Essex County, Vermont

Essex County is a county in Vermont, United States, in the far northeastern part of the state, along the Canadian border with Quebec. It had a population of 5,920 at the 2020 census and covers 676 square miles (1,750 km2) centred near 44°43′15″N 71°44′42″W.

Guildhall is the county seat, and its postal code is 05905. The county has 16 towns and three unorganized gores and grants, and no incorporated cities. It lies in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Essex County

Essex County is organized entirely into towns rather than incorporated cities — a New England pattern in which the town itself is the unit of local government. Sixteen towns cover most of the land area, alongside three unorganized gores and grants (Avery’s Gore, Warner’s Grant and Warren’s Gore) with no town government of their own. Beecher Falls, Gilman and Island Pond are separately named census-designated places (village centers) inside larger towns; Canaan, Concord and Lunenburg also have village centers that share the parent town’s name.

Within these towns, long-standing crossroads and former settlement names are still in local use, including Arlins, Baptist Hill, Browns Mill, Brunswick Springs, Bullthroat, Concord Corner, Damon Crossing, East Brighton, East Concord, Gallup Mills, Hartwellville, Lost Nation, Miles Pond, Mill Village, Moccasin Mill, North Concord, Ralston Corner, Simms Hill, South Lunenburg, Stevens, Texas, Wallace Pond, Wenlock and Whites Corner. None of these is a separate municipality with its own census count; they are neighborhoods, hamlets or mill sites within the towns above.

ZIP Codes

• 05846 — Island Pond (also serves the town of Brighton)
• 05902 — Beecher Falls (village in the town of Canaan)
• 05903 — Canaan
• 05824 — Concord
• 05858 — North Concord (village in the town of Concord)
• 05837 — East Haven
• 05904 — Gilman (village in the town of Lunenburg)
• 05906 — Lunenburg
• 05905 — Guildhall
• 05907 — Norton
• 05840 — Granby (PO Box delivery only)
• 05901 — Averill (PO Box delivery only)

Bloomfield, Brunswick, Ferdinand, Lemington, Lewis, Maidstone, Victory and the county’s gores and grants have no post office of their own and are served by mail routes out of the nearest listed ZIP code.

Geography

Essex County sits in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, a heavily forested, sparsely settled region of low mountains, lakes and ponds. The Connecticut River forms the county’s entire eastern border, separating it from New Hampshire, and the Nulhegan River drains much of the interior before joining the Connecticut near Bloomfield. Island Pond, the county’s best-known lake, gives its name to the village on its shore.

The county borders Coos County, New Hampshire to the east across the Connecticut River, Grafton County, New Hampshire to the south, Caledonia County, Vermont to the southwest, and Orleans County, Vermont to the west. Its northern boundary is the international border with Quebec, Canada.

Demographics

Essex County had 5,920 residents at the 2020 census, the fewest of any county in Vermont and in all of New England. Lunenburg, whose village center is Gilman, and Canaan, whose village center is Beecher Falls, are the county’s two largest towns. Median household income here runs well below the Vermont median of $81,211, consistent with the county’s long history as the poorest and most rural corner of the state. Population density is roughly 9 people per square mile, among the lowest anywhere in the northeastern United States.

Economy & Local Life

Forestry and logging remain the backbone of the local economy, feeding sawmills and the wood-products industry that has defined the Northeast Kingdom for generations. Gilman village grew up around a paper mill on the Connecticut River that operated for much of the 20th century before closing; the mill site remains a local landmark even though papermaking has ended. Much of northern Essex County, in and around the towns of Brighton, Ferdinand and Bloomfield, falls within the Nulhegan Basin, a large tract managed as part of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling on the VAST trail network and other outdoor recreation support a modest seasonal tourism trade centered on Island Pond.

History

Essex County was chartered in 1792 and organized as a functioning county government in 1800, taking its name from the county of Essex in England. Abenaki people traveled and camped throughout the region long before European settlement, drawn by the Connecticut River and the county’s lakes. Permanent settlement came slowly and late compared with the rest of Vermont, driven mainly by 19th-century logging, and the county has remained Vermont’s least populous ever since — a status unchanged for well over a century.

Getting There

US Route 2 crosses the southern part of the county through Concord and Lunenburg, Vermont Route 105 runs along the Connecticut River valley through the north, and Vermont Route 114 connects Island Pond south to Caledonia County. There is no scheduled passenger rail or commercial air service in the county.

• St. Johnsbury, Vermont — about 30 miles southwest of Guildhall
• Littleton, New Hampshire — about 20 miles southeast of Guildhall
• Colebrook, New Hampshire — about 15 miles east of Canaan
• Newport, Vermont — about 35 miles northwest of Island Pond

The nearest commercial airport is Burlington International Airport, roughly 75 miles west.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Essex County, Vermont?
It is in the far northeastern corner of Vermont, in the Northeast Kingdom, bordering New Hampshire across the Connecticut River to the east and Quebec, Canada, to the north.

What is the population of Essex County?
5,920 people, per the 2020 census — the fewest of any county in Vermont or New England.

How big is Essex County?
676 square miles (1,750 km2), of which about 12 square miles is water.

What is the county seat of Essex County?
Guildhall is the county seat.

How many towns are in Essex County?
Sixteen towns, plus three unorganized gores and grants (Avery’s Gore, Warner’s Grant and Warren’s Gore) with no town government.

What ZIP codes are in Essex County?
Twelve ZIP codes serve the county, including 05905 (Guildhall), 05846 (Island Pond), 05903 (Canaan) and 05906 (Lunenburg); see the ZIP Codes section above for the full list.

What is Essex County known for?
Its remoteness — it is Vermont’s least populous county, dominated by forestland, and a hub for snowmobiling, hunting and fishing in the Northeast Kingdom.

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