Rutland County, Vermont

Rutland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 60,572,[1] making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Its county seat and most populous municipality is the city of Rutland.[2]

"Rutland County" redirects here. For the county in England, see Rutland.

Rutland County
County
Rutland Courthouse
Rutland Courthouse
Map of Vermont highlighting Rutland County
Location within the U.S. state of Vermont
Map of the United States highlighting Vermont
Vermont's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°34′48″N 73°02′12″W
Country United States
State Vermont
Founded1781
Named forRutland, Massachusetts
Shire TownRutland
Largest cityRutland
Area
 • Total945 sq mi (2,450 km2)
 • Land930 sq mi (2,400 km2)
 • Water15 sq mi (40 km2)  1.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total60,572
 • Estimate 
(2022)
60,366 Decrease
 • Density64/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districtAt-large

History
Castleton University is located in Castleton, Vermont within Rutland County

During the Revolutionary War there were a number of forts and roads that went through the area now known as Rutland County. In Castleton there was Fort Warren and a possible fort at Hydeville. In Pittsford there was Fort Vengeance and Fort Mott. And in Rutland there was Fort Ranger. The Hubbardton Military Road was a road built in 1775 for the American Revolution that went through the modern day towns of Benson, Hubbardton and Castleton.[3] The Crown Point Road (which was built in 1759 and used until 1783) goes through the modern day towns of Whiting, Sudbury, Hubbardton, Castleton, Ira, Rutland, Clarendon, Shrewsbury, Wallingford and Mount Holly and extended all the way to Fort at Number 4, Charlestown, New Hampshire.[4]

On February 16, 1781, Rutland County was created from Bennington County.[5] From June 26, 1781, until February 23, 1782, Vermont attempted to annex part of New York east of the Hudson River (the so-called West Union); inhabitants in the area favored Vermont's township form of government, while Vermont hoped to gain bargaining power through expansion.[6] New York did not lose control of the area. For almost seven months Rutland County included part of Charlotte County (now Washington County), New York.[7]

In February 1783 Orange County gained the towns of Brookfield[8] and Randolph[9] and Windsor County gained the towns of Bethel[10] and Rochester[11] from Rutland. On October 18, 1785 Addison County was created from Rutland.[12]

On February 27, 1787, Windsor County gained the town of Stockbridge from Rutland,[13] then on October 31, 1792, Rutland gained from Windsor County when the town of Mount Holly was created from Jackson's Gore and the towns of Ludlow and Wallingford.[14] Windsor County gained Benton's Gore from Rutland on March 2, 1797.[15]

On October 25, 1805, Rutland County gained from Bennington County when the town of Mount Tabor gained from the town of Peru.[16] On October 29, 1806, Windsor County gained from Rutland County when the town of Rochester gained a small area from the town of Pittsfield.[17] On November 15, 1813, the county gained from Windsor County when the town of Pittsfield gained a small area from the town of Stockbridge, a change too small to appear on maps.[18] On November 9, 1814 Addison County gained from Rutland County when the town of Goshen gained from the town of Philadelphia.[19] On October 22, 1822, the county gained from Windsor County when the town of Pittsfield gained a small area from the town of Stockbridge.[20] On November 3, 1823, it gained from Windsor County again when the town of Shrewsbury gained a small area from the town of Plymouth.[21] On November 15, 1824, Windsor County gained from Rutland County when the town of Rochester gained a small area from the town of Pittsfield.[22] On November 17, 1825, Bennington County gained from the county when the town of Dorset gained a small area from the town of Mount Tabor.[23]

On November 7, 1839, the Legislature authorized Addison County to gain a small area from Rutland County when the town of Whiting was to gain from the town of Orwell. But there is no evidence that a change took effect.[24] Addison County gained the town of Orwell from Rutland County on December 1, 1847.[25] On March 6, 1855, Addison County gained another small area from the county when the town of Goshen gained "Clemens Land" from the town of Brandon.[26]

On November 10, 1870, the Legislature authorized Rutland County to gain a small area from Windsor County when the town of Mount Holly was to gain from the town of Weston. But there is no evidence that the change took effect.[27] On April 7, 1880, the county lost to Washington County, New York, when New York gained a small area west of the village of Fair Haven from Vermont due to a change in the course of the Poultney River, a change too small to see on most maps.[28] On November 21, 1884, Windsor County gained a small area from Rutland County when the town of Stockbridge gained Parker's Gore.[29] On October 8, 1895, Windsor County gained from the county when the town of Weston gained from the town of Mount Tabor.[30]

The county experienced the first outbreak of polio in the United States in 1894. Within weeks, 132 persons, mostly children, were paralyzed. An additional 18 had died.[31]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 945 square miles (2,450 km2), of which 930 square miles (2,400 km2) is land and 15 square miles (39 km2) (1.6%) is water.[32] It is the second-largest county in Vermont by area. The primary stream of the county is Otter Creek, which runs through the county from the south to the north.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179015,590—
180023,81352.7%
181029,48623.8%
182029,9831.7%
183031,2944.4%
184030,699−1.9%
185033,0597.7%
186035,9468.7%
187040,65113.1%
188041,8292.9%
189045,3978.5%
190044,209−2.6%
191048,1398.9%
192046,213−4.0%
193048,4534.8%
194045,638−5.8%
195045,9050.6%
196046,7191.8%
197052,63712.7%
198058,34710.8%
199062,1426.5%
200063,4002.0%
201061,642−2.8%
202060,572−1.7%
2022 (est.)60,366[33]−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[34]
1790–1960[35] 1900–1990[36]
1990–2000[37] 2010–2020[1]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 61,642 people, 25,984 households, and 16,018 families residing in the county.[38] The population density was 66.3 inhabitants per square mile (25.6/km2). There were 33,768 housing units at an average density of 36.3 per square mile (14.0/km2).[39] The racial makeup of the county was 97.1% white, 0.6% Asian, 0.5% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population.[38]

Of the 25,984 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.4% were non-families, and 30.2% 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 44.3 years.[38]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,027 and the median income for a family was $58,790. Males had a median income of $40,638 versus $34,580 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,426. About 8.1% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.[40]

Politics

In 1828, Rutland County was won by National Republican Party candidate John Quincy Adams and by Henry Clay in 1832.

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

From John C. Frémont in 1856 to Richard Nixon in 1960, the Republican Party would have a 104-year winning streak in the county.

In 1964, Rutland County was won by Democratic Party incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson, who became the first Democratic presidential candidate to not only win the county, but to win the state of Vermont entirely.

Following the Democrats' victory in 1964, the county went back to voting for Republican candidates for another 20 year winning streak starting with Richard Nixon in 1968 and ending with George H. W. Bush in 1988, who became the last Republican presidential candidate to win the county.

In 1992, the county was won by Bill Clinton and has been won by Democratic candidates ever since. That said, Rutland County has continued to be relatively close in some presidential elections. In 2000, Al Gore carried Rutland County by just 1.6%; in 2004, Kerry carried it by 4.7%; and in 2016, Hillary Clinton carried it by 3.9% (with a substantial 'other' vote in the 2000 and 2016 elections).

Republicans see greater success at a local level in Rutland County. A majority of the county's legislative seats in both the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont Senate are held by Republicans. In nine of the ten past gubernatorial elections, the Republican candidate has won the greatest number of votes in Rutland County. Most recently, incumbent Republican governor Phil Scott won 74 percent of Rutland County's votes in the 2020 Vermont gubernatorial election.

United States presidential election results for Rutland County, Vermont[41][42]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 14,672 43.19% 18,230 53.66% 1,068 3.14%
2016 12,479 42.14% 13,635 46.04% 3,501 11.82%
2012 10,835 37.87% 17,088 59.73% 686 2.40%
2008 11,584 36.64% 19,355 61.22% 678 2.14%
2004 14,440 46.62% 15,904 51.34% 631 2.04%
2000 13,546 46.13% 13,990 47.65% 1,826 6.22%
1996 9,934 36.48% 13,230 48.59% 4,065 14.93%
1992 10,963 35.20% 12,829 41.19% 7,352 23.61%
1988 14,482 55.15% 11,496 43.78% 283 1.08%
1984 15,236 60.98% 9,545 38.20% 204 0.82%
1980 11,142 45.98% 9,596 39.60% 3,496 14.43%
1976 11,565 53.00% 9,868 45.23% 386 1.77%
1972 14,143 62.68% 8,261 36.61% 159 0.70%
1968 10,318 51.26% 9,000 44.72% 809 4.02%
1964 7,165 35.11% 13,241 64.89% 0 0.00%
1960 12,166 56.82% 9,246 43.18% 0 0.00%
1956 14,570 73.83% 5,165 26.17% 0 0.00%
1952 13,980 69.95% 5,970 29.87% 36 0.18%
1948 10,206 60.56% 6,452 38.28% 195 1.16%
1944 9,544 57.30% 7,111 42.70% 0 0.00%
1940 10,829 55.02% 8,798 44.70% 54 0.27%
1936 10,794 52.94% 9,543 46.80% 54 0.26%
1932 10,821 54.24% 8,924 44.73% 206 1.03%
1928 12,621 59.36% 8,609 40.49% 32 0.15%
1924 10,642 74.32% 2,477 17.30% 1,201 8.39%
1920 8,940 73.10% 3,192 26.10% 97 0.79%
1916 5,926 66.35% 2,785 31.18% 221 2.47%
1912 2,999 36.03% 2,079 24.98% 3,246 39.00%
1908 5,643 75.70% 1,542 20.69% 269 3.61%
1904 5,772 77.12% 1,367 18.27% 345 4.61%
1900 5,901 74.66% 1,874 23.71% 129 1.63%
1896 6,794 78.00% 1,661 19.07% 255 2.93%
1892 5,210 66.50% 2,426 30.96% 199 2.54%
1888 6,088 68.57% 2,417 27.22% 373 4.20%
1884 5,096 66.68% 2,253 29.48% 294 3.85%
1880 5,690 69.79% 2,421 29.69% 42 0.52%

Transportation

Air

The Rutland–Southern Vermont Regional Airport is located just south of Rutland city in North Clarendon. It is a commercial airport providing three flights daily to Boston.

Rail

Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak via the Ethan Allen Express which connects Rutland with Burlington and New York City. There are two train stations in Rutland County served by this route: Castleton station and Rutland station.

Bus
"The Bus" in Rutland city

The Marble Valley Regional Transit District provides "The Bus" with service to the city of Rutland and the towns of Rutland, West Rutland, Castleton, Fair Haven, Poultney, Proctor, and Killington, as well as commuter service to Ludlow, Middlebury and Manchester.

Premier Coach's Vermont Translines serves Rutland daily with two intercity bus connections between Burlington, Lebanon, New Hampshire and Albany, New York in a partnership with Greyhound.[43] They also serve Wallingford, Brandon, Mendon and Killington along the two routes.

Highway
  • U.S. Route 4 enters Rutland County in Fair Haven from the west. It continues east as a four-lane expressway for 19 miles to Rutland city with 6 exits serving Fair Haven, Castleton, and Rutland. It then continues east from Rutland through Killington into Windsor County.
  • U.S. Route 7 enters Rutland County from the south in the town of Mount Tabor and continues north through Wallingford and Clarendon to Rutland city. For 10 miles south of Rutland, Route 7 is a divided highway. It then continues north through Pittsford and Brandon before entering Addison County.
  • Vermont Route 3 is a 7.8 north–south highway that extends north from Rutland Center through Proctor and into Pittsford terminating at US Route 7.
  • Vermont Route 4A is the old alignment of US Route 4 and parallels that highway from Fair Haven through Castleton before terminating in West Rutland.
  • Vermont Route 22A is a north–south highway entering the county in Fair Haven from the New York state line and passing through West Haven and Benson before continuing into Addison County.
  • Vermont Route 30 is a north–south highway entering the county in Pawlet from Bennington County and continuing north through Poultney, Castleton, Hubbardton, and Sudbury before continuing into Addison County.
  • Vermont Route 31 is a 5.5 mile highway from the New York state line in Wells to the village of Poultney.
  • Vermont Route 53 is a short north–south highway that extends north from Route 73 in the Brandon village of Forestdale toward Lake Dunmore in Addison County.
  • Vermont Route 73 is an east–west highway extending from the county line with Addison County through Sudbury and Brandon and then returning to Addison County.
  • Vermont Route 100 is a north–south highway entering from Windsor County to the south through Killington and then returning to Windsor County.
  • Vermont Route 103 is a north–south highway entering from Windsor County to the south in Mount Holly and extending north through Wallingford and Clarendon before terminating at Route 7.
  • Vermont Route 133 is a 22-mile north–south highway completely within Rutland County. It extends north from Pawlet through Middletown Springs and Tinmouth before terminating at Vermont 4A in West Rutland.
  • Vermont Route 140 is an east–west highway crossing the county east from Poultney through Middletown Springs, Tinmouth, and Wallingford before terminating at Route 103 in Mount Holly.
  • Vermont Route 144 is a 6.8 mile east–west highway extending from Route 22A in Benson through Hubbardton past Lake Hortonia before terminating at Route 30 in Sudbury.
  • Vermont Route 149 is an east–west highway extending from the New York state line for only 1.3 miles to Vermont 30 in Pawlet.
  • Vermont Route 155 is a north–south highway continuing north from Windsor County in the town of Mount Holly and then terminating in Wallingford at Route 103.

Communities

City

Towns
Main article: List of towns in Vermont

Incorporated village

Census-designated places

Other communities

Education

School districts in the county include:[44]

K-12:

  • Addison Rutland Supervisory District
  • Greater Rutland County Supervisory Union
  • Mill River Unified School District
  • Rutland City School District
  • Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union
  • Two Rivers Supervisory Union
  • Windsor Central Supervisory Union

Elementary:

  • Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union

See also

Footnotes
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. Wheeler, Joseph (1968). The Mount Independence 1776 Military Road (1st ed.). Benson, Vermont: J. L. Wheeler. pp. 94–95.
  4. undefined, undefined. "Crown Point Military Road". Houfy. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  5. Vermont State Papers, 13:5-6.
  6. Vt. State Papers, 13:45-46; Newton, 83-87; Williamson, C., 101-102.
  7. Vt. State Papers, 3, pt. 2: 67-68.
  8. Vt. State Papers, 13:174.
  9. Vt. Laws 1783 in Vt. State Papers, 13: 191.
  10. Vt. State Papers, 3, pt. 2:155.
  11. Vt. State Papers, 13:183.
  12. Vt. State Papers, 14:33-34.
  13. Vt. State Papers, 14:173-175.
  14. Vt. State Papers, 15:88-90.
  15. McCarty, "Evolution," 122-123; Vt. Laws, Revised and Passed 1797, ch. 6/pp. 129-133.
  16. McCarty, "Evolution," 134; Vt. Laws 1805, ch. 15/pp. 19-20.
  17. Vt. Laws 1806, ch. 28/pp. 36-37.
  18. Vt. Laws 1813, ch. 102/p. 144.
  19. Vt. Laws 1814, ch. 96/pp. 111-112.
  20. Vt. Laws 1822, ch. 37/p. 36.
  21. Vt. Laws 1823, ch. 2/pp. 3-4.
  22. Vt. Laws 1824, ch. 14/p. 16.
  23. McCarty, "Evolution," 140; Vt. Laws 1825, no 18/p. 25; Vt. Laws 1832, no. 25/p. 25.
  24. Vt. Laws 1839, no. 37/pp. 87-88.
  25. Vt. Laws 1847, no. 8/p. 7.
  26. Vt. Laws 1854, no. 61, sec. 3/p. 59.
  27. Vt. Laws 1870, no. 292/pp. 572-573.
  28. Vt. Laws 1876, no. 201/p. 380; U.S. Stat., vol. 21, ch. 49 [1880]/p. 72; Van Zandt, 65.
  29. Vt. Laws 1884, no. 262/p. 270.
  30. "Weston v. Mount Tabor."
  31. Dhruv Khullar (September 8, 2020). "It Will Take More Than a Vaccine to Beat COVID-19". New Yorker. New Yorker. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  32. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  33. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  34. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  35. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  36. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  37. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  38. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  39. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  40. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  41. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  42. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 2,927 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 240 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 79 votes.
  43. "VT TRANSLINES BUS SCHEDULE". Vermont Translines. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  44. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Rutland County, VT" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022. - Text list

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