Free Online Maine City Directories

City and business directories are available online from all over the U.S. and are what I consider another important set of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.

This activity of presenting links is a collaborative effort between The Ancestor Hunt and Miriam Robbins, who for years has made available the Online Historical Directories website, which presents links to directories of all types that are available online, including free collections as well as those available only via subscription. I wish to thank Miriam for her help in launching this category of records at The Ancestor Hunt.

So, what kinds of directories are available to the researcher?  Naturally city and business directories, but also telephone directories, and alumni, farm, lodge, rural, and social directories.

What can you find in these records? How about:

  • Full names, including middle names
  • Spouse name
  • Occupation
  • Widows, working women, and adult children at home.
  • Maps
  • Businesses (and index to advertisers).
  • Addresses and maps of churches, schools, funeral homes, cemeteries, post offices, courts, hospitals, benevolent associations, and newspapers.
  • Whether a woman is a widow (including the name of her husband).
  • List of marriages and deaths of the previous year.
  • Death date.
  • etc.

Here are a few good primers on the benefits of searching historical city and other directories:​

And here are various places where you can find other city directories online: 

Note: Some of the links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage, please make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.

(Updated February 2024)

Maine City Directories

Links to these free collections are presented initially with statewide collections, followed in alphabetical order by city or county. Generally, the publishing company is included in the reference to the collection, along with the collection title, and the date(s) of the directory:

Statewide

New England

Albany

Albion

Alfred

Androscoggin County

Appleton

Auburn

Augusta

Bangor

Bath

Belfast

Belmont

Biddeford

Bluehill

Bridgton

Brunswick

Buxton

Camden

Cape Elizabeth

Casco

Casco Bay

China

Cumberland County

Dayton

East Stoneham

Ellsworth

Exeter

Fairfield

Farmington

Gardiner

Gilford

Gilmanton

Gorham

Greenwood

Hallowell

Hampton

Harrison

Hollis

Kennebec County

Lewiston

Lincolnville

Lyman

Meredith

Morrill

Mt. Vernon

Naples

New Hampton

Northport

Oakland

Old Orchard Beach

Orono

Oxford County

Portland

Portsmouth

Raymond

Readfield

Richmond

Rockport

Saco

Sanbornton

Sanford

Searsmont

Sidney

Skowhegan

Somerset County

St. George

Surry

Tilton

Topsham

Topsham Village

Vassalboro

Vineyard

Waldo

Warren

Waterboro

Waterford

Waterville

Waterville

Westbrook

Winslow

Winthrop

Wolfeboro

Yarmouth


For all Free Maine Collection Links in 24 Genealogy Categories, go to the By Location Page, click on Maine, and then click on the category of interest.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

One reply on “Free Online Maine City Directories”

I love all the resources you’ve compiled. However, this list has one error. Wolfeboro is in New Hampshire, not Maine. I spent summers on Lake Winnipesaukee and had many ice cream cones in Wolfeboro. 🙂

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