Montpelier, Vermont

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The Vermont State House, Vermont's third on this site was built in 1859

Montpelier, VT

Flag

Seal

Location

Coordinates: (city proper)) 44°15′59″N, 72°34′18.98″W

Government

Country
State
County

United States
Vermont
Washington County

Mayor

Mary Hooper

Geographical characteristics

Area

City

10.3 mi² / 26.6 km²

Land

10.2 mi² / 26.5 km²

Water

0.1 mi² / 0.1 km²

Elevation

182 m (600 ft)

Demographics

Population

City (2000)

8,035 (city proper)

Density

302.7/km²

Time zone
Summer (DST)

EST (UTC-5)
EDT (UTC-4)

Website: www.montpelier-vt.org

Montpelier is the capital of the U.S. state of Vermont and the county seat of Washington County. Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, visible from the outskirts of town, which is located on State Street on the west side of downtown. The Winooski River, known locally as the "Onion River," flows along the south edge of downtown and is fed by several smaller tributaries that cut through residential districts.

Along with Barre, the city forms a small micropolitan area in the center of the state, together they are known as the "twin cities". As of the 2000 Census, it was the least-populous state capital in the United States, with a population of 8,035. It is home to the New England Culinary Institute, the annual Green Mountain Film Festival and the headquarters of several insurance companies. It is the only state capital without a McDonald's franchise, and it has the last remaining clothespin manufacturer in the United States. The majority of businesses in the downtown area are locally owned, including numerous bookstores and restaurants. The only national restaurant chains in downtown are Subway, Quiznos and the locally based Ben & Jerry's. Processing granite, mainly from the quarries in nearby Barre, was once a major part of the city's economy and continues to some degree; timber was a major industry in the region in the nineteenth century.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Transportation
5 Notable residents
6 References
7 External links

[edit] History

Montpelier was chartered by the Vermont General Assembly on August 14, 1781.^[1] Since Colonel Jacob Davis named Calais for the French port city of the same name, it is likely that he named Montpelier for the French town of Montpellier, for there was a general enthusiasm for things French as a result of France's aid during the American Revolution.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Geography

Montpelier is located at 44°15′00″N, 72°34′00″W (44.25, -72.56667)^GR1. The city center is a flat clay zone (elevation ~520'), surrounded by hills and granite ledges. Town Hill runs in a 2-mile ridge (~900') along the northern edge of the city.

The clay city center is kept stable by use of canals and dams for controlling seasonal river flows. As a result of this and the paved roads in the downtown area, the center of Montpelier does not experience the brunt of mud season each spring.

Montpelier is subject to periodic flooding in the flat city center with two major floods occurring in 1927 and 1992.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.6 km² (10.3 mi²). 26.5 km² (10.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.10% is water.

[edit] Demographics

Montpelier's downtown with coffee-shops and bookshops.

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 8,035 people, 3,739 households, and 1,940 families residing in the city. The population density was 302.7/km² (784.0/mi²). There were 3,899 housing units at an average density of 146.9/km² (380.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.55% White, 0.65% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.39% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,739 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 years living with them, 38.5% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.1% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,513, and the median income for a family was $51,818. Males had a median income of $35,957 versus $29,442 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,599. About 7.2% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Transportation

See also: Montpelier (Amtrak station)

Amtrak, the national rail passenger system, provides daily service to Montpelier and Barre, operating the Vermonter between St. Albans, Vermont and Washington, D.C. Vermont Transit, a Greyhound Lines subsidiary, runs buses regularly through Montpelier. The Green Mountain Transit Authority (GMTA) operates a local bus network throughout the micropolitan area, with stops in Montpelier and Barre, including nearby Waterbury, the Vermont State House, Ben & Jerry's factory (a leading tourist attraction in Vermont), and the local Berlin Mall. GMTA and its sister bus company in Burlington, the Chittenden Country Transit Authority, operate a series of LINK commuter buses with stops in Montpelier, Northfield, Burlington and Waterbury. A few small taxi companies serve the area.

Bicycling is a viable means of transportation in the summer months; most roads have courteous drivers and light traffic, permitting bicycling by adults, or children who have been trained in bicycle safety. Montpelier has three useful bicycle path segments: from downtown Main St., heading east along Stone Cutters Way, a bicycle path extends approximately one mile along the Winooski River. From downtown, heading west from Bailey Avenue, a bicycle path extends a couple miles along the river. From Cumming St., heading north, a short bicycle path links downtown Montpelier to North Branch Park.

Within downtown Montpelier, walking is convenient year round; sidewalks, crosswalks and courteous drivers make for a walkable district.

[edit] Notable residents

Winooski River, Montpelier

Frederick W. Adams, noted physician and author.^[2]
George Dewey, admiral of the US Navy
William Charles Fitzgerald
Frank Miller, comic book writer and artist
Arthur E. Scott, U.S. Senate's first photo-historian
John Thurston, U.S. Senator for Nebraska
Samuel C. Upham, journalist

[edit] References

^ History. The Montpelier Master Plan Task Force, Department of Planning and Development (March 1997).. City of Montpelier, Vermont (2004-03-06). Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
^ (1963) Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Montpelier (Vermont)

Montpelier Vermont official city website
Green Mountain Film Festival official website
Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 44.26639° -72.57194°
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA

	State of Vermont Montpelier (capital)
Topics	Constitution \| Culture \| Geography \| Government \| History \| Images \| Towns \| Villages in Vermont
Regions	Champlain Valley \| Green Mountains \| Mount Mansfield \| Northeast Kingdom
Counties	Addison \| Bennington \| Caledonia \| Chittenden \| Essex \| Franklin \| Grand Isle \| Lamoille \| Orange \| Orleans \| Rutland \| Washington \| Windham \| Windsor
Cities	Barre \| Burlington \| Montpelier \| Newport \| Rutland \| South Burlington \| St. Albans \| Vergennes \| Winooski