Grand Isle County

Four islands and a peninsula make up Grand Isle County — the smallest county in Vermont by area and one of the smallest in the nation. Organized in 1802, it consists of the towns of Grand Isle, North Hero, South Hero, Isle La Motte, and the Alburgh peninsula, all situated in the northern reaches of Lake Champlain. The county covers just 83 square miles of land, though its jurisdiction extends across considerably more water.

Isle La Motte holds a geological distinction: the Fisk Quarry Reef, exposed along the island's western shore, contains 480-million-year-old fossils from the Chazy Reef, one of the oldest reef systems on Earth. The island is also the site of Fort Ste. Anne, built by the French in 1666, making it the oldest European settlement in Vermont. North Hero, the county seat, was named for Ethan Allen — the "hero" of Ticonderoga — and his brother Ira, who owned much of the island.

Summer tourism has been the economic backbone for over a century. The islands' quiet roads, lakefront camps, and apple orchards draw visitors from Burlington (a short causeway ride away) and Montreal. Year-round population hovers around 7,000, though that number swells in July and August. The county courthouse in North Hero, a modest building on Route 2, houses the Superior Court, while the sheriff's department and state's attorney manage the affairs of Vermont's most water-bound jurisdiction.