Burlington (Vermont)

Burlington is the largest city in the American state of Vermont. Situated on Lake Champlain, it is the heart of a small urban area that acts as Vermont's vibrant and cosmopolitan center. Known for its ultra-liberal environment (for an American town at least) and free-thinking spirit, Burlington is a college town and an important commercial city, but maintains an intimate atmosphere.

Understand
Burlington, a city of 45,000 people (2020), is known outside of Vermont mostly as the place where Ben & Jerry's ice cream began, and as the city where democratic socialist Bernie Sanders launched his political career, winning the 1980 mayoral election and serving in that role for eight years before moving on to the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the 2016/2020 presidential races. However, contrary to what you may think, this lovely town has a lot more to offer than left-wing politics and ice cream.

Tourist information

 * Hello Burlington website

Get in
It is relatively well connected to Montreal to the north and Plattsburgh, New York to the west.

By car
Interstate 89 lies just to the east of town. The town center is accessible via exit 14W, while the south end of town can be accessed via Interstate 189 at exit 13. Interstate 89 continues north to the Canadian border at Highgate, and south and east to the New Hampshire city of Concord. U.S. Route 7 can also be useful for accessing Burlington from the south, as it travels north from western Connecticut and Massachusetts and the southwestern Vermont town of Bennington.

It is a 6-hour drive from New York City, a 3½-hour drive from Boston and a 1½- to 2-hour drive from Montreal.

By bus

 * Greyhound, . The Greyhound bus terminal is at the airport, but there is stop at the downtown transit center (listed as "Burlingt Transit Ctr" on the website search page - you must type "burlingt" without the "-on" to find it in the search). The price for the two stops differs by about $7.
 * Megabus. Daily service to Burlington from Montpelier and Boston. The bus stop is at the north end of University Place, near Colchester Avenue.

By train

 * Route stopping at Burlington:
 * Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Travel time to Burlington from New York City is 7.5 hours.  The route passes through scenic rural New England.
 * In Essex Junction, about a 15-minute drive to the east, the Vermonter operates between St Albans and Washington, D.C. via New York City.
 * Adirondack provides daily service between New York City and Montreal, following the scenic shores of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. It calls at stations across the lake, in the state of New York. During summer season it's possible can disembark at Port Kent and continue by ferry to Burlington.
 * Adirondack provides daily service between New York City and Montreal, following the scenic shores of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. It calls at stations across the lake, in the state of New York. During summer season it's possible can disembark at Port Kent and continue by ferry to Burlington.

By ferry
Lake Champlain Ferries operates seasonal ferry service from in downtown Burlington to Port Kent, NY across Lake Champlain; this gives access to the Adirondacks area of New York state. This ferry is mainly a tourist attraction since it is faster to drive up to the Grand Isle-Plattsburgh ferry and then take the interstate to Port Kent than it is to use the Burlington-Port Kent ferry.

On foot
Downtown Burlington is one of the most walkable and beautiful small cities in New England, and you'd do well to get out of your car (parking in city and most private garages is free for the first 2 hours, and all day on Sundays) and soak it in.

By car
There are car rental offices at Burlington International Airport, including Hertz, Avis and Thrifty. Traffic is generally bad during the normal crunch half-hours (7:45-8:15AM and 4:45-5:15PM). Williston Road to the east and Shelburne Road to the south are congested during those hours, and, unfortunately, unavoidable for the most part.

By bus
Burlington and the surrounding communities of Winooski, South Burlington, Shelburne, Colchester and Essex Junction are served by Green Mountain Transit (GMT) which operates public buses. Buses are generally clean, uncrowded and relatively cheap. The main terminal is in downtown Burlington at the intersection of Church St. and Cherry St.

By bicycle
Burlington is a bike-friendly city. There are various bike lanes around the downtown area, and thanks to slow traffic and often courteous drivers, getting around the greater Burlington area on bike is a breeze. In the summer extra bicycle parking is made available, and low bike-related crime helps encourage everyone to get on their bikes. Bikes can be rented at Local Motion on the waterfront or at some of the other bicycle shops around town.

See


Downtown Burlington is home to an eclectic mix of shops and restaurants, and is well known for its pedestrian Church Street Marketplace. Church Street is home to a multitude of performers ranging from violists to folk singers to hip-hop dancers, and you don't have to pay a penny, although it doesn't hurt to leave a few dollars. Burlington is ideal for observing all sorts of individuals: flower-child hippies, students, funky artists, tattooed hipsters, and preps mingle on the streets and can provide unparalleled entertainment.

Do
Burlington is renowned for its cultural amenities and strength in the arts, providing the opportunities typical of a much larger city. Outdoor activities include a 7.6-mile (12.5-km) bike path that runs along the lake and now connects to the Colchester bike path. Mount Philo is a leisurely hike for beginners, especially with younger kids. Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield offer more challenging terrain, but reward hikers with beautiful summit views of the Champlain Valley. All three mountains are within 1-hour driving distance of Burlington. Several alpine and cross-country ski resorts and backcountry ski trails are within an hour of Burlington—and you can Nordic ski in the city, as well, at Red Rocks Park and Burlington Country Club.



Festivals
Burlington hosts several festivals and events throughout the year. This list changes every year but the following events staples of the community.



Budget
Being a large college town, Burlington is home to many cheap eateries. Due to the competition, most of them are pretty good.



Splurge
Although the Burlington area is much wealthier and more populous than the rest of the state, there aren't many expensive restaurants in town. Most of Vermont's expensive restaurants are out in the countryside or up in the mountains. Most of their menus change frequently and prices within each menu can vary wildly so if you want to get carried away, go for it.



Sleep
Many other hotels with "Burlington" in their names are actually in South Burlington. If you have a car, consider those if price is a consideration, because many of them are within 5 miles (8km) of Downtown Burlington.



Go next

 * The Canadian border is about an hour's drive, and Montreal, Quebec, is less than a two-hour drive north. Border crossing between the U.S. and Canada requires a passport or enhanced identification (such as Vermont state's Enhanced Driver's License, or EDL).
 * Smuggler's Notch and Stowe ski resorts are within 45 minutes from the heart of the city.
 * Just south of the city are several state parks and some of the tallest peaks in the Green Mountains.
 * Try to find 'Champ', the Lake Champlain monster who is supposed to be a sister to Nessie of Loch Ness.