Vermont is a small New England state with an outsized identity: green mountains, maple syrup, town meetings, covered bridges, and a short period as an independent republic. Here are 15 facts that put the Green Mountain State in context.
Quick Facts
Capital: Montpelier
Largest city: Burlington
Statehood: March 4, 1791 (14th state)
Nickname: Green Mountain State
15 Essential Facts About Vermont
1. Vermont became the 14th state in 1791.
Vermont joined the Union on March 4, 1791, after resolving boundary and political disputes that followed the Revolution.
2. Montpelier is the capital and Burlington is the largest city.
Montpelier is one of America’s smallest state capitals. Burlington, on Lake Champlain, is Vermont’s largest city and a major cultural center.
3. Vermont was an independent republic before statehood.
From 1777 to 1791, the Vermont Republic governed itself with its own constitution, currency, and institutions.
4. The state’s name means “green mountain.”
“Vermont” comes from the French words vert and mont. The Green Mountains run north to south through the state.
5. Lake Champlain is a major western landmark.
The long lake forms much of the border between Vermont and New York and connects southward to the Hudson River watershed through the Champlain Canal.
6. The Long Trail predates the Appalachian Trail.
Completed in 1930 after work began in 1910, the Long Trail runs the length of Vermont’s Green Mountains and later shared part of its route with the Appalachian Trail.
7. Maple syrup is an iconic Vermont product.
Freeze-and-thaw weather in late winter helps make Vermont an important maple-producing state. Sugarhouses and “sugaring season” are familiar parts of the rural calendar.
8. Dairy and cheese are part of the state’s food culture.
Vermont’s farms have long supported dairy production, while small creameries have given the state a strong artisan-cheese reputation.
9. The Green Mountain Boys are Revolutionary-era legends.
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys are remembered for their role in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and Vermont’s early political story.
10. Vermont’s 1777 constitution was unusually forward-looking.
Its language addressed slavery in a way that made Vermont an early leader in the abolition movement, although the transition to freedom was not instantaneous or simple.
11. Calvin Coolidge’s Vermont roots are preserved.
President Calvin Coolidge was born in Plymouth Notch, where his birthplace and family homestead help tell the story of his life.
12. Covered bridges are a beloved visual trademark.
Vermont has more than 100 historic covered bridges, many still spanning rural streams and rivers.
13. Fall foliage draws visitors from around the world.
Cool autumn temperatures and hardwood forests create the vivid color season for which Vermont is widely known.
14. Vermont borders Canada but has no ocean coastline.
The state meets Quebec to the north and is bordered by New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Its northern geography still gives it an international feel.
15. Town meetings remain a living civic tradition.
Many Vermont towns gather annually to vote directly on local issues, keeping a longstanding form of New England local democracy visible today.
Sources and Further Reading
- Vermont state government
- Vermont Historical Society
- Vermont Division for Historic Preservation
- National Park Service: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts