Maine. In 1848 it became a seperate town named East Thomaston, and was chartered as a city in 1854.<ref name="MAGDE">Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 261-262.</ref> Rockland is also an officially designated micropolitan area, and has made several "best cities and towns to live" lists in recent years. Since the early 1990s, Rockland has seen a shift in its economy away from the fishery and toward a service center city. It has also seen a large increase in tourism and the downtown has transformed into one of unique shops, boutiques, fine dining and art galleries. Rockland is the commercial center of the midcoast Maine region.
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[edit] Geography
Rockland is located at (44.109569, -69.114652)GR1. It is bordered to the south by the town of Owls Head to the west by Thomaston, Maine and to the north by Rockport, Maine. Penobscot Bay on the atlantic ocean borders Rockland to the east. About ten miles to the east are the islands of North Haven, Maine, and Vinalhaven which can be reached by ferry service from Rockland.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.1 km² (15.1 mi²). 33.4 km² (12.9 mi²) of it is land and 5.7 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (14.50%) is water.
[edit] Transportation
The city is served by the Knox County Regional Airport with several passenger flights daily, and is the departure point for ferries to the islands of Penobscot Bay, offered by the Maine State Ferry Service. The city also has daily trailways bus service and private taxi service. Starting in the summer of 2005 Maine Eastern Railroad made Rockland its eastern terminus with daily trips during the tourist season. This is primarily a tourist train that allows visitors to take day trips along the Maine coast without having to drive. The western terminus for this train is Brunswick, Maine. There are plans to eventually connect this train to Amtrak service in either Portland or Brunswick.
Rockland is served by several highways. U.S. Route 1 runs through Rockland and is the primary route through the city. Most major truck freight to the city runs on this route as well as most of the tourist traffic that enters the city. This is also an important commuter route for those who work in Rockland. Taking Route 1 south out of the city eventually brings you to Portland, ME. Taking Route 1 North out of Rockland will take you through Camden, ME and Belfast, ME. This route can eventually take you to the Bangor, ME area or to the Bar Harbor, ME area. State Route 17 starts in Rockland and heads in a Northwestern direction eventually reaching the New Hampshire border. This is another important commuter route for Rockland as well as an important corridor between Rockland and Augusta, Maine the state capitol as well as a commercial center. This route also connects to I-95 in Augusta. Rockland is also served by State Route 73 from the South. This route connects Rockland to bedroom communities to the south and terminates at State Route 131 on the St. George Peninsula.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,434 households, and 1,943 families residing in the city. The population density was 227.6/km² (589.2/mi²). There were 3,752 housing units at an average density of 112.2/km² (290.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.90% White, 0.25% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.
There were 3,434 households out of which 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 85.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,209, and the median income for a family was $37,083. Males had a median income of $27,212 versus $20,708 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,659. About 10.4% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Famous Natives and Residents
- Maxine Elliott, actress<ref | name="MAGDE" />
- David F. Emery, former U.S. Representative
- Nathan A. Farwell, politician, businessman and senator.
- Edna St. Vincent Millay, born in Rockland.
- Louise Nevelson, noted artist grew up in Rockland.
- Walter Piston, composer<ref | name="MAGDE" />
[edit] External links
- City of Rockland
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
| Image:Flag of Maine.svg | State of Maine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topics |
Culture | Geography | Government | History | Images | ||||
| Capital | Augusta | ||||
| Regions |
Acadia | Down East | Maine Atlantic Coast | Maine Highlands | Maine Lake Country | North Woods | Penobscot Bay | Southern Coast | Western Maine Mountains | ||||
| Counties |
Androscoggin | Aroostook | Cumberland | Franklin | Hancock | Kennebec | Knox | Lincoln | Oxford | Penobscot | Piscataquis | Sagadahoc | Somerset | Waldo | Washington | York | ||||
| Largest cities |
Auburn | Augusta | Bangor | Bath | Belfast | Biddeford | Brewer | Caribou | Ellsworth | Houlton | Kittery | Lewiston | Millinocket | Old Orchard Beach | Old Town | Orono | Portland | Presque Isle | Rockland | Rumford | Saco | Sanford | South Portland | Topsham | Waterville | Westbrook | ||||
[edit] References
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