Durham 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 Androscoggin County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 4,173 at the 2020 census. It is included in both the Lewiston- Auburn, Maine

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan

New England City and Town Area A New England city and town area (NECTA) is a geographic and statistical entity defined by the U.S. federal government for use in the six-state New England region of the United States. NECTAs are analogous to metropolitan statistical areas and micr ...

History

Durham was named after County Durham, England, the ancestral home of the town's first settler. It was previously known as Royallsborough, named after Isaac Royall Jr.

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 is land and is water. Durham is bordered by Pownal, Auburn, Freeport, New Gloucester, and Brunswick. Durham is considered a "gateway" town because it connects two major Maine communities, the Greater Portland Area with the Lewiston–Auburn Area.

Climate

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 3,848 people, 1,496 households, and 1,143 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 1,548 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.8%

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 ...

, 0.3%

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 ...

, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% 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 1.0% 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 ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 1,496 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.6% were non-families. 16.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age in the town was 41.2 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.1% were from 25 to 44; 33.8% were from 45 to 64; and 9.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 3,381 people, 1,226 households, and 980 families living in the town. The

was 88.7 people per square mile (34.3/km²). There were 1,257 housing units at an average density of 33.0 per square mile (12.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.96%

, 0.12%

, 0.15% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.09% from

, and 0.41% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.65% of the population. There were 1,226 households, out of which 38.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.0% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $53,846, and the median income for a family was $55,028. Males had a median income of $35,174 versus $28,342 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,883. About 5.9% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over. Voter registration

Government

Durham is in

Maine's 2nd congressional district Maine's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Maine. Covering , it comprises nearly 80% of the state's total land area. The district comprises most of the land area north of the Portland, Maine, Portland an ...

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constituti ...

District 22, and Maine House of Representatives District 46.

Education

*Durham Community School is a public school operated by the Durham School Department. The school provides for the

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

of students in

grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also ref ...

s K through 8. *Education of a majority of the students in grades 9 through 12 is provided by Freeport High School. *Durham is a part of Regional School Unit #5, Becky Foley is the Superintendent.

Amenities

The privately owned Margerison Airport is located between Hallowell Road and Royalsborough Road, just north of Rabbit Road. Its

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

identifier is ME75, and it was activated in 1979. It has two unpaved

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concre ...

s—headings 9/27 and 15/33. Its

area control center In air traffic control, an area control center (ACC), also known as a center or en-route center, is a facility responsible for controlling aircraft flying in the airspace of a given flight information region (FIR) at high altitudes between ai ...

is Boston Center, while its

flight service station A flight service station (FSS) is an air traffic facility that provides information and services to aircraft pilots before, during, and after flights, but unlike air traffic control (ATC), is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances o ...

is Bangor.ME75 Margerison Airpor, Durham, Maine
Airnav.com The Bliss Farm Inn, located at 1290 Royalsborough Road in the historic Bagley-Bliss farmhouse, provides upscale guest rooms year round and fine dining on weekends during the off-season.

Notable people

* Edward H. Hill, founder of Central Maine Medical Center * Stephen King, spent part of his childhood in Durham. He based the fictional town of

Jerusalem's Lot "Jerusalem's Lot" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in King's 1978 collection '' Night Shift''. The story was also printed in the illustrated 2005 edition of King's 1975 novel Salem's Lot''. Setting and style "Jerusalem's Lo ...

on it *

Frank Sandford Frank Weston Sandford (October 2, 1862 – March 4, 1948)Shirley Nelson, ''Fair Clear and Terrible: The Story of Shiloh, Maine'' (Latham, New York: British American Publishing, 1989), 27. A second edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016) includes r ...

, founder and leader of an apocalyptic Christian sect known as "The Kingdom"

References

External links

Town of Durham, Maine
* {{authority control Towns in Androscoggin County, Maine Towns in Maine