County · code 23025
Somerset CountyMaine
Somerset County is a county in Maine with its seat in Skowhegan. It was established in 1809.
- Founded1809
- County seatSkowhegan
- Named forSomerset, England
- Land area3,924 sq mi + 169 sq mi water
- Population50,477 2020 Census
Where it is
Somerset on the map of Maine
Maine has 16 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1809 from Kennebec County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Somerset County was created by Massachusetts from Kennebec County in 1809. When Maine became a state in 1820, Somerset transitioned from being a Massachusetts county to a county in the new state of Maine. The county's boundaries shifted several times in the 19th century through exchanges with neighboring counties including Kennebec, Hancock, Penobscot, and Oxford.
- 1809Somerset County created Somerset created by Massachusetts from Kennebec. · Mass. Acts 1809, ch. 62, sec. 1/p. 459
- 1811
- 1812
- 1813
- 1820Became part of Maine Somerset became a county in the state of Maine when Maine was separated from Massachusetts and admitted to the Union. · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544
Show all 25 changes
- 1809Somerset County created Somerset created by Massachusetts from Kennebec. · Mass. Acts 1809, ch. 62, sec. 1/p. 459
- 1811
- 1812
- 1813
- 1813
- 1817
- 1819
- 1820Became part of Maine Somerset became a county in the state of Maine when Maine was separated from Massachusetts and admitted to the Union. · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544
- 1821
- 1823
- 1830Lost territory Somerset lost small area to Kennebec. · Me. Priv. Acts 1830, ch. 71/p. 123
- 1833
- 1838Lost territory Somerset lost to creation of Piscataquis. · Me. Pub. Acts 1838, ch. 353, sec. 1/p. 512
- 1838Lost territory Somerset lost to creation of Franklin. · Me. Pub. Acts 1838, ch. 328, sec. 1/p. 476; Me. Gov. Proc. 2:99-100
- 1840
- 1840Gained territory Somerset gained small area from Franklin when town of Anson gained from town of New Vineyard. · Me. Laws 1840, ch. 75/p. 100
- 1841Lost territory Somerset lost to Franklin when town of New Sharon gained from town of Mercer. · Me. Laws 1841, ch. 148/p. 349
- 1842Changed Webster-Ashburton Treaty between Great Britain and the United States settled the U.S.-Canadian boundary, fixing the northern limits of Somerset (no change).U.s.· Van Zandt, 17-18
- 1844Exchanged territory By 29 February 1844, Somerset exchanged with Penobscot, placing county line along town boundaries. · Me. Laws 1844, Priv., ch. 148/p. 190
- 1844Gained territory Somerset gained from Piscataquis, lost to Aroostook. · Me. Laws 1844, Pub., ch. 99, secs. 1-5/pp. 92-94
- 1849Gained territory Somerset gained small area from Kennebec when town of Canaan gained from town of Clinton. · Me. Laws 1849, Priv., ch. 234/p. 334
- 1850Lost territory Somerset lost small area to Kennebec when town of Clinton gained from town of Canaan. · Me. Laws 1850, Priv., ch. 351/p. 487
- 1873Gained territory Somerset gained small area from Kennebec when town of Fairfield gained from town of Benton. · Me. Laws 1873, Priv., ch. 390, sec. 1/p. 378
- 1883Boundary clarified Boundary between Somerset and Piscataquis was redefined (no change).with Piscataquisno change· Me. Laws 1883, Pub., ch. 210/p. 173
- 1885Gained territory Somerset gained small area from Piscataquis when town of Cambridge gained from town of Wellington. · Me. Laws 1885, Priv., ch. 464/p. 634
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Somerset
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Missing
No public parcel map found for Somerset County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county (somersetcounty-me.org).
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Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Somerset County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Somerset by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Somerset County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
In Maine, permits, zoning and assessing are handled by each city or town, not the county, and deeds are recorded at the county's registry of deeds.
County government
- County government
The official website of Somerset County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Somerset County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Somerset County
- When was Somerset County founded?
- Somerset County was founded in 1809, formed from Kennebec County, and named after Somerset, England.
- What is the county seat of Somerset County?
- The county seat of Somerset County is Skowhegan.
- Is there an online parcel map for Somerset County?
- Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
- Has Somerset County's boundary or name changed?
- Somerset County was created in 1809 from Kennebec County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 22 later changes, chiefly involving Kennebec County, Franklin County and Hancock County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Somerset County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby