When was Washington County founded?

Washington County was founded in 1790, formed from Lincoln County, and named after George Washington.

What is the county seat of Washington County?

The county seat of Washington County is Machias.

Is there an online parcel map for Washington County?

Yes. Maine GeoLibrary (Maine Office of GIS) publishes a parcel map of 34,881 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Washington County's boundary or name changed?

Washington County was created in 1790 from Lincoln County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Aroostook County, Hancock County and Penobscot County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Washington County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 23029

Washington CountyMaine

Washington County is a county in Maine with its seat in Machias, formed in 1790.

Founded1790
County seatMachias
Named forGeorge Washington
Land area2,563 sq mi + 695 sq mi water
Population31,095 2020 Census
Parcels mapped34,881 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Washington County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Washington on the map of Maine

Maine has 16 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Maine · Washington highlighted

History

Formed in 1790 from Lincoln County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Washington County was formed in 1790 from Lincoln County, and named after George Washington. Machias is the county seat.

Deeds and plats from before 1790 for land now in Washington County may have been recorded in Lincoln County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1790
Washington County created Washington created by Massachusetts from Lincoln.
from Lincoln
1 May 1790 · Mass. Acts 1789, ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 25
1820
Became part of Maine Washington became a county in the state of Maine when Maine was separated from Massachusetts and admitted to the Union. 15 March 1820 · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544
1831
Lost territory Washington lost to Penobscot.
to Penobscot
15 March 1831 · Me. Priv. Acts 1831, ch. 151, sec. 2/p. 244
1831
Exchanged territory Washington exchanged with Hancock.
with Hancock
17 March 1831 · Me. Priv. Acts 1831, ch. 154/p. 247
1839
Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Aroostook.
to Aroostook
1 May 1839 · Me. Pub. Acts 1839, ch. 395, sec. 1/p. 562

Show all 8 changes (3 more, mostly small adjustments)

1790
Washington County created Washington created by Massachusetts from Lincoln.
from Lincoln
1 May 1790 · Mass. Acts 1789, ch. 25, sec. 1/p. 25
1817
Changed Under authority of the Treaty of Ghent (24 December 1814) commissioners from Great Britain and the United States agreed on the division of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay. Moose, Dudley (now Treat), and Frederick (now Dudley) Islands were assigned to the U.S. and made part of Washington.
U.s.
24 November 1817 · Paullin, 59
1820
Became part of Maine Washington became a county in the state of Maine when Maine was separated from Massachusetts and admitted to the Union. 15 March 1820 · U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544
1831
Lost territory Washington lost to Penobscot.
to Penobscot
15 March 1831 · Me. Priv. Acts 1831, ch. 151, sec. 2/p. 244
1831
Exchanged territory Washington exchanged with Hancock.
with Hancock
17 March 1831 · Me. Priv. Acts 1831, ch. 154/p. 247
1839
Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Aroostook.
to Aroostook
1 May 1839 · Me. Pub. Acts 1839, ch. 395, sec. 1/p. 562
1844
Lost territory Washington lost to Penobscot. Part of the boundary between Washington and Hancock was clarified (no change).
to Penobscot to Hancock
12 March 1844 · Me. Laws 1844, Pub., ch. 99, secs. 1-5/pp. 92-94
1885
Gained territory Washington gained small area from Aroostook when town of Danforth gained from town of Weston.
from Aroostook
4 March 1885 · Me. Laws 1885, Priv., ch. 499/p. 677

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Washington

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 34,881 parcels from Maine GeoLibrary (Maine Office of GIS). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 17 August 2026 · checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Washington County yet.
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

Washington by the Census

Population

31,095 2020 Census count

Housing units

21,594 2020 Census count

Land area

2,563 square miles

Water area

695 square miles

People per sq mi

12 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Washington 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 Washington County.
washingtoncountymaine.com

See your own lot on these maps

Open Washington 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Washington County

When was Washington County founded?: Washington County was founded in 1790, formed from Lincoln County, and named after George Washington.
What is the county seat of Washington County?: The county seat of Washington County is Machias.
Is there an online parcel map for Washington County?: Yes. Maine GeoLibrary (Maine Office of GIS) publishes a parcel map of 34,881 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Washington County's boundary or name changed?: Washington County was created in 1790 from Lincoln County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Aroostook County, Hancock County and Penobscot County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Washington County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby