Addison County

Chartered in 1785, Addison County stretches from the spine of the Green Mountains west to the shore of Lake Champlain. The county takes its name from Joseph Addison, the English essayist and politician, a choice that reflects the literary aspirations of Vermont's early settlers. Its seat, Middlebury, grew into a center of learning after the founding of Middlebury College in 1800 — one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in New England.

The landscape here is defined by the Champlain Valley's fertile lowlands. Dairy farming has shaped the county's economy for two centuries, and Addison still holds one of the highest concentrations of dairy operations in Vermont. The town of Vergennes, incorporated in 1788, claims the title of the smallest city in the United States at just over one square mile. During the War of 1812, Thomas Macdonough built his fleet at the Vergennes shipyard before defeating the British at the Battle of Plattsburgh.

Today the county is home to roughly 37,000 residents spread across 23 towns. Agriculture shares space with tourism, higher education, and a growing craft economy. The Addison County Courthouse in Middlebury, built in 1883, still houses the county's Superior Court. The sheriff's department and state's attorney operate from the county seat, serving a jurisdiction that covers 770 square miles of valley, forest, and lakeshore.