Bangor is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 31,473 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Penobscot County^GR6. It is the major commercial center for eastern, central and northern Maine. As of 2006, Bangor is the third-largest city in Maine, as it has been for more than a century.

In the 19th century, Bangor was a center of the timber and logging business and at one point late in the century was said to be the richest city per capita in the world. Many of the timber barons of the time lived in elaborate Victorian houses that still stand on West Broadway. The city is home to author Stephen King, who lives in one of those ornate houses. It is noteworthy for its large number of substantial old churches, as well as its imposing canopy of shade trees. It was once known as "The Queen City of the East." The shorter Queen City appellation is still used by some local clubs, organizations, events and businesses. The University of Maine is located nearby in the town of Orono.

Like many cities across the world, Bangor has had its share of disasters. On April 30, 1911, embers from a hayshed near the Kenduskeag Stream ignited nearby buildings, sparking the Great Fire of 1911. The fire would destroy most of the downtown, forever changing the face of the city, but like in the case of the more famous Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the city would rise again and prosper.