Formerly known as Plantation 8, Eastport was incorporated as a town in 1798 and adopted the form of city Government in1936. The City of Eastport, Maine, is located on several islands of which the principal two are Moose Island and Carlow Island in the junction of Cobscook Bay and Passamaquoddy Bay before the waters empty into the Bay of Fundy.

The difference between high and loc tides in this area occasionally range as high as 25-26 feet in a six- hour period. These tides, combined with the mixing of the volumes of water moving through the two large bay systems, create conditions so that the waters are in a state of constant turbulence - so much so, that the Old Sow, North America’s largest whirlpool, is formed at the north end of the town as water is forced through the passage into Passamaquoddy Bay. In fact Cobscook is a Passamaquoddy word meaning boiling tides.

The Islands are connected to the mainland by means of a causeway on which Route190 travels. With such a central location, Eastport makes a wonderful place to vacation. Short day trips to many towns around the bay system or the many places in Washington County and New Brunswick, Canada, provide the visitor with a wealth of experiences. 

Eastport July 4th Copyright Alana Preston

Eastport’s population once peaked at approximately 5,300 in the year 1900. Today however the population has leveled off at approximately 2,000. Streets are seldom crowded even in the peak of the tourist season. An early morning walk in town, through the cool Atlantic fog to enjoy views of a bay system alive with seabirds, seals, whales, and porpoises, is a popular pastime for the summer visitor. The public breakwater protects and provides berthing space for the Eastport fleet of inshore fishing vessels. Salt water fishing for several species is popular from off the breakwater; even when the fish are not running a friendly conversation is. The Shackford Head State Park hiking area, with trails for the mostly curious and the adventurous, is also a popular place to experience the rugged coast of Eastport. This is the type of place one can never get tired of. Panoramic vistas of the area give hikers the chance to see bald eagles and to view the workings of Eastport’s aquaculture industry as employees tend and feed Atlantic salmon living in floating pens.

The town has a new shipping port located at the south end of town on Estes Head. This facility primarily ships paper products. FEDERAL MARINE TERMINALS is the Eastern-most port in the United States at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy on the American/Canadian border. Federal Marine has provided many well paying jobs to workers as stevedores and is an important industry in the local economy.

TIDES INSTITUTE & MUSEUM OF ART focus is on collecting Art, Photography, Architecture, and History by artists that have visited the Passamaquoddy region.  Also creating new works in Printmaking, Letterpress, Photography, Bookmaking, and Sound.

Many artists and craftspeople live in the area and market their work in Eastport, including Crow Tracks, featuring one-of-a-kind wood carvings by Roland LaVallee.

The Eastport Gallery, an affiliate of the Eastport Art Center, has been an active cooperative gallery for more than 15 years. The Quoddy Maritime Museum is host to a wonderful model of the Passamaquoddy Tidal Project of the late 1930’s. QMM is staffed by crafters who market their goods through the museum store. The Barracks Museum on Route 190 has displays of historical items of Eastport’s military history. The arts not only are represented by the visual arts, but also by the performing arts. Local theater groups and musicians perform at the Eastport Arts Center throughout the summer season. 

Eastport has two summertime events drawing visitors from far and wide. First is the 4th of July Celebration in conjunction with Old Home Week. This four-day celebration of independence features Maine's largest Fourth of July Parade, music, food, crafts, and contests. Often, the celebration includes the arrival of a U.S. Navy ship and a fireworks display over the bay.

Old Fisherman Eastport Waterfront Copyright Alana Preston

The Salmon Festival is held on the first Sunday after Labor Day and  it has been declared the official Salmon Day in Maine by former Governor Angus S. King Jr. Celebrating the success of the Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry in Eastport, this event features farm-raised grilled Atlantic Salmon dinners, wine tasting, educational displays, historic cemetery tour, live music including bagpipers, arts and crafts, raffle prizes, boat tours of salmon pens, architectural tours, and more. Festivities are held at the Eastport Breakwater and along Water Street.

An event gaining popularity is Paint Eastport Day, where artists are welcomed to come and paint their favorite scene of Eastport.  Hosted by the Eastport Gallery, artists of all ages and all skill levels register at the Gallery in the morning then spend the day painting, returning to the gallery in the evening with their finished artworks. The works are then hung on the walls and a silent auction and reception is held. It is lots of fun and participation is free!

The tradition of wooden boat building is still being carried on in Eastport. The Washington County Technical College has its Marine Technology Center in Eastport, which offers courses in wooden boat building along with courses in marine technology and sciences.

Visiting the area for a short time?  Stay in town at a historic bed and breakfast the CHADBOURNEHOUSE B&B. Visit SPINNAKER REALTY or DUE EAST REAL ESTATE if you're seeking to acquire property in the area.  For a special meal with  terrific view, the place to eat is the EASTPORT CHOWDER HOUSE AND LOBSTER POUND.

Eastport can provide one with many simple pleasures that make a vacation special. Whether its walking the beach at low tide looking for beach glass or sea fossils in the high tide area, gathering wild berries, or just simply watching that hummingbird as it works a patch of wildflowers, you will find something special in Eastport.