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Portland (ME)

Portland, Maine
City
City of Portland, Maine
Clockwise: Portland waterfront, the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill, the corner of Middle and Exchange Street in the Old Port, Congress Street, the Civil War Memorial in Monument Square, and winter light sculptures in Congress Square Plaza.
Clockwise: Portland waterfront, the Portland Observatory on Munjoy Hill, the corner of Middle and Exchange Street in the Old Port, Congress Street, the Civil War Memorial in Monument Square, and winter light sculptures in Congress Square Plaza.
Flag of Portland, Maine
Flag
Official seal of Portland, Maine
Seal
Nickname(s): The Forest City, Portland of the East
Motto: Resurgam  (Latin)
"I Will Rise Again"
Location in Cumberland County and the state of Maine.
Location in Cumberland County and the state of Maine.
Portland, Maine is located in the US
Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 43°40′N 70°16′W / 43.667°N 70.267°W / 43.667; -70.267Coordinates: 43°40′N 70°16′W / 43.667°N 70.267°W / 43.667; -70.267
Country  United States
State  Maine
County Cumberland
Settled 1632
Incorporated July 4, 1786
Named for Isle of Portland
Government
 • Type City council and city manager
 • City manager Jon Jennings
 • Mayor Ethan Strimling (D)
Area
 • City 69.44 sq mi (179.85 km2)
 • Land 21.31 sq mi (55.19 km2)
 • Water 48.13 sq mi (124.66 km2)
Elevation 62 ft (19 m)
Population (2010)
 • City 66,194
 • Estimate (2015) 66,881
 • Rank US: 519th
 • Density 3,107.2/sq mi (1,199.7/km2)
 • Urban 203,914 (US: 177th)
 • Metro 519,900 (US: 104th)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 04101, 04102, 04103, 04104, 04108, 04109, 04112, 04116, 04122, 04123, 04124
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-60545
GNIS feature ID 0573692
Website City of Portland

Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 66,881 as of 2015. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population. The Old Port district is frequented by tourists, while Portland Head Light is also a destination. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon was in turn named after Portland, Maine.

Native Americans originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck"). Portland, Maine was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon was in turn named for Portland, Maine. The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England and wrote a book about his voyage to drum up support for the settlement. The settlement failed, and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.


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