South Burlington is a city in

Chittenden County, Vermont Chittenden County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, its population was 168,323. The county seat is Vermont's most populous municipality, the city of Burlington. The county has over a quarte ...

, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a

principal city In the United States, a principal city is the largest incorporated place with a population of at least 10,000 in a core-based statistical area (CBSA) or New England city and town area (NECTA), or if no incorporated place of least 10,000 populati ...

of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292, making it the second-most populous city in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

after Burlington. It is home to the headquarters of

Ben & Jerry's Ben & Jerry's Homemade Holdings Inc., trading and commonly known as Ben & Jerry's, is an American company that manufactures ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet. Founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, the company went from a single ice cream p ...

and the state of Vermont's largest mall, the University Mall.

History

The area of South Burlington was first granted by the

Province of New Hampshire The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony and later a British province in New England. It corresponds to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was named after the Englis ...

as part of Burlington township on June 7, 1763. The Town of Burlington was organized ''circa'' 1785. In 1865, the unincorporated village of Burlington was chartered as a city. The remaining area of the town of Burlington was incorporated by charter of the State of Vermont as a separate town with the name South Burlington in the same year, 1865. The Town of South Burlington was later incorporated as a city in 1971, becoming the City of South Burlington.

City Center Initiative

The City Center Initiative is a proposal to create a walkable downtown for South Burlington. The city is investing in infrastructure to support gathering spaces, mobility, and economic vitality. The over 300-acre area targeted to be developed and redeveloped is zoned for mixed-use including residential, commercial, and cultural spaces. The main components under design or construction by the city are a city hall, senior center and public library, streets, and parks. Two main streets, Market Street, and Garden Street form the central routes through "City Center". These streets include bicycle and walking facilities. Market Street, already completed, is lined with trees, and include stormwater infiltration surfaces. Along Market Street mixed-use buildings are in construction primarily for use by lower-level retail and upper-level residential units. In addition, a 7+ acre plot has been redeveloped as a public park, with walking paths through a forest, a children's discovery area, and natural art landmarks.

Geography

Located in western Chittenden County, South Burlington is bordered by the municipalities of Burlington to the northwest, Winooski and

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

to the north,

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

to the northeast, Williston to the east, Shelburne to the south, and Shelburne Bay on

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

to the west. A large portion of Lake Champlain west of Burlington, extending west to the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

state line, is also part of South Burlington. The

Winooski River The Winooski River (also known as the Onion River) is a tributary of Lake Champlain, about long, in the northern half of Vermont. Although not Vermont's longest river, it is one of the state's most significant, forming a major valley way fro ...

runs along the northern edges of the city on its borders with Winooski, Colchester, and Essex. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 44.25%, is water.

Demographics

South Burlington is a principal city of the

Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area The Burlington metropolitan area is a metropolitan area consisting of the three Vermont counties of Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle. The metro area is anchored by the principal cities of Burlington, South Burlington, St. Albans, Winoo ...

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, the

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 8,429 housing units at an average density of .

2020 census

The 2020 census reports there were 20,277 people living in South Burlington. There were 8,764 households and the average number of persons residing in one household was 2.15. Race and ethnicity as of the Census Population Estimates, July 1, 2022, estimates: The median income for a household in the city in 2021 dollars, 2017-2021 was $83,750.

Employment and income

70.9% of people 16 and older in South Burlington are in the labor force. By sector, the labor force in South Burlington is concentrated in a few main sectors: *34.2% employed in educational services, health care, and social assistance *11.4% employed in manufacturing *9.1% employed in arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services *9.0% employed in retail *9.0% employed in professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management servicesU.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates The median household income was $73,605 in 2019 and 25.2% of families have total annual income between $100,000–$150,000. The unemployment rate in 2019 was 4.4%.

Economy

South Burlington has a largely service-based economy. There are 191 businesses in retail trade, mainly concentrated around City Center near Dorset Street and Williston Road. There are 131 establishments in health care and assistance and 116 in professional, scientific, and technical service industries. In 2020, South Burlington was first in the state for gross retail and use sales with $1,385,886,972. Real estate, rental, and leasing operations had a sales value of $86,976,000 in 2012. Some of the major employers in South Burlington are the

Vermont National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

, GE Healthcare,

Fairpoint Communications FairPoint Communications, Inc. was an American operator of communication services. FairPoint's services include local and long-distance phone service, data, Internet, broadband, television, business communications solutions and fiber services. H ...

, Lane Press, and Halyard Brewing Co. South Burlington is home to

CommutAir CommuteAir is a regional airline of the United States founded in 1989. Today, CommuteAir operates more than 1,600 weekly flights, exclusively on behalf of United Express, serving over 75 U.S. destinations and 3 in Mexico. CommuteAir's fleet of E ...

, a regional airline, and is headquartered in the city by the airport. Other important economic forces in South Burlington include the University Mall, Vermont's largest mall, four grocery stores centrally located in City Center, and the Development Plan for City Center.

Parks and recreation

South Burlington is home to a variety of parks that have various walking trails with various amenities for all ages. All parks have parking available. *''Red Rocks Park'' is a public park and beach on the shores of

. *''Farrell Park'' is a 22-acre park with a playground, picnic area, has access to pedestrian trails and an off-leash dog park. *''Overlook Park'' is a scenic park overlooking Lake Champlain and the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York (state), New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the hi ...

. *''Veterans Memorial Park'' (also known as Dorset Park) is the city's most well-known park. It has three baseball fields, one basketball court, a playground, and Cairns Arena, the high school's hockey arena, is close by. *''Jaycee Park'' has a playground, basketball court, and open space for people to use. *''Szymanski Park'' is located in the South End of the city. It has a basketball court, tennis courts, a playground, picnic area, access to recreational and pedestrian trails. *'' Wheeler Nature Park'', a park located just south of Veterans Memorial Park, with one hiking trail and scenic views of

Mount Mansfield Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont, reaching an elevation of above sea level. Located in the northwest of the state, it is also the highest peak in the Green Mountains. Its summit is located within the town of Underhill, Vermon ...

Government

The city government is a council–manager form of government with five at-large city council members. Budgets must be approved by voters. The city budget for 2021 was $26,599,754. The city maintains roads, recreation paths and parks, and recreation, planning and zoning, fire and police departments as will as a city clerk's office and city manager's office. The city clerk is elected by the voters and the city manager is appointed by the city council. The city also has a sewer (water quality), stormwater, and water utility.

Education

Elementary schools

*Chamberlin School (public) *Orchard School (public) *Rick Marcotte Central School (public) *The Schoolhouse (private, independent)

Middle schools

*Frederick H. Tuttle Middle School (the city's only public middle school) * Vermont Commons School (private, independent)

High schools

Rice Memorial High School Rice Memorial High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary and college preparatory school in South Burlington, Vermont. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington. The student body is mostly drawn from Northern and Centr ...

(private,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

) *

South Burlington High School South Burlington High School (SBHS) is a public secondary school in the suburban municipality of South Burlington, Vermont, United States. The school colors are blue and grey and the nickname is the Wolves. Enrollment in 2022 was 887. History ...

(the city's only public high school) * Vermont Commons School (private, independent)

Media

Newspapers

*''The Other Paper'', a weekly newspaper published since 1977. Now owned by the

Vermont Community Newspaper Group The Vermont Community Newspaper Group is a media company and publisher of five weekly newspapers and multiple magazines in the U.S. state of Vermont. History After owning the Stowe Reporter for 17 years, publisher Biddle Duke sold a majority ...

Television

WCAX-TV WCAX-TV (channel 3) is a television station licensed to Burlington, Vermont, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Burlington, Vermont–Plattsburgh, New York media market, market. It is owned by Gray Media alongside Saranac Lake, ...

WPTZ WPTZ (channel 5) is a television station licensed to Plattsburgh, New York, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Burlington, Vermont–Plattsburgh, New York market. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Montpelier, Vermo ...

– Although licensed to

Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The population of the sur ...

, the station relocated their main studio facility to the same building in South Burlington that contains the Ben & Jerry's headquarters in the fall of 2019.

Radio

WXXX WXXX (95.5 FM, ''95 Triple X'') is a commercial radio station licensed to South Burlington, Vermont, and serving the Champlain Valley. The station is owned by Sison Broadcasting, and airs a top 40–contemporary hit radio format. WXXX's studios ...

– 95.5 FM (95 Triple X) (

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

)

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airport

Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport provides the area with commercial service to major regional hubs and international airports. Despite its name, it is located in South Burlington, although the land it is located on is owned and operated by the neighboring City of Burlington, Vermont's most populous municipality. It originally did not offer scheduled commercial flights to destinations outside the United States, although it now has a Customs Port of Entry. The name dates to a time when it offered flights to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. From 2011 to 2018, there were seasonal flights to Billy Bishop Airport in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Bus service is provided by

Green Mountain Transit Green Mountain Transit (GMT) is the regional public transit system based in Burlington, Vermont, which was formed in 2016 through the merger of two more localized transit systems: the Chittenden County Transportation Authority and the Green Mount ...

. The airport is the base of the

Vermont Air National Guard The Vermont Air National Guard (VT ANG) is the aerial militia of the Vermont, State of Vermont, United States, United States of America. It is a reserve of the United States Air Force and along with the Vermont Army National Guard an element of ...

and an Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) of the

Vermont Army National Guard The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys. Both units use the original Revolutionary War-era Flag of the Green Mo ...

. The airport is the muster point for the Air Wing of the Vermont State Guard.

Major highways

US7 looking south in South Burlington VT

Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all ...

Interstate 189 Interstate 189 (I-189) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in Chittenden County, Vermont. The spur extends for from I-89 exit 13 in South Burlington to US Route 7 (US 7) at the Burlington city limit. I-189 is the only auxiliary ...

U.S. Route 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected ...

U.S. Route 7 U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in western New England that runs for through the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 (I-95) e ...

* (Vermont Route 116)

has two interchanges serving the city. Exit 13 merges with

I-189 Interstate 189 (I-189) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in Chittenden County, Vermont. The spur extends for from I-89 exit 13 in South Burlington to US Route 7 (US 7) at the Burlington city limit. I-189 is the only auxiliary ...

, which ends at Shelburne Road (U.S. Route 7). The second interchange, Exit 14, is the state of Vermont's largest highway exit and merges onto U.S. Route 2. Exit 14E merges onto Williston Road and Dorset Street in South Burlington. Exit 14W is the main exit into Burlington and becomes Main Street in the Burlington city limits, by the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, commonly referred to as the University of Vermont (UVM), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont, United States. Foun ...

goes east–west, connecting two of the city's main commercial roads, Shelburne Road (U.S. Route 7) and Dorset Street. (Vermont Route 116) runs north–south into South Burlington, with the northern terminus being at a junction at U.S. Route 2 (Williston Road).

Notable people

Kerstin Anderson Kerstin Bridget Anderson (born September 10, 1994) is an American stage actor and singer. She starred as Maria Von Trapp in the 2015 U.S. national tour of ''The Sound of Music'', for which she received warm praise. She made her Broadway debut a ...

, stage actress * Harry Bliss, cartoonist and illustrator * Ronald Braunstein, conductor * Louvenia Bright, first Black woman to serve in the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly", but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

Jim Condos James Christos Condos (born January 29, 1951) is an American politician from Vermont. He is a former Vermont Secretary of State and former Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate, representing the Chittenden senate district. The distric ...

Secretary of State of Vermont The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repr ...

and former member of the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator repre ...

and South Burlington City Council * Jason Chin, author of award-winning book ''Redwoods''; resides in South Burlington *

Garry Davis Sol Gareth "Garry" Davis (27 July 1921 – 24 July 2013) was an international peace activist best known for Relinquishment of United States nationality, renouncing his American citizenship and interrupting the United Nations in 1948 to advocat ...

, world citizen, peace activist, founder of the

World Service Authority The World Service Authority (WSA), founded in 1953 by Garry Davis, is a non-profit organization that claims to educate about and promote "world citizenship", "world law", and world government. It is best known for selling unofficial fantasy d ...

and creator of the

World Passport The World Passport is a fantasy travel document sold by the World Service Authority, a non-profit organization founded by Garry Davis in 1954.

* John Dooley, former associate justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The court ...

Jack Du Brul Jack Du Brul (born October 15, 1968 in Burlington, Vermont) is an American author who writes techno-thriller novels. Early life Du Brul remained in Vermont throughout his childhood. He attended the Westminster School (Connecticut), Westminster S ...

, ''New York Times'' bestselling author; resides in South Burlington * Christian Hansen Jr., U.S. Marshal for Vermont and member of the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives a ...

Benjamin N. Hulburd Benjamin Noyes Hulburd (May 21, 1898 – April 9, 1964) was an American attorney, politician, and judge who served as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1955 to 1959, and chief justice from 1959 to 1963. Early life and educat ...

, former chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court *

Major Jackson Major Jackson (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American poet and professor at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of six collections of poetry: ''Razzle Dazzle: New & Selected Poems 2002-2022'' (W.W. Norton, 2023), ''The Absurd Ma ...

, poet *

Jack Leggett Jack Leggett (born March 5, 1954) is an American college baseball coach. He was recently the head coach of the Clemson Tigers from 1994 to 2015. Under Leggett, the Tigers reached the College World Series six times. As of the end of the 2012 ...

, collegiate baseball coach * Aaron Miller, retired NHL player and Olympic medalist (one silver and one bronze); resides in South Burlington *

Mike Rochford Michael Joseph Rochford (born March 14, 1963) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox. He also pitched for the Yakult Swallows at the end of the 1990 season. A , 205 lbs. left-ha ...

, pitcher with the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

and

Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams in Tokyo, the other being the Yomiuri G ...

; was raised and played high school baseball for South Burlington *

Barbara Snelling Barbara Tuttle Snelling (; March 22, 1928November 2, 2015) was an American politician who served as the 78th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1993 to 1997. She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in 1996 while campaigning for governor. She was ele ...

, former

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the Governor of Vermont, governor. The Vermont lieutenant governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state o ...

, member of the Vermont Senate and First Lady of Vermont *

Martin St. Louis Martin St. Louis (French spelling Martin St-Louis, ; born June 18, 1975) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player who is the head coach for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). An undrafted player, St. ...

, retired NHL player and current head coach of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

; resides in South Burlington * Charles Tetzlaff, United States Attorney for the District of Vermont *

Devon Teuscher Devon Teuscher (born 1989) is an American ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. Early life Teuscher began her dance training at the age of nine. As a student, Teuscher attended The Kirov Academy of Ballet, Pac ...

principal dancer A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. A principal may be either gender. The position is similar to that of ''Soloist (ballet), solois ...

with the

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...

References

External links

South Burlington official websiteLake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control Cities in Vermont Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area Cities in Chittenden County, Vermont 1763 establishments in New Hampshire Populated places established in 1763