Addison County

Located on the western border south of Chittenden.

College-town culture, Otter Creek falls and the widest, most pastoral stretch of the Champlain Valley.

Where to stay in Addison County

Middlebury is the practical base for most visitors, with the widest choice of rooms and enough to walk to in the evening, but it is not the only one: Vergennes, small and walkable with its own downtown and an Amtrak stop, suits anyone heading for the lakeshore, and Bristol on VT-116 puts you at the foot of Lincoln Gap for hiking and swimming holes. Out west towards Addison, Bridport and Shoreham it is open farmland, long views to the Adirondacks and very few beds, which is exactly what some people come for; that side is also the closest to the Chimney Point bridge into New York. For a summer week with children, Lake Dunmore in Salisbury is the easy answer. Avoid arriving in Middlebury without a reservation in late May or in August.

Getting around & the essentials

Transport

US-7 is the spine, running Burlington to Rutland through Vergennes and Middlebury, with VT-22A the faster and flatter route down the western side. Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express stops at both Vergennes and Middlebury on its daily run between Burlington and New York, and Burlington International (BTV) is about 45 minutes from Middlebury. A car is needed for the lakeshore, the gaps and the historic sites.