Caribou: Northern Maine and the Potato Fields
Caribou lies in the heart of Aroostook County, closer to the provincial capitals of New Brunswick and Quebec than to Portland. The city was named for the woodland caribou that once roamed the area, though the animals have long since disappeared from Maine. Caribou's economy has revolved around agriculture since settlers first cleared the land in the 1800s, and potato farming remains central to the region's identity. Fields of potatoes stretch across the flat terrain in every direction during the growing season.
Winters in Caribou are among the coldest and snowiest in the eastern United States. Average January temperatures hover well below freezing, and snowfall commonly exceeds 100 inches per season. The Aroostook Valley Trail and a network of snowmobile routes make winter recreation a significant part of local life. The Caribou Performing Arts Center hosts events through the year, providing cultural programming for a community far from the state's population centers.
Caribou's population is roughly 7,800. The Nylander Museum, named for a Swedish-born geologist and naturalist who settled in the area, houses collections of fossils, minerals, and Native American artifacts. The city shares a close relationship with neighboring Presque Isle, about 11 miles to the south, and the two communities together form the commercial core of northern Aroostook County.
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Caribou lies in the heart of Aroostook County, closer to the provincial capitals of New Brunswick and Quebec than to Portland. The city was named for the woodland caribou that once roamed the area, though the animals have long since disappeared from Maine. Caribou's economy has revolved around agriculture since settlers first cleared the land in the 1800s, and potato farming remains central to the region's identity. Fields of potatoes stretch across the flat terrain in every direction during the growing season.
Winters in Caribou are among the coldest and snowiest in the eastern United States. Average January temperatures hover well below freezing, and snowfall commonly exceeds 100 inches per season. The Aroostook Valley Trail and a network of snowmobile routes make winter recreation a significant part of local life. The Caribou Performing Arts Center hosts events through the year, providing cultural programming for a community far from the state's population centers.
Caribou's population is roughly 7,800. The Nylander Museum, named for a Swedish-born geologist and naturalist who settled in the area, houses collections of fossils, minerals, and Native American artifacts. The city shares a close relationship with neighboring Presque Isle, about 11 miles to the south, and the two communities together form the commercial core of northern Aroostook County.
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