Castle Rock, Maine is not a real town. It is Stephen King’s fictional Maine mill town, the setting for some of his best-known stories, and fans often ask where it is and whether they can visit. You cannot, but you can see where King put it on the map and visit the real Maine places that fed his writing.
Is Castle Rock, Maine Real?
No. Castle Rock is a fictional town in the fictional Castle County, which also includes Castle Lake, Castle View and Harlow. It first appears in The Dead Zone (1979). There is a real town called Castle Rock in Colorado, but that is a different place.
Where Is Castle Rock on the Maine Map?
King’s official map of Maine places Castle Rock in Oxford County, near Woodstock. The stories add clues that do not always agree. Needful Things puts the town 18 miles southwest of South Paris, other geographic clues place it within about 37 miles of Portland, and Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut says it is 79 miles from Bangor as the crow flies. King grew up in Durham, Maine, and Castle Rock is often said to draw on that hometown.
Stephen King Books Set in Castle Rock
- The Dead Zone (1979), the town’s first appearance
- Cujo (1981)
- The Body (1982), in the collection Different Seasons
- The Dark Half (1989), which introduces Sheriff Alan Pangborn
- The Sun Dog (1990)
- Needful Things (1991), billed on its cover as “The Last Castle Rock Story”
- Gwendy’s Button Box (2017) and Elevation (2018)
Short stories such as “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” (1984) and “Gramma” (1985) are also set there.
Where Was Castle Rock Filmed?
Not in Maine. The Hulu series Castle Rock, which premiered July 25, 2018, was filmed largely in Massachusetts, where downtown Orange stood in for the town’s main street, Lancaster houses served as homes and Tewksbury State Hospital played a psychiatric hospital. Scenes set at Shawshank State Penitentiary were shot at the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville.
- Cujo (1983): Mendocino and Santa Rosa, California
- The Dead Zone (1983): the Niagara Falls, Ontario area
- Stand by Me (1986): the film moves Castle Rock to Oregon
- Needful Things (1993): Gibsons, British Columbia
Castle Rock vs. Derry
Both are fictional King towns, but they are different places. Derry, the setting of It, is modeled on Bangor. Castle Rock sits in western Maine on King’s map. For the real Bangor places behind Derry, see our Stephen King Bangor guide.
Real Maine Places for Stephen King Fans
Bangor is the best place to start. The original Pet Sematary (1989) was filmed in and around Ellsworth and Bangor, and the city has a guided Stephen King tour and the famous house, which you can view from the public sidewalk. See our Bangor guide for where to eat, stay and walk downtown.
Another famous fictional Maine town: Cabot Cove, Maine, the home of Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.
Castle Rock, Maine FAQ
Is Castle Rock, Maine a real place?
No. It is a fictional town in Stephen King’s stories, set in the fictional Castle County. A real Castle Rock exists in Colorado, but it is unrelated to King’s Maine.
Where is Castle Rock in Maine?
King’s map puts it in Oxford County, near Woodstock, in western Maine. The stories also say it is about 18 miles southwest of South Paris.
What Stephen King books are set in Castle Rock?
The best known are The Dead Zone, Cujo, The Body, The Dark Half, The Sun Dog and Needful Things, along with Gwendy’s Button Box and Elevation.
Where was the Castle Rock TV series filmed?
Mostly in Massachusetts, in Orange, Lancaster and Tewksbury, with Shawshank scenes shot in Moundsville, West Virginia. It was not filmed in Maine.
Is Castle Rock the same as Derry?
No. Derry is a separate fictional town modeled on Bangor, while Castle Rock is in western Maine on King’s map.