Peru is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 531 at the 2020 census. Originally known as Bromley, the town name was changed to "Peru" by the land grantees as a way of attracting land buyers to an area that had been described as of "trees, bears and mountain lions".
History
The town was chartered with the name Bromley in 1761 by Benning Wentworth, governor of the Province of New Hampshire. The first white settlement is said to have been in 1773, by William Barlow of Woodstock, Connecticut. The town of Bromley was organized at a town meeting in March 1802. As of the autumn of 1802 there were 14 families living in the town. Vermont Route 11 crosses the southeastern part of the town, through the town center and past Bromley Mountain Ski Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.32%, is water.
Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Peru has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
Demographics
As of the census