Southwest Harbor Maine Map

About Southwest Harbor, Maine

Southwest Harbor is a locality in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is a small community with a population of 740. The population density is 212.1 people per km². Southwest Harbor is located at 44.2798°N, 68.3250°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 04679.

Southwest Harbor maintains a singular gravity, held fast by the rugged expanse of Freeman Ridge and the dense, dark emerald reach of the spruce-fir woods. It lies 42.4 miles south-southeast of Bangor, ME (from Bangor, ME: bearing 148°T), and is situated 9.6 miles southwest of Bar Harbor. The terrain here rises in granite-shouldered swells, leading the eye toward the distant, shimmering expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. A mile to the east, the quiet pulse of Buttermilk Brook carves its way through the undergrowth, feeding the damp, moss-heavy shadows of the forest floor. Beyond the immediate tree line, the jagged silhouette of Greening Ledge emerges from the water like a splintered tooth, marking the boundary where the land surrenders to the salt air. To the west, the deep, clear basin of Long Pond offers a stillness that contrasts with the restless, shifting moods of the tide, providing a freshwater anchor in a landscape defined by its proximity to the sea.

Southwest Harbor serves as a working gateway to the wilder reaches of Acadia National Park, where the rhythm of life is dictated by the turning of the seasons and the demands of the maritime trade. Generations have looked to the water for their livelihood, constructing a local economy built upon the steady labor of boat building and the seasonal harvest of the lobster grounds. The character of Southwest Harbor is etched into the weathered clapboard of its piers and the salt-stained gear piled high on the docks. Those seeking the interior wilds often traverse the Valley Peak Trail, finding a vantage point that looks out over the island’s spine, while others may travel toward the interior to witness the seasonal surge of Man O'War Brook Falls. Life here avoids the frantic pace of the mainland, preferring the deliberate, honest toil of a place that has long understood its own endurance against the long, cold light of the northern coast.

About This Southwest Harbor Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Southwest Harbor, Maine. Coordinates: 44.279802, -68.325017. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Southwest Harbor includes the ZIP code (04679), telephone area code (207), county seat of Hancock County (Ellsworth), and school district assignment (Mount Desert Community School District).

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.