County outline
Where Chittenden County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 86.5% of Chittenden County’s measured area and water for 13.5%. Its combined area converts to 1,607.5 square kilometers or approximately 397,224 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 536.87 | 1,390.487 | 343,596.8 |
| Water | 83.792 | 217.02 | 53,626.9 |
| Total | 620.662 | 1,607.507 | 397,223.7 |
How Chittenden County compares
By original Census land area, Chittenden County ranks #12 of 14 in Vermont and #1946 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.789 times the Vermont county-equivalent median of 680.6 square miles. It accounts for 5.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Vermont ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Chittenden County
The Census Bureau estimates that 169,115 people lived in Chittenden County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #421 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #1 of 14 in Vermont. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 168,324, the population has grown by 791 (+0.5%), compared with +0.2% for Vermont as a whole.
With 536.9 square miles of land, that is 315 people per square mile (122 per km²), placing Chittenden County #491 nationally for density and #1 in Vermont. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Vermont median is 57. Put another way, there are about 2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 168,412 | 169,370 | 169,727 | 169,533 | 169,667 | 169,115 |
| Change | — | +958 | +357 | −194 | +134 | −552 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Chittenden County
Chittenden County is divided into 19 cities and towns. In Vermont, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents; a few are unorganized areas without their own government.
The most populous is Burlington city, with 44,019 residents (26% of the county). The largest by land is Milton town, at 51.6 mi², or 9.6% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, South Burlington city grew fastest since then (+5.8%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington cityCounty seat | 44,019 | −1.6% | 10.3 | 1.9% |
| South Burlington city | 21,394 | +5.8% | 16.4 | 3.1% |
| Colchester town | 17,565 | +0.3% | 36.3 | 6.8% |
| Essex town | 11,346 | −1.2% | 34.3 | 6.4% |
| Essex Junction city | 10,921 | +3% | 4.569 | 0.9% |
| Milton town | 10,646 | −0.8% | 51.6 | 9.6% |
| Williston town | 9,975 | −1.4% | 30.5 | 5.7% |
| Winooski city | 8,239 | +2.9% | 1.381 | 0.3% |
| Shelburne town | 8,133 | +4.7% | 24.3 | 4.5% |
| Jericho town | 5,056 | −0.9% | 35.5 | 6.6% |
| Hinesburg town | 4,675 | −0.5% | 39.3 | 7.3% |
| Richmond town | 4,103 | −1.4% | 32.4 | 6% |
| Charlotte town | 3,846 | −1.9% | 41.3 | 7.7% |
| Underhill town | 3,071 | −2.3% | 51.2 | 9.5% |
| Westford town | 2,072 | +0.1% | 38.9 | 7.2% |
Show the other 4 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington town | 1,931 | +0.2% | 38.2 |
| Bolton town | 1,277 | −1.3% | 41.8 |
| St. George town | 819 | +3.5% | 3.67 |
| Buels gore | 27 | −6.9% | 4.998 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Chittenden County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Chittenden County is a central county of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 227,803 residents on 1,249.6 square miles of land; Chittenden County accounts for 43% of the land and 74.2% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #250 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #216 by population. It belongs to the Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Chittenden County | 169,115 | 536.9 |
| Franklin County | 51,177 | 631 |
| Grand Isle County | 7,511 | 81.8 |
ZIP codes
21 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chittenden County; 18 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
054010540305404054050540805439054440544505446054520546105462054650546805477054820548705489054940549505676
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Chittenden County
Chittenden County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents, including 2 in New York. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Essex County (1,794.1 mi²) and the smallest is Grand Isle County (81.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Chittenden County forms a block of 5,996.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 9%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Chittenden | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex CountyNew York | 1,794.1 | 3.3× larger | Compare |
| Clinton CountyNew York | 1,037.8 | 1.9× larger | Compare |
| Addison County | 766.3 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Washington County | 687.1 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Franklin County | 631 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Lamoille County | 461.3 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Grand Isle County | 81.8 | 6.6× smaller | Compare |
How big is Chittenden County compared with U.S. states?
Chittenden County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Vermont’s county land could hold about 17 areas the size of Chittenden County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.2 miles (37.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Chittenden County?
Chittenden County has more land than 1,276 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Chittenden County at #1,673 nationally by total area, 273 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 13.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 12.3 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Chittenden County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1945 | Harmon County, Oklahoma | 537.3 | Compare |
| #1946 | Chittenden County, Vermont | 536.9 | This county |
| #1947 | Lincoln County, Minnesota | 536.8 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 44.464859, -73.069943. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,390,485,616 m²; AWATER: 217,019,156 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Chittenden County?
Chittenden County, Vermont has 536.9 square miles (1,390.5 km²) of land and 83.8 square miles of water, for a total area of 620.7 square miles. It ranks #1946 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Chittenden County the largest county in Vermont?
No. Chittenden County ranks #12 of 14 in Vermont by land area. The largest is Windsor County, with 969.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Chittenden County?
Chittenden County shares a land border with Addison County, Washington County, Essex County, New York, Franklin County, Grand Isle County, Lamoille County, and Clinton County, New York.
What is the population of Chittenden County?
The Census Bureau estimates Chittenden County had 169,115 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #421 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 315 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Chittenden County?
The county seat of Chittenden County is Burlington.
What cities and towns are in Chittenden County?
Chittenden County has 19 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Burlington city, South Burlington city, Colchester town, Essex town, and Essex Junction city.
Is Chittenden County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 227,803 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Chittenden County?
21 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Chittenden County, and 18 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Chittenden County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Chittenden County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 343,597 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 397,224 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.