Orono (/ˈɒrənoʊ/) is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, in the United States. Located on the Penobscot River, it was first settled by Europeans in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono, a sachem of the Penobscot nation. It is home to the University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.60 square miles (50.76 km²), of which, 18.19 square miles (47.11 km²) of it is land and 1.41 square miles (3.65 km²) is water.^[1] The town is divided by the Stillwater River, a branch of thePenobscot River. It occupies part of Marsh Island, which is surrounded by the Penobscot and the Stillwater, and the remainder of the town is on the mainland. The Orono Dam impounds the Stillwater River at its confluence with the Penobscot River near downtown Orono.^[4]

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Orono has a humid continental climate, abbreviated “Dfb” on climate maps.^[5]

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 10,363 people, 2,831 households, and 1,229 families residing in the town. The population density was 569.7 inhabitants per square mile (220.0/km²). There were 3,089 housing units at an average density of 169.8 per square mile (65.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.7% White, 1.2% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 2,831 households of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.77.

The median age in the town was 21.8 years. 8.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 55.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 12.2% were from 25 to 44; 13.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.