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Chittenden County, Vermont facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Chittenden, Vermont.
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Chittenden County
U.S. county
Chittenden County Superior Court in Burlington
Chittenden County Superior Court in Burlington
Map of Vermont highlighting Chittenden County
Location within the U.S. state of Vermont
Map of the United States highlighting Vermont
Vermont's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Vermont
Founded October 22, 1787
Named for Thomas Chittenden
Shire Town Burlington
Largest city Burlington
Area
 • Total 619 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Land 537 sq mi (1,390 km2)
 • Water 83 sq mi (210 km2)  13%%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 168,323
 • Estimate 
(2022)
 169,301 Increase
 • Density 271.93/sq mi (104.99/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district At-large

Chittenden County is the county with the most people in the U.S. state of Vermont. In 2020, about 168,323 people lived here. The main city and county seat is Burlington, which is also Vermont's biggest city.

This county has more than a quarter of Vermont's total population. It has more than twice as many people as Rutland, the second-largest county. Chittenden County is named after Thomas Chittenden. He was Vermont's first governor and helped write its constitution.

Chittenden County is home to many of Vermont's fastest-growing towns. It is part of the Burlington metropolitan area. This area also includes Franklin and Grand Isle counties.

The University of Vermont, the state's largest university, is located here. Its hospital, the UVM Medical Center, is also in the county. Together, they are the biggest employer in Vermont. The largest private employer, GlobalFoundries, is in Essex Junction. Vermont's biggest airport, Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, is in South Burlington.

The Vermont Army National Guard is based at Camp Johnson in Colchester. The Vermont Air National Guard is at the Burlington Air National Guard Base. This base is located at the international airport.

Exploring Chittenden County's Geography

Chittenden County covers about 619 square miles. About 83 square miles (13%) of this area is water. It is the third-smallest county in Vermont by land area.

Long ago, Chittenden County was much larger. It included parts of other counties we know today. These were Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, 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 special. It is home to Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest mountain. Its peak is about 4,393 feet (1,339 meters) above sea level.

Neighboring Counties

Chittenden County shares borders with these other counties:

Major Roads and Highways

Many important roads run through Chittenden County. These help people travel and connect communities.

  • I-89
  • I-189
  • US 2
  • US 7

  • US 7 Alt.
  • VT 2A
  • VT F-5
  • VT 15
  • VT 17
  • VT 116
  • VT 117
  • VT 127
  • VT 128
  • VT 289

People and Population (Demographics)

Historical population
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%
2020 168,323 7.5%
2022 (est.) 169,301 8.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2020

In 2018, Chittenden County had about 164,572 people. Many households (36.23%) had children under 18 living in them. Most households (52.9%) were married couples.

The population is mostly White (91.7%). Other groups include Black or African American (2.4%), Asian (3.5%), and people of two or more races (2.1%). About 2.2% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

The county has a younger average age compared to other parts of Vermont. In 2007, the average age was 37.5 years. About 8% of residents speak a language other than English at home.

Economy and Jobs

The economy in Chittenden County is strong. In 2007 and 2011, the average household income was about $62,260. The income per person was about $32,533.

Major Industries and Companies

Burtonfactory
Burton Snowboards is headquartered in Burlington.

Essex Junction is home to GlobalFoundries. This company makes computer chips and is the largest private employer in Vermont. It has about 3,000 employees.

Burton Snowboards, a famous company that makes snowboards, is based in Burlington. They employ 500 people.

Shopping and Retail

Chittenden County is a big shopping area for Vermont. In 2007, it had 29% of all retail sales in the state. This was about $1.52 billion. Several cities in the county are top shopping spots. These include Williston, South Burlington, Colchester, and Burlington.

Learning and Education

Chittenden County has many schools for students from kindergarten to high school. Teachers' salaries in 2007–2008 ranged from about $33,000 to $79,000 per year.

School Districts

Here are some of the school districts in the county:

  • Burlington School District
  • Champlain Valley Unified School District
  • Chittenden East Supervisory Union
  • Colchester School District
  • Essex-Westford Educational Community Unified School District
  • Milton School District
  • South Burlington School District
  • Winooski Incorporated School District

Colleges and Universities

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 several colleges and universities:

  • University of Vermont (in Burlington)
  • Champlain College (in Burlington)
  • Saint Michael's College (in Colchester)
  • Vermont Center of Southern New Hampshire University (in Colchester)
  • A branch campus of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (in Colchester)
  • A branch of the Community College of Vermont (in Winooski)
  • A satellite campus of Vermont Technical College (in Williston)

County Infrastructure

Vermont counties, including Chittenden, have less formal county government than in some other states. Few agencies work county-wide. One example is the Chittenden County Solid Waste District, which manages trash and recycling.

Roads and Transportation

Interstate 89 is a major highway that crosses Chittenden County. It runs from the southeast to the northwest, following the Lake Champlain shoreline. This interstate has several exits that connect to other important roads like U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 7.

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

The Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization helps manage traffic. They also check road conditions and decide how to use money for roads.

Communities in Chittenden County

Chittenden County has several cities, towns, and other communities.

Cities

Towns

Villages

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas that the U.S. Census Bureau identifies for statistics.

Unincorporated Communities

These are small areas that are not officially part of any town.

See also

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