Vermont Facts

State Population: 619,107 
State Capitol: Montpelier
Origin of state's name: Based on "verts monts," French for green mountains
Highest Elevation: Mt. Mansfield, 4,395.3 ft.
Lowest Elevation: Lake Champlain shoreline, 95 ft.

The Green Mountain State is bordered by Canada, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

Vermont has 223 mountains over 2,000 feet in elevation.

Lake Champlain is the nation's sixth largest fresh water lake.

Vermont 's agriculture is very diverse. Approximately 6,000 farms in Vermont produce everything from emus to sheep's milk cheese. Nearly a million and a half acres of Vermont land are in agriculture, sustaining the pastoral landscape that has made Vermont famous.

Dairying is the primary farm industry in Vermont, producing more than two billion pounds of milk annually. Approximately half the milk consumed in New England is produced on Vermont farms. In ratio of cows to people, Vermont has the greatest number of dairy cows in the country.

Vermont is America 's largest producer of maple syrup, marble, and monument granite.

Vermont has hundreds of roadside farm stands, and dozens of farmers markets. The farms in our rural communities provide a sense of place, an identity, and a connection to land and heritage that is invaluable to Vermonters. As one farmer put it, " Vermont without farms could still be a good place, but it could never be Vermont."

Vermont government is distinctive for its local tradition of Town Meeting Day, held the first Tuesday in March. In many towns and villages, municipal and school budgets are voted from the floor as they have been for nearly 200 years.

Higher education is a significant industry in Vermont, employing an estimated 8,500 people. In 1996, more than 45,000 students were enrolled in public and private universities and colleges in Vermont.

The largest and oldest institution, the University of Vermont in Burlington, was founded in 1791. Norwich University in Northfield, established in 1819, is the oldest private military college in the United States.

Emma Willard, a crusader for women's rights in education, was a Vermonter, as was John Dewey, who is regarded as the father of modern progressive education in America.

Vermont enjoys four distinct seasons, and thanks to its diverse geography, distinctive regional weather. Below, with the help of the folks at Harris-Mann Climatology in Colchester, we've compiled weather statistics from around the state to help you plan your visit:

A statistical snapshot of what you'll find in DERBY on the Vermont/Canada border.

Here's what to expect in MIDDLEBURY, located in the southern Champlain Valley.

For more facts and figures on our beloved state, visit VermontVacation.com.