Orono () is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. Located on the Penobscot and Stillwater rivers, it was first settled by American colonists in 1774. They named it in honor of Chief

Joseph Orono Joseph Orono (25 November 1688 — 5 February 1801) was a Penobscot Indian chief or sachem who lived on the Penobscot River in present-day Maine. The town of Orono, Maine, which contains the University of Maine, is named for him. By the time Orono ...

, a sachem of the indigenous Penobscot nation who long occupied this territory. In the nineteenth century, the town became a center of the lumber industry. Sawmills on the rivers were powered by the water, and logs were floated downriver on the Penobscot for shipping and export from coastal ports. Since 1865 it has been the location of the University of Maine, established as a land-grant institution and the state's flagship educational institution. In the fall of 2018, the university enrolled 11,404 students at Orono. Not including university residents, the town's population was 11,183 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. The town is divided by the Stillwater River, a branch of the Penobscot River. It occupies part of Marsh Island, as well as some smaller islands such as Ayers Island, which is surrounded by the Penobscot and the Stillwater rivers, and the remainder of the town is on the mainland. The Orono Dam impounds the Stillwater River at its confluence with the Penobscot River near downtown Orono.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorological ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Orono has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, according to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system is "''Dfb''", thus abbreviated ed in on climate maps.Climate Summary for Orono, Maine
/ref>

Conservation

The Orono Land Trust operates a number of protected areas in Orono. Piney Knoll Conservation Area, situated alongside the Penobscot River, is known for its walking trails and bird-watching. The University of Maine also owns a considerable amount of protected land in the town. Prominent parcels include Dwight B. Demeritt Forest.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 10,363 people, 2,831 households, and 1,229 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 3,089 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 2,831 households, of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 21.8 years. 8.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 55.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 12.2% were from 25 to 44; 13.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.

Notable people

* Charles J. Dunn, Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court *

Wallace Rider Farrington Wallace Rider Farrington (May 3, 1871 – October 6, 1933) was an American journalist who served as the sixth Governor of Hawaii, Territorial Governor of Hawaii, serving from 1921 to 1929. Prior to his term, he was editor of ''The Honolulu A ...

, territorial governor of Hawaii *

Merritt Lyndon Fernald Merritt Lyndon Fernald (October 5, 1873 – September 22, 1950) was an American botanist. He was a respected scholar of the taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. During his career, Fernald pub ...

(1873–1950), botanist *

Constance Hunting Constance Hunting (1925 – April 5, 2006) was an American poet and publisher, widely known in the Northeastern United States. She taught English literature and creative writing at the University of Maine at Orono until her death on April 5, 2006. ...

, poet, publisher * Frances Laughton Mace, poet * Jonathan Norcross, inventor, 4th mayor of Atlanta * Ralph Perkins, state legislator * Elizabeth Schneider, state senator * Joseph B. Treat, Wisconsin politician * Nathaniel Treat, Maine politician * Nathaniel B. Treat, Wisconsin politician * Eva Valesh (1866–1956), labor journalist * Israel Washburn Jr., US congressman, a founder of the Republican Party, 29th Governor of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

* Dorothy Clarke Wilson, novelist, playwright

Points of interest

* University of Maine * Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation * Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden * Old Fire Engine House * Pat's Pizza * Jeremiah Colburn House

Notes

References

External links

Town of Orono Official WebsiteUniversity of MaineOrono High SchoolAsa Adams Elementary School
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1774 Towns in Penobscot County, Maine 1774 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies