Burlington

Vermont’s biggest town, pinned between Lake Champlain and the University of Vermont — walkable, opinionated, and never quite as urban as it thinks. Rising gently from the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, Burlington is Vermont’s largest city — though with a population around 45,000 it keeps the intimate, human-scaled warmth of a New England town. What sets it apart from almost any other small city in the United States is its natural amphitheatre: standing anywhere on the downtown waterfront, your eyes sweep across 12 miles of open water to the jagged 5,000-foot skyline of New York’s Adirondacks on the western horizon. The city itself climbs from water level at 95 feet up to the Hill Section and UVM at 300 to 400.Burlington combines a progressive college-town intellectual spark, driven by the University of Vermont and Champlain College, with a fiercely independent shop-local ethos. You will not find major retail chains on the historic pedestrian mall; instead four brick-paved blocks hold local bookstores, artisan coffee roasters, independent fashion boutiques and outdoor outfitters. Add a world-class craft fermentation scene, farm-to-table restaurants supplied by Champlain Valley growers and miles of paved shoreline trail, and Burlington stands as New England’s undisputed lakeside capital.

Towns & villages

Where to base yourself

Shelburne Chittenden County

Good to know

Questions, answered

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Do I need a car in Burlington?

Not for the city itself. Downtown, the waterfront, the Hill Section and UVM are all walkable, and Green Mountain Transit buses cover the rest, including the airport three miles east. You will want a car for Stowe, Shelburne, the Champlain Islands or any hiking.

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When is the best time to visit?

September and early October give the best weather and the foliage, but they are also the busiest and priciest. July and August are for the lake. Winter is cold and often grey, with the cheapest rooms; April is mud season and worth skipping.

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Can you swim in Lake Champlain?

Yes. North Beach, Oakledge and Red Rocks Park in South Burlington are the usual spots, and the water is comfortable from late June through August. Vermont posts occasional cyanobacteria advisories in late summer, so check the beach signage before you get in.

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How far is Ben and Jerry's or Stowe?

The Ben and Jerry's factory in Waterbury is about 35 minutes east on I-89, and Stowe roughly 50 minutes. Both make easy half-day trips, and you can string them together in one loop.

Where to stay