Formed June 25, 1789 (4th county)
Hancock County (55,477), Ellsworth (8,395)
A pillared courthouse is unique in the Neo-Classical 1931 building. There were earlier courthouses in Castine (1798) and Ellsworth (1886). It is located at State and City Hall Plaza streets. United States Highway 1 is Main Street in the town. Arthur W. McFarland is the architect for this red brick structure. The county was formed on June 25, 1789 from Lincoln County as the 4th county. Hancock County is named for Declaration of Independence signer, John Hancock. Ellsworth is named for United States Supreme Court Justice Oliver Ellsworth.
Hancock Couty government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) One District Court Judge, One Superior Court Judge, One Probate Court Judge and a court clerk serve Hancock County (judicial.) Hancock County is in southeast Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Bangor, Maine is northwest and Portland, Maine is southwest of the county. The county center is 4.5 miles Northeast of Ellsworth. The county is surrounded clockwise by Penobscot and Washington counties and Atlantic Ocean and Waldo County.
The area of the county is 2351 square miles. It is 6 out of 16 in the state. It ranks 8 out of 16 in population in the state. It has a density of 23.6 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 16 in the state. Hancock County has 15.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 1 crosses east to west in the county from Washington County to Waldo County. United States Highway 1 Alternate enters from the north, Penobscot County, and terminates. The county looks like an overstuffed chair. Ellsworth is in the southwest quarter of the county. Ellsworth is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 15.1% of the county population.
