Addison County, Vermont

History

Iroquois settled in the county before European arrived in 1609. French settlers in Crown Point, New York extended their settlements across Lake Champlain. A few individuals or families came up the lake from Canada and established themselves at Chimney Point in 1730. In 1731, at Cross Point Fort Frederic was erected. In the year 1759, General Amherst occupied Cross Point and British settler's settlers came in. The Battle of Bennington in Bennington, fought on August 16, 1777, brought a turning point for the American independence against British.

This county was established by act of the Legislature October 18, 1785. at the period of Vermont Republic. In 1791, Vermont joined the federal union after the original thirteen colonies. The main product of the county was wheat. In addition to wheat, farmers began to raise flocks on the field for manuring around the 1820s. The Champlain Canal was opened on 1823, so the ships could navigate from the Hudson River. In 1840, the county produced more wool than any other county in the United States.

When Vermont was admitted into the Union in 1791, in the major towns there were totally 9,267 people. In 1830, there were 26,503 people.

In 2008, the federal government declared the county a disaster area after severe storms and flooding June 14–17.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 808 square miles (2,090 km²), of which 766 square miles (1,980 km²) is land and 41 square miles (110 km²) (5.1%) is water. It is the third-largest county in Vermont by total area.

The county of Addison is situated on the west line of Vermont state and nearly in the center north and south; between 43° 50′ and 44° 10′ north latitude. The primary stream of the county is Otter Creek, which runs through the county from the south to the north.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 35,974 people, 13,068 households and 9,108 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 per square mile (18/km²). There were 15,312 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile (8/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.86% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. 1.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.5% were of English, 12.7% American, 12.0% French, 10.8% French Canadian, 10.8% Irish and 6.7% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.0% spoke English, 1.8% French and 1.2% Spanish as their first language.

There were 13,068 households of which 34.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.40% were married couples living together, 8.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.30% were non-families. 23.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02.

Age distribution was 24.90% under the age of 18, 12.50% from 18 to 24, 26.90% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 11.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.

The median household income was $43,142, and the median family income was $49,351. Males had a median income of $31,836 versus $24,416 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,539. About 5.10% of families and 8.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 8.00% of those age 65 or over.

For historical populations since 1900, see Historical U.S. Census totals for Addison County, Vermont

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 36,821 people, 14,084 households, and 9,340 families residing in the county. The population density was 48.0 inhabitants per square mile (18.5/km²). There were 16,760 housing units at an average density of 21.9 per square mile (8.5/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.3% white, 1.4% Asian, 0.8% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.1% were English, 17.2% were Irish, 12.0% were German, 7.5% were American, 7.2% were French Canadian, 5.9% were Italian, and 5.3% were Scottish.

Of the 14,084 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.7% were non-families, and 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 41.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $55,800 and the median income for a family was $67,721. Males had a median income of $43,643 versus $34,486 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,599. About 5.7% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Addison County has the following high schools:

Addison County is also home to two institutions of higher learning, Middlebury College and the Community College of Vermont, both located in Middlebury

Air

The Middlebury State Airport serves private aviation for Addison County. Commercial airlines are available to the north at Burlington International Airport in Chittenden County, and to the south at Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport in Rutland County.

Bus

The primary public bus service in Addison County is operated by Addison County Transit Resources (ACTR). There is extensive bus service around Middlebury with connections to Vergennes and Bristol, as well as commuter buses to Burlington and Rutland operated in conjunction with Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) and the Marble Valley Regional Transit District(MVRTD), respectively.

City

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities