South Portland

The City of South Portland is a vibrant Southern Maine community of nearly 27,000 residents and over 1,500 businesses located on picturesque Casco Bay. Incorporated in 1898, the city is located on the southern Maine coast. The fourth largest municipality in the state of Maine, the city covers approximately 14 square miles. It has a Council/Manager of government with seven elected city councilors. 

The following city departments/offices provide services to our community of residents, businesses, and visitors: Assessing; Bus Service; Code Enforcement; Corporation Counsel; Economic Development; Executive (City Manager's Office); Finance; Fire-EMS; Human Resources; Information Services; Library; Parks, Recreation & Waterfront; Planning; Police; Public Works; Social Services; Sustainability; and Water Resource Protection. 

Considered suburban, the city has a diverse economy, a unique geography on the shores of Casco Bay, and an increasingly diversified population. Named one of Fortune Magazine's Best Places to Live for Families in 2022 and 2024 and Zillow's Most Popular Seaside Town in 2023, the City is comprised of neighborhoods with unique character nestled throughout the city, from Redbank and the mall area on the west end, to Willard on the east end. The city maintains large commercial industrial, business and retail sections and is within close proximity to air, marine, rail, and highway transportation options. Interstate 295, the Maine Turnpike (I-95) and US Route 1 all run through the city.

South Portland offers an array of parks and open space. One such feature is the historic Greenbelt Walkway, a three mile paved trail that crosses through several neighborhoods and provides views of Portland Harbor and Casco Bay. Mill Creek Park is located in South Portland's downtown area and features a landscaped pond and rose garden. The park is host of several local events including summer concerts, the city's annual Art in the Park event, the Holiday Tree Lighting, and ice skating in the winter. Other notable parks include Wainwright Sports Complex (an expansive recreational facility), and Hinkley Park, a 40 acre wooded area with two ponds. Bug Light Park includes South Portland's iconic lighthouse landmark. The city's waterfront has several recreational marinas and is home Willard Beach, one of the city's most popular natural destinations. The South Portland Skate Park, one of the best in the state, opened in 2023. The City's Parks, Recreation & Waterfront department maintains the city's parks and offers a wide array of programs year-round, including a drop-in senior center, before and aftercare programs, summer and vacation camp, swim and exercise classes, and more.

South Portland's public school system has five neighborhood elementary schools. A brand new middle school opened in the fall of 2023. South Portland High School is the City's single public high school and has an enrollment of over 1000 students. Learn more about the South Portland School Department at www.spsdme.org. South Portland is also home to two private schools and Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), located on the old Fort Preble military installation on the city's east end. This property also includes another notable recreation area, Spring Point Ledge Light.

South Portland is home to northern New England's largest shopping complex, the Maine Mall. It is also home to one of the eastern seaboard's largest oil shipping and storage facilities that include the Portland Montreal Pipeline. CSX Rigby Yard, the largest railroad yard in New England, built in 1922, is still in operation today. It also accommodates traffic for the Amtrak down Easter Rail service. Semiconductor manufacturing facilities for Texas Instruments, formerly National Semiconductor Diodes Incorporated, and administrative and operational offices for ON Semiconductor, are located in South Portland. The city also licenses 17 hotel and motel establishments.