Background: Vermont State House in Montpelier - Photo by Redja
Living in Vermont
Vermont - The Green Mountain State
History, Geography, Homes, and State Resources of Vermont
Vermont USA Map
Every residential area within Vermont from the large cities to the villages without stop lights continues to hang on to their small-town feel along with New England
values which are so essential to people in this Green Mountain State. And while Vermont might be considered light in population, it's activities are big. From hunting,
fishing, swimming to snowboarding, skiing and golfing, the opportunities for weekend family fun have no boundaries, seasonal or otherwise.
The Vermont people are protecting of their property, full of pride over their state and happy to offer a helping hand or to share with their neighbors. Getting around in
most areas of the state is quite easy with hardly any rush hour traffic to be concerned over.
Most of the Vermont residents are tranquil and they love talking about the way Vermont "used to" look. When having breakfast out during a Sunday morning, it can be
normal to end up having a discussion with an old-time resident about the way Main Street was before the new Superstore came in.
The state is well known for its four picturesque seasons, of which the most eye-catching is the fall with its bright red, yellow and orange leaves blanketing the
mountainsides and forests. It’s also recognized for great skiing, snowmobiling and snowboarding .
From September through the end of May, hunting is also a popular activity . During the hunting season, when coming to Vermont and participating in any outdoor
activities, it’s a smart idea to don bright colors to keep you from blending in with your surroundings and become mistaken for some in-season wildlife. It’s quite normal
during the hunting season for wild-life to be seen mounted on pickup trucks or hanging from porches . Hunters are typically quite proud of the wild game they acquire, so
stuffed and mounted game are displayed as home or business décor quite often.
Climate
The annual mean temperature for the state is 43 °F. Vermont has a humid continental climate, with muddy springs, in general a mild early summer, hot Augusts; it has colorful autumns: Vermont's hills
turn red, orange, and (on sugar maples) gold foliage as cold weather sets in.
The rural northeastern section called the "Northeast Kingdom" often averages 10 °F colder than the southern areas of the state during winter. The annual snowfall averages between 60 and 100 inches depending
upon elevation. Vermont is the seventh coldest state in the country
Vermont Colleges.
Vermont has five colleges within the Vermont State College system, University of Vermont (UVM) and fourteen other private, graduate colleges, including Bennington College,
Burlington College, Champlain College, Goddard College, Marlboro College, Middlebury College, Saint Michael's College , the Vermont Law School and Norwich University.
In 2016, the University of Vermont awarded the nation's second highest tuition for four years, $ 61,000 for in-state students, to $ 147,000 for non-state students. This
corresponds to an average of 34,800 national students.
Economy
Vermont's economic activity of $26 billion in 2010 ranked ot 34th in gross state product. ... In terms of economic impact, government, real estate, manufacturing and health care are the most significant sectors. In terms of visibility, agriculture, tourism, recreation, and forestry are
prominent.
Flora and Fauna
Vermont State Flower - Red Clover
Common trees of Vermont are the commercially important sugar maple (the state tree), the butternut, white pine, and yellow birch. Other recognized flora include 15 types of conifer, 130 grasses, and 192 sedges. Two plant species, Jesup's milk-vetch and Northeastern bulrush, were endangered in 2003.
Native mammalian species include white-tailed deer, coyote, red fox, and snowshoe hare. Several species of trout are prolific. Characteristic birds include the raven (Corvus corax), gray or Canada jay, and saw-whet owl. In 2003, six animal species were listed as threatened or endangered in Vermont, including the Indiana bat, dwarf wedgemussel, and bald eagle.
The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, is the state capitol of Vermont. It is the seat of the Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to be used as the State House. Designed by Thomas Silloway in 1857 and 1858, it was occupied in 1859.
It is located on State Street on the western edge of downtown Montpelier, a block north of the Winooski River. Set against a wooded hillside (which was open pasture land earlier during much of its history), the building and its distinctive gold leaf dome are easily visible while approaching Montpelier, the smallest city to serve as capital of a U.S. state.
State elected officials are the governor and lieutenant governor (elected
separately), treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts, and attorney
general, all of whom serve two-year terms. A governor must have been a state
resident for at least four years prior to election; no minimum age is specified
for the office.
Voters must be US citizens, at least 18 years old, and state residents.
Vermont is one half myth and one half reality, home to a mystique that other states can only envy. A mere mention of its name and images appear: sunlit meadows of black-and-white cows, dazzling white ski trails, tidy hillside farms, blazing red maple trees along a stone wall, covered bridges, buckets collecting sap for maple syrup. Certainly these idyllic scenes still exist, although less picturesque plastic tubing has replaced most of the buckets, and many of the farms may now be chic B&Bs.
Another part Vermont exists alongside this idealized one, the bustling Burlington, the outlet malls of Manchester, Killington's frenetic après-ski scene, and Brattleboro's unlikely blend of gritty blue-collar and '70s hippies grown up. Even the state's mainstay of agriculture has a new look, as dozens of artisanal cheese makers transform Vermont's dairy industry, and tourists eagerly follow the Vermont Cheese Trail to sample them. Other trails lead to traditional tourist attractions: maple farms boiling sap and welcoming visitors each March, and covered bridges - seven of them in the far-northern town of Montgomery alone. You'll enjoy Vermont.
Isle La Motte Light Lighthouse
Lighthouses in Vermont
- Even though Vermont does not have a coastline dotted with lighthouses, it does have six lighthouses on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. Of these, the oldest is the Isle la Motte Light (1829), and the tallest is the Windmill Point Light (1858) at 40 feet.
In Vermont's Green Mountains, this forest includes eight wilderness areas. Among the 900 miles of trails in the forest are the Appalachian Trail and two National Recreation Trails: Long and Robert Frost
Sports
Winter sports are popular in New England, and Vermont's winter sports attractions are a big part of Vermont tourism. Some well known attractions include Burke Mountain ski
area, Jay Peak Resort, Killington Ski Resort, Stowe Mountain Resort, the Quechee Club Ski Area, and Smugglers' Notch Resort.
Vermont natives in the snowboarding profession include Kevin Pearce, Ross Powers, Hannah Teter, and Kelly Clark. Others learned snowboarding in the state, such as Louie Vito
and Ellery Hollingsworth.
Gas tax: 30.46 cents per gallon of regular gasoline, 32 cents per gallon of diesel
Transportation
Aviation
Burlington International Airport Photo by MARK'N MARKUS
Vermont Airports. Burlington
International Airport is located near Burlington, Vermont, 10 minutes from Lake
Champlain and 1 hour from 5 world-class resorts. Having recently experienced a $
15 million expansion, the airport enjoys a reputation for easy access, excellent
on-time recording and direct flights to several major cities.
Many business and leisure travelers prefer Rutland Southern Vermont Regional Airport for its easier accessibility, and connecting to the rest of the world is not a problem
thanks to daily flights to Boston. The State Airport is located in the heart of the beautiful Green Mountains, 8 km south of Rutland, Vermont's second largest city. In
addition to charter airlines, Rutland is served by Cape Air and JetBlue (as of 2011).
Ferry
There is ferry service to New York State from Burlington, Charlotte, Grand Isle, and Shoreham. All but the Shoreham ferry are operated by the LCTC (Lake Champlain Transportation Company).
Rail
Two Amtrak trains serve Vermont, the Vermonter and the Ethan Allen Express. The
state is also served by the New England Central Railroad, the Vermont Railway, and the Green Mountain Railroad.
The Ethan Allen Express serves Castleton and Rutland, while the Vermonter serves St. Albans, Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, Randolph, White River Junction, Windsor, Bellows Falls, and Brattleboro.
Roads
In 2010, Vermont owned 2,840 miles of highway. This was the third smallest
amount of roads among the 50 states. 2.5% of the highways were listed as "congested," the 5th lowest in the country. 34.4% of its bridges were rated deficient or obsolete,
Individual communities and counties have public transit, but their breadth of
coverage is frequently limited. Greyhound Lines services a number of small
towns.
Vermont Housing
The median home value in Vermont is $200,000. Vermont home values have gone up 3.8% over the past year and predictions
are they will rise 0.7% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in Vermont is $152. The median price of homes currently listed in Vermont is $269,900.
Vermont Association of Realtors Vermont Real Estate Commission Search Vermont Real Estate Listings
Vermont Cities & Towns
Six of Vermont's 14 counties have at least one city within their borders. Five cities serve as the county seats for their respective counties.
Vermont has 255 municipalities. This includes 237 towns, nine cities, five unincorporated towns, and four gores. Burlington is the largest city with a population of 42,417,
Victory is the smallest town with a population of 62.
