Being a native Vermonter, one thing I do love to do is travel. By being a mobile notary, I get to do this for work! Vermont has 14 counties (Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor) and over 200 towns and cities. I service them all.
Addison County, founded in 1785, is tucked between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain in the beautiful Champlain Valley of Vermont. To the left is Lake Champlain and New York, Chittenden County to the north, Washington and a sliver of Orange and Windsor Counties to the east, and Rutland County to the south. Addison County is named after English writer and politician, Joseph Addison. If you are ever looking for best creemee (true Vermonters don't call it soft-serve), be sure to find Goodies Snack Bar in west Addison as you cross the Champlain Bridge from Addison into Crown Point, New York. Communities in Addison County include Addison, Bridport, Bristol, Cornwall, Ferrisburgh, Goshen, Granville, Hancock, Leicester, Lincoln, Middlebury, Monkton, New Haven, Orwell, Panton, Ripton, Salisbury, Shoreham, Starksboro, Vergennes, Waltham, Weybridge and Whiting.
Bennington County, founded in 1778, is located in the southwestern corner of Vermont, bordered to the west by New York, to the south by Massachusetts, and to the east by Windham County. Bennington County in Vermont is named after Benning Wentworth, the colonial governor of New Hampshire who issued the grant for the town of Bennington. The town of Bennington is the most populous town in southern Vermont and the second-largest town in Vermont. It is home to the Bennington Battle Monument, which is the tallest man-made structure in Vermont. Communities in Bennington County include: Arlington, Bennington, Bondville, Dorset, Landgrove, Manchester, Peru, Pownal, Readsboro, Rupert, Sandgate, Shaftsbury, Stamford, Winhall and Woodford.
Caledonia County, founded in 1792 and is Vermont's oldest existing county, is part of the Northeast Kingdom, bordered to the north by Orleans County, to the east by Essex County and New Hampshire, to the south by Orange County, and to the west Lamoille County and Washington County. Caledonia is the one of the least populated and most rural parts of the state. Saint Johnsbury is the largest town at around 6,000 residents. Caledonia County is home to Burke Mountain and Burke Mountain Academy. Caledonia County received its name from the Latin word meaning Scotland in honor of the many settlers who claimed ancestry here. Other communities in Caledonia County include: Barnet, Burke, Danville, Groton, Hardwick, Kirby, Lyndon, Newark, Peacham, Ryegate, Sheffield, Stannard, Sutton, Walden, Waterford, and Wheelock.
Chittenden County is the most populated county in Vermont, which houses Burlington, Vermont’s largest city with the population almost reaching 50,000 residents. Chittenden County is located in the northwest section of Vermont bordered to the left by Lake Champlain, Grand Isle County and Franklin County to the north, Lamoille County and Washington County to the east, and Addison County to the south. Chittenden County also is the home of five Vermont colleges and universities: Champlain College, Saint Michael's College, University of Vermont, Vermont State University and Community College of Vermont. Chittenden County was named after Vermont's first governor, Thomas Chittenden. Colchester is the largest town in the state with around 17,000 residents. Other communities in Chittenden County include: Bolton, Charlotte, Colchester, Essex, Hinesburg, Huntington, Jericho, Milton, Richmond, Shelburne, South Burlington, St. George, Underhill, Westford, Williston, and Winooski.
Essex County is part of the Northeast Kingdom, and the least populated county in Vermont with an entire population just over 6,000 residents. Essex County is nuzzled in the northeast corner of Vermont. Quebec, Canada borders Essex County to the north, New Hampshire to the east, and Orleans and Caledonia Counties to the west. The 600 acre lake, Island Pond is famous for snowmobiling and ice fishing, and was the first international railroad junction in the United States. The county has been a prime source of timber production in the Northeast Kingdom and is distinguished as the location of Vermont’s largest land conservation project. The communities in Essex County include Averill, Bloomfield, Brighton, Brunswick, Canaan, Concord, East Haven, Ferdinand, Granby, Guildhall, Lemington, Lewis, Lunenburg, Maidstone, Norton, and Victory.
Franklin County in Northwestern Vermont is bordered by Quebec, Canada, to the north, Lake Champlain to the west, Orleans County to the east, and Lamoille and Chittenden Counties to the south. Franklin County was named after Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County leads Vermont in dairy and maple syrup production. With its close proximity to Interstate 89, Franklin County is a quick drive to the Greater Burlington area. The county hosts one of Vermont's largest agricultural expositions, Franklin County Field Days. It's comprised of 15 communities including Bakersfield, Berkshire, Enosburgh, Fairfax, Fairfield, Fletcher, Franklin, Georgia, Highgate, Montgomery, Richford, Sheldon, St. Albans (town), St. Albans (city), and Swanton.
Grand Isle County, founded in 1779, is named after the largest island in Lake Champlain. Grand Isle County is bordered by Quebec Canada to the north, Lake Champlain and New York to the west, Franklin County to the east and Chittenden County to the south. Grand Isle County is less than 200 square miles of which less than half is land. It contains more shorelines and islands than any other county in Vermont. It consists of a peninsula extending southward from Quebec which has 3 larger islands, Isle La Motte, North and Grand Isle Island, also known as South Hero. It is the second least populated county behind Essex County but only by less than 1,000 residents. On a personal note, I went to Camp Abnaki when I was a young pup which is located in North Hero. Communities in Grand Isle County include: Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, North Hero and South Hero.
Lamoille County is home to two award-winning ski resorts, Stowe Mountain Resort and Smuggler’s Notch Resort. It's Vermont's third least populated county, but up significantly from Essex County and Grand Isle County population to over 25,000 residents. The highest peak in Vermont, Mount Mansfield, is located in Lamoille County. Mount Mansfield is used for various recreational and commercial purposes. "The Nose" is home to transmitter towers for a number of regional radio and TV stations. There are many hiking trails, including the Long Trail, which traverses the main ridgeline. Communities in Lamoille County include: Belvidere, Cambridge/Jeffersonville, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, Waterville, and Wolcott
Orange County, Vermont, is located in the eastern part of the state, near the geographic center. It is boarded to the east by the Connecticut River dividing Vermont and New Hampshire, with Washington and Caledonia Counties to the north, Addison County to the west and Windsor County to the south. Orange County was named after King William of Orange. The county contains about a dozen covered bridges as well as a floating bridge in Brookfield. The communities of Orange County include: Bradford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Corinth, Fairlee, Newbury, Orange, Randolph, Strafford, Thetford, Topsham, Tunbridge, Vershire, Washington, West Fairlee, and Williamstown.
Orleans County is located along the northern border of Vermont, with Essex County to the east, Franklin County to the west, and Lamoille and Caledonia Counties to the south. The county contains many waterways, notably Seymour and Caspian lakes, the southern portion of Lake Memphremagog, and the Black, Barton, and Missisquoi rivers. There are 17 towns and one city in Orleans County: Albany, Barton, Brownington, Charleston, Coventry, Craftsbury, Derby, Glover, Greensboro, Holland, Irasburg, Jay, Lowell, Morgan, Newport City, Newport Town, Troy, Westfield and Westmore.
Rutland County is the second most populated county in Vermont behind Chittenden County. Its location borders New York to the west, Addison County to the north, Bennington County to the south, and Windsor County to the east. It is known for its natural beauty, particularly the Green Mountains and Killington and Pico ski resorts, as well as its historic downtowns, and a diverse economy that includes marble quarrying, manufacturing, and tourism. In Rutland County, the primary college is Castleton University, which is now part of the Vermont State University system. Additionally, the Community College of Vermont has a location in Rutland. Communities within Rutland County include: Benson, Brandon, Castleton, Chittenden, Clarendon, Danby, Fair Haven, Hubbardton, Ira, Killington (formerly known as Sherburne), Mendon, Middletown Springs, Mount Holly, Mount Tabor, Pawlet, Pittsfield, Pittsford, Poultney, Proctor, Rutland City, Rutland town, Shrewsbury, Sudbury, Tinmouth, Wallingford, Wells, West Haven, and West Rutland.
Washington County is centrally located and home to the state capital, Montpelier. Washington County is well known for its tourism, taste, history, agricultural communities, granite and its politics! Major employers and some of the most popular brands to Vermont, are major employers in Washington County including The Ben & Jerry’s Factory in Waterbury, Cabot Cheese in Cabot, and Rock of Ages in Barre. Montpelier is home to our State Capital as well as the many state offices that provide Vermonters services. Interstate 89 runs through Washington County making the region accessible to points north and south. Communities in Washington County include: Barre City, Barre Town, Berlin, Cabot, Calais, Duxbury, East Montpelier, Fayston, Marshfield, Middlesex, Montpelier, Moretown, Northfield, Plainfield, Roxbury, Waitsfield, Warren, Waterbury, Woodbury, and Worcester.
Windham County is located in the southeast corner of Vermont, bordered to the east by New Hampshire, and to the south by Massachusetts, and to the west by Bennington County. Communities within Windham County include: Athens Brattleboro, Brookline, Dover, Dummerston, Grafton, Guilford, Halifax, Jamaica, Londonderry, Marlboro, Newfane, Putney, Rockingham, Somerset, Stratton, Townshend, Vernon, Wardsboro, Westminster, Whitingham, Wilmington and Windham
Windsor County is located in the southeastern part of Vermont. Communities of Windsor County include Andover, Baltimore, Barnard, Bethel, Bridgewater, Cavendish, Chester, Hartford, Hartland, Ludlow, Norwich, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, Springfield, Stockbridge, Weathersfield, West Windsor, Weston, Windsor, and Woodstock.