Essex Junction is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 10,590. It was incorporated as a village on November 15, 1892. Essex Junction became Vermont's 10th city on July 1, 2022.

The city is part of the Essex Westford Unified Union School District which operates K-12 schools including Essex High School. The city is surrounded on three sides by the Town of Essex ("Essex Town").

Essex Junction is home to GlobalFoundries' Burlington Design Center and 200 mm wafer fabrication plant. GlobalFoundries is the largest private employer in the state of Vermont, with approximately 3,000 employees.

History

IBM (now GlobalFoundries), opened a data processing facility here in 1958, employing 500. In 1969, the plant expanded to . In 1982, employment reached an all-time high of 8,000. In 2007, the value of the plant was $104 million.<!---greatly affecting tax rates BTW. Needs a separate footnote---> The plant's workforce was slightly over 5,000 in 2011, and in 2015, GlobalFoundries employed about 3,000 employees.

In 2003, as a result of the nationally publicized suicide of an Essex Junction teenager, Vermont and other states passed legislation against cyberbullying.

On November 2, 2021, voters in the village of Essex Junction voted overwhelmingly to separate from the town of Essex, citing an unfair tax burden. The vote was 3,070-411 in favor of separation.

Geography

Essex Junction is located southwest of Essex and is bordered on the south by the Winooski River. The city is east of downtown Burlington via Vermont Route 15. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.72%, is water.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Essex Junction has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the census

Arts and culture

The Champlain Valley Exposition is a former dirt racetrack that has been re-purposed as an event field, with stadium seating for concerts and indoor events.

The 10-day Champlain Valley Fair is the state's largest fair, and features agricultural exhibits and events, vendors, a carnival, and entertainment.

Education

The Essex Westford School District was consolidated in 2017. The district includes and funds schools in Essex Junction, Essex Town, and Westford. Schools in Essex Junction include:<!---most likely the school district has bounds that are outside of the village, but this is close enough for this article IMO--->

  • Essex High School
  • Thomas Fleming School (4–5)
  • Albert D. Lawton School (6–9)
  • Hiawatha School(K-3)
  • Center for Technology Essex

Infrastructure

Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service via its station in Essex Junction, one of two rail stations in Chittenden County. The Vermonter train runs daily from St. Albans in northern Vermont to Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C.; passing through Essex Junction. It was formerly called the Montrealer; its terminus being at Central Station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Essex Junction was the nearest Amtrak station to Burlington until the Ethan Allen Express was extended to serve Burlington directly on July 29, 2022.

Notable people

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  • Guy W. Bailey, Secretary of State of Vermont and University of Vermont president
  • Season Hubley, actress
  • Dewey H. Perry, U.S. Marshal for Vermont
  • Loung Ung, author
  • Brian Wood, comic book author and screenwriter

References

  • City of Essex Junction official website