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Caribou

The all season community to work, play, grow in and call home.

7,396Population (2020)
80.1Square miles
1859Incorporated
Central AroostookRegion

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Caribou is located in Aroostook County, Maine, spanning an area of 80.10 square miles. Originally incorporated as the Town of Lyndon in 1859, the community was later renamed Caribou after the woodland caribou that once inhabited the area.

Illustration of a calm lake ringed by spruce and pine trees at the edge of a north woods forest in fall

About Caribou

Located in Aroostook County, the City of Caribou spans a total area of 80.10 square miles and uses the ZIP Code 04736. While it is a major community in the county, Houlton is the county seat of Aroostook County, not Caribou.

If you are planning a visit or moving to the area, this guide covers essential details about Caribou Maine.

Community and Population

According to the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, Caribou had a population of 7,396 residents. Between 2010 and 2024, the population decreased from 8,161 to 7,328, losing 833 residents. The city reached a peak population of 9,423 in 1990 and has since decreased by more than 20 percent.

Census Bureau estimates between 2020 and 2024 count 3,542 households, with an average of 2.03 persons per household. The median age in Caribou is 51.3 years.

Local Government

Caribou operates under a council-manager form of government. The leadership includes a seven-member City Council elected at large to staggered three-year terms, along with an appointed City Manager. Penny Thompson serves as the City Manager, Courtney Boma serves as Mayor, and Jody Smith serves as Deputy Mayor.

The Caribou City Office is located at 25 High Street, Caribou, Maine 04736. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and can be reached by phone at 207-493-3324.

Economy and Employment

Between 2020 and 2024, the median household income in Caribou was $53,709 (in 2024 dollars), and an estimated 51.9% of the population age 16 and older participated in the civilian labor force. In 2022, local accommodation and food services sales reached $19,234,000, while health care and social assistance revenues totaled $126,828,000.

Healthcare and public institutions are central to the local workforce:

  • Cary Medical Center: A 63-bed acute care hospital, Cary Medical Center is the city's largest employer, employing approximately 540 people.
  • Eastern Aroostook Regional School Unit 39: Employs approximately 235 people.
  • Key Employers (50 to 150 workers each): Caribou Rehab and Nursing Center, Maine Veterans Home, Pines Health Center, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the City of Caribou.

Education

Public elementary and secondary education is administered by Eastern Aroostook RSU 39, based at 75 Glenn Street:

  • Caribou Community School: Located at 24 Bennett Drive, serving Pre-K through grade 8.
  • Caribou High School: Located at 308 Sweden Street, serving grades 9 through 12.
  • Caribou Tech Center: Located at 308 Sweden Street, offering career and technical education for grades 9 through 12.
  • RSU 39 Adult and Community Education: Provides adult and workforce training options.

Illustration of a snow-covered lake shore with bare birches and dark spruce under a pale winter sky in winter

Museums and Landmarks

Caribou features several cultural sites and historic buildings:

  • Nylander Museum of Natural History: Dedicated in 1939 by Maine Governor Lewis Barrows and built as a WPA project, it houses the collections of self-taught Swedish naturalist Olof O. Nylander. Displays include regional fauna, minerals, fossils, mollusk shells, and archaeological and paleontological specimens from Aroostook County and adjacent Canada.
  • Caribou Historical Center & Museum: Contains more than 10,000 artifacts detailing early family life, farming, education, medicine, and business. Its campus includes a main center and the Lyndon Schoolhouse, a replica of an 1860s one-room schoolhouse.
  • Caribou Public Library: Originally built as a Carnegie library in downtown Caribou following a $10,000 grant awarded in 1910.
  • National Register of Historic Places: Listed entries in Caribou include the McElwain House as well as the Gray Memorial United Methodist Church and Parsonage.

Parks and Outdoor Recreation

Caribou provides outdoor trails and park amenities across the community:

  • Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center: Located at 55 Bennett Drive, featuring an indoor walking track, a weight room, a game room, locker rooms, and a multipurpose room.
  • Teague Park Complex: Located at 75 Bennett Drive, offering tennis courts, lighted basketball courts, a softball field, a playground, and a splash pad.
  • Collins Pond Park: Situated at 27 Caribou Street in downtown Caribou, offering a picnic pavilion with kitchen facilities and connecting to a paved walking and bicycling path along Collins Pond.
  • Aroostook Valley Trail: A 28-mile multi-use rail trail open year-round for biking, skiing, ATV riding, and snowmobiling, connecting Caribou with Presque Isle, Washburn, Woodland, and New Sweden.
  • ATV Trails: The Caribou Viking Riders ATV Club maintains local routes in and around Caribou and Connor Township, coordinating with the recreation department to oversee networks including the Caribou Loop.
  • Caribou Country Club Ski Trails: Features 5.0 miles of groomed trails winding through woods and fields next to the golf course for both classic and skate skiing.

Illustration of open rolling farmland under dramatic clouds with a patchwork of green and gold fields in fall

History of Caribou

Settlers began taking up lots in the Eaton Grant around 1830, and during the 1840s, Samuel W. Collins and Washington Vaughan established early mills and a store along Caribou Stream. On April 24, 1848, early residents gathered in Winslow Hall's barn to organize the plantation known as Letter H. The community grew and was incorporated as the Town of Lyndon on April 5, 1859, with an initial population of 297. In 1870, a contingent of Swedish settlers arrived in the area before continuing on to establish neighboring New Sweden, and in 1877, the town officially changed its name from Lyndon to Caribou, taking the name from the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region.

Growth continued over the following century, leading to the Town of Caribou being incorporated as a city in 1968. Caribou later earned a spot in aviation history in September 1984, when it served as the departure point for the first solo transatlantic balloon flight, piloted by Joe W. Kittinger.

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

Quick facts

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Population

2020 Census Population
Caribou had a population of 7,396 as of the 2020 Decennial Census.[1]
2020 Decennial Census Population
According to the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census, the population of Caribou was 7,396.[2]
Households Count
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there were 3,542 households in Caribou between 2020 and 2024, with an average of 2.03 persons per household.[3]
Median Age
Caribou had a median age of 51.3 years according to recent Census Bureau estimates.[4]
Peak Population Comparison
Caribou reached a peak population of 9,423 residents in 1990 and has since decreased by more than 20 percent.[5]
Population Decline from 2010 to 2024
Caribou's population decreased from 8,161 in 2010 to 7,328 in 2024, losing a total of 833 residents over that period.[6]
History (8)
Arrival of Swedish immigrants
A contingent of Swedish settlers arrived in the area in 1870 before continuing on to establish neighboring New Sweden.[7]
City incorporation
The Town of Caribou was incorporated as a city in 1968.[8]
Early settlers and mills
Settlers took up lots in the Eaton Grant around 1830, and in the 1840s, Samuel W. Collins and Washington Vaughan established early mills and a store along Caribou Stream.[7]
First solo transatlantic balloon flight launch
Caribou served as the departure point for the first solo transatlantic balloon flight, piloted by Joe W. Kittinger in September 1984.[9]
Incorporation as Town of Lyndon
Caribou was originally incorporated as the Town of Lyndon on April 5, 1859, before being renamed Caribou in 1877.[8]
Letter H Plantation organization
Early residents organized the plantation known as Letter H on April 24, 1848, holding the organizational meeting in Winslow Hall's barn.[7]
Name change to Caribou
The town officially changed its name from Lyndon to Caribou in 1877, taking the name from the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region.[8]
Town incorporation as Lyndon
The community was originally incorporated as the Town of Lyndon on April 5, 1859, with an initial population of 297.[7]
Government (8)
City Manager
Penny Thompson serves as the City Manager of Caribou.[10]
City Office Address
The Caribou City Office is located at 25 High Street, Caribou, Maine 04736.[11]
City Office Hours
Caribou City Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.[11]
City Office Phone Number
The phone number for the Caribou City Office is 207-493-3324.[11]
County Seat Status
Houlton is the county seat of Aroostook County, not Caribou.[12]
Deputy Mayor
Jody Smith serves as the Deputy Mayor of Caribou.[13]
Form of Government
Caribou operates under a council-manager form of government, featuring a seven-member City Council elected at large to staggered three-year terms and an appointed City Manager.[13]
Mayor
Courtney Boma serves as the Mayor of Caribou.[13]
Schools (5)
Adult education programming
RSU 39 provides adult and workforce training options through RSU 39 Adult and Community Education.[14]
Career and technical education
Caribou Tech Center offers career and technical education programs for students in grades 9 through 12 and is located at 308 Sweden Street.[15]
Caribou High School
Caribou High School is located at 308 Sweden Street and serves secondary students in grades 9 through 12.[16]
Elementary and middle education
Caribou Community School, located at 24 Bennett Drive, serves elementary and middle school grade levels spanning Pre-K through grade 8.[17]
Public school district
Public elementary and secondary education in Caribou is managed by Eastern Aroostook RSU 39, headquartered at 75 Glenn Street.[14]
Economy (8)
Accommodation and food services sales
Total accommodation and food services sales in Caribou amounted to $19,234,000 in 2022.[18]
Civilian labor force participation
An estimated 51.9% of the population age 16 and older participated in the civilian labor force between 2020 and 2024.[18]
Health care and social assistance revenues
Total health care and social assistance receipts and revenue in Caribou reached $126,828,000 in 2022.[18]
Hospital staff size
Cary Medical Center, a 63-bed acute care hospital located in Caribou, employs approximately 540 people.[19]
Largest employer
Cary Medical Center is the largest employer in the city of Caribou, employing over 500 people.[20]
Major healthcare and public sector employers
Caribou Rehab and Nursing Center, Maine Veterans Home, the Department of Health and Human Services, Pines Health Center, and the City of Caribou are key employers, each employing between 50 and 150 workers.[20]
Major public education employer
Eastern Aroostook Regional School Unit 39 is among the largest employers in Caribou, with approximately 235 employees.[20]
Median household income
The median household income in Caribou from 2020 through 2024 was $53,709 (in 2024 dollars).[18]
Landmarks (6)
Caribou Historical Center & Museum collection
The center contains over 10,000 artifacts documenting early family life, medicine, education, business, and farming in Caribou.[21]
Caribou Historical Society campus features
The society's campus includes a primary historical center and a replica of an 1860s one-room schoolhouse known as the Lyndon Schoolhouse.[22]
Caribou Public Library Carnegie building
The Caribou Public Library was originally constructed as a Carnegie library in downtown Caribou following a $10,000 grant awarded in 1910.[23]
National Register of Historic Places listings in Caribou
According to the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Caribou's entries listed on the National Register of Historic Places include the McElwain House and the Gray Memorial United Methodist Church and Parsonage.[23]
Nylander Museum collection scope
The museum displays archaeology, paleontology, and natural history specimens, including regional fauna, fossils, minerals, and mollusk shells from Aroostook County and adjacent Canada.[24]
Nylander Museum of Natural History founding and building
Dedicated in 1939 by Maine Governor Lewis Barrows, the Nylander Museum was constructed as a WPA project to house the collections of self-taught Swedish naturalist Olof O. Nylander.[24]
Recreation (6)
Aroostook Valley Trail Multi-Use System
The Aroostook Valley Trail is a 28-mile multi-use rail trail connecting Caribou with Presque Isle, Washburn, Woodland, and New Sweden, open year-round for ATV riding, snowmobiling, biking, and skiing.[25]
Caribou Country Club Ski Trails
The Caribou Country Club trail network offers 5.0 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails winding through woods and fields adjacent to the golf course, accommodating both skate and classic skiing.[26]
Caribou Parks and Recreation Department Facilities
The Caribou Parks and Recreation Department manages the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center at 55 Bennett Drive, which includes a multipurpose room, locker rooms, a weight room, a game room, and an indoor walking track.[27]
Collins Pond Park and Trail
Located at 27 Caribou Street in downtown Caribou, Collins Pond Park provides a picnic pavilion with kitchen facilities and connects to a paved walking and bicycling path bordering Collins Pond.[27]
Local ATV Trail Network
The Caribou Viking Riders ATV Club maintains the local trail network in and around Caribou and Connor Township, coordinating with the city's recreation department to oversee routes such as the Caribou Loop.[28]
Teague Park Complex
Teague Park Complex, located at 75 Bennett Drive, features lighted basketball courts, tennis courts, a softball field, a playground, and a splash pad.[27]
Geography (2)
Total Area
The City of Caribou spans a total area of 80.10 square miles.[2]
ZIP Code
Caribou is served by ZIP Code 04736.[29]

Businesses in Caribou

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Map of Caribou

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Nearby communities

Woodland Town · about 5 mi away Limestone Town · about 7 mi away Washburn Town · about 9 mi away Fort Fairfield Town · about 10 mi away New Sweden Town · about 11 mi away Perham Town · about 11 mi away
All communities in The County

St. John Valley

Central Aroostook

Southern Aroostook

North Woods

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Sources (29)
  1. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Caribou city, Maine — census.gov , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  2. Caribou, Maine - Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  3. Caribou city, Maine - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — census.gov , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  4. Caribou - Data Commons — datacommons.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  5. Caribou, Maine Population History | 1990 - 2022 - Biggest US Cities — biggestuscities.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  6. What Does This Mean? - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  7. Caribou's History - Caribou Historical Society & Whittier Museum — caribouhistoricalcenter.weebly.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  8. History of Caribou to Incorporation - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  9. Caribou | Maine, Wildlife, Migration - Britannica — britannica.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  10. City Manager - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  11. Contact Us - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  12. About Us – Aroostook County Maine — aroostook.me.us , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  13. City Council - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  14. RSU 39 — rsu39.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  15. Caribou Tech Center Welcome - RSU 39 — ctc.rsu39.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  16. Caribou High School Welcome - RSU 39 — chs.rsu39.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  17. MEDIA | Eastern Aroostook — rsu39.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  18. Caribou city, Maine - U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — census.gov , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  19. About Cary – Cary Medical Center: Caribou, ME — carymedicalcenter.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  20. City of Caribou Comprehensive Plan — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  21. Visit Caribou: Activities - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  22. Caribou - Visit Maine — visitmaine.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  23. City of Caribou Comprehensive Plan — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  24. Nylander Museum - City of Caribou, Maine — cariboumaine.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  25. Aroostook Valley Trail - Maine Trail Finder — mainetrailfinder.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  26. Caribou Country Club Trails - Maine Trail Finder — mainetrailfinder.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  27. Facilities - Caribou Parks & Recreation Department — caribourec.org , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  28. Come ride our ATV trails! - Caribou Viking Riders ATV Club — caribouatv.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026
  29. The ZIP Code, Map and Demographics of Caribou, ME — zip-codes.com , viewed Oct 9, 2026