Augusta is the capital of the state of Maine in the United States. It is located on the Kennebec River at the head of navigation or "head of the tide". As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 18,560. It is the county seat of Kennebec County.

The area was first explored by members of the ill-fated Popham Colony in September 1607. It was first inhabited by English settlers from the Plymouth Colony in 1625 as a trading post. The settlement was located on the Kennebec River at highest tidal eddy. Around that time, it was given the name "Cushnoc" (or "Coussinoc" or "Koussinoc"). The oldest wooden fort in America is located on the Kennebec River in Augusta. The fort was built in 1754 and is called Fort Western.