Welcome to York
One of the earliest settlements in the American colonies, York, Maine, is a diverse town of approximately 13,000 year-round residents. In the summer months of July and August, York's population swells to easily twice that number.
Originally called the Plantation of Agamenticus - the native Abenaki word for the York River - European settlement began in 1624. The area was renamed Gorgeana, which became the first incorporated city in America in 1642. After being claimed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a portion of Gorgeana was incorporated as the town of York in 1652.
The town is nestled in the southernmost tip of the state of Maine, very close to New Hampshire's bustling seacoast and 65 miles north of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Today, York is comprised of four distinct areas spread out over 132 square miles of beaches, forest, rivers, marshes, and mountains. Each of these four areas that make up "The Yorks" - York Village, York Beach, York Harbor, and Cape Neddick - has its own unique feel, along with its own zip code.
York residents enjoy a low tax rate, some of the highest property values in the state, a school awarded national silver by US News & World Report, as well as low crime rates and low unemployment.
York Village
York Village is the heart of the Yorks, home to York Hospital, shopping and dining, and many pre-Revolutionary War homes and churches. York's Memorial Day and December Festival of Lights parades weave through the Village center, gathering the entire community together in one place, just like the old days.
The Old York Historical Society promotes and preserves York Village's unique historical buildings, like the 1750 Jefferd's Tavern, the Emerson-Wilcox house, begun in 1735, and the Old Gaol (jail). This National Historic Landmark sits atop York’s Gaol Hill, where colonial Maine’s first prison was constructed in 1656.
York Village is a lively blend of old and new, boasting beautiful new single-family residences and condos co-existing with 17th and 18th-century homes and public buildings. York's town offices and York Hospital are centrally located in the Village, as are the two elementary schools and the York Middle School.
Anchored by a classic white New England Congregational church built in 1747, York Village remains what it has always been - the center crossroad of the Yorks.
The Beaches
York Beach is actually two separate beaches - Long Sands and Short Sands. Short Sands beach is the smaller of the two; filled with attractions, restaurants, and things to do within walking distance of the shore, including a classic beach arcade, souvenir shopping, and York’s Wild Kingdom Zoo and Amusement Park.
Long Sands beach is a mile and a half long stretch of sand that lands on many top ten lists of the best beaches in Maine. Here you'll find surfers, paddleboarders, wave jumpers, sandcastle builders, beach volleyballers, and folks who just want to walk a beautiful beach. You'll find York High School just a stone's throw from Long Sands beach, making it a wonderful local opportunity for marine biology and other classes.
Cape Neddick
Located between York Beach and Ogunquit, Cape Neddick is a sprawling area boasting not only waterfront properties and homes with ocean and river views, but mountain views as well.
The highest point in York County, Mount Agamenticus, is located in Cape Neddick. There are well-maintained trails all around the protected lands surrounding "Mt. A", and the town of York continues to expand the amenities located at the summit.
The world-famous Nubble Lighthouse, formally known as the Cape Neddick Light Station, has been a beacon to seafarers rounding Cape Neddick since 1874.
York Harbor
York Harbor is where the beautiful York River meets the Atlantic. The wide tidal river is a favorite local waterway for kayaking, crabbing, fishing, and swimming.
Once just a spit of land, aerial view of york harbor maine called Stage Neck for the "staging" that was set out to dry fish in the sun, the harbor began to evolve into what it is today after the Civil War. That's when Nathaniel Grant Marshall purchased the area, built the Marshall House hotel, and renamed this section of town York Harbor.
Families from Boston, New York, and other metropolitan areas soon began to arrive by steamer as tourists. Today, York Harbor boasts the idyllic, crescent-shaped Harbor beach (shown above), as well as stunning oceanfront homes.
Whether you're considering buying, selling, or investing in York, we know you'll come to love our hometown as much as we do.
Browse homes for sale in York, then give us a call at 1-207-351-8188 or email us at [email protected], and let's talk real estate.
