Formed April 1, 1860 (16th county)
Knox County (40,608), Rockland (6,938)
The pleasant red brick Italianate building was constructed in 1874. It was built on Union Street between Limerock and Museum streets. United States Highway 1 is one block to the east of the site. Lewis P. Rogers and Gridley James Fox Bryant were the designers of the courthouse. The building was enlarged in 1978. Rockland has been the only county seat. The county was formed on April 1, 1860 from parts of Lincoln and Waldo counties as the 16th and final county. It is named for United States Secretary of War Henry Knox. Rockland is named for limestone quarries and has always been the county seat. Knox County was the birthplace of 1 Maine Governor, William T. Cobb.
Knox 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 Knox County (judicial.) Knox County is on the southern coast of Maine. Portland, Maine is southwest and Bangor, Maine is northeast of the county. The county center is 4.2 miles North-Northwest of Rockland nearer South Thomaston. The county is surrounded clockwise by Waldo County and Atlantic Ocean and Lincoln County.
The area of the county is 1142 square miles. It is 11 out of 16 in the state. It ranks 10 out of 16 in population in the state. It has a density of 35.6 persons per square mile making it 9 out of 16 in the state. Knox County has 17.1% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 1 crosses east to west in the county from Waldo County to Lincoln County. The county is shaped like a funnel. Rockland is on the east shore of the county. Rockland is the county seat and the largest city since it is the only incorporated city. It is 17.1% of the county population. This county is in the Rockland Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Rockland
