Addison County & Middlebury, VT, Travel Guide & Information | Discovery Map

Situated in western Vermont about midway within the state, Addison County and Middlebury, its county seat, boast a rich history, some of which dates as far back as the seventeenth century. Sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains of New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont, its location proved particularly strategic during the early history of America. Today this geographic emplacement between two old mountain ranges adds immensely to the experience here whether you’re recreating or just enjoying the scenery from the seat of your car.

The Iroquois first inhabited this land and then the Europeans began to arrive in the early part of the 1600s. Lake Champlain, the 107-mile freshwater lake that borders Addison County to the west, facilitated transportation in these parts throughout the centuries. From trappers arriving from Canada to the colonists traveling these waters in an attempt to defeat the British during the Revolutionary War, Lake Champlain has long played a pivotal role in forming the history of the area.

As you travel through these parts, there’s no mistaking that you’re in Vermont, the Green Mountain state. From the rambling country roads and covered bridges to the verdant hills and valleys to the old red barns and grazing cows to the painted wooden farmhouses and the stacks of wood for sale by the roadside (obtained with payment on the honor system) and so much more, when you’re in Vermont, you know it because no other place exudes the same type of agrarian charm. Most everyone that comes here wants to pack up a piece of this sweet, peaceful state and bring it home.

Fortunately you can do that with photos as well as with an array of made in Vermont items that you’ll want to purchase for yourself and for gifts. (Thankfully many businesses do ship.) It’s unclear whether or not Vermonters invented the country store but know that that concept is indeed alive and well throughout the state. And even in larger shopping emporiums, they have a way of presenting their often jumbled selection of goods in a more down-to-earth manner.