Winterville Plantation

A northern Aroostook County plantation along Route 11

194Population (2020)

39Square miles

1884Incorporated

North WoodsRegion

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Winterville Plantation is a community in northern Aroostook County, Maine, traversed by Route 11 along the shores of St. Froid Lake. First settled in 1846, the plantation had a population of 194 residents at the 2020 census.

Illustration of a quiet country road lined with maple trees between open farm fields and a wooded ridge in fall

Winterville Plantation is a small community in northern Aroostook County, Maine. For visitors learning about Winterville Maine, the plantation covers a total area of 39.0 square miles, comprising 35.6 square miles of land and 3.4 square miles of water, sitting at an elevation of 614 feet. It borders Eagle Lake to the north, along with unorganized townships including T15 R8 WELS to the west, T15 R6 WELS to the east, and T14 R7 WELS to the south. Winterville also marks the southern anchor of French-Acadian settlements reaching northward along Route 11 toward Fort Kent.

Community and Local Governance

Winterville Plantation had a total population of 194 residents at the 2020 Census, down from 224 in 2010. American Community Survey data lists the median age at 43.7 years and median household income at approximately $45,000, which is roughly 80 percent of the Aroostook County median. Owner-occupied housing accounts for 74.1% of households, while renter-occupied housing accounts for 25.3%. The plantation uses ZIP code 04739, and the municipal office and Plantation Hall are located at 391 Quimby Road. Land use, including commercial-industrial, general development, residential, and management subdistricts, is regulated by the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC).

Lakes and Outdoor Recreation

The major bodies of water in Winterville Plantation are Saint Froid Lake and Island Pond. Saint Froid Lake covers about 2,400 acres with water depths reaching up to 100 feet. The lake provides flat-water paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and boating along shorelines featuring coves and inlets. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry maintains a hard-surface public boat ramp facility on the lake. Anglers can fish for landlocked salmon, lake trout, brook trout, and seasonal hook-and-line smelt. On land, Winterville Plantation connects to Maine's Interconnected Trail System (ITS) for snowmobiling and ATV riding in the North Maine Woods.

Illustration of a gravel woods road disappearing into a tall evergreen forest in winter

Transportation and Travel

Maine State Route 11 is the primary highway running through Winterville Plantation, traveling north to Eagle Lake and Fort Kent and south toward Portage Lake. This stretch of highway is part of the St. John Valley Cultural/Fish River National Scenic Byway corridor. Winterville Plantation is located about 6 miles south of Eagle Lake, roughly 22 to 25 miles south of Fort Kent, and about 60 miles northwest of Presque Isle, home to Presque Isle International Airport. Scheduled regional bus service is provided by the Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS), serving communities including Winterville and Quimby. Road work projects have included a 3.61-mile MaineDOT capital improvement on Route 11 completed in 2025 starting at Quimby Road, as well as $13,108 allocated in Local Road Assistance for fiscal year 2026.

Education and Public Services

Winterville Plantation operates Winterville Plt Public Schools as its own school administrative unit, though it owns no school buildings. Elementary and high school students are tuitioned to neighboring schools, which include Eagle Lake Elementary School in Eagle Lake, as well as Fort Kent Elementary School and Community High School in Fort Kent. Higher education is available approximately 15 miles north at the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK). Winterville Plantation does not run a municipal public library and relies on neighboring facilities such as the public library in Fort Kent.

Illustration of a wooded hillside glowing with red and gold autumn maples above a small valley in fall

History of Winterville Plantation

Winterville Plantation was first settled in 1846 from township T15 R7 WELS. Decades later, on June 6, 1884, the community was officially organized as a plantation, and this organization was confirmed by the Maine Legislature in 1895.

In 1903, the community was renamed Hill Plantation, but it soon returned to its roots, changing its name back to Winterville Plantation in 1907.

See the history facts and their sources in Quick facts below.

Quick facts

Population

2000 Census Households: At the 2000 census, Winterville plantation had 79 households, with an average household size of 2.42 persons.^[1]
2020 Census Population: Winterville Plantation had a total population of 194 at the 2020 Decennial Census.^[1]
2020 Decennial Census Population: According to the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, Winterville plantation had a total population of 194 residents.^[1]
Historical Population Comparison (2010 to 2020): Winterville plantation's population fell from 224 in 2010 to 194 in 2020, representing a decrease of approximately 13.4%.^[1]
Median Age: The median age of residents in Winterville plantation is 43.7 years based on 5-year American Community Survey data.^[2]
Population Peak and Historical Change: After reaching an enumerated peak of 462 residents in 1940, the plantation's population decreased in subsequent decades, falling to 164 by 1970 before rebounding to 235 in 1980.^[1]

History (5)

Legislative Confirmation: The organization of Winterville Plantation was confirmed by the Maine Legislature in 1895.^[3]
Organization Year: Settled in 1846 from township T15 R7 WELS, Winterville Plantation was officially organized as a plantation in 1884.^[4]
Original Plantation Organization: The community was organized as a plantation on June 6, 1884, from township T15 R7 WELS.^[3]
Settlement Year: Winterville Plantation was first settled in 1846.^[3]
Temporary Name Change to Hill Plantation: The plantation was renamed Hill Plantation in 1903 before changing its name back to Winterville Plantation in 1907.^[5]

Government (1)

ZIP Code: Winterville Plantation is served by ZIP code 04739.^[1]

Schools (5)

Local school administrative unit: Winterville Plantation operates as its own school administrative unit, Winterville Plt Public Schools, which has no school buildings of its own.^[6]
Nearby higher education: The closest public university serving the Winterville Plantation area is the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), located approximately 15 miles north in Fort Kent.^[7]
Public schools serving the area: Public school options serving Winterville Plantation students include Eagle Lake Elementary School in neighboring Eagle Lake, as well as Fort Kent Elementary School and Community High School in Fort Kent.^[8]
Student tuitioning to neighboring districts: Following its withdrawal from MSAD 27, Winterville Plantation arranged to send its elementary and high school students to neighboring schools on a tuition basis.^[9]
Withdrawal from MSAD 27: Winterville Plantation previously belonged to Maine School Administrative District 27 (MSAD 27) before withdrawing effective June 30, 2015, to tuition its students.^[10]

Economy (4)

2020 Decennial Census Population: Winterville Plantation recorded a total population of 194 residents in the 2020 U.S. Census.^[1]
Homeownership Rate: Owner-occupied housing accounts for 74.1% of households in the Plantation of Winterville, while renter-occupied housing accounts for 25.3%.^[11]
Land Use and Zoning Administration: Winterville Plantation is under the jurisdiction of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC), which regulates designated commercial-industrial, general development, residential, and management subdistricts across the township.^[12]
Median Household Income (Census ACS): According to U.S. Census American Community Survey data reported by Census Reporter, the median household income for Winterville Plantation was approximately $45,000, roughly 80 percent of Aroostook County's median.^[13]

Recreation (4)

Snowmobiling and ATV Trails: Winterville Plantation offers trail connectivity to Maine's Interconnected Trail System (ITS) network for both snowmobiling and ATV riding in the North Maine Woods.^[14]
St. Froid Lake: St. Froid Lake dominates Winterville Plantation, spanning approximately 2,400 acres and reaching depths of up to 100 feet. It supports sport fisheries for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and brook trout, as well as seasonal hook-and-line smelt fishing.^[15]
St. Froid Lake Public Boat Launch: The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry maintains a hard-surface public boat ramp facility on St. Froid Lake in Winterville Plantation.^[16]
Water Recreation: Saint Froid Lake provides flat-water paddling, kayaking, canoeing, and boating along largely undeveloped shorelines with numerous coves and inlets.^[17]

Culture (4)

Acadian settlement region context: Winterville marks the southern anchor of the French-Acadian settlements extending northward along Route 11 into Fort Kent within northern Aroostook County.^[18]
Local library access: Winterville Plantation does not operate its own municipal public library, relying on services in neighboring communities such as the public library in Fort Kent.^[19]
Name changes in organization history: Organized from Township Number 15 Seventh Range West of the Easterly Line of the State (T15 R7 WELS), its name was changed to Hill Plantation in 1903 before reverting to Winterville Plantation in 1907.^[5]
Settlement and organization history: Winterville was settled in 1846 and organized on June 6, 1884, from township T15 R7 WELS, with the organization confirmed by the Maine legislature in 1895.^[20]

Transportation (6)

Distance to Eagle Lake: Winterville Plantation is located about 6 miles south of neighboring Eagle Lake.^[9]
Distance to Fort Kent: Winterville Plantation is located approximately 22 to 25 miles south of Fort Kent along Maine Route 11.^[9]
Distance to Presque Isle and regional airport: Winterville Plantation is situated roughly 60 miles northwest of Presque Isle, which hosts Presque Isle International Airport, the area's nearest commercial airport.^[21]
Primary highway: Maine State Route 11 is the main thoroughfare traversing Winterville Plantation, connecting it northward to Eagle Lake and Fort Kent and southward toward Portage Lake.^[22]
Public transit service: The Aroostook Regional Transportation System (ARTS) provides scheduled regional public bus transit serving communities in the Fort Kent service area, including Winterville and Quimby.^[23]
Scenic byway designation: Route 11 through Winterville Plantation forms part of the St. John Valley Cultural/Fish River National Scenic Byway corridor.^[22]

Services (4)

Local Road Assistance Funding: Winterville Plantation was allocated $13,108 in Local Road Assistance for fiscal year 2026 by the Maine Department of Transportation.^[24]
Public Works and Road Maintenance Accomplishments: Maintenance accomplishments in Winterville Plantation recorded by the Maine Department of Transportation for 2025 included applying 4 tons of patch, 10 miles of striping, repairing 1 drainage structure, and rebuilding 106 linear feet of shoulder.^[24]
Route 11 Highway Improvement Project: A MaineDOT capital project on Route 11 beginning at Quimby Road and extending north 3.61 miles between Winterville Plantation and Eagle Lake was completed in 2025 using Congressionally Directed Spending.^[24]
Winterville Plantation Municipal Office and Hall: The municipal office and Plantation Hall for Winterville Plantation are located at 391 Quimby Road in Winterville Plantation.^[25]

Geography (8)

Bodies of water: Major water bodies located within Winterville Plantation include Saint Froid Lake and Island Pond.^[26]
Elevation: The elevation of Winterville Plantation is listed at 614 feet.^[27]
Land and water area: Of Winterville Plantation's total area, about 35.6 square miles is land and 3.4 square miles is water.^[1]
Location and survey designation: Winterville Plantation is located in northern Aroostook County, Maine, historically organized from Township 15, Range 7 West of the Easterly Line of the State (T15 R7 WELS).^[26]
Northern bordering community: Winterville Plantation borders the town of Eagle Lake directly to the north.^[26]
Surrounding townships: Winterville Plantation borders unorganized townships including T15 R8 WELS to the west, T15 R6 WELS to the east, and T14 R7 WELS to the south.^[26]
Total Area: According to the United States Census Bureau, Winterville Plantation encompasses a total area of 39.0 square miles, consisting of 35.6 square miles of land and 3.4 square miles of water.^[1]
Total area: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Winterville Plantation covers an area of approximately 39.0 square miles.^[1]