Middlebury, Vermont | |
|---|---|
 Main Street | |
 Seal | |
 Location inAddison County and the state ofVermont | |
| Coordinates:44°0′7″N73°8′44″W / 44.00194°N 73.14556°W /44.00194; -73.14556 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| County | Addison |
| Chartered | 1761 |
| Communities | Middlebury East Middlebury Farmingdale |
| Area | |
• Total | 39.2 sq mi (101.6 km2) |
| • Land | 38.8 sq mi (100.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.39 sq mi (1.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 430 ft (130 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,152 |
| • Density | 235.6/sq mi (90.97/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 05753 |
| Area code | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-44350[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462146[2] |
| Website | www |
Middlebury is theshire town[3] (county seat)[4] ofAddison County, Vermont, United States. As of the2020 census, the population was 9,152.[5] Middlebury is home toMiddlebury College and theHenry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History and the adjacent hardware store.
One of theNew Hampshire Grants, Middlebury was chartered by Colonial GovernorBenning Wentworth on November 2, 1761. The name "Middlebury" came from its location between the towns ofSalisbury andNew Haven.[6] It was awarded to John Evarts and 62 others. TheFrench and Indian Wars ended in 1763; the first settlers arrived in 1766. John Chipman was the first to clear his land, Lot Seven.[7] During theRevolutionary War, much of the town was burned inCarleton's Raid on November 6, 1778. After the war concluded in 1783, settlers returned to rebuild homes, clear forests and establish farms. The principal crops weregrains andhay.
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Landowners vied for the lucrative honor of having the village center grow on their properties. A survey dispute with Salisbury led to the forfeiture of Gamaliel Painter's farm to that town, and his transition from farming to developingMiddlebury Village near his and Abisha Washburn's mill, together with other mills that surrounded theOtter Creek falls. Industries would include acotton factory,sawmill,gristmill,pail factory,paper mill,woolen factory,ironfoundry, andmarblequarry. TheRutland & Burlington Railroad first arrived on September 1, 1849. Around 1830, Middlebury was the second-largest town in Vermont.
Middlebury College, one of the United States' eliteliberal arts colleges, was founded in 1800. It is a member of theNESCAC. In the summer, the town plays host to the annualMiddlebury College Language Schools, as well as the college'sBread Loaf Writers' Conference, the oldest surviving conference of its kind in the nation.
On January 2, 1838, a group ofPatriote refugees from theLower Canada Rebellion met in Middlebury to plan their future course of action. It was attended by two majorPatriote leaders,Louis-Joseph Papineau andRobert Nelson, but they were not able to agree on a unified plan.[8]
On October 22, 2007, central Middlebury was evacuated for a short time because of a trainderailment; the Middlebury Union Middle School served as the evacuation headquarters.
Today, as the largest town by population in Addison County, Middlebury serves as the commercial and business center for the region. Downtown hosts a three-screen movie theater, the post office, and two historic inns, as well as many shops and restaurants. There is considerable development alongU.S. Route 7 heading south of town, including two supermarkets, two drugstores, most of the town's gas stations, and several fast-food spots. Of note is Middlebury'sA&W, Vermont's only remainingcar-hop restaurant and a popular spot with both locals and Middlebury College students.
Middlebury is located near the center of Addison County in western Vermont. The town is drained byOtter Creek, which flows from south to north along the western edge of the town, with the falls at the center of the village. TheMiddlebury River flows west to Otter Creek out of the mountains. Chipman Hill, a hill ofglacial till, rises 450 feet (140 m) above the village just to the northeast. Foothills of theGreen Mountains border the town to the east, with theChamplain Valley to the west.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km2), of which 38.8 square miles (100.6 km2) is land and 0.39 square miles (1.0 km2), or 1.00%, is water.[9]
Middlebury is crossed byU.S. Route 7,Vermont Route 23,Vermont Route 30,Vermont Route 116, andVermont Route 125. It is bordered by the towns ofNew Haven andBristol to the north,Ripton to the east,Cornwall andWeybridge to the west, andSalisbury to the south. A new bridge over Otter Creek connecting Cross Street to Bakery Lane opened in November 2010 to serve as a shortcut and alleviate traffic through downtown.[10] The village ofEast Middlebury is located in the southern part of the town, east of U.S. Route 7.
Thisclimatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Middlebury has ahumid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[11]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 395 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,263 | 219.7% | |
| 1810 | 2,138 | 69.3% | |
| 1820 | 2,535 | 18.6% | |
| 1830 | 3,468 | 36.8% | |
| 1840 | 3,162 | −8.8% | |
| 1850 | 3,517 | 11.2% | |
| 1860 | 2,879 | −18.1% | |
| 1870 | 3,086 | 7.2% | |
| 1880 | 2,993 | −3.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,793 | −6.7% | |
| 1900 | 3,045 | 9.0% | |
| 1910 | 2,848 | −6.5% | |
| 1920 | 2,914 | 2.3% | |
| 1930 | 2,968 | 1.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,175 | 7.0% | |
| 1950 | 4,778 | 50.5% | |
| 1960 | 5,305 | 11.0% | |
| 1970 | 6,532 | 23.1% | |
| 1980 | 7,574 | 16.0% | |
| 1990 | 8,034 | 6.1% | |
| 2000 | 8,183 | 1.9% | |
| 2010 | 8,496 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 9,152 | 7.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
As of thecensus[1] of 2010, there were 8,494 people, 2,860 households, and 1,642 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 209.7 people per square mile (80.9/km2). There were 2,805 housing units at an average density of 71.9 per square mile (27.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.3%White, 4.3%Asian, 3.0%Hispanic orLatino of any race, 3.0% from two or more races, 1.3%Black orAfrican American, 0.66% fromother races, 0.2%Native American and 0.02%Pacific Islander.[13]
There were 2,657 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were couples living together and joined in eithermarriage orcivil union, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 18.6% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,723, and the median income for a family was $46,691. Males had a median income of $32,645 versus $25,994 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $17,926. About 5.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those aged 65 or over.
Middlebury and the surrounding area are served byPorter Medical Center.[19]
Middlebury State Airport, located east of the town, is for private aviation.
Bus service is provided byTri-Valley Transit. Premier Coach provides an intercity bus line in a joint venture effort withGreyhound via Vermont Translines.[20][21]
Amtrak'sEthan Allen Express serves the town'sstation, connecting it to Burlington to the north and New York City to the south. Service began in the town in July 2022.[22]
Until 1953, theRutland Railroad ran passenger service on theGreen Mountain Flyer (New York City - Montreal) and the overnightMount Royal, making stops in the city.[23]
Municipalities and communities ofAddison County, Vermont,United States | ||
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Montpelier (capital) | |
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