Washington County, Vermont

For counties with a similar name, see Washington County (disambiguation). For the town in Orange County, see Washington, Vermont.
Washington County, Vermont

Washington County Courthouse
Map of Vermont highlighting Washington County
Location in the U.S. state of Vermont
Map of the United States highlighting Vermont
Vermont's location in the U.S.
Founded 1811
Shire Town Montpelier
Largest city Barre
Area
 • Total 695 sq mi (1,800 km2)
 • Land 687 sq mi (1,779 km2)
 • Water 8.2 sq mi (21 km2), 1.2%
Population (est.)
 • (2015) 58,612
 • Density 85.8/sq mi (33/km²)
Congressional district At-large
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. Named after George Washington, its county seat is the municipality of Montpelier, the state capital.[1] As of the 2010 census, the population was 59,534,[2] making it the third-most populous county in Vermont, but the third-least populous capital county in the nation, after Hughes County, South Dakota and Franklin County, Kentucky. If Carson City, Nevada and Juneau Borough, Alaska are treated as counties, Washington County is the fifth-least populous capital county.

Washington County comprises the Barre, VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In 2010, the center of population of Vermont was located in Washington County, in the town of Warren.[3]

History

Washington County is one of several Vermont counties created from land ceded by the state of New York on January 15, 1777 when Vermont declared itself to be a distinct state from New York.[4][5][6] The land originally was contested by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Netherland, but it remained undelineated until July 20, 1764 when King George III established the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Massachusetts and south of the parallel of 45 degrees north latitude. New York assigned the land gained to Albany County.[7][8] On March 12, 1772 Albany County was partitioned to create Charlotte County,[9] and this situation remained until Vermont's independence from New York and Britain.

Washington County was originally established as Jefferson County in 1810 from parts of Caledonia County, Chittenden County, and Orange County and organized the following year.[10]

In 1814 it was renamed to Washington County. The name change occurred after the Federalists took control of the Vermont Legislature from the Jeffersonians. Vermont which conducted significant trade with British Canada had suffered particularly by passage of the Embargo Act of 1807 during the Jefferson administration.[11]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 695 square miles (1,800 km2), of which 687 square miles (1,780 km2) is land and 8.2 square miles (21 km2) (1.2%) is water.[12]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
182014,113—
183021,37851.5%
184023,50610.0%
185024,6544.9%
186027,61212.0%
187026,520−4.0%
188025,404−4.2%
189029,60616.5%
190036,60723.6%
191041,70213.9%
192038,921−6.7%
193041,7337.2%
194041,546−0.4%
195042,8703.2%
196042,8600.0%
197047,65911.2%
198052,3939.9%
199054,9284.8%
200058,0395.7%
201059,5342.6%
Est. 201558,612[13]−1.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16]
1990–2000[17] 2010–2014[2]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 59,534 people, 25,027 households, and 15,410 families residing in the county.[18] The population density was 86.6 inhabitants per square mile (33.4/km2). There were 29,941 housing units at an average density of 43.6 per square mile (16.8/km2).[19]

Of the 25,027 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 42.3 years.[18]

The median income for a household in the county was $55,313 and the median income for a family was $66,968. Males had a median income of $45,579 versus $38,052 for females. The per capita income for the county was $28,337. About 5.9% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.[20]

Elections

Presidential election results[21]
Year Democrat Republican
2016 59.8% 18,594 25.7% 7,993
2012 69.4% 20,351 27.6% 8,093
2008 69.3% 22,324 28.4% 9,129
2004 61.0% 19,177 36.4% 11,461
2000 51.4% 15,281 38.5% 11,448

Communities

Cities

Towns

Villages

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Centers of Population by State: 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  4. ↑ Slade, William, Jr., comp. Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive. Middlebury, 1823. P. 70-73.
  5. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 64.
  6. ↑ Williamson, Chilton. Vermont in Quandary: 1763-1825. Growth of Vermont series, Number 4. Montpelier: Vermont Historical Series, 1949. PP. 82-84; map facing 95, 100-102, 112-113.
  7. ↑ Slade, William, Jr., comp. Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive. Middlebury, 1823. pp.13-19.
  8. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 63.
  9. ↑ New York Colonial Laws, Chapter 1534; Section 5; Paragraph 321)
  10. ↑ "Vermont: Individual County Chronologies". Vermont Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  11. ↑ "And They Called The County Washington". Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Central Vermont Magazine. Summer 1988. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  13. ↑ "County Totals Dataset: Population, Population Change and Estimated Components of Population Change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  14. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  16. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  18. 1 2 "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  19. ↑ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  20. ↑ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  21. ↑ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". Retrieved 2016-11-19.
 Chittenden County Lamoille County Caledonia County
  Washington County, Vermont  
Addison County Orange County

Coordinates: 44°16′N 72°37′W / 44.27°N 72.62°W / 44.27; -72.62

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