Winooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located on the Winooski River, as of the 2020 U.S. census the municipal population was 7,997. The city is the most densely populated municipality in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is the smallest of Vermont's 10 cities by area, though the city of Vergennes has the smallest population. As part of the Burlington metropolitan area, Vermont, it is bordered by Burlington, Colchester, and South Burlington.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.5&nbsp;square miles (3.9&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 0.1&nbsp;sq mi (0.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) (5.30%) is covered by water.

Etymology

As early as 750 CE, the Abenaki tribe lived along the shores of a cascading waterfall in a fertile river valley they called Winoskitegw, meaning “land of the wild onion". Winooski's southern border is formed by the Winooski River, which is alternatively known as the Onion River.

Colonial

Situated on a main road, Winooski most likely started as a rest stop for travelers. With a set of waterfalls to assist the growth of industry, however, it soon also became a center for wool processing.

In 1846, James and Lucinda Stone from Winooski settled in Sheboygan County in the Wisconsin Territory and named their new settlement Winooski, Wisconsin.

Modern times

275px|thumb|left|alt=black and white photo of textile mill along river in Winooski, Vermont|Textile mill in Winooski, 1937

The American Woolen Company purchased the failing Burlington Mills in 1901, restoring a measure of economic growth to the area. This success eventually led Winooski to incorporate as a city in 1922, breaking away from the town of Colchester.

The mills closed in 1954, resulting in two decades of economic problems for the city. Though the dome was never built, in 2009 the city's planner defended the concept, insisting, "Economically, it's a slam dunk," and adding, "You could have had year-round fly-fishing."

In 2008, the city dismissed their city manager of 11 months, while he was still an at-will employee. His contract had been scheduled for three years.

Government

The mayor of the city is Kristine Lott, who is the first elected female mayor in Winooski's history.

{| class="wikitable"

! Position !! Name !! Party !! First elected

|-

| Mayor || Thomas Renner || |Democratic || 2025 (appointed)

|-

| Deputy Mayor || None ||

|-

| Manager || Elaine Wang || |Independent || 2021 (appointed)

|-

|rowspan=4|Councillor || Bryn Oakleaf || |Democratic || 2021

|-

|Aurora Hurd || |Democratic || 2022

|-

|Charles Judge || |Democratic || 2023

|}

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Winooski had a population of 7,997. The median age was 33.1 years, 15.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 11.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older, for every 100 females there were 99.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.2 males age 18 and over.

There were 3,844 households in Winooski, of which 17.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 25.7% were married-couple households, 28.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 41.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 5,711 || 71.4%

|-

| Black or African American || 730 || 9.1%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 41 || 0.5%

|-

| Asian || 902 || 11.3%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 4 || 0.1%

|-

| Some other race || 77 || 1.0%

|-

| Two or more races || 532 || 6.7%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 247 || 3.1%

|}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 7,267 people and 3,252 households were residing in the city. The population density was 5,191 people per square mile (1,964.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The 3,393 housing units had an average density of 2,107.5 per square mile (814.1/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 82.5% White (81.5% non-Hispanic White alone), 6.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 6.2% Asian, 0.58% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.2% of the population. About 36% of the population are of French and French-Canadian ancestry, 13% are Irish, 8% are English, and 5% each are Italian or German.

Of the 3,252 households, 24.2% had children under 18 living with them, 34.4% were couples living together and either married or in a civil union, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.2% were not families. About 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 older. The average household size was 2.21, and the average family size was 2.98; 14.4% of the city's total population was born outside of the United States. -->

Transportation

Bus service is provided by Green Mountain Transit.

The city is served by Interstate 89, and US Routes 2 and 7.

Notable people

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  • Jan Backus, a former Vermont state senator, lives in Winooski.
  • Peter Clavelle, former mayor of Burlington, was born in Winooski.
  • David E. Demag, US Marshal for Vermont, raised and educated in Winooski

<gallery widths="250px" heights="160px" class="center">

File:WinooskiFalls.JPG|Mill and falls in Winooski

File:Winooski United Methodist Church Feb 11.jpg|Methodist Episcopal Church of Winooski

File:StFrancisXavierChurchOblique 20160917 2.jpg|St. Francis Xavier Church on St. Peter Street

File:Winooski_Falls_bus_stop_on.a_clear_winter_day.jpg|Winooski Falls bus stop on a clear winter day

</gallery>

References

  • Official city website