Chittenden County, Vermont

Chittenden County is a county in Vermont, United States, on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain across from New York. It had a population of 168,323 at the 2020 census and covers 619 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 83 square miles (210 km2) is water, centred near 44°29′N 73°08′W.

Burlington is the county seat and its postal code is 05401. The county holds 4 cities, 14 towns and no incorporated villages after Essex Junction’s 2022 conversion from village to city. It sits in the Eastern time zone and covers FIPS code 007.

Towns & Villages in Chittenden County

Chittenden is Vermont’s most populous county but one of its smallest by land area, ranking third-smallest of the state’s 14 counties. Its 18 municipalities are a mix of cities built up around Burlington’s harbor and rural towns stretching east into the Green Mountains. The table below uses Pop. for the 2020 census count and ZIP for the primary delivery code; some smaller towns share a ZIP with a larger neighbor rather than having their own.

Several communities named on older lists — Essex Center, North Williston, Malletts Bay, Redstone and Riverside among them — are unincorporated villages inside the towns above rather than separate municipalities, so they aren’t broken out as their own rows. Underhill’s population is split across two settled centers, Underhill Flats and Underhill Center, both inside the Town of Underhill.

ZIP Codes

• 05401 — Burlington (also serves the University of Vermont campus, 05405)
• 05403 — South Burlington
• 05404 — Winooski
• 05446 — Colchester (also serves Saint Michael’s College, 05439)
• 05452 — Essex Junction and the Town of Essex
• 05468 — Milton
• 05495 — Williston
• 05482 — Shelburne
• 05465 — Jericho
• 05461 — Hinesburg
• 05477 — Richmond
• 05445 — Charlotte
• 05489 — Underhill
• 05462 — Huntington
• 05494 — Westford

Bolton and St. George have no dedicated delivery ZIP verified here; mail for both routes through neighboring post offices.

Geography

The county lies on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, with the Winooski River crossing it west to east through Winooski, Colchester and Essex before emptying into the lake at Burlington. Land rises from the lakeshore flats in the west to the foothills of the Green Mountains along the eastern edge, including Camel’s Hump on the Huntington-Duxbury line just outside the county.

Chittenden County borders Franklin County to the north, Lamoille County to the northeast, Washington County to the east, Addison County to the south, and Grand Isle County across the lake to the west.

Demographics

Chittenden County had 168,323 residents at the 2020 census, the largest count of any Vermont county and roughly a quarter of the state’s population. Burlington (44,743) and South Burlington (20,292) are the two biggest communities, together holding nearly two in five county residents. With 619 square miles of total area, the county’s population density runs well above the Vermont county average. Median household income here has historically tracked above the Vermont median of $81,211, driven by Burlington-area employment and the University of Vermont.

Economy & Local Life

Burlington anchors the county’s economy as the seat of the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center, the region’s largest hospital system. GlobalFoundries, a semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Essex Junction, is one of Vermont’s largest private employers with roughly 3,000 workers on-site. Ben & Jerry’s, founded in Burlington, still keeps its factory tour operation in Waterbury just outside the county, but corporate offices and much of its supply chain run through Chittenden towns. Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington is the county’s commercial and social hub, and the Champlain Valley Fair, held each summer in Essex Junction, is one of Vermont’s largest annual events.

History

Chittenden County was chartered on October 22, 1787, and named for Thomas Chittenden, Vermont’s first governor after it joined the union. At creation it was far larger than today, and Franklin, Grand Isle and Lamoille counties along with parts of Orleans, Washington and Addison counties were all later cut from its original territory. Burlington grew through the 19th century as a Lake Champlain lumber and lake-shipping port before shifting to manufacturing and, later, to education and healthcare around the University of Vermont, founded in 1791.

Getting There

Interstate 89 runs the length of the county from Winooski and Burlington northeast toward Milton and beyond, while U.S. Route 2 and U.S. Route 7 connect the lakeshore towns.

• Montpelier — 38 miles east
• Montreal, Quebec — 90 miles northwest
• Rutland — 65 miles south
• Plattsburgh, New York — 25 miles west across Lake Champlain by ferry or bridge route

Burlington International Airport, in South Burlington, is the county’s and Vermont’s busiest commercial airport, with regional and connecting flights along the East Coast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Chittenden County?
It sits in northwestern Vermont on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, centred near Burlington.

What is the population of Chittenden County?
168,323 at the 2020 census, the most of any Vermont county.

How big is Chittenden County?
619 square miles (1,600 km2), including 83 square miles of water.

What is the county seat of Chittenden County?
Burlington.

How many towns and cities are in Chittenden County?
18 municipalities: 4 cities and 14 towns.

What ZIP codes are in Chittenden County?
Codes run from 05401 (Burlington) to 05495 (Williston); see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.

What is Chittenden County’s biggest employer?
The University of Vermont and UVM Medical Center in Burlington, alongside GlobalFoundries in Essex Junction.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Vermont.