Vermont, one of the New England states, is small both in population (49th of 50) and land area (45th). Yet the “Green Mountain State” packs plenty of natural beauty and small-town charm into a small package! Without any big cities, Vermont truly is a place defined by its small towns, which are full of history and populated by welcoming and proud locals. Among Vermont’s dozens of postcard-pretty small towns, check out our list of seven of the most adorable.

Brattleboro

Brattleboro is a popular day-trip destination for visitors from Vermont as well as New Hampshire, which is just across the Connecticut River, and Massachusetts, which is only a few miles away. This community of 12,000 has a classic downtown area, lined with red-brick buildings housing a nice range of shops and eateries. Your walking tour also has to include Brattleboro’s Municipal Center, housed in the Gothic-style former high school. Visit in summer to enjoy great kayaking on the river, or come in wintertime to hit the ski slopes on nearby Mount Snow. If you enjoy quirky musical instrument museums, check out the Estey Organ Museum.

Grafton

From its spot in the Green Mountains, Grafton has been an important stagecoach stop, a soapstone mining center, and a home to textile mills along the Saxtons River. Several historic buildings, most notably the 1801 Grafton Inn, have witnessed Grafton’s past and now serve its present as a tourist destination. This town of only 600 also has two great museums, the Grafton Historical Society Museum, and the Grafton Nature Museum. Be sure to take a photo at the classic McWilliam Covered Bridge, then sample the wares of the nearby Grafton Village Cheese Company.

Manchester

Manchester has become a popular regional shopping destination because of the Manchester Designer Outlets, but you will enjoy visiting the town even if you are not looking for name-brand deals. The downtown area offers local boutique shopping and three historic districts, and Manchester’s architectural highlights include the 1905 Hildene House, a luxurious former summer home with fantastic gardens. If you prefer a bigger challenge than a garden stroll, try hiking the trails up Mount Equinox to enjoy stunning views of the Green Mountains to the East and the Taconic Mountains to the West.

Montpelier

Montpelier, with only about 8,000 residents, is the smallest state capital in the nation, giving it a unique combination of small-town charm and capital-city amenities. The Vermont State House, Vermont History Museum, and other state-affiliated institutions give visitors plenty to explore, yet you can also enjoy a quiet stroll down Montpelier’s quaint State Street business corridor. Surprisingly enough, though, many locals think the best walking spot in Montpelier is Green Mount Cemetery, which pairs ornate funerary architecture with lush rolling hills. The Winooski River, which unfortunately causes occasional flooding issues, also offers opportunities for boating and kayaking.

Shelburne

The town of Shelburne might occupy the ideal location in Vermont—alongside Lake Champlain, fewer than ten miles from Burlington, and within sight of the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. No matter the time of year, but most especially when the fall colors are at their peak, Shelburne is perfect for a nature walk along the glistening lakeshore. Shelburne also has a nice collection of visitor attractions, including the Shelburne Museum (home to the steamboat SS Ticonderoga), the Vermont Teddy Bear Company factory, and Shelburne Farms (a sustainable agriculture educational nonprofit).

Stowe

Skiers know Stowe, home to Stowe Mountain Resort, as one of the premier ski spots in the eastern United States. Meanwhile, lovers of classic films may recognize Stowe as home to the Trapp Family Lodge, founded by the singing von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame in the 1940s. Artists also have an affection for Stowe, which is a haven for painters and home to renowned galleries like the Helen Day Art Center and Northwood Gallery. And, if you still have not found a reason to visit, Stowe has a picture-perfect New England downtown and is considered one of the best fall foliage viewing areas in the region!

Woodstock

In the era before electricity, the town of Woodstock grew wealthy by harnessing the flow of the Ottauquechee River to power numerous wool and textile mills. While the mills have long since shuttered, several of the finest homes from that era were preserved, with some now serving as charming bed-and-breakfasts. Woodstock still looks and feels like a classic New England town, with a covered bridge, a weekly farmer’s market, and a “town crier” message board in the heart of downtown. This town of 3,000 also hosts several fun community events, including the annual Harvest Weekend in October and Wassail Weekend each December.

Plan Your Vermont Adventure Today!

Vermonters are overwhelmingly proud of their unique little state, including its many classic small towns. While famous for their independent spirit, nearly all the residents of these communities are also extremely welcoming to visitors who want to experience small-town life in the Green Mountain State. So do not delay in making your 2024 Vermont travel plans—no matter the time of year, you will have a fantastic experience exploring its adorable small towns!

ADDISON COUNTY — Police on Thursday evening arrested a Hinesburg man and an Essex woman for allegedly kidnapping a Starksboro resident this past Saturday.

After Vermont State Police put out a request for the public’s help in finding Anthony Seagroves, 32, and Katelynn Cannon, 28, troopers and Hinesburg police arrested Seagroves and Cannon without incident at a home on Richmond Road in Hinesburg at around 8:35 p.m. on Thursday, June 13.

Seagroves was cited for kidnapping and first degree aggravated domestic assault. Cannon was cited for aiding in the felony and for first degree aggravated assault.

They alleged that Seagroves initially had harassed “an adult household member” into his car with a baseball bat, and both Seagroves and Cannon restrained and harmed the victim. The report detailed that both had “physically assaulted and attempted to cause serious bodily injury” to the victim. Police declined to describe the physical condition of the kidnapped person or even say whether they were found until Seagroves and Cannon are arraigned on Friday.

According to a state police press release, on Thursday, Jun. 13, Burlington Police Department spotted Seagroves and attempted to take him into custody, but he fled in a gray Honda CR-V with Vermont license place. They said Cannon was likely driving the car. Later that evening, police caught up with the pair in Hinesburg.

Troopers were assisted by the Burlington, Essex, Hinesburg, Shelburne and University of Vermont police departments.

Vermont’s governor has vetoed a broad data privacy bill that would have been one of the strongest in the country to crack down on companies’ use of online personal data by letting consumers file civil lawsuits against companies that break certain privacy rules.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in his veto message late Thursday that the legislation would have made Vermont “a national outlier and more hostile than any other state to many businesses and non-profits.”

“I appreciate this provision is narrow in its impact, but it will still negatively impact mid-sized employers, and is generating significant fear and concern among many small businesses,” he wrote.

The legislation would have prohibited the sale of sensitive data, such as social security and driver’s license numbers, as well as financial information and health data. It also would have set meaningful limits on the amount of personal data that companies can collect and use, according to the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center based in Washington, D.C.

The Democrat-controlled Legislature plans to override the governor’s veto when it meets for a special session on Monday. The bill passed 139-3 in the House and a flurry of amendments were made in the final days of the session.

“Our collective efforts brought forth legislation that not only reflects our commitment to consumer protection from scams and identity theft but also sets a standard for the nation,” House Speaker Jill Krowinski, a Democrat, said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that so much misinformation has been spread about this bill, but we know that Big Tech and their deep pockets are fearful of no longer having unrestricted access to Vermonters’ personal information.”

More than a dozen states have comprehensive data privacy laws. When the Vermont legislature passed the bill, Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of EPIC, said the legislation was “among the strongest, if not the strongest” in the country. EPIC is urging the Legislature to override the governor’s veto.

“The Vermont Data Privacy Act would have provided Vermonters with meaningful privacy rights that are lacking from other state laws, and would have rightly provided them with the opportunity to enforce those rights,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.

Scott said he also had concerns about the provision aimed at protecting children, saying that similar legislation in California “has already been stopped by the courts for likely First Amendment violations” and the state should await the outcome of that case.

The Vermont Kids Code Coalition said the legislation is different than California’s and is constitutionally sound.

Much of the legislation would have gone into effect in 2025. The ability for consumers to sue would have happened in 2027 and expired in 2029, with a study to look at its effectiveness and risks.