In Vermont, evidence of Indigenous life dates back about 13,000 years.
In 1791, Vermont joined the United States as the 14th state, the first in addition to the original 13 colonies.
Vermont’s nickname is the “Green Mountain State.”
The state’s modern name comes from the French “les monts vert,” which means “green mountains.”
The capital of Vermont is Montpelier, the smallest state capital in the U.S, and the only capital without a McDonald’s restaurant.
The Vermont Statehouse’s dome is covered in real gold leaf and in its floors, visitors can discover real fossils from Vermont’s own fossil reef, Chazy Reef at Isle LaMotte.
In 1968, Vermont was the first of four states to ban billboards, alongside Maine, Hawaii, and Alaska.
All of the state is covered under one area code, 802.
The Green Mountain State is bordered by Canada, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. It is 157.4 miles in length, 90.3 miles wide at the Canadian border*, and 41.6 miles along the Massachusetts border. The Connecticut River forms the eastern boundary, while the western boundary with New York runs down the middle of Lake Champlain for more than half of its length.
People
There are about 645,570 residents across Vermont’s 251 towns and cities, including 24 state-recognized historic downtowns.
Vermont’s largest city is Burlington, with a population of about 45,000.
Vermont ranks No. 49 among U.S. states in population and No. 43 in land area.
Vermont was first to abolish slavery for those older than 21 in its constitution, and in 2022, Vermont voters officially amended the constitution to prohibit all forms of slavery.
Vermont was the first state to legally recognize same-sex couples when it created civil unions, and it’s the first state to affirm marriage equality through the legislature, making same-sex marriage legal in 2009.
Vermont is the birthplace of two U.S. Presidents, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.
Vermont turns out among the highest percentages of U.S. Olympic skiers and riders in the nation.
Jericho’s Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley took the nation’s first successful detailed photographs of snowflakes in 1895.
Food & Agritourism
Vermont is the lead producer of maple syrup in the U.S., producing 2.5 million gallons in 2022, enough to fill almost four Olympic swimming pools.
Vermont has more than 500 dairy farms on more than 900,000 acres of land. In total, there are about 124,000 cows in Vermont.
Vermont leads the nation in breweries per capita, with 58 breweries in 2023.
Land & Wildlife
Vermont’s land area is 9,216 square miles and more than 70% is forested.
Vermont is home to the highest concentration of sugar maple trees in the U.S., responsible for creating deep fiery reds and oranges of fall foliage.
Lake Champlain covers 435 square miles, offering 212 miles of shoreline in Vermont..
Vermont has 808 lakes and ponds and more than 7,000 miles of rivers and streams.
Vermont has five mountains with peaks higher than 4,000 feet in elevation. Vermont’s highest peak is Mount Mansfield at 4,393 feet.
Vermont is home to 2,100 moose, 4,500-6,000 black bears and 45-50,000 turkeys.
Vermont is home to more than 800,000 acres of land open for hunting. More bucks are harvested per square mile in Vermont than in any other New England state.
Apple is both the state fruit and state pie of Vermont, with Vermont law mandating apple pie be served with cheddar cheese, ice cream, or milk if possible.
