Washington County (pop. 32,856) is one of 30 Washington counties (plus one Washington parish) in the U.S. Its population is less now than it was in 1850.
Washington County is Maine’s third-smallest in population. Its county seat, Machias (Much-EYE-us), is Maine’s smallest county seat, with a population of 2,221.
The University of Maine has a campus in Machias. It was established in 1909 as the Washington State Normal School.
Washington County is sometimes referred to as “Sunrise County” because it is the easternmost county in the continental United States. The town of Lubec (pop. 1,359) is at the easternmost point of all.
Near Lubec is the small city of Eastport (pop. 1,331), which is located entirely on islands.
Much of Washington County’s economy depends on fishing and on blueberry production. The town of Cherryfield (pop. 1,232) calls itself “The Blueberry Capital of the World.”
“The World’s Largest Blueberry” is a few miles away in the town of Columbia Falls (pop. 560).
The town of Perry (pop. 889) is the home of the 45th Parallel Gift Shop, located near the line of latitude that is about halfway between the Equator and the North Pole.
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