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Chittenden County, Vermont
ChittCountyCourthouse
Chittenden County Superior Court in Burlington
Map of Vermont highlighting Chittenden County
Location in the state of Vermont
Map of the U.S
Vermont's location in the U.S.
Founded October 22, 1787
Shire Town Burlington
Largest city Burlington
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

619 sq mi (1,603 km²)
537 sq mi (1,391 km²)
83 sq mi (215 km²), 13%
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

168,323
Congressional district At-large
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Chittenden County ( /ˈɪtəndən/) is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 168,323.[1] The county seat is Vermont's most populous municipality, the city of Burlington. The county has over a quarter of Vermont's population and more than twice the population of Vermont's second most populous county, Rutland. The county also has more than twice the population density of Vermont's second most dense county, Washington. The county is named for Vermont's first governor and one of the framers of its constitution as an independent republic and later U.S. state, Thomas Chittenden.

The county has most of Vermont's fastest growing municipalities. It is one of the three counties that comprise the Burlington metropolitan area, along with the counties of Franklin and Grand Isle to the north and northwest, respectively. The University of Vermont (UVM), Vermont's largest university, is located in the county, as well as its affiliated hospital, the UVM Medical Center (which is Vermont's largest hospital and collectively forms the largest employer in the state along with the university). Vermont's largest private employer (GlobalFoundries) and largest airport (Burlington International Airport) are in the localities of Essex Junction and South Burlington, respectively.

The Vermont Army National Guard is based at Camp Johnson in the town of Colchester. The Vermont Air National Guard is based at the Burlington Air National Guard Base on the grounds of the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 619 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 537 square miles (1,390 km2) is land and 83 square miles (210 km2) (13%) is water.[2] It is the third-smallest county in Vermont by area.

Originally, Chittenden County contained parts of other counties. It included all of today's Franklin, Grand Isle, and Lamoille counties, and parts of today's Orleans, Washington, and Addison counties.

Mt Mansfield 20060727 2

Western face of Mount Mansfield from Underhill, Vermont

The town of Underhill in Chittenden County is home to the highest summit within the state, Mount Mansfield, which has a peak elevation of 4,393 feet (1,339 m) above sea level.

Adjacent counties[]

Major highways[]

  • I-89 I-89
  • I-189 I-189
  • US 2 US 2
  • US 7 US 7
  • Alt plate
    US 7 ALT US 7
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link Ferry|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev Ferry]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link Town|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev Town]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]
  • [[Template:Infobox road/VT/link VT|Template:Infobox road/VT/abbrev VT]]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 7,287
1800 12,778 75.4%
1810 18,120 41.8%
1820 16,955 −6.4%
1830 21,765 28.4%
1840 22,977 5.6%
1850 29,036 26.4%
1860 28,171 −3.0%
1870 36,480 29.5%
1880 32,792 −10.1%
1890 35,389 7.9%
1900 39,600 11.9%
1910 42,447 7.2%
1920 43,708 3.0%
1930 47,471 8.6%
1940 52,098 9.7%
1950 62,570 20.1%
1960 74,425 18.9%
1970 99,131 33.2%
1980 115,534 16.5%
1990 131,761 14.0%
2000 146,571 11.2%
2010 156,545 6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[3]
1790–1960[4] 1900–1990[5]
1990–2000[6] 2010–2020[1]

2010 census[]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 156,545 people, 61,827 households, and 36,582 families residing in the county.[7] The population density was 291.7 inhabitants per square mile (112.6 /km2). There were 65,722 housing units at an average density of 122.5 per square mile (47.3 /km2).[8]

Of the 61,827 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.8% were non-families, and 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 36.2 years.[7]

The median income for a household in the county was $59,878 and the median income for a family was $78,283. Males had a median income of $49,991 versus $39,213 for females. The per capita income for the county was $31,095. About 6.6% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.[9]

Government[]

As in all Vermont counties, there is a small executive function which is mostly consolidated at the state level. There is a county sheriff and county sheriff's department. The elected sheriff is Kevin McLaughlin.[10] Remaining county government is judicial. There are no "county taxes."

In 2007, median property taxes in the county were $3,809, placing it 265th out of 1,817 counties in the nation with populations over 20,000. This was the highest in Vermont.[11]

Judicial[]

The elected state's attorney is Sarah George.[12]

Elections[]

In 1828, Chittenden County voted for National Republican Party candidate John Quincy Adams and in 1832 voted for Henry Clay.

From William Henry Harrison in 1836 to Winfield Scott in 1852, the county would vote the Whig Party candidates.

From John C. Frémont in 1856 to Calvin Coolidge in 1924, the Republican Party would have a 68-year winning streak in the county.

In 1928, Chittenden County was won by Democratic Party Al Smith, making him the first Democratic candidate to carry the county. The county would also vote for Franklin D. Roosevelt in all four of his presidential runs from 1932 to 1944. During that time, Chittenden County, along with Franklin and Grand Isle counties would become Democratic enclaves in an otherwise Republican-voting Vermont. The county would also be won by Harry S. Truman in 1948.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was able to win back Chittenden County for the Republicans during the 1952 and 1956 elections.

The county would go to Democratic candidates John F. Kennedy in 1960, Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 and Hubert H. Humphrey in 1968.

Incumbent President Richard Nixon would carry the county in 1972, as would Gerald Ford in 1976.

In 1980, Jimmy Carter would narrowly win the county.

In 1984, Ronald Reagan would become the last Republican presidential candidate to win Chittenden County.

Since Michael Dukakis won the county in 1988, it has been won by Democratic candidates and, along with Windham County, has been considered one of the bluest counties in the state of Vermont.

In 2020, Chittenden was the bluest county in the bluest state, backing Joe Biden by a 54% margin.

In gubernatorial elections, Chittenden County is slightly more competitive, as Vermont Republicans are generally far more moderate than at a nationwide level. In the past ten gubernatorial elections, the county has voted for the Democratic candidate for governor six times and for the Republican candidate four times. Most recently, incumbent Republican governor Phil Scott won nearly 67 percent of the county's votes in the 2020 Vermont gubernatorial election.

United States presidential election results for Chittenden County, Vermont[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 21,017 21.25% 74,961 75.78% 2,937 2.97%
2016 18,601 22.30% 54,814 65.71% 10,001 11.99%
2012 21,571 27.99% 53,626 69.57% 1,883 2.44%
2008 22,237 26.65% 59,611 71.44% 1,592 1.91%
2004 26,422 34.01% 49,369 63.54% 1,905 2.45%
2000 26,105 36.25% 39,156 54.37% 6,756 9.38%
1996 19,020 29.78% 36,299 56.84% 8,541 13.37%
1992 19,093 27.23% 35,314 50.36% 15,714 22.41%
1988 27,380 47.75% 29,185 50.89% 781 1.36%
1984 30,217 54.11% 24,830 44.46% 798 1.43%
1980 18,310 39.00% 18,967 40.40% 9,666 20.59%
1976 22,013 53.23% 17,992 43.51% 1,351 3.27%
1972 23,063 58.09% 16,163 40.71% 477 1.20%
1968 14,621 45.34% 16,420 50.91% 1,209 3.75%
1964 9,050 29.32% 21,817 70.68% 0 0.00%
1960 13,072 43.53% 16,959 56.47% 0 0.00%
1956 14,108 57.39% 10,474 42.61% 0 0.00%
1952 13,533 57.87% 9,746 41.68% 106 0.45%
1948 8,509 47.97% 8,903 50.19% 327 1.84%
1944 7,513 41.05% 10,788 58.95% 0 0.00%
1940 7,926 41.58% 11,069 58.07% 66 0.35%
1936 7,757 41.32% 10,962 58.39% 56 0.30%
1932 7,208 43.86% 9,104 55.39% 123 0.75%
1928 8,156 47.32% 9,052 52.52% 27 0.16%
1924 8,008 70.96% 2,658 23.55% 620 5.49%
1920 7,215 66.41% 3,564 32.80% 86 0.79%
1916 3,786 56.85% 2,772 41.62% 102 1.53%
1912 2,368 36.80% 2,266 35.21% 1,801 27.99%
1908 3,806 68.29% 1,650 29.61% 117 2.10%
1904 3,848 70.61% 1,432 26.28% 170 3.12%
1900 3,907 67.26% 1,822 31.37% 80 1.38%
1896 4,743 75.26% 1,416 22.47% 143 2.27%
1892 3,418 62.58% 1,952 35.74% 92 1.68%
1888 4,149 65.59% 1,940 30.67% 237 3.75%
1884 3,629 64.57% 1,875 33.36% 116 2.06%
1880 3,902 64.86% 2,020 33.58% 94 1.56%



Economy[]

Personal income[]

According to the U.S. Census, the median household income for the years 2007 and 2011 was $62,260. The per capita income for the same period was $32,533.[14]

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the median income for a household in the county was $63,989, and the median income for a family was $59,460. Males had a median income of $38,541 versus $27,853 for females. The per capita income for the county was $33,281. About 4.90% of families and 8.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.00% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over.[15]

Industry[]

File:Burtonfactory.JPG

Burton Snowboards is headquartered in Burlington.

Essex Junction is home to GlobalFoundries' Burlington Design Center and 200 mm wafer fabrication plant. GlobalFoundries is the largest private employer in the state of Vermont, with approximately 3,000 employees.[16]

Burton Snowboards employs 500 people with a payroll of $28 million in 2008.[17]

Retailing[]

Burlington, Vermont

The Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington

One measure of economic activity is retail sales. In 2007, Chittenden led the state with 29% of sales, as measured by sales tax reports. This amounted to US$1.52 billion.[18] Four local cities stood among the top five areas in the state: 1- Williston, 2-South Burlington, 4-Colchester, and 5-Burlington.

Real estate[]

In 2008, a vacancy rate for office space reached 11%, and was called "historic."[19]

Education[]

There are several school districts within the county, including Burlington, Winooski and Chittenden East.[20] Teachers salaries in 2007–8 varied from lows of $33,000 to $38,000 annually. Top salaries ranged from $66,000 to $79,000. Teachers pay from 10 to 20% of their health premiums with many contracts at 12%.[21]

Higher education[]

UVM Old Mill building 20040101

The University of Vermont is Vermont's public flagship research university and is situated in Burlington.

Chittenden County is home to the University of Vermont and Champlain College, which are located in the city of Burlington. Saint Michael's College, the Vermont Center of Southern New Hampshire University, and a branch campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (Vermont's first pharmacy school) are in the town of Colchester. A branch of the Community College of Vermont is located in Winooski and a satellite campus of Vermont Technical College is in Williston.

Personal health and safety[]

In the first national survey by Robert Wood Johnson and the University of Wisconsin in 2010, Vermont ranked the highest in the country for health outcomes. The top county in Vermont was Chittenden.[22]

Infrastructure[]

Consistent with the rest of New England and other counties in the state of Vermont, the county has little formal county government. There are a few agencies that serve county-wide. One is the Chittenden County Solid Waste District.

Solid waste[]

In 2008, the Solid Waste District announced that it would charge trash haulers $17/ton for recyclables. Formerly it was paying $7/ton. The global economy has reduced the demand for recycled materials.[23]

Roads[]

Interstate 89 crosses Chittenden County initially from east to west, then makes a northward turn in South Burlington to run north along the Lake Champlain shoreline. The full trajectory is generally from southeast to northwest. There are seven interchanges within the county. Four of the interchanges provide direct access to U.S. Route 2, which parallels the interstate throughout most of the county. U.S. Route 7, the county's main north–south surface route, is also directly accessible from two interchanges.

The Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization measures traffic, analyzes road conditions, and allocates federal and state funds accordingly.[24]

I-89 Exit 17

Interstate 89 Exit 17 in Colchester (June 5, 2015)

Athletics[]

There is a private, amateur Champlain Valley Swim League with nine members, mostly from Chittenden.[25]

Communities[]

Cities[]

  • Burlington (shire town / county seat)
  • South Burlington
  • Winooski

Towns[]

Villages[]

  • Essex Junction
  • Jericho

Census-designated places[]

  • Bolton
  • Bolton Valley
  • East Charlotte
  • Hanksville
  • Hinesburg
  • Huntington
  • Huntington Center
  • Milton
  • Richmond
  • Shelburne
  • St. George
  • Underhill Center
  • Underhill Flats
  • West Charlotte
  • Westford

Unincorporated communities[]

In Vermont, gores and grants are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government (if any, as many are uninhabited).

  • Buels Gore
  • Jonesville

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Chittenden County, Vermont
  • USS Chittenden County (LST-561)

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/chittendencountyvermont/POP010220. 
  2. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_50.txt. 
  3. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  4. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  5. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/vt190090.txt. 
  6. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  7. ^ a b "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US50007. 
  8. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US50007. 
  9. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US50007. 
  10. ^ "Chittenden County Sheriff's Office". http://www.chittendencountysheriff.com/. 
  11. ^ McLean, Dan (December 17, 2008). Property tax bills among highest. Burlington Free Press. 
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 
  14. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". U.S. Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/50/50007.html. 
  15. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  16. ^ [2] by VTDigger.org. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  17. ^ Carpenter, Jake Burton (November 30, 2008). Letter to the Editor (My Turn): Protests do no credit to Vermont. Burlington Free Press. 
  18. ^ McLean, Dan (July 13, 2008). Retail Sales By The Numbers. Burlington Free Press. 
  19. ^ McLean, Don (December 11, 2008). Vacant office space hits record high. Burlington Free Press. 
  20. ^ Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond, and Underhill
  21. ^ Walsh, Molly (August 24, 2008). Teachers unions working on contracts. Burlington Free Press. 
  22. ^ "County Health Rankings: National Comparisons". Robert Wood Johnson and the University of Wisconsin. 2010. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/latest-news/county-health-rankings-national-comparisons. 
  23. ^ Burlington Free Press, Waste district raises recycling fees, Page, Candace, November 12, 2008
  24. ^ Shamy, Ed (16 August 2007). "Watch backside when entering this intersection". Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont): pp. 1B. 
  25. ^ Wells, Alison (26 July 2009). "Tight duel in the pool". Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont): pp. 1C. 

External links[]

Template:Burlington, Vermont

Coordinates: 44°27′N 73°05′W / 44.45, -73.09


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Chittenden County, Vermont. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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