County outline
Where Washington County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.8% of Washington County’s measured area and water for 1.2%. Its combined area converts to 1,801 square kilometers or approximately 445,036 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 687.06 | 1,779.477 | 439,718.4 |
| Water | 8.308 | 21.518 | 5,317.1 |
| Total | 695.368 | 1,800.995 | 445,035.5 |
How Washington County compares
By original Census land area, Washington County ranks #6 of 14 in Vermont and #1364 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.009 times the Vermont county-equivalent median of 680.6 square miles. It accounts for 7.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Vermont ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Washington County
The Census Bureau estimates that 59,652 people lived in Washington County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #906 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #3 of 14 in Vermont. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 59,807, the population has declined by 155 (−0.3%), compared with +0.2% for Vermont as a whole.
With 687.1 square miles of land, that is 87 people per square mile (34 per km²), placing Washington County #1,098 nationally for density and #3 in Vermont. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Vermont median is 57. Put another way, there are about 7.4 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 59,766 | 60,045 | 60,145 | 60,241 | 59,821 | 59,652 |
| Change | — | +279 | +100 | +96 | −420 | −169 |
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 Washington County
Washington County is divided into 20 cities and towns. In Vermont, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Barre city, with 8,214 residents (13.8% of the county). The largest by land is Waterbury town, at 48.2 mi², or 7% of the county’s land. The county seat, Montpelier city, has 7,823 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Middlesex town grew fastest since then (+3.3%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barre city | 8,214 | −3.1% | 3.987 | 0.6% |
| Barre town | 8,001 | +0.9% | 30.6 | 4.4% |
| Montpelier cityCounty seat | 7,823 | −3.1% | 10.1 | 1.5% |
| Northfield town | 5,873 | −0.6% | 44.6 | 6.5% |
| Waterbury town | 5,434 | +2% | 48.2 | 7% |
| Berlin town | 2,948 | +2.9% | 36 | 5.2% |
| East Montpelier town | 2,594 | −0.2% | 31.7 | 4.6% |
| Warren town | 1,965 | −0.6% | 40.1 | 5.8% |
| Waitsfield town | 1,887 | +2.6% | 25.7 | 3.7% |
| Middlesex town | 1,842 | +3.3% | 39.5 | 5.7% |
| Moretown town | 1,757 | 0% | 39.7 | 5.8% |
| Calais town | 1,661 | −0.1% | 37.9 | 5.5% |
| Marshfield town | 1,567 | −0.8% | 43.3 | 6.3% |
| Cabot town | 1,470 | +1.9% | 37.1 | 5.4% |
| Duxbury town | 1,444 | +2.7% | 43 | 6.3% |
Show the other 5 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayston town | 1,400 | +2.6% | 36.5 |
| Plainfield town | 1,218 | −1.4% | 21 |
| Worcester town | 951 | −1.5% | 38.6 |
| Woodbury town | 929 | +0.1% | 37.7 |
| Roxbury town | 674 | −1.3% | 41.7 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Washington County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Washington County is a central county of the Barre, VT Micropolitan Statistical Area. Washington County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 687.1 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #313 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #167 by population. It belongs to the Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
28 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Washington County; 22 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
05060056020564005641056470564805649056500565105654056580566005663056640566605667056690567005673056740567605677056780568005681056820584305873
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 Washington County
Washington County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 4 of them. The largest neighbor is Addison County (766.3 mi²) and the smallest is Lamoille County (461.3 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Washington County forms a block of 3,787.7 mi² of land, of which it holds 18.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Washington | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addison County | 766.3 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Orange County | 687 | about the same | Compare |
| Caledonia County | 649.2 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Chittenden County | 536.9 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
| Lamoille County | 461.3 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Washington County compared with U.S. states?
Washington County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.5 times as much. Vermont’s county land could hold about 13 areas the size of Washington County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 26.2 miles (42.2 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 Washington County?
Washington County has more land than 1,858 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 Washington County at #1,453 nationally by total area, 89 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1.2%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2%. The two percentages are within 0.1 percentage points of each other. 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 Washington County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1363 | Codington County, South Dakota | 687.6 | Compare |
| #1364 | Washington County, Vermont | 687.1 | This county |
| #1365 | Orange County, Vermont | 687 | 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 44.288582, -72.629292. 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: 1,779,478,075 m²; AWATER: 21,516,903 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 Washington County?
Washington County, Vermont has 687.1 square miles (1,779.5 km²) of land and 8.308 square miles of water, for a total area of 695.4 square miles. It ranks #1364 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Washington County the largest county in Vermont?
No. Washington County ranks #6 of 14 in Vermont by land area. The largest is Windsor County, with 969.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Washington County?
Washington County shares a land border with Caledonia County, Orange County, Lamoille County, Chittenden County, and Addison County.
What is the population of Washington County?
The Census Bureau estimates Washington County had 59,652 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #906 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 87 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Washington County?
The county seat of Washington County is Montpelier.
What cities and towns are in Washington County?
Washington County has 20 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Barre city, Barre town, Montpelier city, Northfield town, and Waterbury town.
Is Washington County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Barre, VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Washington County?
28 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Washington County, and 22 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Washington County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.5 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Washington County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 439,718 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 445,036 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.