Cradled between the sparkling waters of Lake Champlain and the gentle peaks of the Green Mountains, Chittenden County is the economic and cultural hub of Vermont. Nearly one-fourth of Vermont's population lives here. Residents have been drawn to relocate from other states, and even other countries, by the area's fortunate mix of quality employers, excellent schools, extensive outdoor recreational opportunities and diverse shopping areas. All this against a varied and often stunning natural backdrop.

The county is home to some of the state's largest employers, including International Business Machines Corp., the University of Vermont, and Fletcher Allen Health Care. They are joined by major employers in the areas of finance, manufacturing, government, the defense industry, specialty foods, and communications. Together they have helped the region cultivate a diverse, high-tech engineering and communications employment base, underpinned by a quality education system. The five local colleges helped put the county seat of Burlington among the top 10 college towns in America, according to a 1991 New York Times article.

In fact, Chittenden County has been an economic lynchpin in the state since the early 19th-century when settlers began using the lake for commerce. Not surprising, the city that developed on that waterfront, Burlington, plays a dominant role in the region today. The so-called "Queen City" is the location of some of the county's most prominent employers, including the University of Vermont. It is the most densely populated community in the region, with more than twice as many residents as the county's second major population center, Essex, which includes the village of Essex Junction.

Chittenden County shopping centers include the recently developed big-box retail area of Taft Corners in Williston and the Outlet Fair in Essex, a village-style development of retail boutiques. Burlington's downtown stretches from the waterfront up to the Church Street Marketplace, a four-block pedestrian walkway lined with restaurants, cafes and shops. In the summer, the street comes alive with sidewalk musicians, jugglers and entertainers. Residents line benches and children play on boulders placed along the street.

Burlington is also rich in historic and cultural diversity. Its calendar is crammed with festivals, art events and family-oriented activities. That richness ripples out from the bustling city sidewalks through the surrounding rural towns where it blossoms in myriad small-town festivities and magical vistas. If the heart of the county beats in Burlington, its soul sings in the surrounding towns, where rolling cornfields nuzzle the edge of neat neighborhoods, and fiery maples brighten the twists and turns of brown dirt roads.