Addison County, Vermont

Addison County is a county in Vermont, United States, on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain in the state’s west-central Champlain Valley. It had a population of 37,363 at the 2020 census and covers 808 square miles (2,090 km2) centred near 44°03′N 73°07′W.

Middlebury is the county seat, and its postal code is 05753. The county has one city (Vergennes), 22 New England towns, and several unincorporated hamlets and census-designated places. Addison County sits in the Eastern time zone and carries FIPS code 001.

Towns & Villages in Addison County

Vermont counties are built from New England towns rather than township-and-city grids, so almost every place below is a full town government in its own right. Vergennes is the county’s only chartered city; Middlebury, Bristol, Lincoln, New Haven and East Middlebury also appear separately as U.S. Census-designated places (CDPs) that share a name with their parent town.

Granville and Hancock share a border with New York’s Adirondacks via the Vermont side of the Gap, and both are frequently confused in gazetteers with the unrelated Granville and Hancock towns in New York state — the ones above are Addison County, Vermont’s own. Addison County’s 22 towns are further dotted with small hamlets and named crossroads carried on the U.S. Geological Survey gazetteer — Barnumtown, Beldens, Brooksville, Coleman Corner, Cream Hill, Downingville, East Granville, East Monkton, East Shoreham, École Champlain, Farmingdale, Fernville, Goodrich Corner, Hough Crossing, Jerusalem, Lake Dunmore, Leicester Junction, Lower Granville, Monkton Boro, Monkton Ridge, New Haven Junction, New Haven Mills, Palmer Corner, Piper Crossing, Richville, Rock Landing, Rockville, Rocky Dale, Salisbury Station, South Starksboro, West Addison, West Bridport, West Cornwall, West Lincoln, West Salisbury, Weybridge Hill and Willow Point. None of these has its own population count or ZIP code apart from its parent town.

ZIP Codes

• 05753 — Middlebury (also serves Cornwall, Weybridge and Ripton addresses)
• 05491 — Vergennes (also serves Panton)
• 05443 — Bristol (also serves Lincoln addresses)
• 05456 — Ferrisburgh
• 05473 — North Ferrisburgh
• 05472 — New Haven
• 05487 — Starksboro
• 05469 — Monkton
• 05734 — Bridport
• 05770 — Shoreham
• 05760 — Orwell
• 05769 — Salisbury
• 05778 — Whiting
• 05766 — Ripton
• 05748 — Hancock
• 05747 — Granville
• 05740 — East Middlebury

Waltham, Goshen, Addison, Leicester and Weybridge have no ZIP code of their own and use a neighboring town’s post office.

Geography

Addison County spans the Champlain Valley’s lake plain in the west and climbs into the Green Mountains’ spine along its eastern edge, including the Middlebury Gap and part of the Green Mountain National Forest. Lake Champlain forms the county’s western boundary with New York, and Otter Creek, Vermont’s longest river, runs north through Middlebury and Vergennes to the lake. The county borders Chittenden County to the north, Washington County to the northeast, Orange County to the east, Windsor County to the southeast, Rutland County to the south, Washington County, New York to the southwest, and Essex County, New York across Lake Champlain to the west.

Demographics

Addison County had 37,363 residents at the 2020 census. Middlebury (town population 9,152) and Bristol (3,782) are the two largest communities. Vermont’s 2023 median household income was the Vermont median of $81,211; Addison County, anchored by Middlebury College employment and its share of Burlington-area commuters, has historically tracked close to that state figure. Population density is roughly 49 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1800, is the county’s largest single employer and shapes Middlebury’s economy and culture. Dairy farming and diversified agriculture remain significant across the Champlain Valley towns, alongside a growing base of craft food and beverage producers. Porter Medical Center in Middlebury anchors regional health care. The Addison County Fair and Field Days, held each August in New Haven, is the county’s largest annual gathering.

History

Addison County was chartered on October 18, 1785, by the Vermont Republic, before Vermont joined the Union in 1791. It is named for Joseph Addison, the 18th-century English essayist and politician, honoring the era’s fashion for naming Vermont counties after English literary and political figures. Middlebury, settled in 1761 and organized as the shire town soon after the county’s creation, grew around falls on Otter Creek that powered early mills; Vergennes, chartered in 1788, is among the smallest chartered cities in the United States by land area.

Getting There

U.S. Route 7 runs north-south through the county linking Vergennes and Middlebury with Burlington to the north and Rutland to the south. Vermont Route 125 crosses the Middlebury Gap east to the Mad River Valley, and a seasonal ferry crosses Lake Champlain from Chimney Point to New York’s Crown Point.

• Burlington — 35 miles north
• Rutland — 32 miles south
• Montpelier — 45 miles northeast
• Albany, New York — 90 miles south

Burlington International Airport, about 30 miles north of Middlebury, is the nearest commercial airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Addison County?
It is in west-central Vermont, on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain between Burlington and Rutland.

What is the population of Addison County?
37,363 at the 2020 census.

How big is Addison County?
808 square miles (2,090 km2), the third-largest county by land area in Vermont.

What is the county seat of Addison County?
Middlebury is the county seat.

How many towns are in Addison County?
One city, Vergennes, and 22 New England towns, plus several census-designated places and unincorporated hamlets.

What ZIP codes are in Addison County?
Codes include 05753 (Middlebury), 05491 (Vergennes), 05443 (Bristol), 05456 (Ferrisburgh) and 05472 (New Haven), among others listed above.

What college is in Addison County?
Middlebury College, founded in 1800, is based in the town of Middlebury and is the county’s largest employer.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Vermont.