Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: maps from 1891 on and the census since 1790.
The Chittenden post office opened in 1841, the earliest record of the town by name. Another post office, Holden (1892), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chittenden is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
Vermont towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Vermont town has 147 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Chittenden’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (5% of Vermont towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chittenden’s history is told.
Lost two-thirds of its people between 1880 and 1930, then grew 3-fold.
24 censuses, 1790–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chittenden’s Wikipedia page.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chittenden. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chittenden.
From Wikipedia’s history of Chittenden.
Chittenden was named after Thomas Chittenden, one of the Green Mountain Boys and governor of both the independent Vermont Republic, and later, the state of Vermont. Chittenden and his son Noah were among the town's principal land grantees, although the governor may have never visited the area.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Chittenden, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Chittenden 4th of April, 1787, at a Meeting of the proprietors of the Township of Chittenden met at the House of Mr. Jonathan Dike according to an adjournment made Sept. 19th, 1786, to the day of this date at 10 o'clock A. M. opened and firstly voted that as Mr. Green had his House burnt and Mr. John Cowe the surveyor that hud a con-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Chittenden, Sept, 19th, 1786, At a meeting of the proprietors of the Township of Chittenden, met at the House of Mr. Jonathan Dike according to an adjournment made on _'l of May, 1766, to this date at 10 o'clock, A. M.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
General Assembly, October 31, 1845, '"'d amended and altered, November 15, 1847, giving a right to build a railroad " from some point in Highgate, on the Canada line, thence through the village of St. Albans, to some point or points in Chittenden county, most convenient for meeting, at the village of Burlington, a railroad to be built on the route described in the acts to incorporate the Champlain and Connecticut River Railroad Company, and the Vermont Central Railroad Company." The route decided upon was from Rouse's Point to Burlington, a distance of fifty-three miles, passing through the towns of Col-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
From 1778 to 1835 inclusive, the executive branch of the State government consisted of the Governor and Council. In the latter year the State Senate was instituted and the Council discontinued. The following citizens of Chittenden county have been governors of Vermont: Thomas Chittenden from 1778 to 1796 inclusive, excepting the year 1789, when, there being no choice, Moses Robinson was elected by the Legislature; Martin Chittenden, 1813 and 1814; Cornelius P. Van Ness, 1823 to 1825 inclusive; Asahel Peck, 1874 to 1876 inclusive; John L. Barstow, 1882 to 1884 inclusive.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological SurveyChittenden’s post office has been open since 1841. Another post office, Holden, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
The Chittenden post office opened in 1841, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).
Chittenden is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
11% of Chittenden’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 22% for a Vermont town; the median home was built in 1980.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (8), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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