South Portland, Maine
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South Portland is a city located in Cumberland County, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 23,324.
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Geography
South Portland is located at 43°37'54" North, 70°16'22" West (43.631549, -70.272724)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.0 km² (14.3 mi²). 31.1 km² (12.0 mi²) of it is land and 6.0 km² (2.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 16.15% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 23,324 people, 10,047 households, and 6,038 families residing in the city. The population density is 751.1/km² (1,944.7/mi²). There are 10,349 housing units at an average density of 333.3/km² (862.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.80% White, 0.63% African American, 0.33% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 10,047 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% are non-families. 30.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.27 and the average family size is 2.85.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,770, and the median income for a family is $52,833. Males have a median income of $32,256 versus $28,630 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,781. 6.7% of the population and 4.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
South Portland, Maine was first settled in 1630, and it grew to become a small residential community with many farms. On March 15, 1895, it was incorporated as a town after it broke away from its neighbor, Cape Elizabeth, and three years later, it became a city.
In 1940, the Todd-Bath Iron Shipbuilding Corp (later called the “East Yard”) was established to build cargo ships for Britain. When the United States became involved with World War II, the shipyard expanded to include the South Portland Shipbuilding Corp. (aka the “West Yard”), that later combined with the Todd-Bath yard to become the New England Shipbuilding Corp. These shipyards built 236 of the 440 foot (134 m) long Liberty Ships, more than 10 percent of all the Liberty ships constructed during the war years. At its peak, the shipyard employed some 30,000 people, including thousands of women, who took over the jobs vacated by men going into the service. The shipyard gradually ceased operations after the war ended in 1945.
The city remained relatively quiet until the mid 1960’s when consideration was given to develop a piece of land on the west end of the city. Recognizing the location as having a healthy economic future because Interstate 295 was being built alongside it and because the Portland International Jetport was nearby, the city purchased 137 acres (554,000 m²) from Dwyer’s pig farm. When a developer came to the area looking for a likely spot for a shopping center, South Portland was chosen over Portland, Scarborough and Falmouth. As a result, in August 1971, the Maine Mall opened its first twenty stores to crowds of shoppers. In the last 30 years the Maine Mall area has grown from farmland into the largest retail, commercial, and office complex north of Boston and currently employs more than 3,000 people in 140 businesses.
Today, in the western half of the City where the Maine Mall is located, South Portland has two world-class computer chip factories, Fairchild Semiconductor (http://www.fairchildsemi.com/) and National Semiconductor (http://www.national.com/), Maine headquarters of Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Wright Express. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department also maintains a nine-hole Municipal Golf course, 525 acres (2.1 km²) of park land (of which 300 are actively maintained), a municipal beach, over 8 miles of walking trails, a community center, and a swimming pool.
Points of interest
External links
- Maine Shipyards (http://members.dialmaine.com/mdenis/Shipyard/index.html)
- The Maine Mall (http://www.mainemall.com/html/)
- The Portland International Jetport (http://www.portlandjetport.org/)
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| Capital: | |
| Regions: |
Down East | Maine Atlantic Coast | Maine Highlands | North Woods | Western Maine Mountains |
| Largest cities: |
Auburn | Augusta | Bangor | Bath | Belfast | Biddeford | Brewer | Caribou | Ellsworth | Houlton | Kittery | Lewiston | Millinocket | Old Orchard Beach | Old Town | Orono | Portland | Presque Isle | Rockland | Rumford | Saco | Sanford | South Portland | Topsham | Waterville | Westbrook |
| Counties: |
Androscoggin | Aroostook | Cumberland | Franklin | Hancock | Kennebec | Knox | Lincoln | Oxford | Penobscot | Piscataquis | Sagadahoc | Somerset | Waldo | Washington | York |