Killington

Before the ski lifts and condominiums, Killington was a quiet mountain town in Rutland County known as Sherburne. The name change to Killington came in 1999, reflecting the reality that the ski resort had become the town's defining feature. Killington Peak, at 4,235 feet the second-highest summit in Vermont, anchors a resort complex that is one of the largest ski areas in the eastern United States, with seven mountain areas and over 150 trails.

The town's population is about 1,400 year-round residents, but that number balloons during ski season and summer recreation periods. The Appalachian Trail and Long Trail pass through town, and the Killington area has become a year-round destination with mountain biking, golf, and events that draw visitors well beyond the winter months. The town's economy is almost entirely tourism-dependent.

Killington's town meeting and selectboard manage local affairs in a community where the relationship between a global resort brand and a small Vermont town creates unique governance challenges — from road maintenance during peak seasons to balancing commercial development with the character of the surrounding Green Mountain landscape.