Bath,city, port of entry (since 1789), seat (1854) ofSagadahoc county, southwesternMaine, U.S. The city lies along theKennebec River near its mouth on the Atlantic coast, 36 miles (58 km) northeast ofPortland. Settled about 1670 and named for the English city, it was part of Georgetown until incorporated as a separate town in 1781. Its shipbuilding industry (exemplified in the MaineMaritime Museum there) dates from 1762, when Captain William Swanton launched theEarl of Bute. TheBath Iron Works (founded 1833 and the city’s main economic asset) has been building ships since 1889, reaching peak naval production during the world wars. Inc. city, 1847. Pop. (2000) 9,266; (2010) 8,514.