Chittenden

Chittenden, county, northwestern Vermont, U.S. It lies between Lake Champlain (constituting the border with New York state) to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. The terrain is characterized by lowlands in the west, including a few islands and bay inlets in Lake Champlain, and mountains in the east, most prominently Mount Mansfield (4,393 feet [1,339 metres]), Vermont’s highest mountain. The county is bisected east-west by the Winooski River. Other waterways are the Lamoille, Browns, Huntington, and La Platte rivers, as well as Shelburne Pond, Lake Iroquois, and Arrowhead Mountain Lake. Forests consist of hardwoods and white pine. Parklands include Mount Philo and Underhill state parks and Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield state forests.

The county, created in 1787, was named for Thomas Chittenden, the first governor of Vermont. It is the state’s most populous county, and Burlington, the county seat, is the state’s most populous city. Burlington developed as a commercial port, a railroad centre, and the home of the University of Vermont (founded 1791). Notable residents included Ethan Allen, leader of the Green Mountain Boys during the U.S. War of Independence, and philosopher John Dewey. Located near Shelburne are Shelburne Farms, a large 19th-century estate, and the Shelburne Museum (opened 1947), known for its collection of American folk art. Other communities are South Burlington, Winooski, and Essex.

The main economic activities are the manufacture of computers and firearms, tourism, and dairy farming. Area 539 square miles (1,396 square km). Pop. (2000) 146,571; (2010) 156,545.