Burlington

Vermont's largest city was not always its most important. When Burlington was chartered in 1763, it was a frontier outpost on the shore of Lake Champlain, vulnerable to raids and far from the centers of power in the Connecticut River valley. The opening of the Champlain Canal in 1823 changed everything, turning Burlington into a major lumber port and commercial center. By the Civil War, Burlington was the state's most populous community, and it has held that position ever since.

Today Burlington is home to about 44,700 people, the University of Vermont (founded 1791), Champlain College, and a downtown that consistently ranks among the most walkable and livable in the country. Church Street Marketplace, a four-block pedestrian mall, is the commercial heart of the city and draws visitors from across the region. The city's progressive political tradition -- Bernie Sanders served as mayor from 1981 to 1989 -- continues to shape local governance and policy.

Burlington operates under a mayor-council form of government, one of the few Vermont municipalities to do so. The 12-member city council represents seven wards, and the city's politics are contested among Democrats, Progressives, and independents in a way that reflects Burlington's position as Vermont's most urban and politically engaged community. The waterfront, once an industrial rail yard, has been transformed into a public park and cultural district that connects the city back to the lake that made it.