York County, Maine
| York County, Maine | ||
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York County Courthouse in Alfred
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 Location in the U.S. state of Maine |
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 Maine's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1636 | |
| Named for | York, England | |
| Seat | Alfred | |
| Largest city | Biddeford | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,270 sq mi (3,289 km2) | |
| • Land | 991 sq mi (2,567 km2) | |
| • Water | 279 sq mi (723 km2), 22% | |
| Population | ||
| • (2010) | 197,131 | |
| • Density | 199/sq mi (77/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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York County is the most southwestern county of the state of Maine located along New Hampshire's eastern border in the United States. It is divided from Strafford County, New Hampshire by the Salmon Falls River, and the connected tidal estuary—the Piscataqua River.
Permanently re-founded in 1639, it held several of the oldest colonial settlement in Maine; consequently, is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 197,131, making it the second-most populous county in Maine. Its county seat is Alfred.
York County is part of the Portland–South Portland, ME Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The first patent establishing the Province of Maine was granted on August 10, 1622, to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason by the Plymouth Council for New England, which itself had been granted a royal patent by James I to the coast of North America between the 40th and the 48th parallels "from sea to sea". This first patent encompassed the coast between the Merrimack and Kennebec rivers, as well as an irregular parcel of land between the headwaters of the two rivers. In 1629, Gorges and Mason agreed to split the patent at the Piscataqua River, with Mason retaining the land south of the river as the Province of New Hampshire.
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