Do you know which Maine towns have the shortest names in the state?

There are two of them.

When someone at work asked me what the shortest town name was, I started naming four-letter towns and cities in Maine.

Maine has plenty of those.

It took me a second, but I eventually realized that the shortest town names have just three letters, not four.

Those towns are Jay and Lee.

Jay is located in southern Franklin County, a little south of Farmington.

According to the University of Maine, Jay was incorporated in 1795 and named after John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Beginning in the 1800s, the town played a major role in the development of the paper industry in the region.

It has a close relationship with neighboring Livermore Falls.

The two towns had an intense high school sports rivalry until they consolidated into the Spruce Mountain School District in 2011.

Lee is located in Penobscot County, just east of Lincoln.

The town was incorporated in 1832.

The town offers relaxing outdoor activities, with Silver (Mattakeunk) Lake being a popular location for swimming, fishing, and boating.

The lake area includes the Cole's Landing Public Beach and Boat Launch and the Town of Lee Walking Trails.

Lee is also the home of Lee Academy. Founded in 1845, Lee Academy is an independent preparatory school for students in grades 9-12.

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Jay and Lee, two Maine towns separated by a more than two-and-a-half-hour drive, but forever connected by a distinct characteristic: having a short name.