How Wide Is Maine? Total Distance from East to West

Maine is the northeasternmost state in the United States. It became a state on March 15th, 1820, as the 23rd state in the United States. The state is full of unique and interesting features, including the Acadia National Park – an island park off the coast. This state carries vast history and wonders, from its many lighthouses lining the rocky coast to its celebrative lobster industry. It is the state the sun first touches in the morning and a gorgeous environment for people and animals alike. It is the 39th largest state by size, and the 42nd largest by population. We’re going to explore several features of the great state of Maine, but we’ll focus on answering one question – how wide is the state of Maine?

Maine’s Width

From east to west, the state of Maine is about 210 miles wide. This is in comparison to its 320-mile length from top to bottom. It can be hard to think about size with just numbers, so we’ll provide some comparisons. We’ve included a table comparing Maine’s width to a few other states.

As you can see, Maine is quite a small state. Regardless, it is larger than all of the other states in New England. Maine is a total of 35,380 square miles, which means you could fit Rhode Island (1,545 square miles) inside of it almost 23 times. In fact, all five of the New England states outside of Maine would almost fit inside Maine. The combined square mileage of New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts is 36,103 square miles. That means that all but 723 square miles of all five states would fit inside Maine.

So, how long would it take to drive across Maine from east to west? If you were able to take a direct route across the state and travel at a consistent 60 miles per hour, you would cross the state in 3.5 hours. In reality, the fastest crossing from west to east takes 4 hours and 46 minutes and covers 263 miles. This is from the border of Maine near Bethel all the way to Lubec, Maine on the far coast. The extra mileage says nothing about the true width of the state. It is simply the movement of the highways as you make your way across Maine.

Maine on a Map

Do you know where Maine is on a map? Many people know exactly where the state is and what surrounds it, but we’ll provide a refresher for them and new information for anyone looking to learn more about the geography of Maine and the United States. Maine is in the far northeast corner of the United States and is bordered by the Canadian Provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick in the north. It shares a border with only one other state – New Hampshire.

Geography of Maine

There are a variety of beautiful geographical features in Maine. 70 rivers over 20 miles long populate the state, along with an uncounted number of other rivers and streams with lengths under 20 miles or with unknown lengths. Maine.gov claims that there are actually 5,100 rivers total in Maine, along with over 6,000 lakes and ponds.

Maine is where the Appalachian Trail ends, and so it holds many mountainous areas. In fact, Maine is home to over 700 mountains that reach heights greater than 1,000 feet. The tallest mountain in the state is Mount Katahdin at 5,268 feet above-sea-level.

Maine is incredibly geographically and geologically diverse, boasting 17 million acres of forestland and even more mountains and coastlines. As far as geological diversity, Maine is home to gemstones such as tourmaline, topaz, and beryl. Garnet has also been found inside its borders.

If you were to measure the coastline of Maine in a straight line, it would be 250 miles long. However, the coast winds and bends, with an array of rocky promontories that make it harder to measure. Since this coastline is so rugged and vast, it actually exceeds 2,500 miles in coastline if you were to explore every aspect of it. There are over 4,000 islands off the vast coastline of Maine, boasting varied biodiversity across their different placements, sizes, and shapes.

Maine takes care of its lands in several ways, including sharing it with the world with over 436,000 acres of state and national parks. Visitors and residents alike can visit lakes, beaches, seacoast, and mountains in their travels.

Recreation in Maine

There is no shortage of the number of activities one can participate in while visiting this fine state. Seafood lovers will bask in the glory of delicious, tender, and fresh seafood available, including freshly-caught crabs and lobster. Many stores and groceries stores will steam lobster in front of your eyes for a lower price than anywhere else in the nation, and you’ll be able to feast on this messy food at home or at a variety of outdoor parks and picnic areas.

The number of national parks and state forests available for exploring and camping in seems endless. 32 state parks decorate the state, along with four national parks, 10 national wildlife refuges, and one national forest. County and local parks are also in abundance, so there’s somewhere to go to be in nature everywhere in the state.

The best-known of these parks is probably Acadia. Acadia National Park rests off the northeast coast of Maine. This park is lovingly called “The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast”. Visitors pay 35 dollars to enter without a National Parks Pass. Entry is included with a National Parks Pass, which you can acquire easily online via the National Parks Service Website. Over 158 miles of diverse hiking trails pepper the island, along with several miles of historic motor roads that will take you through the lush scenery of the area. There is a place for climbing, swimming, and picnicking at Acadia, along with several other activities you can engage in.

Moving away from Acadia, the wonder does not end. Visit Bar Harbor, Maine for a feel of small-town hospitality and access to the Wild Gardens of Acadia, Cadillac Mountain, and the Egg Rock Lighthouse. Inland, there is also an abundance of adventure. Mountain hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, fine dining, and shopping are just some of the activities that you can participate in when you visit towns and cities like Farmington, Bangor, and Orono.

Portland, Maine is a great destination for tourists, boasting a small but lively nightlife that includes a secret bar. Make sure to listen to local street musicians when you visit in the summer months and drop a tip in their hats. They appreciate it and you are contributing to the local culture of the city. Many wonderful artists call Portland their home or hail from the coastal city, including mostly undiscovered traveling artists such as ‘Pigeon’, who specializes in watercolor pet portraits.

Wildlife in Maine

We mentioned wildlife viewing before, and now we’re going to dive into describing only a small number of the animals that roam Maine’s great lands. There are at least 58 mammals native to the state of Maine, along with 54 reptile and amphibian species and 202 bird species. 16,000 or more invertebrates occupy the state, as well, and many of these species are rare or endangered. It is up to us to preserve natural habitats for the animals of Maine and ensure they remain stable. Animals such as the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and the grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum) are already threatened or endangered.

Seals, whales, opossums, and foxes are just some of the several critters wandering the state. You can get a more extensive idea of the kinds of animals populating Maine by visiting our informational page on the animals found in Maine.