Rutland County, Vermont | |
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 Location within the U.S. state ofVermont | |
| Coordinates:43°34′48″N73°02′12″W / 43.58009°N 73.03661°W /43.58009; -73.03661 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Vermont |
| Founded | 1781 |
| Named after | Rutland, Massachusetts |
| Shire Town | Rutland |
| Largest city | Rutland |
| Area | |
• Total | 945 sq mi (2,450 km2) |
| • Land | 930 sq mi (2,400 km2) |
| • Water | 15 sq mi (39 km2) 1.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 60,572 |
• Estimate (2024) | 60,198 |
| • Density | 65/sq mi (25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
Rutland County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofVermont. As of the2020 census, the population was 60,572,[1] making it the second-most populous county in Vermont. Itscounty seat and most populous municipality is the city ofRutland.[2]
During the Revolutionary War there were a number of forts and roads that went through the area now known as Rutland County. InCastleton there wasFort Warren and a possible fort at Hydeville. InPittsford there wasFort Vengeance andFort Mott. And in Rutland there wasFort Ranger. TheHubbardton Military Road was a road built in 1775 for the American Revolution that went through the modern day towns ofBenson,Hubbardton andCastleton.[3] TheCrown Point Road (which was built in 1759 and used until 1783) goes through the modern day towns ofWhiting,Sudbury,Hubbardton,Castleton,Ira,Rutland,Clarendon,Shrewsbury,Wallingford andMount Holly and extended all the way toFort at Number 4,Charlestown,New Hampshire.[4]
On February 16, 1781, Rutland County was created fromBennington 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 (nowWashington County), New York.[7]
In February 1783Orange County gained the towns ofBrookfield[8] andRandolph[9] andWindsor County gained the towns ofBethel[10] andRochester[11] from Rutland. On October 18, 1785,Addison County was created from Rutland.[12]
On February 27, 1787, Windsor County gained the town ofStockbridge from Rutland,[13] then on October 31, 1792, Rutland gained from Windsor County when the town ofMount Holly was created from Jackson's Gore and the towns ofLudlow andWallingford.[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 ofMount Tabor gained from the town ofPeru.[16] On October 29, 1806, Windsor County gained from Rutland County when the town ofRochester gained a small area from the town ofPittsfield.[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, 1814Addison County gained from Rutland County when the town ofGoshen 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 ofShrewsbury gained a small area from the town ofPlymouth.[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 ofDorset 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 ofWhiting was to gain from the town ofOrwell. However, 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 ofBrandon.[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 ofWeston. 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 ofFair Haven from Vermont due to a change in the course of thePoultney 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 firstoutbreak ofpolio in the United States in 1894. Within weeks, 132 persons, mostly children, were paralyzed. An additional 18 had died.[31]
According to theUnited 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 isOtter Creek, which runs through the county from the south to the north.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 15,590 | — | |
| 1800 | 23,813 | 52.7% | |
| 1810 | 29,486 | 23.8% | |
| 1820 | 29,983 | 1.7% | |
| 1830 | 31,294 | 4.4% | |
| 1840 | 30,699 | −1.9% | |
| 1850 | 33,059 | 7.7% | |
| 1860 | 35,946 | 8.7% | |
| 1870 | 40,651 | 13.1% | |
| 1880 | 41,829 | 2.9% | |
| 1890 | 45,397 | 8.5% | |
| 1900 | 44,209 | −2.6% | |
| 1910 | 48,139 | 8.9% | |
| 1920 | 46,213 | −4.0% | |
| 1930 | 48,453 | 4.8% | |
| 1940 | 45,638 | −5.8% | |
| 1950 | 45,905 | 0.6% | |
| 1960 | 46,719 | 1.8% | |
| 1970 | 52,637 | 12.7% | |
| 1980 | 58,347 | 10.8% | |
| 1990 | 62,142 | 6.5% | |
| 2000 | 63,400 | 2.0% | |
| 2010 | 61,642 | −2.8% | |
| 2020 | 60,572 | −1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[33] 1790–1960[34] 1900–1990[35] 1990–2000[36] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 60,572. Of the residents, 17.4% were under the age of 18 and 23.6% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 48.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males.[37][38]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.5% White, 0.9%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Asian, 0.6% from some other race, and 6.0% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.0% of the population.[38]
There were 26,651 households in the county, of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[37]
There were 33,869 housing units, of which 21.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 70.1% were owner-occupied and 29.9% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.[37]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[39] | Pop 2010[40] | Pop 2020[41] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 61,913 | 59,369 | 55,092 | 97.65% | 96.31% | 90.95% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 194 | 315 | 493 | 0.30% | 0.51% | 0.81% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 133 | 135 | 146 | 0.20% | 0.21% | 0.24% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 241 | 370 | 458 | 0.38% | 0.60% | 0.75% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 15 | 9 | 14 | 0.02% | 0.01% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 25 | 29 | 171 | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.28% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 437 | 734 | 2,973 | 0.68% | 1.19% | 4.90% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 442 | 705 | 1,225 | 0.69% | 1.14% | 2.02% |
| Total | 63,400 | 61,642 | 60,572 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 61,642 people, 25,984 households, and 16,018 families residing in the county.[42] 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).[43] 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.[42]
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.[42]
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 thepoverty line, including 15.2% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.[44]
In1828, Rutland County was won byNational Republican Party candidateJohn Quincy Adams and byHenry Clay in1832.
FromWilliam Henry Harrison in1836 toWinfield Scott in1852, the county would be won byWhig Party candidates.
FromJohn C. Frémont in1856 toRichard Nixon in1960, theRepublican Party would have a 104-year winning streak in the county.
In1964, Rutland County was won byDemocratic Party incumbent PresidentLyndon 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 in1968 and ending withGeorge H. W. Bush in1988, who became the last Republican presidential candidate to win the county.
In1992, the county was won byBill 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 theVermont House of Representatives andVermont 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 governorPhil Scott won 80 percent of Rutland County's votes in the2024 Vermont gubernatorial election.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 15,586 | 45.70% | 17,375 | 50.95% | 1,141 | 3.35% |
| 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% |
TheRutland–Southern Vermont Regional Airport is located just south of Rutland city in North Clarendon. It is a commercial airport providing three flights daily toBoston.
Passenger rail service is provided by Amtrak via theEthan Allen Express which connects Rutland withBurlington andNew York City. There are two train stations in Rutland County served by this route:Castleton station andRutland station.
TheMarble 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 toLudlow,Middlebury andManchester.
Premier Coach'sVermont Translines serves Rutland daily with two intercity bus connections between Burlington, Lebanon, New Hampshire and Albany, New York in a partnership with Greyhound.[47] They also serve Wallingford, Brandon, Mendon and Killington along the two routes.
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 intoWindsor 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 enteringAddison 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 fromBennington 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 towardLake 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.School districts in the county include:[48]
K-12:
Elementary:
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Municipalities and communities ofRutland County, Vermont,United States | ||
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43°34′48″N73°02′12″W / 43.58009°N 73.03661°W /43.58009; -73.03661
