Danville was established on October 31, 1786, by the Vermont Legislature, making it one of the last towns to be created in Caledonia County. The town was named for the 18th-century FrenchcartographerJean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. A Debtors' prison was located here in the late 18th to the early 19th centuries. A thief in West Danville made national news in 2008 when he apologized for robbing a convenience store and left a roll of one-dollar bills to allow the store to open up the next morning. The annual convention of the American Society of Dowsers is held in Danville. In July 2017, the Charles D. Brainerd Public Library reopened in the village of West Danville, making the town once again home to Vermont's smallest library.
Geography
Danville is located west of St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Other towns bordering Danville are Barnet to the southeast, Peacham to the south, Cabot and Walden to the west, Stannard to the northwest, Wheelock to the north, and Lyndon to the northeast, touching Danville at a single corner. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.67%, is water. The main village in town comprises the Danville CDP, with an area of, all land. U.S. Route 2 runs through the town, connecting St. Johnsbury to the east with Montpelier to the west. In West Danville the two-lane highway passes Joes Pond, which extends into Cabot. Vermont Route 15 leaves US-2 in West Danville, heading northwest towards Hardwick and Morrisville. The highest point in Danville is a summit on the ridge of the Kittredge Hills along the western border of the town.
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,211 people, 871 households, and 627 families residing in the town. The population density was 36.3 people per square mile. There were 1,152 housing units at an average density of 18.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 99.10% White, 0.18% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.14% Asian, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population. There were 871 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.0% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $42,440, and the median income for a family was $47,150. Males had a median income of $33,654 versus $21,573 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,012. About 6.2% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the federal poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
