U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a part of the

United States Numbered Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

that runs from

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

to the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

Derby Line, Vermont Derby Line is an incorporated village in the town of Derby in Orleans County, Vermont, United States, slightly north of the 45th parallel, the nominal U.S.-Canada boundary. The population was 687 at the 2020 census. The village is located o ...

. In Vermont, the road runs south–north from the Massachusetts state line near

Guilford Guildford is a town in Surrey, England. It gives its name to the Borough of Guildford, the Diocese of Guildford and the Parliamentary constituency of Guildford. Guildford, Guilford, or Gildford may also refer to: Places Australia * Guildfor ...

to the international border. The that lie in Vermont are maintained by the

Vermont Agency of Transportation The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is a government agency of the state of Vermont that is responsible for planning, constructing, and maintaining a variety of transportation infrastructure in the state. This includes roads, bridges, sta ...

(VTrans) and run largely parallel to

Interstate 91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. The Interstate generally follows the course of the Connecti ...

. US 5 also follows the path of the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

from the Massachusetts border to St. Johnsbury, where the river turns northeast while US 5 continues north. The highway serves the major towns of

Brattleboro Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about nor ...

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

, and St. Johnsbury, along with the city of Newport near the Canadian border. Before the development of the Numbered Highway System, US 5 was designated Route 2 and was part of the

New England road marking system , , , , , The New England road marking system was a regional system of marked numbered routes in the six-state region of New England in the United States. The routes were marked by a yellow rectangular sign with black numbers and border. M ...

that existed from 1922 to 1927. When the Highway System was formed in November 1926, the former Route 2 was commissioned as US 5. At this point, the road was not paved. It was not paved until the state of Vermont started overseeing the maintenance of the highway in 1931. The road was completely paved by 1933.

Route description

US 5 winds through the far eastern part of Vermont, passing through many small towns and villages. The road runs through a fairly rural, wooded area throughout much of its path in Vermont.

Southern Vermont

US 5 enters the southern end of Vermont in Windham County at the Massachusetts–Vermont state line just north of Bernardston and just south of Guilford, Vermont. The route is known as the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Highway from the Massachusetts border to the junction of

Vermont Route 103 Vermont Route 103 (VT 103) is a north–south state highway in southern Vermont, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 5 (US 5) in Rockingham in the east to US 7 in Clarendon near Rutland in the west. The Vermont Country Store's second branc ...

in Rockingham. The road winds through wooded land along the west side of Interstate 91 for its first 8 miles in Vermont. In Brattleboro, Vermont's fourth largest town, US 5 crosses under the interstate and winds through Brattleboro's business district. US 5 also starts a brief concurrency with

Vermont Route 9 Vermont Route 9 (VT 9) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Vermont. The highway runs from the New York state line in Bennington, where it continues west as New York State Route 7 (NY 7), to the New Hampshire state line at the Connecticut ...

that continues for 2.3 miles. North of Brattleboro, after VT 9 turns east, US 5 crosses back over the interstate to the west side. US 5 continues north from Brattleboro, passing near the small towns of

Dummerston Dummerston is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,865 at the 2020 census. It is home to the longest covered bridge still in use in Vermont. Its borders include three main villages: Dummerston Center, West Dumme ...

and

Putney Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ancient paris ...

. North of Putney, it crosses over I-91 to serve the towns of

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

Bellows Falls Bellows Falls is an incorporated village located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,747 at the 2020 census. Bellows Falls is home to the Green Mountain Railroad, a heritage railroad; the ...

, and Rockingham. Near Rockingham, US 5 intersects Vermont Route 103, which picks up the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Highway. US 5 continues north on the east side of the interstate, crossing into Windsor County, for 6.6 miles to

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

, where it crosses to the west side for just under a mile. Here, it picks up a 0.8 mile concurrency with

Vermont Route 11 Vermont Route 11 (VT 11) is a east–west state highway in Vermont, United States. The western end of the highway is at VT 7A in Manchester. The eastern end is at the New Hampshire border at the Cheshire Bridge over the Connecticut River, conne ...

and US 5 crosses back to the east side of Interstate 91 with Route 11. VT 14 south end

Route 5 continues along the east side of Interstate 91 for 20 miles after its concurrency with Route 11. Along this stretch, US 5 passes through

Wilgus State Park Wilgus State Park is a state park in Ascutney, Vermont. The park offers canoeing along the Connecticut River and hiking up the Pinnacle Trail. The park has tent and lean-to sites and is quite close to Mount Ascutney and the Saint-Gaudens National ...

in Ascutney and the town of

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

. In Ascutney, US 5 picks up

Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...

for a 10-mile long concurrency. Route 12 winds along with US 5 through Windsor and across the interstate to Hartland, where it turns northwest away from US 5. North of Hartland, US 5 crosses under

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 Canadian border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all odd-numbered ...

White River Junction White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest co ...

with no interchange and intersects I-91 again. Now on the east side of I-91, US 5 winds around the northwest edge of White River Junction, where it hooks up with

U.S. Route 4 U.S. Route 4 (US 4) is a long United States highway that runs from East Greenbush, New York, in the west to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the east, traversing Vermont. In New York, US 4 is signed North-South to reflect its alignment in the s ...

. Routes 4 and 5 run concurrent for half a mile as a divided four lane surface arterial, crossing the White River. US 5 continues north to the village of Wilder, where it forms the main road of the village. North of Wilder, US 5 crosses Interstate 91 twice. Just north of Norwich, US 5 crosses into

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

and the town of Thetford. US 5 continues north, following the Connecticut River closely for 23 miles until it reaches the town of

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, passing through the small villages of North Thetford and Ely.

Northern Vermont

For around 11 miles north of Bradford, US 5 passes through rural country along the Connecticut River before reaching the village of Wells River. Here, US 5 has a very brief concurrency with

U.S. Route 302 U.S. Route 302 (US 302) is an east–west spur of U.S. Route 2 in northern New England in the United States. It currently runs from Montpelier, Vermont, beginning at US 2, to Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1. It passes through the states of Verm ...

. Continuing north, US 5 crosses into Caledonia County, then travels 11 miles before crossing to the west side of Interstate 91, passing through East Ryegate and

Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) * Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; an ...

. US 5 crosses back and forth across the interstate a couple of times north of Barnet before US 5 and I-91 split at the

Passumpsic River The Passumpsic River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Connecticut River, in Vermont. Though primarily a Caledonia County river, it i ...

, about 2 miles north of Barnet. US 5 winds along the west bank of the Passumpsic, traveling through the town of Passumpsic. US 5 and I-91 meet up again 2 miles north of Passumpsic in the town of St. Johnsbury. It is here in St. Johnsbury that the Connecticut River turns east away from US 5. US5-Newport

US 5 continues north along the Passumpsic River from St. Johnsbury for about 7.5 miles until it reaches the town of

Lyndon Lyndon may refer to: Places * Lyndon, Alberta, Canada * Lyndon, Rutland, East Midlands, England * Lyndon, Solihull, West Midlands, England United States * Lyndon, Illinois * Lyndon, Kansas * Lyndon, Kentucky * Lyndon, New York * Lyndon, Ohio * L ...

. In Lyndon, US 5 splits to the east away from Interstate 91. US 5 passes through West Burke, the

Willoughby State Forest Willoughby State Forest covers in Newark, Sutton and Westmore in Caledonia and Orleans counties in Vermont. The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. Activities include hiking, primitive camping, cross c ...

, and Barton before reaching the town of Orleans, 25 miles north of Lyndon. Along this stretch, US 5 reaches Orleans County. In the town of Orleans, US 5 crosses to the west side of the interstate, concurrent with

Vermont Route 58 Vermont Route 58 (VT 58) is a east–west state highway in Franklin and Orleans counties in northern Vermont, United States. The western terminus of the route is at VT 118 in Montgomery. The eastern terminus of VT 58 is at ...

for half a mile. Route 5 continues north for 10 miles before reaching Newport. Along this 10 mile stretch, the road passes through

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

. In Newport, US 5 picks up a 5-mile long concurrency with

Vermont Route 105 Vermont Route 105 (VT 105) is a state highway located in northern Vermont in the United States. The route runs from U.S. Route 7 (US 7) in St. Albans in the west to the New Hampshire state line in Bloomfield in the east. The road ...

that takes Route 5 across I-91 and into the village of Derby Center. US 5 continues north, crossing I-91 for the last time 2.5 miles north of Derby Center. 6.5 miles north of Derby Center, in the village of Derby Line, US 5 reaches its northern terminus at the international border, across the border from

Stanstead, Quebec Stanstead is a town in the Memphrémagog Regional County Municipality in the Estrie region of Quebec, located on the Canada–United States border across from Derby Line, Vermont. The Town of Stanstead was created in 1995 by the merger of the ...

. US 5 continues past the

Derby Line–Stanstead Border Crossing The Derby Line–Stanstead Border Crossing is a border crossing station on the Canada–United States border, connecting the towns of Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont. It connects Main Street ( U.S. Route 5) in Derby Line with Queb ...

into Quebec as

Quebec Route 143 Route 143 is a north/south highway on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River. Until the mid-1970s when the province decided to renumber all highways other than autoroutes, it was known as Route/Highway 5. Its northern terminus is in Saint- ...

History

In 1922, before the United States Numbered Highway System's creation, US 5 traversed through Vermont as New England Route 2, the Connecticut River Way. 5 years later in 1927, at the creation of the highway system, Route 2 was almost completely overtaken by the new U.S. Route 5. At its original designation, US 5 mostly followed Route 2's path, except for a temporary routing into New Hampshire. From 1927 to 1929, US 5 crossed the Connecticut River at

, VT into North Walpole, NH and wound along the river to Charlestown, NH where it crossed back into Vermont. US 5 was not maintained by the state of Vermont until the creation of the state highway system in 1931. At this point, US 5 was not paved. The state of Vermont started paving the route in 1931 and it was completed by 1933.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:U.S. Route 05 in Vermont Brattleboro, Vermont Transportation in Caledonia County, Vermont Transportation in Orange County, Vermont Transportation in Orleans County, Vermont Transportation in Windham County, Vermont Transportation in Windsor County, Vermont 05-0 Vermont