Add an Article Add an Event Edit

Town of Long Island

105 Wharf Street
207-766-5820

About the Town :

Long Island, located in Casco Bay, is one of Maine's 14 islands with year round communities.  Located 6 miles from Portland, the only access is a  45 minutes ferry ride or by private boat.  The island is 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, and has a winter population of 200, swelling to over 1000 in the summer. Many residents, summer and winter, work in the lobster industry.  


In the early 1990's, when the City of Portland reassessed all of its property and the tax rate tripled on Long Island, islanders decided that local control was the only way to preserve our year round community.   On July 1, 1993 the Town of Long Island became the first new town in Maine since 1925.  Fourteen years later we have created a vibrant community where citizens take a strong and active role in improving the quality of life for all.  Municipal services have improved, our school system is excellent and our taxes have gone down by 30%.

The island has beautiful beaches, picturesque harbors, a fresh water marsh, and 125 acre conservation area complete with beavers, a cranberry bog, and mixed deciduous and coniferous forests.  The island is home to a K-5 school with 13 students and 2 teachers, a brand new library with an art gallery, a state of the art fire and rescue department that runs the Town's emergency rescue boat, and an active recreation department.  There is a post office, 2 stores, an Inn that serves dinner approximately once a month, and a summer-only restaurant and gift shop.

Nightlife is limited on the island, unless one likes beach parties in the summer, and community dinners with local entertainment in the winter!