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Updated: August 28, 2023 2023 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Bangor: We have everything you need!

PHOTO by Nicholas Navarre Photography West Market Square in Bangor’s downtown

Bangor is here to meet all your needs for your business and community life.

A city of approximately 33,000 people is just the right size to have both the amenities and services of city life but Bangor remains small enough to keep the New England small town friendless and charm.

Bangor was chosen to be home to lumber industry titans in the 1800s. The homes of those early business leaders are retained in our downtown walkable neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, carefully laid out, exist as our most popular neighborhoods to reside in. City parks dot these neighborhoods for play and recreation, and the City Forest nearby provides the necessary forest bath for hiking or bicycling.

Regional reach

As Bangor progressed into new centuries, our city has become the center for services for the Penobscot, Piscataquis and Hancock regions. Our downtown is a healthy mix of offices/services, retail stores, restaurants, independent coffee shops, and apartments. Bangor also has many options for the arts with museums, theater spaces and galleries. Outdoor seating, public art and murals, and seasonal events all add to a vibrant ambiance that is welcoming and active.

Bangor International Airport is part of the international trade zone and is surrounded by thriving industrial and distribution businesses. The city owns former military properties in the area that are ready for your office/industrial development needs. We have a thriving Innovation Center and plans are activated for an 18,000 square-foot commercial kitchen to support small food industry businesses. We also work with UpstartME and the educational community to look at more ways to support our business community.

Bangor continues to support a regional retail area containing many destination retail stores, restaurants and services. These areas continue to see re-development and infill.

PHOTO by Nicholas Navarre Photography
Cross Insurance Center for large events and conferences

Entertainment abound

Our entertainment venues are nationally recognized: a casino, a harness racetrack, athletic fields, and live theater shows produced locally and from tours. We also welcome national bands and acts at our waterfront concert venue which holds up to 18,000 people. The city’s Cross Insurance Center is another large venue that welcomes national and international events year-round.

These amenities have increased our visitation numbers and many visitors see Bangor as a base camp whereby there are things to see and do here, and in an hour in any direction, you can be at Acadia National Park, the ocean, lakes, mountains, including Baxter State Park.

Health care anchors

Northern Light Hospital and St Joseph’s Hospitals and their affiliate service providers are anchors in our community, providing both medical professional positions and services to attract businesses and residents to the whole region.

Bangor has a flourishing educational community. Husson University is a partner with the city for business development and training, as is Eastern Maine Community College. The University of Maine at Augusta’s Bangor campus is also an anchor with the city to provide educational opportunities in many fields. University of Maine at Orono is 15 minutes down the road and also partners with the city on Livable Communities, Climate Action Planning, workforce development and training opportunities. All these institutions have arts and sports programming, adding to the varied activities to make Bangor a great place to live.

Big city amenities, small-town life.

City of Bangor Community & Economic Development Department

73 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401

Anne M. Krieg, AICP / (207) 992-4280

anne.krieg@bangormaine.gov

www.bangormaine.gov