Caledonia

Formed November 5, 1792 (8^th county)

Caledonia County (30,235), St. Johnsbury* (7,364), Lyndonville (1,177)

The red brick Italianate facility was constructed in 1856.  It is sited on Main Street near Eastern Avenue.  United States Highway 2 passes in front of the courthouse.  J. D. Tonle provided the courthouse designs.  The building has been enlarged.  The county was established on November 5, 1792 from Orange County as the 8^th county.  It is named for the Latin word for Scotland.  St. Johnsbury has always been the county seat.  St. Johnsbury is named for French author Jean de Crevecoeur.  Caledonia County is the birthplace of 3 Vermont Governors, Horace Fairbanks, Charles J. Bell, and Lee E. Emerson.  St. Johnsbury is located in the southeastern quarter of the county.  Lyndonville is in the eastern quarter of the county. 

Caledonia County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, and a clerk but doesn’t have a unified government as each township governs.  One Superior Court Judge serves Caledonia and Essex counties, One Superior Court Judge serves Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, and One Superior Court Judge serves Caledonia, Windham, and Windsor counties.  The county is on the northeast border with New Hampshire.  Burlington, Vermont is west and Manchester, New Hampshire is southeast of the county.  The Connecticut River forms the eastern border.  The county center is 7.4 miles North-Northwest of St. Johnsbury nearer Lyndonville.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Orleans and Essex counties and New Hampshire and Orange, Washington, and Lamoille counties. 

The area of the county is 651 square miles.  It is 10 out of 14 in the state.  It ranks 9 out of 14 in population in the state.  It has a density of 46.4 persons per square mile making it 11 out of 14 in the state.  Caledonia County has 4.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 91 travels north to south in the county from Orleans County to Orange County.  Interstate Highway 93 originates and heads southeast into New Hampshire.  United States Highway 2 crosses east to west from Essex County to Washington County.  United States Highway 5 parallels Interstate Highway 91 from Orleans to Orange counties.  United States Highway 302 enters from Orange County and exits back into Orange County going east to west.  The county looks like a space rifle pointing northeast.  St. Johnsbury is the county seat and Lyndonville is the largest city.  St. Johnsbury is 24.4% of the county population although it is unincorporated.  Lyndonville is 3.9% of the county population.  The county is pronounced KAL-E-DOEN-YA.