Route One - America's First Mile
America's First Mile in Fort Kent. Photo from DShaw20 on Wikicommons.
Officially, U.S. Route 1 has no designated first or last mile; just two termini, one in Fort Kent and the other in Key West, Florida, however, the community of Fort Kent laid claim to the designation and did so in a big way.
They replaced the simple roadside sign that had marked the northernmost point of the 2,369-mile north-south highway with three large granite monuments and a landscaped plaza with benches. The central monument boldly proclaims “America’s First Mile” and the flanking monuments provide context. The site, which overlooks the international border with Canada, is a ritual photo stop for travelers.
But Fort Kent is just one of the memorable stops along the 520-plus miles of Route 1 in Maine. Known as the Coastal Route even though it doesn’t strictly follow the coastline, Route 1 reveals the many facets of Maine.
At its northern end, travelers pass through the potato fields of Aroostook County and the eight-mile Million Dollar Scenic Byway with panoramic views of the Chiputneticook chain of lakes, Katahdin, and Peekaboo Mountain. Downeast delights with massive fiery red blueberry barrens in autumn and the Big Blueberry of Wild Blueberry Land.
The Midcoast stretch of the route includes the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, which pierces the sky at 420 feet tall – the tallest public bridge observatory in the world – and lobster boats and schooners in Camden and Rockland harbors. The southern end of Route 1 is marked by outlet stores that shoppers flock to and classic roadside diners.
As Route 1 marks its 100th anniversary in 2026, road trippers in Maine continue to make a pilgrimage of driving “America’s Original Main Street,” staying at historic motor courts and eating lobster in the fishing towns, mill cities, downtown strips, and beach communities from Kittery to Fort Kent.
