Editing Portland, Maine

{{short description|Most populous city in Maine, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Portland
| official_name      = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities in Maine|City]]
| nickname           = The Forest City
| motto              = {{native name|la|Resurgam}}<br />"I Will Rise Again"
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border             = infobox
| total_width        = 280
| image_style        = border:1;
| perrow             = 1/2/2
| caption_align      = center
| image1             = Portland twighlight.jpg
| caption1           = Portland waterfront
| image2             = TheOldPort.jpg
| caption2           = [[Old Port of Portland, Maine|Old Port]]
| image3             = Portland Observatory, Portland,Maine.jpg
| caption3           = [[Portland Observatory]]
| image4             = Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Portland, Maine) 2024.jpg
| caption4           = [[Monument Square (Portland, Maine)|Monument Square]]
| image5             = MunjoyHill.jpg
| caption5           = [[Munjoy Hill]]
}}
| image_flag         = PortlandMeflag.png
| image_seal         = Portland, Maine Seal.png
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=270|frame-height=200|frame-align=center|zoom=9|title=Portland|type=shape-inverse|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#5f5f5f|fill=#5f5f5f|id}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Portland
| pushpin_map        = Maine#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Maine##Location in the United States
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_type1  = [[List of regions of the United States|Region]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_name1  = [[New England]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Maine]]
| government_type    = [[Council–manager]]
| leader_title       = City manager
| leader_name        = Danielle West
| leader_title1      = [[Mayor of Portland, Maine|Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = [[Mark Dion (politician)|Mark Dion]]
| leader_title2      = Body
| leader_name2       = [[Portland City Council (Maine)|Portland City Council]]
| established_title  = Settled
| established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = 1632
| established_date2  = July 4, 1786
| named_for          = [[Isle of Portland]]<ref name="Coolidge, A.J. 1859. p. 301">Coolidge, A. J. and J. B. Mansfeld (1859). ''A History and Description of New England, General and Local''. Boston: Austin J. Coolidge, p. 301.</ref>
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_sq_mi   = 69.44
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_23.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 8, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 179.85
| area_land_sq_mi    = 21.54
| area_land_km2      = 55.79
| area_water_sq_mi   = 47.90
| area_water_km2     = 124.06
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 135.91
| coordinates        = {{coord|43|39|36|N|70|15|18|W|region:US-ME_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 68408
| population_rank    = US: 519th
| population_density_km2 = 1226.21
| population_density_sq_mi = 3175.86
| population_urban   = 205,356 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|188th]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html|title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas|website=census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 8, 2023}}</ref>
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 1,657.7
| population_metro   = 556,893 (US: [[List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas|103rd]])
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| elevation_m        = 19
| elevation_ft       = 62
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 04101–04104, 04108–04109, 04112, 04116, 04122–04124
| area_code          = [[Area code 207|207]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 23-60545
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = [http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:573692 573692]
| website            = {{official URL}}
| footnotes          = 
| subdivision_type3  = [[List of counties in Maine|County]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland]]
| population_demonym = Portlander
| image_blank_emblem = Portland, Maine City Logo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| blank_emblem_size  = 150px
}}

'''Portland''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɔɹ|t|l|ə|n|d}} {{respell|PORT|lənd}}) is the [[List of municipalities in Maine|most populous city]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Maine]] and the [[county seat|seat]] of [[Cumberland County, Maine|Cumberland County]]. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census.<ref name="USCensus2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portlandcitymaine/PST045219 |title=Census QuickFacts, Portland city, Maine |access-date=Oct 13, 2021 |archive-date=July 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708210814/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/portlandcitymaine/PST045219 |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Portland metropolitan area, Maine|Greater Portland]] metropolitan area has a population of approximately 550,000 people. Historically tied to commercial shipping, the marine economy, and light industry, Portland's economy in the 21st century relies mostly on the service sector. The [[Port of Portland (Maine)|Port of Portland]] is the second-largest tonnage seaport in the [[New England]] area as of 2019.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portlandmaine.com/explore-downtown/ |title=Explore Downtown |website=Portland Downtown |language=en-US |access-date=2019-01-02 |archive-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102193434/https://www.portlandmaine.com/explore-downtown/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The city seal depicts a [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] rising from ashes, a reference to Portland's recovery from four devastating fires.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://asp.portlandmaine.gov/facts.htm |title=Facts and Links {{!}} City of Portland|website=asp.portlandmaine.gov |access-date=2017-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116131411/http://asp.portlandmaine.gov/facts.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Portland was named after the English [[Isle of Portland]]. In turn, the city of [[Portland, Oregon]], was named after Portland, Maine.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html |title=Portland History |website=www.naosmm.org |access-date=2018-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727122038/http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html |archive-date=July 27, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The word ''Portland'' is derived from the [[Old English]] word ''Portlanda'', which means "land surrounding a harbor".<ref>{{cite web |title=portland |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/Portland |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |language=en |access-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412040335/https://www.etymonline.com/word/Portland |url-status=live}}</ref> The Greater Portland area has emerged as an important center for the [[creative economy]],<ref>[https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141552/https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/General/Maines-Creative-Economy|date=February 19, 2022}} Accessed October 5, 2021.</ref> which is also bringing [[gentrification]].<ref name="PortlandMaineGentrification">[https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006195006/https://downeast.com/issues-politics/welcome-to-portlyn/|date=October 6, 2021}} Accessed October 6, 2021.</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Portland, Maine}}
{{For timeline}}
[[File:Fort Casco, Brunswick, Maine by Cyprian Southack, 1720 map inset.png|thumb|left|Fort Casco, Portland, Maine, built by [[Wolfgang William Romer]]; map by [[Cyprian Southack]]]]

The original Algonquin-speaking Eastern [[Abenaki]] residents called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("great neck").<ref name="maineguide">{{citation |title=History of Portland, Maine |publisher=Maine Resource Guide |url=http://maineguide.com/region/southcoast/information/portlandhistory.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131232824/http://maineguide.com/region/southcoast/information/portlandhistory.html |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Almouchiquois |url=https://www.falmouthmehistory.org/almouchiquois |website=Falmouth Historical Society |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref> It is also called  Məkíhkanək ("at the fish hook") in Penobscot.<ref>{{cite web |title=Penobscot Dictionary entry |url=https://penobscot-dictionary.appspot.com/entry/5163596648546304/ |website=Penobscot Dictionary |publisher=The Penobscot Indian Nation, the University of Maine, and the American Philosophical Society |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Penobscot Dictionary Project |url=https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/penobscotdictionaryproject/ |website=University Of Maine Library System |access-date=29 November 2023}}</ref>

The first European settler was  [[Christopher Levett]], an English naval captain granted {{cvt|6000|acre|ha}} in 1623 to found a settlement in [[Casco Bay]]. A member of the [[Plymouth Council for New England|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 to write a book about his voyage to bolster support for the settlement.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/christopherleve00levegoog |quote=christopher levett. |title=Christopher Levett, of York: The Pioneer Colonist in Casco Bay |first=James Phinney |last=Baxter |date=September 10, 1893 |publisher=Gorges Society |access-date=September 10, 2017 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> Ultimately, the settlement was a failure 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.

The [[List of peninsulas|peninsula]] was settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco.<ref name=maineguide /> When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Abenaki during [[King Philip's War]]. It was rebuilt. During [[King William's War]], a raiding party of French and their native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in the [[Battle of Fort Loyal]] (1690).

[[File:Longfellow Square, Portland, ME.jpg|thumb|left|[[Longfellow Square]] ({{circa|1906}})]]
On October 18, 1775, [[Burning of Falmouth|Falmouth was burned]] in the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolution]] by the [[Royal Navy]] under command of Captain [[Henry Mowat]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mainememory.net/bin/Detail?ln=7479 |title=Jedediah Preble letter on Mowat kidnapping, 1775 |access-date=April 1, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928033714/http://www.mainememory.net/bin/Detail?ln=7479 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Following the war, a section of Falmouth called The Neck developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786, the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland, after the [[Isle of Portland]] off the coast of [[Dorset]], England.<ref name="Coolidge, A.J. 1859. p. 301"/> Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the [[Embargo Act of 1807]] (prohibition of trade with the British), which ended in 1809, and the [[War of 1812]], which ended in 1815.

In 1820, Maine was established as a state with Portland as its capital. In 1832, the capital was moved north and east to [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]]. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes." The law subsequently became known as the [[Maine law|Maine Law]], as eighteen other states quickly followed. The [[Portland Rum Riot]] occurred on June 2, 1855.

[[File:Gun recovered from the USS Maine.jpg|thumb|left|Gun recovered from [[USS Maine (ACR-1)|USS ''Maine'']] on [[Munjoy Hill]]]]
In 1853, upon completion of the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] to [[Montreal]], Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports. The [[Portland Company]], located on [[Fore Street (Portland, Maine)|Fore Street]], manufactured more than six hundred 19th-century steam [[locomotive]]s, as well as engines for trains and boats, fire engines and other railroad transportation equipment. The Portland Company was, for a time, the city's largest employer and many of its employees were immigrants from Canada, Ireland and Italy. Portland became a 20th-century [[junction (rail)|rail hub]] as five additional rail lines merged into [[Portland Terminal Company]] in 1911. These rail lines also facilitated movement of returning Canadian troops from the [[World War I|First World War]] in 1919. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], resulting in marked local economic decline. [[Icebreaker]]s later enabled ships to reach Montreal in winter, drastically reducing Portland's role as a winter port for Canada.<ref>{{cite book |title=Marine Engineering |date=January 1906 |publisher=Marine Publishing Company |pages=20 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EcU7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA20 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Kenny |first1=Bill |title=A History of Maine Railroads |date=22 June 2020 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=978-1-4396-6970-9 |pages=73 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oGXVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA73 |language=en}}</ref>

On June 26, 1863, a [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] raiding party led by Captain Charles Read entered the harbor at Portland leading to the [[Battle of Portland Harbor]], one of the northernmost battles of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. The [[1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine]], on July 4, 1866, ignited during the [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10,000 people were left homeless.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greater Portland Landmarks - Great Fire of 1866 |url=https://www.portlandlandmarks.org/great-fire-of-1866 |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=Greater Portland Landmarks |language=en-US}}</ref>

By act of the [[Maine Legislature]] in 1899, Portland annexed the city of [[Deering, Maine|Deering]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Maine Secretary of State |title=Private and Special Laws of the State of Maine |date=1899 |publisher=Kennebec Journal Print |pages=9–13 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n3xKAAAAYAAJ&q=portland+deering+annex&pg=RA1-PA9 |access-date=30 January 2016 |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141636/https://books.google.com/books?id=n3xKAAAAYAAJ&q=portland+deering+annex&pg=RA1-PA9 |url-status=live}}</ref> despite a vote by Deering residents rejecting the motion, thereby greatly increasing the size of the city and opening areas for development beyond the peninsula.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Conforti |first1=Joseph |title=Creating Portland |date=2007 |publisher=UPNE |isbn=978-1-58465-449-0 |page=xvii |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4WjGkuhZyaoC&q=portland+deering+expansion&pg=PR17 |access-date=30 January 2016 |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141624/https://books.google.com/books?id=4WjGkuhZyaoC&q=portland+deering+expansion&pg=PR17 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1967, the city began the controversial razing of [[Franklin Street (Portland, Maine)|Franklin Street]] to construct a [[Limited-access road|limited-access highway]] to improve access in and out of the city for non-residents. The reconstruction of the street demolished 130 homes and businesses and caused an unknown number of families to be relocated or displaced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCue |first=Julia |date=2017-03-01 |title=A neighborhood destroyed: From Franklin Street to Franklin Arterial |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2017/03/01/neighborhood-destroyed-franklin-street-franklin-arterial/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> The construction of [[The Maine Mall]], an indoor shopping center established in [[South Portland, Maine|South Portland]] in 1971, economically depressed downtown Portland. The trend reversed when tourists and new businesses started revitalizing the old seaport, a part of which is known locally as the [[Old Port of Portland, Maine|Old Port]].

Since the 1990s, the historically industrial [[Neighborhoods in Portland, Maine#Bayside|Bayside]] neighborhood has seen rapid development, including attracting a [[Whole Foods Market]] and [[Trader Joe's]] grocery stores, as well as [[Baxter Academy for Technology and Science]], a [[charter school]]. Other developing neighborhoods include the [[India Street]] neighborhood, near the Ocean Gateway, and [[Munjoy Hill]], where many modern condominiums have been built.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bayside is a journey of many 'next steps' |url=http://business.mainetoday.com/news/061016bayside.html |publisher=Portland Press Herald (Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.) |date=October 16, 2006 |access-date=November 13, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022053706/http://business.mainetoday.com/news/061016bayside.html |archive-date=October 22, 2006 |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Kelley |last=Bouchard |title=Riverwalk: Parking garage due to rise; luxury condos to follow |url=http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/061006riverwalk.html |publisher=Portland Press Herald (Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.) |date=October 6, 2006 |access-date=November 13, 2006}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Tux |last=Turkel |title=An urban vision rises in Bayside |url=http://business.mainetoday.com/news/070206bayside.html |publisher=Portland Press Herald (Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.) |date=February 6, 2007 |access-date=February 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226015400/http://business.mainetoday.com/news/070206bayside.html |archive-date=December 26, 2007 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The [[Maine College of Art]] has been a revitalizing force downtown, attracting students from around the country.  The historic [[Porteous (store)|Porteous Building]] on [[Congress Street (Portland, Maine)|Congress Street]] was restored by the college. Universities operating in the city are expanding. The [[University of Southern Maine]] is improving its Portland campus with a 580-bed dormitory, student center, and an arts center. The [[University of New England (United States)|University of New England]] intends to move its medical school from its [[Biddeford]] campus to its Portland campus. [[Northeastern University]]'s [[Roux Institute]] plans to build on the former [[B&M Baked Beans factory]] campus in East Deering.<ref name=":2" />

Portland is known as a walkable city, offering many opportunities for [[walking tour]]s which feature its maritime and architectural history.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mainehistory.org/about_exploreportland.shtml/ |title=Explore the City of Portland - Maine Historical Society |access-date=May 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805231153/https://www.mainehistory.org/about_exploreportland.shtml |archive-date=August 5, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Portland Harbor - Fore River (49245306661).jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the Portland peninsula, looking northeast]]
[[File:Deering Oaks Park and fountain, Portland, ME IMG 1838.JPG|right|thumb|[[Deering Oaks Park]] with fountain and castle pavilion is located at the point where [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|Interstate 295]] meets [[State Street (Portland, Maine)|State Street]], Park Avenue, and Deering Avenue.]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{cvt|69.44|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{cvt|21.31|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{cvt|48.13|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 23, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012}}</ref> Portland is situated on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the [[Gulf of Maine]] and the Atlantic Ocean.

Portland borders [[South Portland, Maine|South Portland]], [[Westbrook, Maine|Westbrook]] and [[Falmouth, Maine|Falmouth]].

===Climate===
Portland has a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb'', closely bordering on ''Dfa''), with cold, snowy, and often prolonged winters, and warm to hot, yet relatively short summers. The monthly average high temperature ranges from roughly {{cvt|30|°F|0}} in January to around {{cvt|80|°F|0}} in July. Daily high temperatures reach or exceed {{cvt|90|°F|0}} on only four days per year on average, while cold-season lows of {{cvt|0|°F|0}} or below are reached on 10 nights per year on average.<ref name="Portland weatherbox NOAA"/> The area can be affected by severe [[nor'easter]]s during winter, with high winds and snowfall totals often measuring over a foot. Annual liquid precipitation (rain) averages {{cvt|47.2|in|sigfig=3}} and is plentiful year-round, but with a slightly drier summer. Annual frozen precipitation (snow) averages {{cvt|69|in|cm|0}} in the city. However, this number can fluctuate seasonally from as little as 30 inches to as much as 150 inches, depending on a multitude of factors. In Southern Maine, snowstorms can be intense from November through early April, while warm-season thunderstorms are somewhat less frequent than in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeastern U.S. (although their frequency has increased in recent years).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Changing Thunderstorm Potential {{!}} Climate Central |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/changing-thunderstorm-potential |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.climatecentral.org |language=en}}</ref> Direct strikes by hurricanes or tropical storms are rare, partially due to the normally cooler Atlantic waters off the Maine coast (which usually weaken tropical systems), but primarily because most tropical systems approaching or reaching 40 degrees North latitude recurve (due to the Coriolis force) and track east out to sea well south of the Portland area. Extreme temperatures range from {{cvt|−39|°F|0}} on February 16, 1943, to {{cvt|103|°F|0}} on July 4, 1911, and August 2, 1975.<ref name="Portland weatherbox NOAA"/><!-- defined by template: Portland, Maine weatherbox --> The [[hardiness zones]] are 5b and 6a.

{{Portland, Maine weatherbox}}
{{Graph:Weather monthly history
| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Portland, Maine.tab
| title=Portland monthly weather statistics
}}

===Sea-level rise===
Portland is becoming increasingly affected by [[Climate change|global warming]] and the rise of sea levels. The coast is one of the fastest-warming saltwater bodies, and is predicted to see an increase to about 10–17 inches by 2030, in comparison to the levels in 2000. This is a major threat to the residents and ocean life around the area.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-14 |title=Barely a cloud in the sky and Portland, Maine, is flooding |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/barely-a-cloud-in-the-sky-and-portland-maine-is-flooding |access-date=2022-02-22 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us |archive-date=February 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222160126/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/barely-a-cloud-in-the-sky-and-portland-maine-is-flooding |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2022, the [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] issued a report that showed sea level in Portland could rise by six inches by 2050, two feet by 2060 and two to six feet by 2100.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Meyer |first=Mal |date=2022-02-16 |title=Sea level expected to rise nearly 1.5 feet by 2050 along Maine's coast |url=https://fox23maine.com/news/local/sea-level-expected-to-rise-nearly-15-feet-by-2050-along-maines-coast |access-date=2022-02-23 |website=WPFO |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218192113/https://fox23maine.com/news/local/sea-level-expected-to-rise-nearly-15-feet-by-2050-along-maines-coast |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2024, [[2024 Portland flood|Portland experienced a record-high tide]] of {{Convert|14.57|ft}}. Combined with heavy rainfall and strong winds, it caused severe flooding.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-13 |title=Another potent storm brings historic coastal flooding, high winds to an already-drenched Maine |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2024/01/13/storm-arrives-in-maine-with-high-wind-gusts-threat-of-coastal-flooding/ |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

===Neighborhoods===
[[File:Skyline waterfront.jpg|thumb|Portland waterfront looking west]]
[[File:Park Street.JPG|thumb|right|[[Park Street Row]] in the West End, completed 1835]]
{{main|Neighborhoods in Portland, Maine}}

Portland is organized into neighborhoods generally recognized by residents,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.creativeportland.com/resources/neighborhoods |title=Neighborhoods |work=Portland, Maine |access-date=2018-01-31 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180201192919/http://www.creativeportland.com/resources/neighborhoods |archive-date=February 1, 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but they have no legal or political authority. In many cases, city signs identify neighborhoods or intersections (which are often called corners). Most city neighborhoods have a local association<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.livinginportland.org/ |title=Neighborhoods Associations - Portland, ME |website=www.livinginportland.org |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105032934/http://www.livinginportland.org/ |archive-date=January 5, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> which usually maintains ongoing relations of varying degrees with the city government on issues affecting the neighborhood.

On March 8, 1899, Portland annexed the neighboring city of Deering.<ref>{{cite news |title=Shall We Tax the Hunters? |work=Lewiston Evening Journal |date=February 2, 1899 |page=2 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZMIgAAAAIBAJ&pg=926,2137056&dq=portland+deering&hl=en |access-date=October 19, 2020 |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141619/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZMIgAAAAIBAJ&pg=926%2C2137056&dq=portland+deering&hl=en |url-status=live}}</ref> Deering neighborhoods now comprise the northern and eastern sections of the city before the merger. Portland's [[Deering High School]] was formerly the public high school for Deering.

Portland's neighborhoods include [[Arts District, Portland, Maine|the Arts District]], Bayside, Bradley's Corner, Cliff Island, Cushing's Island, Deering Center, Deering Highlands, Downtown, [[East Deering]], East Bayside, East End, [[Eastern Cemetery]], [[Great Diamond Island, Maine|Great Diamond Island]], Highlands, [[Kennedy Park (Portland, Maine)|Kennedy Park]], [[Libbytown]],<ref name="libbytown">{{cite news |last=Deans |first=Emma |title=Welcome to Nowhere {{!}} Reconnecting an amputated neighborhood |url=http://www.thebollard.com/bollard/?p=7612 |access-date=July 12, 2010|newspaper=The Bollard|date=July 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100731053913/http://www.thebollard.com/bollard/?p=7612 |archive-date=July 31, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Little Diamond Island]], Lunt's Corner, Morrill's Corner, [[Munjoy Hill]], Nason's Corner, [[North Deering]], Oakdale, the Old Port, Parkside, [[Peaks Island, Maine|Peaks Island]], Riverton Park, Rosemont, Stroudwater, [[West End (Portland, Maine)|West End]], and [[Woodfords Corner]].

From the early 2000s onward, many of Portland's neighborhoods have faced [[gentrification]], causing many local residents to be "priced out" of their neighborhoods. In 2015, the ''[[Portland Press Herald]]'' published a series of articles documenting the "super-tight apartment market" and the trauma caused by evictions and steep jumps in monthly rent.<ref>[https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/08/04/onpointlistens-listening-changing-portland-and-country #OnPointListens: Listening To A Changing Portland, And Country] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819151326/https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2017/08/04/onpointlistens-listening-changing-portland-and-country |date=August 19, 2019 }} [[WBUR]], August 4, 2017</ref> Also in that year, city landlords raised rents by an average of 17.4%, which was the second-largest jump in the country.<ref>[https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Rental-Prices-Skyrocketing-in-Portland-Maine-309375931.html Rental Prices Skyrocketing in Portland, Maine] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819151329/https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Rental-Prices-Skyrocketing-in-Portland-Maine-309375931.html |date=August 19, 2019 }} [[NECN]], June 23, 2015</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
| 1790 = 2240
| 1800 = 3704
| 1810 = 7169
| 1820 = 8581
| 1830 = 12598
| 1840 = 15218
| 1850 = 20815
| 1860 = 26341
| 1870 = 31413
| 1880 = 33810
| 1890 = 36425
| 1900 = 50145
| 1910 = 58571
| 1920 = 69272
| 1930 = 70810
| 1940 = 73643
| 1950 = 77634
| 1960 = 72566
| 1970 = 65116
| 1980 = 61572
| 1990 = 64358
| 2000 = 64249
| 2010 = 66194
| 2020 = 68408
| estyear = 2022
| estimate = 68424
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="2020CensusPortlandMaine">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2360545 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=19 June 2021 |title=Explore Census Data |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200822/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2360545 |url-status=live}}</ref>
<br />
Raymond H. Fogler Library<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.library.umaine.edu/census/townsearch.asp|title=Minor Civil Division Population Search Results|publisher=University of Maine|access-date=September 18, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929135907/http://www.library.umaine.edu/census/townsearch.asp|archive-date=September 29, 2011}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 23, 2012 |archive-date=July 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701194655/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live}}</ref> of 2010, there were 66,194 people, 30,725 households, and 13,324 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{cvt|3106.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 33,836 housing units at an average density of {{cvt|1587.8|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 85.0% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (83.6% non-Hispanic White alone), down from 96.6% in 1990,<ref>{{cite web |title=Maine - Race and Hispanic Origin for Selected Cities and Other Places: Earliest Census to 1990 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812191959/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.html |archive-date=August 12, 2012}}</ref> 7.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.7% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.0% of the population. 40.7% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher.

There were 30,725 households, of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 17.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.8% male and 51.2% female.
[[File:Portlandmaine povmap (Converted).jpg|thumb|Map of Portland's poverty rate and accessibility to public transit and grocery stores]]

===2000 census===
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,250 people, 29,714 households, and 13,549 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|3,029.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 31,862 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1,502.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Portland's immediate metropolitan area ranked 147th in the nation in 2000 with a population of 243,537, while the Portland/South Portland/Biddeford metropolitan area included 487,568 total inhabitants. This has increased to an estimated 513,102 inhabitants (and the largest metro area in Northern New England) {{As of|2007|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2012/tables/CBSA-EST2012-01.csv |title=Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012 (CBSA-EST2012-01) |format=[[comma-separated values|CSV]] |work=2012 Population Estimates |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division |date=September 18, 2013 |access-date=September 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401093220/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/metro/totals/2012/tables/CBSA-EST2012-01.csv |archive-date=April 1, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Much of this increase in population has been due to growth in the city's southern and western suburbs.

The racial makeup of the city was 91.27% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.59% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.47% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 3.08% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.67% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.86% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.52% of the population.

The largest ancestries include: British (including Scottish, Welsh, and English) (21.2%), Irish (19.2%), [[French people|French]] (10.8%), Italian (10.5%), and German (6.9%).{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

There were 29,714 households, out of which 21.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.1% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.4% were non-families. 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 36.1% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,650, and the median income for a family was $48,763. Males had a median income of $31,828 versus $27,173 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,698. About 9.7% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the [[poverty threshold|poverty line]], including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.

'''Race/ethnicity composition'''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Race/ethnicity
!2020
!2010<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/2360545 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20161028192323/http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/2360545 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2016-10-28 |title=Population estimates, July 1, 2015, (V2015) |website=U.S. Census Bureau |language=en |access-date=2017-01-30}}</ref>
!2000<ref>{{cite web |url=http://censusviewer.com/city/ME/Portland |title=Portland, Maine Population: Census 2010 |website=U.S. Census Bureau |language=en |access-date=2017-01-30 |archive-date=July 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719121810/http://censusviewer.com/city/ME/Portland |url-status=dead}}</ref>
!1990<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.pdf |title=Historical Census Statistics On Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For Large Cities And Other Urban Places In The United States |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=January 30, 2017 |archive-date=March 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312090613/https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0076/twps0076.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
!1960<ref name="auto"/>
|-
|[[White Americans|White]]
|84.6%
|83.6%
|91.27%
|96%
|99.4%
|-
|[[African Americans]]
|8.4%
|7.1%
|2.59%
|1.1%
|0.5%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|3.5%
|3.5%
|3.08%
|1.7%
|0.1%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]]
|2.9%
|2.7%
|1.86%
|0.2%
|NA
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|3%
|3%
|1.52%
|0.8%
|NA
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]]
|0.1%
|0.5%
|0.47%
|0.4%
|NA
|}

==Economy==
[[File:Portland Waterfont 2016.jpg|thumb|Municipal ferries on the Portland waterfront]]

Portland has become Maine's economic capital because the city has Maine's largest port, largest population, and is close to Boston (105 miles to the southwest). Over the years, the local economy has shifted from fishing, [[manufacturing]], and agriculture towards a more [[service economy|service-based economy]]. Most national bank institutions and other related financial organizations, such as [[Bank of America]] and [[KeyBank|Key Bank]], base their Maine operations in Portland. [[Unum]], [[Covetrus]], [[TruChoice Federal Credit Union]], [[M&T Bank]], ImmuCell Corp, and [[Pioneer Telephone]] have headquarters here, and Portland's neighboring cities of South Portland, Westbrook and [[Scarborough, Maine|Scarborough]], provide homes for other corporations including [[Idexx Laboratories|IDEXX]] and [[WEX Inc.|WEX Inc]]. Between 1867 and 2021, Burnham & Morrill Company, maker of B&M Baked Beans, had its main plant in Portland (the B&M Baked Beans factory).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-31 |title=Iconic B&M Baked Beans factory to be sold, turned into Roux Institute campus |url=https://www.wmtw.com/article/iconic-bandm-baked-beans-factory-to-be-sold-turned-into-roux-institute-campus/37435160 |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=WMTW |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Portland marina.jpg|thumb|Portland's East End waterfront with new marina and high-tech companies.]]

The city's port is also undergoing a revival, and the first-ever [[container train]] departed from the new International Marine Terminal with fifteen containers of locally produced bottled tap water in early 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2016/04/06/poland-spring-to-ship-water-by-train-to-massachusetts-distributors/ |title=Poland Spring to ship water by train to Massachusetts distributors |date=2016-04-06 |work=Press Herald |access-date=2018-01-23 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124070642/https://www.pressherald.com/2016/04/06/poland-spring-to-ship-water-by-train-to-massachusetts-distributors/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2020, Portland was announced to be the location of a new research institute that will focus on the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Northeastern University was selected by technology entrepreneur [[David Roux]] to lead the institute that will include programs that will allow graduate student research.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/28/northeastern-university-launches-100-million-research-center-maine |title=Northeastern University launches $100 million research center in Maine |access-date=February 18, 2020 |archive-date=February 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226022817/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/28/northeastern-university-launches-100-million-research-center-maine |url-status=live}}</ref>

Portland also has a large subsidized housing industry, with several large real estate companies in the business.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-27 |title=New housing project in Portland to include affordable units and first-of-its-kind 'co-op' units |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/new-housing-project-in-portland-to-include-affordable-units-first-of-its-kind-co-op-units/97-401b384a-51dd-4cc9-bf08-89f37ae6158c |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=newscentermaine.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Bodnar |first=Marissa |agency=WPFO |date=2023-10-03 |title=Ask the I-Team: What is considered to be affordable housing in Maine? |url=https://fox23maine.com/news/i-team/what-is-considered-to-be-affordable-housing-in-maine-us-department-of-housing-and-urban-development-hud-area-median-income-ami-portland-metro-area |access-date=19 February 2025}}</ref> The city is described as one of the "best places to live" in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-16 |title=Portland moves up in top 10 'Best Places to Live' |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2023/05/16/portland-moves-up-in-top-10-best-places-to-live-in-the-u-s/ |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=Press Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-17 |title=Portland makes top 10 in ranking of Best Places to Live |url=https://www.wmtw.com/article/portland-top-10-best-places-to-live/40027360 |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=WMTW |language=en}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
[[File:MNGRR1.JPG|thumb|right|Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad]]
[[File:Time and Temperature building, Portland, Maine.jpg|thumb|The [[Time and Temperature Building]]]]
Portland has a long history of prominence in the arts, peaking the first time in the early 19th century, when the city was "a rival, and not a satellite of either Boston or New York."<ref>{{cite book |last=Sears |first=Donald A. |title=John Neal |publisher=Twayne Publishers |location=Boston, Massachusetts |year=1978 |isbn=080-5-7723-08 |page=124, quoting Edward C. Kirkland}}</ref> In that period, [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] got his start as a poet and [[John Neal]] held a central position in leading American literature toward its [[American Renaissance (literature)|great renaissance]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Kayorie |first=James Stephen Merritt | editor-last=Baumgartner | editor-first=Jody C. |chapter=John Neal (1793-1876) |page=87 |title=American Political Humor: Masters of Satire and Their Impact on U.S. Policy and Culture |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, California |year=2019 |isbn=9781440854866}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sears |first=Donald A. |title=John Neal |publisher=Twayne Publishers |location=Boston, Massachusetts |year=1978 |isbn=080-5-7723-08 |page=123}}</ref> having founded Maine's first literary periodical, ''[[The Yankee]]'', in 1828.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Richards |first=Irving T. |date=1933 |title=The Life and Works of John Neal |type=PhD |publisher=Harvard University |url=http://id.lib.harvard.edu/alma/990038995990203941/catalog |oclc=7588473 |page=576 | access-date=June 4, 2021 | archive-date=February 19, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141629/https://hollis.harvard.edu/primo-explore/search?tab=everything&search_scope=everything&vid=HVD2&lang=en_US&mode=basic&offset=0&query=lsr01,contains,990038995990203941 | url-status=live}}</ref> Other notable literary or artistic figures who were contemporaries include [[Grenville Mellen]], [[Nathaniel Parker Willis]], [[Seba Smith]], [[Elizabeth Oakes Smith]], [[Benjamin Paul Akers]], [[Charles Codman]], [[Franklin Simmons]], [[John Rollin Tilton]], and [[Harrison Bird Brown]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barry |first1=William David |last2=Shettleworth, Jr. |first2=Earle G |author2-link=Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. |date=1981 |title=Mr Goodhue Remembers Portland: Scenes from the Mid-19th Century |location=Augusta, Maine |publisher=Maine Historic Preservation Commission |chapter=Introduction |oclc= 7671132}} Pages are unnumbered.</ref> Since 2000, Portland has hosted a monthly First Friday Art Walk event which attracts more than 3,000 visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.creativeportland.com/first-friday-art-walk |title=First Friday Art Walk |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Creative Portland |publisher=Creative Portland Corporation |access-date=December 5, 2022 |quote=Started in the year 2000, First Friday Art Walk has blossomed into a monthly arts and cultural event{{nbsp}}.... Over 3,000 people come downtown each month}}</ref>

===Sites of interest===
The Arts District, centered on Congress Street, is home to the [[Portland Museum of Art]], [[Portland Stage Company]], [[Maine Historical Society|Maine Historical Society & Museum]], [[Portland Public Library]], [[Maine College of Art]], SPACE Gallery, [[Children's Museum of Maine]], [[Merrill Auditorium]], the [[Kotzschmar Memorial Organ]], and [[Portland Symphony Orchestra]], as well as many smaller art galleries and studios.

[[Baxter Boulevard]] around [[Back Cove, Portland, Maine|Back Cove]], [[Deering Oaks|Deering Oaks Park]], the [[Eastern Promenade]], [[Western Promenade]], [[Lincoln Park (Portland, Maine)|Lincoln Park]] and Riverton Park are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include [[Payson Park]], Post Office Park, [[Baxter Woods]], [[Evergreen Cemetery (Portland, Maine)|Evergreen Cemetery]], [[Western Cemetery (Portland, Maine)|Western Cemetery]] and the [[Fore River Sanctuary]].

[[Thompson's Point, Maine|Thompson's Point]], in the Libbytown neighborhood, has been a focus of renovation and redevelopment since the 2010s. The location hosts a concert venue, ice rink, hotels, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thompsonspointmaine.com/ |title=Thompson's Point - Development in Portland, Maine |website=Thompson's Point |language=en-US |access-date=2017-01-30 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202121815/http://www.thompsonspointmaine.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Notable buildings===
[[File:Wadsworth-Longfellow House Front.JPG|thumb|[[Wadsworth-Longfellow House]]|293x293px]]{{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Portland, Maine}}
The spire of the [[Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Portland, Maine)|Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception]] has been a notable feature of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. In 1859, [[Ammi B. Young]] designed the [[United States Marine Hospital (Portland, Maine)|Marine Hospital]], the first of three local works by [[Office of the Supervising Architect|Supervising Architects of the U.S. Treasury Department]]. Although the city lost to redevelopment its 1867 [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]] post office, which was designed by [[Alfred B. Mullett]] of white [[Vermont]] [[marble]] and featured a [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] [[portico]], Portland retains his 1868 [[United States Custom House (Portland, Maine)|United States Custom House]] on [[Fore Street (Portland, Maine)|Fore Street]].

[[Franklin Towers]] is a 16-story residential tower. Between 1969 and 2023, at {{convert|175|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emporis.com/building/franklintowers-portland-me-usa |title=Franklin Towers |access-date=2014-02-13 |publisher=Emporis.com |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214012033/http://www.emporis.com/building/franklintowers-portland-me-usa |url-status=usurped}}</ref> it was Maine's tallest residential building. It was surpassed by [[201 Federal Street]], which is {{Convert|29.5|ft}} taller.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-02 |title=There's a new tallest building in the city of Portland |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/207-interview/portland-maine-tallest-building-201-federal-street/97-08af493f-fb0a-4a90-add4-7c7b748f12b4 |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=newscentermaine.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

During the building boom of the 1980s, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including the 1983 [[Charles Shipman Payson Building]] by [[Henry N. Cobb]] of [[Pei Cobb Freed & Partners|Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners]] at the [[Portland Museum of Art]] complex (a component of which is the 1801 [[McLellan-Sweat Mansion]]), and the Back Bay Tower, a fifteen-story residential building completed in 1990.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cbre.com/NR/rdonlyres/3CB731EA-C269-11D5-A91D-00508B5B0FEB/328757/PortlandMarketSurvey2006.pdf |title=Greater Portland Area 2006 Office Market Survey |access-date=August 10, 2006 |author=CB Richard Ellis/The Boulos Company |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060822013259/http://www.cbre.com/NR/rdonlyres/3CB731EA-C269-11D5-A91D-00508B5B0FEB/328757/PortlandMarketSurvey2006.pdf |archive-date=August 22, 2006 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

477 Congress Street (known locally as the [[Time and Temperature Building]]) is situated near [[Monument Square (Portland, Maine)|Monument Square]] in the Arts District and is a major landmark: the 14-story building features a large electronic sign on its roof that flashes time and temperature data, as well as [[Parking mandates|parking-ban]] information in the winter. The building is home to several radio stations. The [[Press Herald Building]], at 390 Congress Street, is strategically located across [[Congress Street (Portland, Maine)|Congress Street]] from [[Portland City Hall (Maine)|Portland City Hall]] and was built in 1923. It was expanded in 1948 for use as the newspaper's headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bair |first=Diane |date=2015-04-05 |title=Hotel opens in old Portland Press Herald building - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/travel/2015/04/04/hotel-opens-old-portland-press-herald-building/D267c2IsdQXJ1yGc2aqqIP/story.html |access-date=2022-05-03 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The [[Westin Portland Harborview]], completed in 1927, is a prominent hotel located downtown on [[High Street (Portland, Maine)|High Street]]. Photographer [[Todd Webb]] lived in Portland during his later years and took many pictures of the city.<ref name=twsOctBE31>{{cite news |author=Bob Keyes |title=THAT '70S SHOW: A new photography exhibition offers a look back at a very different Portland |work=Maine Sunday Telegram |quote="Seeing Portland" focuses on the work of photographers from the 1970s and early '80s, including "Splendid Restaurant, Congress Street, Portland, 8/20/76" by Todd Webb. The show opens Saturday at Zero Station in Portland. ... The exhibition brings together the work of several accomplished photographers. In addition to Graham, photographers with work in the show include Tom Brennan, C.C. Church, [[Rose Marasco]], Joe Muir, Mark Rockwood, Jeff Stevensen, Jay York and Todd Webb. |date=April 4, 2010 |url=http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/that-70s-show_2010-04-04.html |access-date=October 10, 2010 |archive-date=April 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416075719/http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/that-70s-show_2010-04-04.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Some of Webb's pictures can be found at the Evans Gallery.<ref name=twsOctBE32>{{cite news |author=Bob Keyes |title=Photographer's estate updates, improves website |work=Maine Sunday Telegram |quote=The estate of Todd Webb announced a recent refurbishment of its website, toddwebbphotographs.com. |date=May 30, 2010 |url=http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/arts-dispatches_2010-05-30.html |access-date=October 10, 2010 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810211413/http://www.pressherald.com/life/audience/arts-dispatches_2010-05-30.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Media===
{{See also|Media in Portland, Maine}}

The city is home to one daily newspaper, ''[[Portland Press Herald|The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram]]'', founded in 1862. ''The Press Herald'' is published Monday through Saturday and ''The Maine Sunday Telegram'' is published on Sundays. Both are published by MaineToday Media Inc., which also operates an entertainment website, ''MaineToday.com'' and owns papers in Augusta, Waterville, and Bath.

Other publications include ''[[The Forecaster|The Portland Forecaster]]'', a weekly newspaper; ''[[The Bollard]]'', a monthly alternative magazine formerly known as ''Mainer''; ''The West End News'', ''The Munjoy Hill Observer'', ''The Baysider'', ''The Waterfront'', ''[[Portland Magazine]]'', and ''The Companion''. Portland is also the home office of ''[[The Exception Magazine]]'', an online newspaper which covers Maine.

The Portland broadcast [[media market]] is the largest one in Maine for both [[radio station|radio]] and television. Radio stations located in Portland include [[WFNK]] (Classic Hits), [[The Big JAB|WJJB]] (Sports), [[WTHT]] (Country), [[WBACH|WBQW]] (Classical), [[WHXR]] (Rock), [[WHOM]] ([[Adult contemporary music|Adult Contemporary]]), [[WJBQ]] ([[Top 40]]), [[WCLZ]] (Adult Album Alternative), [[WBLM]] (Classic Rock), [[WYNZ]] (1960s–1970s Hits), and [[WCYY]] ([[Modern rock|Modern Rock]]). [[WMPG]] is a local non-commercial radio station run by community members and the [[University of Southern Maine]]. The [[Maine Public Broadcasting Network]]'s (MPBN) radio news operations are based in Portland.

Television stations include [[WCSH|WCSH 6]] ([[NBC]]), [[WMTW (TV)|WMTW 8]] ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]), [[WGME-TV|WGME 13]] ([[CBS]]), [[WPFO|WPFO 23]] ([[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]), [[WIPL|WIPL 35]] ([[Ion Television|ION]]), and [[WPXT|WPXT 51]] ([[The CW]]; [[MyNetworkTV]] on DT3). There is no [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] member station licensed to the city of Portland, but the market is served by MPBN outlets WCBB (channel 10) in [[Augusta, Maine|Augusta]] and WMEA-TV (channel 26) in [[Biddeford, Maine|Biddeford]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Channel number
!Call sign
!Network
!Owner
|-
|6
|[[WCSH]]
|[[NBC]]
|[[Tegna Inc.]]
|-
|8
|[[WMTW (TV)|WMTW]]
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|[[Hearst Television]]
|-
|10
|[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network|WCBB]]
|[[PBS]]
|[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network]]
|-
|13
|[[WGME-TV|WGME]]
|[[CBS]]
|[[Sinclair Broadcast Group]]
|-
|23
|[[WPFO]]
|[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|[[Cunningham Broadcasting]]
|-
|26
|[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network|WMEA-TV]]
|[[PBS]]
|[[Maine Public Broadcasting Network]]
|-
|35
|[[WIPL]]
|[[Ion Television]]
|[[Ion Media]]
|-
|51
|[[WPXT]]
|[[The CW]]<br />[[MyNetworkTV]] (DT3)
|[[Hearst Television]]
|}

====Historical newspapers====
Newspapers formerly published in Portland include ''[[The Pleasure Boat]]'', ''[[Eastern Argus]], [[Evening Express (Portland)|Evening Express]],'' ''[[Casco Bay Weekly]]'',''[[The Portland Daily Sun]]'' and [[Portland Phoenix|''The Portland Phoenix'']].

=== Traditions ===
==== Valentine's Day Phantom ====
In 1976, a group of unknown individuals started the tradition of the Valentine's Day Phantom by plastering the city with hearts on Valentine's Day. In 1986, the [[U.S. Coast Guard]] almost intercepted a boat filled with Valentine's Day Phantom's after it nearly hit a Casco Bay Ferry. The boat made it to [[Fort Gorges]] and unfurled a heart banner. The banner appeared on the uninhabited island fort again in 2017. The heart flag appeared on the flag pole at Central Fire Station in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-10 |title=Identity of Valentine’s Day Phantom is Portland’s most beloved mystery |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/10/identity-of-valentines-day-phantom-is-portlands-most-beloved-mystery/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> One leader of the effort, Kevin Farnham, was publicly identified in 2023, when he died. His family revealed Farnham's involvement but said he was not the founder.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-14 |title=Portland’s beloved Valentine’s Day Phantom strikes again |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2025/02/14/portlands-beloved-valentine-phantom-strikes-again/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> The Farnham family established a charitable foundation called Be A Kevin to help keep the tradition alive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-13 |title=Family of Valentine’s Day bandit launching charitable foundation |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/13/family-of-valentines-day-bandit-launching-charitable-foundation/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

==== First Friday Art Walk ====
In 2000, the First Friday Art Walk was started by gallery owners in the [[Arts District (Portland, Maine)|Arts District]] who opened from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month. By 2012, the event had become so popular that gallery owners feared the event was becoming too much like a festival with street performers and vendors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-12-14 |title=Portland’s art walk veering off course? |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2012/12/14/portland-art-walk-veering-off-course__2012-12-14/ |access-date=2025-02-18 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

== Food and beverage ==
===Number of restaurants===
Downtown Portland, including the Arts District and the Old Port, has a high concentration of eating and drinking establishments, with many more to be found throughout the rest of the peninsula, outlying neighborhoods, and neighboring communities. The city is also home to numerous food trucks and food carts<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/05/19/snack-attack-where-to-find-food-trucks-and-carts-in-greater-portland/ |title=Snack attack: Where to find food trucks and carts in Greater Portland |date=2019-05-19 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2019-09-06 |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906180024/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/05/19/snack-attack-where-to-find-food-trucks-and-carts-in-greater-portland/ |url-status=live}}</ref> which park on the city streets and at festivals, events, and breweries. Most operate in the summer; a few operate year-round.

Notable restaurants include [[Fore Street (restaurant)|Fore Street]], [[Duckfat]], [[Becky's Diner]], and [[The Great Lost Bear]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Where to eat and what to order in Portland, Maine - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2019/05/09/where-eat-and-what-order-portland-maine/A60tNsZhKSP69JIazznJ5J/story.html |last=First |first=Devra |date=2019-05-09 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US |access-date=2020-05-07 |archive-date=May 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513090056/https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2019/05/09/where-eat-and-what-order-portland-maine/A60tNsZhKSP69JIazznJ5J/story.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Food recognition===
Portland has developed a national reputation for the quality of its restaurants, eateries, and food culture. The city has been visited by many food shows, including [[Rachael Ray]]'s [[Food Network]] show ''[[$40 a Day]]'', the [[Travel Channel]]'s ''[[Man v. Food]]'', and ''[[Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/40-a-day/episodes/portland-maine |title=Portland, Maine |website=Food Network |access-date=2019-01-02 |archive-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190102193434/https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/40-a-day/episodes/portland-maine |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2010/07/06/man-v-food-eats-maine/ |title=Man v. Food eats Maine |last=Writer |first=Meredith GoadStaff |date=2010-07-06 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2019-01-02 |archive-date=July 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717154132/https://www.pressherald.com/2010/07/06/man-v-food-eats-maine/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wjbq.com/watch-that-time-when-anthony-bourdain-traveled-to-maine-loved-vacationland-on-no-reservations/ |title=Watch: That Time When Anthony Bourdain Traveled to Maine & Loved Vacationland on 'No Reservations' |last=Gavin |first=Ryan |website=Q97.9 |date=June 8, 2018 |language=en |access-date=2019-01-02 |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004732/http://wjbq.com/watch-that-time-when-anthony-bourdain-traveled-to-maine-loved-vacationland-on-no-reservations/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bon Appetit]] named Portland the Restaurant City of the Year in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018 |title=Portland, Maine, Is the 2018 Restaurant City of the Year |website=Bon Appetit |date=August 7, 2018 |access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920201234/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/portland-maine-city-of-the-year-2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Beverages===
Portland is home to numerous juice bars,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2017/08/02/vegan-kitchen-explosion-of-smoothies-in-portland-looks-like-healthy-trend/ |title=Explosion of smoothies in Portland looks like healthy trend |last=Kamila |first=Avery Yale |date=2017-08-02 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2019-09-06 |archive-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190906180023/https://www.pressherald.com/2017/08/02/vegan-kitchen-explosion-of-smoothies-in-portland-looks-like-healthy-trend/ |url-status=live}}</ref> coffee shops, coffee roasteries,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/watch-out-craft-brewing-maine-craft-coffee-is-a-multimillion-dollar-industry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240915051426/https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/watch-out-craft-brewing-maine-craft-coffee-is-a-multimillion-dollar-industry |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2024 |title=Watch out craft brewing: Maine craft coffee is a multimillion-dollar industry |last=Valigra |first=Lori |date=May 30, 2016 |website=MaineBiz |access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref> tea houses, distilleries, [[microbrewery|microbreweries]] and [[Microbrewery|brewpub]]s.

Brewers include the [[D. L. Geary Brewing Company]], [[Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company]], [[Shipyard Brewing Company]], and [[Allagash Brewing Company]]. Portland's spirits industry has also grown in recent years.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.visitportland.com/eat-drink/drinks/wine-spirits-tastings |title=Tastings, Beer, Wine & Spirits |website=Visit Portland |date=May 23, 2019 |access-date=April 1, 2020 |archive-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220219141615/https://www.visitportland.com/visit/eat-drink/breweries-distilleries-wineries/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mainedistillersguild.org/ |title=Maine Distillers Guild {{!}} Make Mine from Maine|website=Maine Distillers Guild|language=en-US |access-date=2020-04-01 |archive-date=August 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806181559/https://mainedistillersguild.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The city is known for its pure tap water. The water comes from [[Sebago Lake]]. It is piped to Portland by the Portland Water District. Sebago Lake is one of fifty surface-water supplies among 13,000 in the country that the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] says do not need filtration.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/11/27/150-years-after-sebago-lake-water-arrived-in-portland-region-focuses-on-keeping-it-clean/ |title=Exactly 150 years after Sebago Lake water arrived in Portland, focus is still on keeping it clean |last=Graham |first=Gillian |date=2019-11-27 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-03-27 |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327093146/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/11/27/150-years-after-sebago-lake-water-arrived-in-portland-region-focuses-on-keeping-it-clean/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Farmers markets===
The [[Portland Farmers' Market (Maine)|Portland Farmers' Market]] takes place Wednesdays in Monument Square, Saturdays in Deering Oaks Park (from early May to the end of November), and Saturdays at [[The Maine Girls' Academy|The Maine Girls Academy]] (from early December to the end of April).

===Vegetarian food===
The city has the state's most vegan and vegetarian restaurants.{{Cn|date=March 2024}} Vegetarian-friendly restaurants number more than 200 in 2020, according to the ''Maine Sunday Telegram''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/01/19/portlands-vegan-restaurant-scene-is-red-hot/ |title=Vegan Kitchen: Portland's vegan restaurant scene is red-hot |last=Kamila |first=Avery Yale |date=2020-01-19 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-01-20 |archive-date=January 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120163411/https://www.pressherald.com/2020/01/19/portlands-vegan-restaurant-scene-is-red-hot/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Celebrity chef [[Toni Fiore]] first filmed the PBS cooking show ''Totally Vegetarian'' in 2002 at the cable access station in Portland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2014/06/11/the-vegetarian-kitchen-mashup-back-for-new-season-of-vegan-goodness/ |title='Mashup' back for new season of vegan goodness |last=Kamila |first=Avery Yale |date=2014-06-11 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-03-27 |archive-date=February 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206183949/https://www.pressherald.com/2014/06/11/the-vegetarian-kitchen-mashup-back-for-new-season-of-vegan-goodness/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The ''Portland Press Herald'' has featured a vegan column by [[Avery Yale Kamila]] in its F''ood & Dining'' section since 2009.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fotiades |first=Anestes |url=http://www.portlandfoodmap.com/natural-foodie/ |title=Natural Foodie - General News |date=2009-08-19 |work=Portland Food Map |access-date=2020-03-27 |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327182900/https://www.portlandfoodmap.com/natural-foodie/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mainepublic.org/post/vegan-plant-based-living |title=Vegan & Plant-Based Living |last=Han |first=Cindy |website=www.mainepublic.org |language=en |access-date=2020-01-03 |archive-date=January 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103183138/https://www.mainepublic.org/post/vegan-plant-based-living |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2011, the Portland Public Schools added a daily vegetarian cold lunch to its school menu choices. In 2019, the district changed to a daily hot [[vegan school meal]] option.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/portland-elementary-schools-to-add-vegan-hot-lunch-options |title=Portland elementary schools to add vegan hot lunch options |last=Mills |first=Lindsey |date=August 26, 2019 |work=News Center Maine |access-date=September 6, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Food festivals===
Portland hosts a number of food and beverage festivals, including:
*Festival of Nations, takes place in July in Deering Oaks Park and organized by group of local organizations<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/07/22/on-the-cheap-salsa-dancing-festival-of-nations-and-stand-by-me-screening/ |title=On the Cheap: Salsa Dancing, Festival of Nations and 'Stand By Me' screening |last=Writer |first=Aimsel PontiStaff |date=2019-07-22 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=July 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190722140807/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/07/22/on-the-cheap-salsa-dancing-festival-of-nations-and-stand-by-me-screening/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Greek Festival, three-day event in June at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wgme.com/news/local/greek-festival-underway-in-portland |title=Greek festival underway in Portland |last=WGME |date=2018-06-22 |website=WGME |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204235047/https://wgme.com/news/local/greek-festival-underway-in-portland |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Harvest on the Harbor, multi-day event takes place in October<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2019/09/21/2019-fall-food-festivals-new-england |title=A complete guide to the best New England fall food festivals {{!}} Boston.com|website=www.boston.com|language=en-US |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=February 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200208223843/https://www.boston.com/food/restaurants/2019/09/21/2019-fall-food-festivals-new-england |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Italian Street Festival & Bazaar, three-day event in August outside St. Peter's Parish commemorates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Feast of Saint Rocco<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bangordailynews.com/bdn-maine/event/2019/08/09/proud-traditions-to-highlight-the-94th-annual-st-peters-italian-bazaar-in-portland/ |title=Proud traditions to highlight the 94th annual St. Peter's Italian Bazaar in Portland |website=Bangor Daily News |language=en-US |access-date=2020-04-22}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*Maine Brewers Festival, held multiple times a year by the Maine Brewers' Guild<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2013/07/11/brewers-guild-brings-craft-beer-festival-to-portland-waterfront_2013-07-11/ |title=What Ales You: Brewers' Guild brings craft beer festival to Portland waterfront |last=Atwell |first=Tom |date=2013-07-11 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202231140/https://www.pressherald.com/2013/07/11/brewers-guild-brings-craft-beer-festival-to-portland-waterfront_2013-07-11/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Maine VegFest, takes place in October and organized by Maine Animal Coalition since 2005; the event features all vegan food and was originally called Maine Vegetarian Food Festival<ref>{{cite web |title=Vegan Kitchen: Some changes are afoot for this year's VegFest |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/10/27/vegan-kitchen-some-changes-are-afoot-for-this-years-vegfest/ |last=Kamila |first=Avery Yale |date=2019-10-27 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=March 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328203133/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/10/27/vegan-kitchen-some-changes-are-afoot-for-this-years-vegfest/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Taste of the Nation, fundraiser for food insecurity that stopped after 2015 but happened again in 2019<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/02/05/taste-of-the-nation-returns/ |title=Taste of Nation dinner to fight childhood hunger returns to Portland |last=Writer |first=Meredith GoadStaff |date=2019-02-05 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202221523/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/02/05/taste-of-the-nation-returns/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Maine Restaurant Week, takes place over twelve days in March<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/24/nibble-and-sip-your-way-through-maine-restaurant-week/ |title=Nibble and sip your way through Maine Restaurant Week |last=Writer |first=Ray RouthierStaff |date=2020-02-24 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302022104/https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/24/nibble-and-sip-your-way-through-maine-restaurant-week/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Maine Seaweed Week, takes place in the spring<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/26/the-wrap-new-restaurants-in-the-works-and-a-peek-at-seafood-week/ |title=The Wrap: New restaurants in the works, and a peek at Seaweed Week |last=Writer |first=Meredith GoadStaff |date=2020-02-26 |website=Press Herald |access-date=2020-04-22 |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427024703/https://www.pressherald.com/2020/02/26/the-wrap-new-restaurants-in-the-works-and-a-peek-at-seafood-week/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Food history===
Since 1768, the [[Portland Farmers' Market (Maine)|Portland Farmers Market]] has been in operation. It was first established in the Town Hall that "served 136 families on the peninsula."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=OUR HISTORY: Tracing our roots back...247 years! |url=https://www.portlandmainefarmersmarket.org/history |access-date= |website=Portland Farmers Market}}</ref>

Portland is where national [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] started. Portland mayor and temperance leader Neal Dow led Maine to ban alcohol sales in 1851.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/maine-first-state-try-prohibition-180963503/ |title=Why Was Maine the First State to Try Prohibition? |last=Eschner |first=Kat |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en |access-date=2020-03-27 |archive-date=March 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327100144/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/maine-first-state-try-prohibition-180963503/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The law led to the Portland Rum Riot in 1855. In 1845, ''[[The Pleasure Boat]]'' was the earliest vegetarian publication in Maine.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kamila |first=Avery Yale |date=2021-02-14 |title=A 19th-century Portland newspaper an early advocate for a vegetarian diet |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/02/14/a-19th-century-radical-newspaper-published-in-portland-espoused-vegetarianism/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410093853/https://www.pressherald.com/2021/02/14/a-19th-century-radical-newspaper-published-in-portland-espoused-vegetarianism/ |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |access-date=2021-03-20 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> 

Canned corn was developed in Portland by the N. Winslow company. By 1852 the Winslow's Patent Hermetically Sealed Green Corn was a commercial success and the company became a world leader in the canning industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Maine Memory Network Exhibit - Canning: A Maine Industry |url=https://www.mainememory.net/bin/Features?fn=53&fmt=list&n=1&supst=Exhibits&mr=all |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808180335/https://www.mainememory.net/bin/Features?fn=53&fmt=list&n=1&supst=Exhibits&mr=all |archive-date=August 8, 2020 |access-date=2020-03-27 |website=www.mainememory.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Civil War Canning Pioneer Winslow's Cannery / Union Army Contractors |url=http://www.mainelegacy.com/14.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303175856/http://www.mainelegacy.com/14.html |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |access-date=2020-03-27 |website=www.mainelegacy.com}}</ref> An historic B&M Baked Beans canning plant built in 1913 operated on the waterfront until 2021 when it closed and production moved to the midwest.<ref>{{cite news |author=WABI News Desk |date=August 31, 2021 |title=Iconic B&M Baked Beans factory to be sold, turned into Roux Institute campus |work=WAGM |url=https://www.wagmtv.com/2021/08/31/iconic-bm-baked-beans-factory-be-sold-turned-into-roux-institute-campus/ |access-date=August 31, 2022}}</ref> By late 2022, B&M customers were reporting that the baked beans were undercooked, crunchy, and tasted different. Customers speculated that the beans were no longer being baked. Some customers were hoarding B&M bean cans produced at the Portland plant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Ray RouthierStaff |date=2022-11-06 |title=B&M fans say makers from away don't know beans |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2022/11/06/bm-fans-say-beans-made-out-of-state-are-leaving-a-bad-taste-in-their-mouths/ |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

In the early 20th century, a [[Little Italy]] neighborhood developed around India Street.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Landrigan |first=Leslie |date=2017-10-07 |title=Little Italy in New England: Some Lost, Some Thriving |url=https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/little-italy-new-england-lost-thriving/ |access-date=2022-11-06 |website=New England Historical Society |language=en-US}}</ref> The city's [[Amato's]] Italian delicatessen on India Street is reported to be the birthplace of the [[Maine Italian sandwich]], called "an Italian" by locals, which Amato's first served in 1902.<ref>{{cite web |title=History Hoagie Sandwich, History Submarine Sandwich, History Po' Boys Sandwich, Poor Boy Sandwich, History Dagwood Sandwich, History Italian Sandwich |url=http://www.whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoagieSubmarinePoBoy.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715020239/http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoagieSubmarinePoBoy.htm |archive-date=July 15, 2013 |access-date=April 28, 2013 |publisher=Whatscookingamerica.net}}</ref> [[The Village Restaurant]], an Italian restaurant in the city's East End, was in operation for 71 years, from 1936 to 2007.<ref>[https://www.portlandfoodmap.com/portlands-living-food-history/ "Portland's Living Food History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218221342/https://www.portlandfoodmap.com/portlands-living-food-history/|date=December 18, 2021}} – Portland Food Map, April 19, 2010</ref> In 1949, [[Miccuci's Grocery Co.]], an Italian grocery store, opened on India Street and remains in business.<ref name=":1" />

In the 1970s and 1980s, [[The Hollow Reed]] was a notable vegetarian restaurant on Fore Street cited for its influence on the city's restaurant culture.<ref>{{cite web |last=Goad |first=Meredith |date=2018-08-07 |title=Portland food scene's in the big time now with selection as Bon Appetit's Restaurant City of the Year |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/07/portland-named-bon-appetits-city-of-the-year/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518083941/https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/07/portland-named-bon-appetits-city-of-the-year/ |archive-date=May 18, 2020 |access-date=2020-05-18 |website=Portland Press Herald}}</ref> In 1979, [[The Great Lost Bear]] opened on [[Forest Avenue]] and was recognized for its large selection of draft craft beers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-16 |title=The Great Lost Bear roars into its 5th decade |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/06/16/great-lost-bear-roars-into-its-fifth-decade/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> In 1982 [[DiMillo's On the Water|DiMillo's on the Water]] opened in a former car ferry docked at Portland's [[Long Wharf (Portland, Maine)|Long Wharf]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Charles |first=Eleanor |date=1983-06-12 |title=WHAT'S DOING IN PORTLAND, ME. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/12/travel/what-s-doing-in-portland-me.html |work=New York Times}}</ref> In 1988, the [[Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company|Gritty McDuff's]] brewpub was founded on Fore Street and is considered the first brewpub to open in Maine since [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] ended.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-16 |title=Portland's Gritty McDuff's celebrates 30 years of simple suds |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/07/16/portlands-gritty-mcduffs-celebrates-30-years-of-simple-suds/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> In 1989, [[Marcy's Diner]] opened on Free Street, and in 2015 it made international headlines following a spat between the then-cook-owner and a patron over the latter's screaming child.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=What the Toddler-Hating Diner Owner Teaches Us About Parenting |url=https://time.com/3967432/marcys-diner-yelling-at-toddler/ |access-date=2022-10-27 |magazine=Time |language=en}}</ref> 

In 1991, [[Becky's Diner]] opened on Commercial Street, after it got an exception to the city's zoning laws prohibiting non-fishery businesses on the waterfront, and has attracted famous patrons including [[Taylor Swift]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hoey |first=Dennis |date=July 9, 2010 |title=Hey, wasn't that … yeah, it's Taylor Swift |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2010/07/09/hey-wasnt-that-taylor-swift_2010-07-09/ |access-date=March 13, 2024 |work=Portland Press Herald}}</ref> and president [[Bill Clinton]]. In 2007, the [[Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro|Green Elephant]] opened on Congress Street and received critical attention for the vegetarian menu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brian |first=Kevin |date=2015-06-08 |title=Maine's Best Restaurants for Vegetarians |url=https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/maines-best-restaurants-for-vegetarians |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130073430/https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/maines-best-restaurants-for-vegetarians |archive-date=2020-11-30 |access-date=2020-04-01 |website=Travel + Leisure |language=EN}}</ref>

In 2024, [[ZU Bakery]], located in the West End, won the [[James Beard Foundation Award|James Beard]] award for Outstanding Bakery, and Atsuko Fujimoto, owner of [[Norimoto Bakery]] in Deering Center, won the James Beard award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Portland bakery, pastry chef win 2024 James Beard Awards |url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/news/2024/06/11/portland-bakery--pastry-chef-win-2024-james-beard-awards- |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=spectrumlocalnews.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Sports==

=== Portland teams ===
The city is home to four minor league teams. The [[Portland Sea Dogs]], the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] [[farm team]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]], play at [[Hadlock Field]]. The [[Maine Celtics]], the [[NBA G League]] affiliate of the [[Boston Celtics]], play at the [[Portland Exposition Building]]. The [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]], [[ECHL]] affiliates of the [[Boston Bruins]], play at [[Cross Insurance Arena]]. A [[USL League One]] soccer team was granted to Portland in 2023. The team, called [[Portland Hearts of Pine]], began play in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-09-07 |title=Portland, Maine granted USL League One franchise |url=https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1283769-portland-maine-granted-usl-league-one-franchise |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=USL League One |language=en-us}}</ref>

The city is also home to [[Portland Rugby Football Club (Maine)|Portland Rugby Football Club]], the oldest continually active sports team in the city, founded in 1969. The team competes in Division II of the [[New England Rugby Football Union]]. Other pro and semi-pro sports teams in the city include the Portland Lumberjacks, a bowling team competing in the [[PBA League]], and [[Portland Rising]], a women's [[Ultimate frisbee|ultimate]] team competing in the [[Premier Ultimate League]]. In 2024, ''[[Sports Business Journal]]'' ranked Portland as the best minor league sports market in America.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-21 |title=Minor League Markets: Fans Love Portland |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/10/21/minor-league-markets-portland-maine |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.sportsbusinessjournal.com |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! scope="col" | Team
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Championships
!Affiliation
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Portland Sea Dogs]]
| Baseball
| [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]]
| [[Hadlock Field]]
| 1994
| 1
|[[Boston Red Sox]] (since 2003)
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Maine Celtics]]
| Basketball
| [[NBA G League]]
| [[Portland Exposition Building]]
| 2009
| 0
|[[Boston Celtics]] (since 2019)
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]]
| Ice hockey
| [[ECHL]]
| [[Cross Insurance Arena]]
| 2018
| 0
|[[Boston Bruins]] (since 2021)
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Portland Hearts of Pine]]
| Soccer
| [[USL League One]]
| [[Fitzpatrick Stadium]]
| 2025
| 0
|None
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Portland Rugby Football Club (Maine)|Portland Rugby Football Club]]
| Rugby union
| [[New England Rugby Football Union]]
| [[Fox Street Field]]
| 1969
| 1
|None
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Maine Roller Derby]]
| Roller Derby
| [[Women's Flat Track Derby Association|WFTDA]]
| [[Portland Exposition Building]]
| 2006
| 0
|None
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Portland Lumberjacks]]
| Team bowling
|[[Professional Bowlers Association#PBA League|PBA League]]
|[[Bayside Bowl]]
|2016
|3
|None
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal;" | [[Portland Rising]]
|[[Ultimate (sport)|Ultimate]]
|[[Premier Ultimate League|PUL]]
|[[Fitzpatrick Stadium]]
|2020
|0
|None
|}[[File:Hadlock Field, Portland Sea Dogs.jpg|thumb|[[Hadlock Field]], home of the [[Portland Sea Dogs]]]]
[[File:Fitzpatrick Stadium - Portland, Maine.jpg|thumb|[[Fitzpatrick Stadium]], home of the [[Portland Hearts of Pine]] and [[Portland High School (Maine)|Portland High School]] outdoor sports.]]

=== Former sports teams ===
Previously, Portland was home of several minor league [[ice hockey]] teams: the [[Maine Mariners (AHL)|Maine Mariners]] ([[American Hockey League|AHL]]) from 1977 to 1992 and the [[Portland Pirates]] (AHL) from 1993 to 2016. The Mariners were three-time [[Calder Cup]] winners, winning it in 1978, 1979 and 1984, while the Pirates would win the Calder Cup in 1995.

[[GPS Portland Phoenix]] soccer teams played in [[USL League Two]] from 2009 until 2020.

The [[Maine Mammoths]] of the [[National Arena League]] played in 2018 and were the first [[Indoor American football|indoor football]] team to call Portland home. The team suspended operations after one season while it negotiated with local ownership groups, but was ultimately dissolved.

The city was previously home to an [[Australian rules football]] team, the [[Maine Cats]]. The team played in the [[United States Australian Football League]] from 2018 until it merged with the [[Boston Demons]] in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maine Cats |url=https://usafl.com/clubs/maine |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=United States Australian Football League |language=en}}</ref>

=== Sports facilities ===
The Portland Sports Complex, located off of Park and Brighton Avenues, near [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]] and [[Deering Oaks]] park, houses several of the city's stadiums and arenas, including:
*[[Hadlock Field]] – baseball (Capacity 7,368)
*[[Fitzpatrick Stadium]] – football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and outdoor track (Capacity 6,000+ seated)
*[[Portland Exposition Building]] – basketball, indoor track, concerts and trade shows (Capacity 3,000)
*[[William B. Troubh Ice Arena|Portland Ice Arena]] – hockey and figure skating (Capacity 400)

Cross Insurance Arena has 6,733 permanent seats following renovation in 2014.

The Portland area has eleven professional [[golf course]]s, 124 tennis courts, and 95 [[playground]]s. There are also over {{cvt|100|mi|km}} of nature [[trail]]s.

Portland hosts the [[Maine Marathon]] each October.

Bayside Bowl was expanded in 2017 to 20 lanes, including a rooftop deck. It hosted the 2017 PBA League and Elias Cup.

[[Memorial Stadium (Maine)|Memorial Stadium]] is the home of the Deering High School sports teams and is located behind the school.

==Parks and recreation==
The city of Portland includes more than 700 acres of open space and public parks, the most well-known of which are the [[Eastern Promenade]], [[Western Promenade]] and [[Deering Oaks Park|Deering Oaks]]. The city and surrounding communities are linked by 70 miles of trails, both urban and wooded, maintained by the nonprofit Portland Trails. The Portland Parks Conservancy, which was established in 2019, is a nonprofit organization that raises money to support Portland's park system.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Billings |first=Randy |date=2019-09-03 |title=Fledgling Portland parks group outlines priorities, begins raising money |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/09/03/fledgling-portland-parks-group-outlines-priorities-begins-raising-money/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> In 2021, the Portland Parks Conservancy funded the establishment of the Portland Youth Corp. The Portland Youth Corp performs work in Portland's parks and residents between the ages of 14 and 16 can apply to participate in the paid program.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Billings |first=Randy |date=2021-07-06 |title=Portland Youth Corps gets to work |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/07/06/portland-youth-corps-gets-to-work/ |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=Press Herald}}</ref>

=== Organic land care ===
The city requires [[Organic lawn management|organic land care]] techniques be used on both public and private property.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/06/17/pesticide-bans-in-south-portland-and-portland-are-bringing-attention-to-ways-to-manage-lawn-and-garden-pests-without-chemicals/ |title=Pesticide bans raise question: Can we manage garden pests without chemicals? |date=June 17, 2018 |access-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625213325/https://www.pressherald.com/2018/06/17/pesticide-bans-in-south-portland-and-portland-are-bringing-attention-to-ways-to-manage-lawn-and-garden-pests-without-chemicals/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, the Portland City Council banned the use of synthetic pesticides.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/04/portland-council-approves-tough-synthetic-pesticide-ban/ |title=Portland's tough new ban on synthetic pesticides allows few exceptions |date=January 4, 2018 |access-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625213623/https://www.pressherald.com/2018/01/04/portland-council-approves-tough-synthetic-pesticide-ban/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, the city received a $10,000 grant from [[Hannaford Brothers Company|Hannaford]], [[Stonyfield Farm]], and Osborn Organics to pay for soil tests and other start up costs of transitioning the heavily used Fox Field in Kennedy Park to an organic maintenance plan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-21 |title=Portland gets $10K donation to begin transition to organic management for parks |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/tech/science/environment/portland-park-gets-10k-donation-to-begin-transition-to-organic-management/97-1840b86d-b745-4e20-a89a-2b90a7e01ead |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=newscentermaine.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Historic parks ===
Historic parks include:
*[[Baxter Boulevard]]
*[[Deering Oaks|Baxter Woods]]
*[[Congress Square Park]]
*[[Deering Oaks]]
*[[Eastern Promenade]]
*[[Fort Sumner (Maine)|Fort Sumner Park]]
*[[Kennedy Park (Portland, Maine)|Kennedy Park]]
*[[Lincoln Park (Portland, Maine)|Lincoln Park]]
*[[Payson Park]]
*[[Riverside Municipal Golf Course]]
*[[Western Promenade]]

=== Parks with trails ===
Notable trails and parks with multiple trails include:

* Bayside Trail
* East End Trail
* [[Evergreen Cemetery (Portland, Maine)|Evergreen Cemetery]]
* [[Fore River Sanctuary]]
* Quarry Run Dog Park
* Riverton Trolley Park

=== Parks with water features ===
Parks with splash pads, pools and beaches include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=SPLASH PADS |url=https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1180/Splash-Pads |access-date=2023-03-04 |website=City of Portland}}</ref>

* [[East End Beach]]
* [[Deering Oaks#Deering Oaks Ravine|Deering Oaks Ravine]]
* Kiwanis Pool
* [[Payson Park]]
* Peppermint Park
* Stone Street Playground

==Government==
[[File:City Hall, Portland, Maine LCCN2011635099.tif|thumb|City Hall]]
[[File:Portland Maine Custom House.JPG|thumb|right|United States Custom House, completed 1872]]

The city has adopted a [[council-manager government|council-manager style government]] that is detailed in the city charter. The citizens of Portland are represented by a nine-member [[Portland, Maine City Council|city council]] which makes policy, passes ordinances, approves appropriations, appoints the city manager and oversees the municipal government. The city council of nine members is elected by the citizens of Portland. The city has five voting districts, with each district electing a city [[councillor|councilor]] to represent their neighborhood interests for a three-year term. There are also four members of the city council who are elected [[at-large]].<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.portlandmaine.gov/Chapter000.pdf |title=City of Portland Code of Ordinances, Charter Rev. 7-01-09 |access-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527191418/http://www.portlandmaine.gov/Chapter000.pdf |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The four at-large members are elected through [[Single transferable voting|Proportional ranked-choice voting]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.albanyca.org/departments/city-clerk/election-information/ranked-choice-voting | title=Ranked Choice Voting &#124; City of Albany, CA }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Portland, Maine, Question 4, Proportional Ranked-Choice Voting Amendment (November 2022) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Portland,_Maine,_Question_4,_Proportional_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Amendment_(November_2022) |access-date=17 November 2022 |website=[[Ballotpedia]]}}</ref>

From 1923 until 2011, city councilors chose one of themselves each year to serve as [[Mayor of Portland, Maine|Mayor of Portland]], a primarily ceremonial position. On November 2, 2010, Portland voters narrowly approved a measure that allowed them to elect the mayor. On November 8, 2011, former State Senator and candidate for U.S. Congress [[Michael F. Brennan]] was elected as mayor. On December 5, 2011, he was sworn in as the first citizen-elected mayor in 88 years (see [[Portland, Maine mayoral election, 2011]]). The office of mayor is a four-year position that earns a salary of 150% of the city's median income.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.myfoxmaine.com/news/politics/Portland-Elected-Mayor-Measure-Passes-106603518.html |title=Portland Elected Mayor Measure Passes |access-date=September 10, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The current mayor is [[Mark Dion (politician)|Mark Dion]], who narrowly defeated city councilor Andrew Zarro after 5 ranked choice rounds in the November 2023 election.<ref>{{Cite web |date=<!-- 10:33 PM EST --> December 4, 2023 |title=Mark Dion sworn in as the next mayor of Portland |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/portland/mark-dion-sworn-in-as-next-mayor-of-portland-maine/97-52727ad6-7e90-4616-b08e-4fa0831d800c |access-date=2023-12-11 |website=newscentermaine.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

A [[city manager]] is appointed by the city council. The city manager oversees the daily operations of the city government, appoints the heads of city departments, and prepares annual budgets. The city manager directs all city agencies and departments, and is responsible for the executing laws and policies passed by the city council.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> The current city manager is Danielle West.

Aside from the main city council, there is also an elected school board for the [[Portland Public Schools (Maine)|Portland Public School system]]. The school board is made up in the same manner of the city council, with five district members, four at-large members and one chairman.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portlandmaine.gov/Chapter002.pdf |title=Copyrighted<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527204438/http://www.portlandmaine.gov/Chapter002.pdf |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> There are also three students from the local high schools elected to serve on the board. There are many other boards and committees such as the Planning Committee, Board of Appeals, and Harbor Commission, etc. These committees and boards have limited power in their respective areas of expertise. Members of boards and committees are appointed by city council members.

On November 5, 2013, Portland voters overwhelmingly approved an ordinance to legalize the possession and private use of [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] for adults, making the city the first municipality in the Eastern United States to do so.<ref name="Koenig">{{cite news |url=http://bangordailynews.com/2013/11/06/politics/portland-police-chief-pot-legalization-doesnt-change-anything-about-enforcement-state-law-prevails/?ref=search |title=Portland police chief, Maine attorney general say Portland pot legalization vote won't change enforcement strategies |last=Koenig |first=Seth |date=November 6, 2013 |work=[[Bangor Daily News]] |access-date=June 1, 2014 |archive-date=June 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605051015/http://bangordailynews.com/2013/11/06/politics/portland-police-chief-pot-legalization-doesnt-change-anything-about-enforcement-state-law-prevails/?ref=search |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[James Craig (police chief)|James E. Craig]] was chief of the Portland Police Department from 2009 to 2011. He would later go on to become the chief of the [[Cincinnati Police Department]] and [[Detroit Police Department]].

In the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], Portland is included in [[Maine's 1st congressional district]] and is currently represented by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Chellie Pingree|Chellie M. Pingree]].

{| class="wikitable"  style="float:right; margin:1em; font-size:95%;"
|+ Portland city vote<br /> by party in presidential elections<ref>{{cite web |title=Elections: Data and Information |access-date=October 1, 2018 |url=http://libguides.bates.edu/elections |archive-date=October 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001142303/http://libguides.bates.edu/elections |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Portland, ME |url=https://www.portlandmaine.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5353 |access-date=2021-04-06 |website=Portland, ME |language=en |archive-date=March 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330100740/http://portlandmaine.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=5353 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Third party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''81.33%''' ''33,786''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|15.61% ''6,486''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|3.06% ''1,272''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''75.90%''' ''28,534''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|18.06% ''6,789''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|6.05% ''2,273''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''76.32%''' ''27,739''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|20.60% ''7,488''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|3.08% ''1,118''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''76.87%''' ''28,317''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|21.29% ''7,844''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.84% ''679''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''72.60%''' ''26,800''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|25.61% ''9,455''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.79% ''661''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''63.41%''' ''20,506''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|27.33% ''8,838''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|9.27% ''2,997''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''64.04%''' ''19,755''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|23.27% ''7,178''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|12.69% ''3,915''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''55.31%''' ''19,510''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|24.55% ''8,660''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|20.14% ''7,104''
|}

'''Voter registration'''
{| class=wikitable
! colspan=6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 21, 2022<ref name="maine.gov voters">{{cite web |url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/data/data-pdf/r-e-active.pdf |title=Registered & enrolled voters - statewide |date=October 21, 2022 |access-date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>
|-
! colspan=2 | Party
! Total Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 30,544
| style="text-align:center;"| 64.05%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent (politician)|Unenrolled/Independent]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 10,313
| style="text-align:center;"| 21.63%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 5,063
| style="text-align:center;"| 10.62%
|-
| {{party color cell|Green Party (United States)}}
| [[Maine Green Independent Party|Green Independent]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1,728
| style="text-align:center;"| 3.62%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 40
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.08%
|-
! colspan=2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 47,688
! style="text-align:center;"| 100.00%
|}

==Education==
[[File:Portland High School 1.jpg|thumb|right|Portland High School]]
[[File:USM Portland Quad.jpg|thumb|New buildings at USM in Portland]]
{{see also|Portland Public Schools (Maine)|l1=Portland Public Schools|List of Portland, Maine schools}}Portland has a long history of public and private education. The private [[Portland Academy (Maine)|Portland Academy]] was founded in 1794.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Longfellow |first=Samuel |date=1945 |title=The Old Portland Academy: Longfellow's "Fitting School" |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/361288 |journal=The New England Quarterly |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=247–251 |doi=10.2307/361288 |issn=0028-4866}}</ref> Portland High School, a public school, opened in 1821.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-30 |title=Portland High School celebrates bicentennial |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2021/08/30/portland-high-school-celebrates-bicentennial/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Press Herald}}</ref> The oldest portion of the current Portland High School was built in 1862-1863.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greater Portland Landmarks - Portland's Historic Schools |url=https://www.portlandlandmarks.org/portlands-historic-schools |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Greater Portland Landmarks |language=en-US}}</ref> The Maine College of Art was established in 1882.<ref>{{Cite web |title=140 Years of Art & Design {{!}} Maine College of Art & Design |url=https://meca.edu/about/about-history-and-timeline/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=meca.edu |language=en}}</ref> Waynflete was established in 1898.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.waynflete.org/about/history |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=Waynflete School |language=en-US}}</ref> Portland University opened in 1921. Portland Junior College opened in 1933, and it became the University of Maine Portland in 1957. Portland University merged with Portland Junior College in 1961. In 1970, the schools merged with the Gorham State Teachers College in Gorham to become the University of Southern Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=USM |date=2010-03-01 |title=How did we get here? The history of USM |url=https://usmfreepress.org/2010/03/01/how-did-we-get-here-the-history-of-usm/ |access-date=2025-05-15 |website=The Free Press |language=en-US}}</ref> 

===High schools===
*[[Baxter Academy for Technology and Science]] (charter)
*[[Casco Bay High School]] (public-expeditionary)
*[[Cheverus High School]] (private)
*[[Deering High School]] (public)
*[[Portland Arts & Technology High School]] (public-vocational)
*[[Portland High School, Portland, Maine|Portland High School]] (public)
*[[Waynflete School]] (private)

===Colleges and universities===
College expansions underway in 2022 at the University of Southern Maine to add a 580-bed dorm, at the University of New England to move the medical school from Biddeford into a new $93 million building on the Portland campus, and at the Northeastern University Roux Institute to build a campus on the site of the former [[B&M Baked Beans factory]] have the potential, within two decades, to bring the total college and university students in the city to 15,000, which would be similar to the percentage of students in Boston.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Jessica |date=2022-08-01 |title=Adding dorms and degrees, Portland may soon become a college town |work=Maine Biz |url=https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/adding-dorms-and-degrees-portland-may-soon-become-a-college-town}}</ref>
*[[Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts]]
*[[Maine College of Art]]
*[[Roux Institute]] 
*[[University of Maine School of Law]]
*[[University of New England (United States)|University of New England]]
*[[University of Southern Maine]]

==Infrastructure==
===Fire department===
The Portland Fire Department (PFD) provides [[fire protection]] and [[emergency medical services]] to the city of Portland 24/7, 365. Established on March 29, 1768, the PFD is made up of over 230 paid, professional firefighters and operates out of seven fire stations, located throughout the city, in addition to those staffed by "on-call" firefighters on [[Peaks Island, Maine|Peaks Island]], [[Great Diamond Island, Maine|Great Diamond Island]], [[Cushing Island, Maine|Cushing Island]] and [[Cliff Island, Maine|Cliff Island]]. The Portland Fire Department also operates an Airport Division Station at 1001 Westbrook St., at the [[Portland International Jetport]], and a Marine Division Station, located at 54 Commercial St.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://portlandmaine.gov/190/Fire |title=Fire Department - Portland, ME |website=portlandmaine.gov |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910220722/http://portlandmaine.gov/190/Fire |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://portlandmaine.gov/Facilities?clear=False |title=Portland, ME |website=portlandmaine.gov |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910221245/http://portlandmaine.gov/Facilities?clear=False |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Police===
The Portland Police Department is the largest municipal police department in the State of Maine.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1500/Police |title=Police |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=City of Portland |access-date=July 27, 2024}}</ref>

===Hospitals===
[[File:Maine Medical Center 5.JPG|thumb|right|[[Maine Medical Center]]]]

[[Maine Medical Center]] is the state's only Level I [[trauma center]] and is the largest hospital in Maine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Emergency Department {{!}} MaineHealth |url=https://www.mainehealth.org/maine-medical-center/care-services/emergency-department |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.mainehealth.org |language=en}}</ref>

[[Mercy Hospital (Portland, Maine)|Mercy Hospital]], a faith-based institution, is the fourth largest in the state. It completed the first phase of its new campus along the [[Fore River (Maine)|Fore River]] in 2008.<ref>[http://www.mercyhospital.com/mercyfore/overview.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081223181323/http://www.mercyhospital.com/mercyfore/overview.html|date=December 23, 2008}}</ref>

The formerly-independent Brighton Medical Center (once known as the Osteopathic Hospital) is now owned by Maine Medical Center and is operated as a minor care center under the names Brighton First Care and New England Rehab. In 2010, Maine Medical Center's Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation, and Simulation opened at the Brighton campus.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://simulation.mmc.org |title=Hannaford Center Safety Innovation & Simulation |website=simulation.mmc.org |access-date=February 19, 2022 |archive-date=July 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717100712/http://simulation.mmc.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The former Portland General Hospital is now home to the Barron Center nursing facility.{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

===Wastewater management===
[[File:East End Treatment Plant.png|thumb|[[East End Treatment Plant]]]]
One wastewater management project is named the Bedford Street Sewer Separation, with its goal to "improve the water quality and health of Back Cove by reducing the amount of [[combined sewer overflow]]s (CSO) that overflow during heavy rain events through the use of sewer separation and [[water treatment]] devices."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portlandmaine.gov/2320/Bedford-Street-Sewer-Separation-Project |title=Bedford Street Sewer Separation Project {{!}} Portland, ME|website=www.portlandmaine.gov |access-date=2019-11-20 |archive-date=June 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607065835/http://www.portlandmaine.gov/2320/Bedford-Street-Sewer-Separation-Project |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[East End Treatment Plant]], established in 1979, is located near [[Tukey's Bridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Troy R. |date=2022-06-19 |title=Removing poop from Portland Harbor 50 years ago was 1st step to the city’s waterfront boom |url=http://www.bangordailynews.com/2022/06/19/news/portland/portland-sewage-management-history-joam40zk0w/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Bangor Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Transportation===
====Roads====
{{See also|Portland Transportation Center|Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal}}
[[File:PortlandMEskyview.jpg|thumb|right|Portland from above, looking north along [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]]]]
Portland is accessible from [[Interstate 95 in Maine|I-95]] (the [[Maine Turnpike]]), [[Interstate 295 (Maine)|I-295]], and [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|US&nbsp;1]]. [[U.S. Route 302]], a major travel route and scenic highway between Maine and [[Vermont]], has its eastern terminus in Portland. State Routes include [[Maine State Route 9|SR&nbsp;9]], [[Maine State Route 22|SR&nbsp;22]], [[Maine State Route 25|SR&nbsp;25]], [[Maine State Route 26|SR&nbsp;26]], [[Maine State Route 77|SR&nbsp;77]], and [[Maine State Route 100|SR&nbsp;100]]. [[Maine State Route 25 Business|SR&nbsp;25 Business]] goes through southwestern Portland.

====Intercity buses and trains====
[[File:Portland Transportation Center.jpg|thumb|[[Portland Transportation Center]]]]
[[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' service offers five daily trains connecting the city's [[Portland Transportation Center|station]] with eight towns and cities to the south, ending at Boston's [[North Station]]. Trains also go north to [[Freeport, Maine|Freeport]] and [[Brunswick, Maine|Brunswick]].

[[Concord Coach Lines]] bus service connects Portland to 14 other communities in Maine as well as to Boston's [[South Station]] and [[Logan International Airport|Logan Airport]]. Both the ''Downeaster'' and the Concord Coach Lines can be found at the [[Portland Transportation Center]] on Thompsons Point Road, in the Libbytown neighborhood.<ref name=libbytown />

====Local bus service====
Local bus transit is provided by [[Greater Portland Metro Bus|Greater Portland Metro]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portlandmaine.gov/460/METRO-Bus |title=METRO Bus - Portland, ME |website=www.portlandmaine.gov |access-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-date=September 10, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910220103/http://www.portlandmaine.gov/460/METRO-Bus |url-status=live}}</ref> with connections to [[Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit]].

====Airports====
Commercial air service is available at the [[Portland International Jetport]] (PWM), located in Stroudwater, west of the city's downtown district. American, Southwest, JetBlue, Breeze Airways, Sun Country, Delta, and United Airlines service the airport. Direct flights are available to Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, New York, Newark, Raleigh-Durham, Sarasota, and Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=PWM&Airport_Name=Portland,%20ME:%20Portland%20International%20%20Jetport&carrier=FACTS |title=RITA &#124; BTS &#124; Transtats |publisher=Transtats.bts.gov |date= |access-date=2022-02-19 |archive-date=December 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208052109/http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=PWM&Airport_Name=Portland,%20ME:%20Portland%20International%20%20Jetport&carrier=FACTS |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Water transportation====
The [[Port of Portland (Maine)|Port of Portland]] is the second-largest cruise and passenger destination in the state (next to [[Bar Harbor, Maine|Bar Harbor]]) and is served by the [[Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal]]. Ferry service is available year-round to many destinations in [[Casco Bay]]. From 2006 to 2009, [[Bay Ferries]] operated a high speed ferry called ''[[HSC The Cat|The Cat]]'' featuring a five-hour trip to [[Yarmouth, Nova Scotia|Yarmouth]], Nova Scotia, for summer passengers and cars. In years past the [[Scotia Prince Cruises]] trip took eleven hours. A proposal to replace the defunct Nova Scotia ferry service was rejected in 2013 by the province. From May 15, 2014, until October 2015, the cruise ship ferry [[MV Nova Star|Nova Star]] made daily trips to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.<ref>{{cite news |last=Richardson |first=Whit |url=http://bangordailynews.com/2013/03/05/news/portland/nova-scotia-rejects-both-proposals-to-restart-ferry-service-to-maine/ |title=Nova Scotia rejects both proposals to restart ferry service to Maine |work=[[Bangor Daily News]] |date=March 5, 2013 |access-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-date=January 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113005804/http://bangordailynews.com/2013/03/05/news/portland/nova-scotia-rejects-both-proposals-to-restart-ferry-service-to-maine/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Due to poor passenger numbers and financial problems, Nova Scotia selected Bay Ferries, the prior operator of ''The Cat'', to operate the service starting in 2016, citing the company's experience and industry relationships. Nova Star officials pledged a smooth transition to the new operator.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fischell |first=Darren |url=http://bangordailynews.com/2015/10/29/news/state/nova-scotia-to-ditch-maine-based-ferry-operator-after-second-season/ |title=Province prefers past Cat ferry operator over Nova Star for 2016 |publisher=Bangordailynews.com |date=October 29, 2015 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=June 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618045831/http://bangordailynews.com/2015/10/29/news/state/nova-scotia-to-ditch-maine-based-ferry-operator-after-second-season/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Nova Star was later ordered seized by federal marshals for nonpayment of bills.<ref>{{cite web |last=Betts |first=Stephen |url=http://bangordailynews.com/2015/10/31/news/portland/court-orders-seizure-of-nova-star-ferry/ |title=Court orders seizure of Nova Star ferry |publisher=Bangordailynews.com |date=October 31, 2015 |access-date=November 19, 2015 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915055249/http://bangordailynews.com/2015/10/31/news/portland/court-orders-seizure-of-nova-star-ferry/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Bay Ferries announced on March 24, 2016, the charter of the former [[Hawaii Superferry]] boat ''[[HST-2]]'' from the [[US Navy]] for the Portland-Yarmouth service for two years. Bay Ferries signed a ten-year deal with Nova Scotia to run the ferry route, which will take about five and a half hours each way. They stated that the boat would be renamed ''The Cat''<ref>{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=Edward |url=http://www.pressherald.com/2016/03/24/nova-scotia-confirms-high-speed-ferry-for-service-to-portland/ |title=New ferry expected to make Portland-Yarmouth trip in 5 1/2 hours |newspaper=[[Portland Press Herald]] |date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |archive-date=March 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329020521/http://www.pressherald.com/2016/03/24/nova-scotia-confirms-high-speed-ferry-for-service-to-portland/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and that service would begin around June 15, after refitting in South Carolina. There is still a dispute as to whether the ferry will be permitted to carry trucks, desired by Nova Scotia businesses but opposed by the City of Portland.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fischell |first=Darren |url=http://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/24/business/former-navy-ship-to-become-portland-nova-scotia-ferry/ |title=Ferry operator lands ship, signs 10-year Portland-Nova Scotia deal |publisher=Bangordailynews.com |date=March 24, 2016 |access-date=March 29, 2016 |archive-date=March 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328223739/http://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/24/business/former-navy-ship-to-become-portland-nova-scotia-ferry/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Casco Bay Lines]] operate several passenger ferries with dozens of trips every day year-round to the major populated islands of Casco Bay. The service to [[Peaks Island]] also provides an auto ferry for most of its schedule.

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Portland, Maine}}

==Sister cities==
Portland's [[Sister city|sister cities]] are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Portland's Sister Cities |url=https://portlandmaine.gov/1196/Portlands-Sister-Cities |website=portlandmaine.gov |publisher=City of Portland |access-date=2021-05-11 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511212025/https://portlandmaine.gov/1196/Portlands-Sister-Cities |url-status=live}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Arkhangelsk]], Russia
*{{flagicon|HTI}} [[Cap-Haïtien]], Haiti
*{{flagicon|KEN}} [[Garissa Township Constituency|Garissa Township]], Kenya
*{{flagicon|GRC}} [[Mytilene]], Greece
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Shinagawa|Shinagawa (Tokyo)]], Japan

==See also==
{{portal|Cities|Maine}}
*[[Mayor of Portland, Maine]]
*[[USS Portland (LSD-37)|USS ''Portland'' (LSD-37)]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
;General
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030821073758/http://www.usigs.org/library/books/me/Portland1865/Portland000.htm History of Portland from 1632 to 1864 by Wm. Willis (1865)]
*[https://archive.today/20120709150349/http://history.rays-place.com/me/portland-me.htm History of Portland, Maine (1886)]

;Specific
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*John F. Bauman. ''Gateway to Vacationland: The Making of Portland Maine'' (University of Massachusetts Press: 2012) 285 pages; Explores the socio-economic, political and cultural history of Portland emphasizing the evolution of the city's built environment after the fire of 1866.
* Chen, Xiangming, ed. ''Confronting Urban Legacy: Rediscovering Hartford and New England's Forgotten Cities'' (2015) [https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Urban-Legacy-Rediscovering-Forgotten/dp/0739149431/ excerpt]
*Michael C. Connolly. ''Seated by the Sea: The Maritime History of Portland, Maine, and Its Irish Longshoremen'' (University Press of Florida; 2010) 280 pages; Focuses on the years 1880 to 1923 in a study of how an influx of Irish [[immigrant]] workers transformed the city's waterfront.

==External links==
{{Commons and category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Portland (Maine)|Portland, Maine}}
{{EB1911 poster|Portland (Maine)|Portland, Maine}}
*{{official website}}
*[http://www.portlandmaine.com/ Portland's Downtown District]
*[http://www.visitportland.com/ Greater Portland Casco Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060508084810/http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/Portland.htm Old USGS maps of Portland Area.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170301174329/http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl?data=%2Fhome%2Fwww%2Fdata%2Fgmd%2Fgmd373%2Fg3734%2Fg3734p%2Fpm002490.jp2&style=gmd&itemLink=D%3Fgmd%3A1%3A.%2Ftemp%2F~ammem_K8ln%3A%3A%40%40%40mdb%3Dgmd%2Cklpmap%2Cww2map&title=Bird%27s%20eye%20view%20of%20the%20city%20of%20Portland%2C%20Maine%201876.%20Jos.%20Warner%2C%20artist.%20Chas.%20Shober%20%26%20Co.%20prop%27s%20Chicago%20Litho%27g.%20Co. 1876 Panoramic Birdseye View of Portland] by Warner at LOC.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110307163501/http://portlandlandmarks.org/Images/events-tours-Self-Guided-Western.php/sg_westend.pdf Guide to the Western Promenade, Portland, Maine, Portlandlandmarks.org]

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[[Category:Portland, Maine| ]]
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