Orleans County, Vermont

Orleans County is a county in Vermont, United States, in the Northeast Kingdom along the Canadian border. It had a population of 27,393 at the 2020 census and covers 721 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 693 square miles is land and 28 square miles is water, centred near 44°50′N 72°15′W.

Newport is the county seat and its postal code is 05855. The county has one city and eighteen towns, several of which contain a separately named incorporated village or postal hamlet, plus a handful of unincorporated crossroads. Orleans County is in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Orleans County

Orleans County’s 19 towns and city (Newport) are its primary units of local government — Vermont has no separate civil townships, so a “town” here is both the county subdivision and the municipality. Many of these towns contain a smaller named village or hamlet, listed below under its parent town. Populations shown are 2020 census figures for incorporated towns and the city; villages and hamlets within a town are not separately counted by the census and are marked with —.

Two of Orleans County’s places sit directly on the international boundary: Derby Line’s Main Street runs along the Canada–U.S. border with Stanstead, Quebec, and Beebe Plain adjoins Beebe, Quebec, in the same way. Newport town surrounds but is administratively separate from Newport city, which was set off as its own municipality in 1918.

ZIP Codes

• 05855 — Newport (city)
• 05857 — Newport Center (also serves Newport town)
• 05860 — Orleans (also serves Barton)
• 05822 — Barton
• 05875 — Barton (PO box)
• 05829 — Derby
• 05830 — Derby Line
• 05823 — Beebe Plain
• 05868 — Troy
• 05859 — North Troy
• 05845 — Irasburg
• 05847 — Lowell
• 05826 — Craftsbury
• 05827 — Craftsbury Common
• 05839 — Glover
• 05841 — Greensboro
• 05842 — Greensboro Bend
• 05820 — Albany
• 05825 — Coventry
• 05874 — Westfield
• 05853 — Morgan
• 05872 — West Charleston (also serves Charleston)
• 05833 — East Charleston

Brownington, Holland, Jay, and Westmore have no post office of their own and use a neighboring town’s ZIP code for mail.

Geography

Orleans County sits in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, a hilly, heavily forested region on the western slope of the Green Mountains’ northern extension. Jay Peak, at 3,858 feet, is the county’s highest point, on the Franklin County line; Lake Memphremagog, which straddles the Vermont–Quebec border at Newport, marks its lowest elevation at 682 feet. The county’s other large lake, Lake Willoughby, lies between Westmore and the Willoughby Gap, a narrow notch flanked by Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor. The Black and Barton rivers drain most of the county north into Lake Memphremagog.

Orleans County borders Essex County to the east, Caledonia County to the south, Lamoille County to the southwest, and Franklin County to the west, all in Vermont, and the Quebec municipalities of the Régional County Municipality of Coaticook and Memphrémagog to the north.

Bordering U.S. counties: Essex County (east), Caledonia County (south), Lamoille County (southwest), and Franklin County (west).

Demographics

Orleans County had a population of 27,393 at the 2020 census. Derby, at 4,579, and Newport city, at 4,455, are its two largest municipalities, together holding roughly a third of the county’s residents. Median household income in the county runs below the Vermont median of $81,211 — Orleans has recorded among the lowest median incomes and highest poverty rates of Vermont’s 14 counties in recent decades. With 693 square miles of land, the county’s overall population density works out to about 39.5 people per square mile, well below the statewide average, reflecting its large rural towns.

Economy & Local Life

Dairy farming has long anchored Orleans County’s economy, though the number of working farms has fallen for decades; the county also produces maple syrup and, historically, hops. North Country Hospital in Newport is one of the area’s largest employers, alongside Jay Peak Resort in the town of Jay, a four-season ski and golf resort near the Quebec border that draws both Vermont and Canadian visitors. Newport’s downtown sits directly on Lake Memphremagog, and a growing share of the county’s housing stock is second homes tied to lake and ski tourism. Craftsbury is home to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, a nordic-skiing and rowing training facility with a national reputation.

History

Orleans County was created by the Vermont legislature in 1792 and organized in 1799, carved from Chittenden and Orange counties as the state filled in its northern townships. Its name most likely honors Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, a cousin of King Louis XVI who supported the French Revolution — a naming pattern shared with several other Vermont counties chosen in the years after independence. Newport city was incorporated separately from Newport town in 1918, splitting the lakeside village from the surrounding rural town. The county’s location on the Canadian border shaped its early economy around cross-border trade and, in Prohibition years, smuggling routes through towns like Derby Line and North Troy.

Getting There

Interstate 91 runs the length of Orleans County north–south, crossing into Quebec at Derby Line; U.S. Route 5 parallels it through Newport and Derby, and Vermont Route 14 and Route 100 serve the county’s western towns.

• Burlington, Vt. — 75 miles southwest
• St. Johnsbury, Vt. — 30 miles southeast
• Montpelier, Vt. — 55 miles south
• Sherbrooke, Quebec — 45 miles north

The nearest commercial airport is Burlington International Airport (BTV), about 75 miles southwest; Newport State Airport, a small general-aviation field, is just outside the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Orleans County, Vermont?
It is in the Northeast Kingdom of northeastern Vermont, on the Canadian border, roughly 75 miles northeast of Burlington.

What is the population of Orleans County?
27,393 people, at the 2020 census.

How big is Orleans County?
721 square miles (1,870 km2), of which 693 square miles is land.

What is the county seat of Orleans County?
Newport is the county seat.

How many towns are in Orleans County?
One city, Newport, and eighteen towns, several with their own named village center.

What ZIP codes are in Orleans County?
Main ones include 05855 (Newport), 05829 (Derby), 05822 (Barton), 05868 (Troy), and 05826 (Craftsbury), among others listed above.

What lake is in Orleans County?
Lake Memphremagog, which crosses into Quebec at Newport, and Lake Willoughby, a glacial lake between Westmore and the Willoughby Gap.

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