Washington County

Location and Geography

Washington County occupies the center of Vermont, where the Winooski River cuts through the Green Mountains on its way to Lake Champlain. Its main towns, Montpelier, Barre and Waterbury, lie along the river and its tributaries, while the Mad River flows north through the valley of Warren, Waitsfield and Fayston.

Notable Features

Montpelier is the least populous state capital in the United States, with a gold-domed State House, and neighboring Barre has been known since the 19th century for its granite quarries. Mad River Glen, one of the few ski areas that admit skiers only, keeps its historic Single Chair, and Sugarbush spreads across the slopes of Lincoln Peak and Mount Ellen.

Culture and Heritage

The Great Eddy Covered Bridge, built in 1833 over the Mad River in Waitsfield, is one of the oldest covered bridges still in use in Vermont, and much of the county's high country lies in the Green Mountain National Forest and Camel's Hump State Park.