One of Vermont’s northernmost cities, St. Albans borders Lake Champlain and is just over a 30-minute drive from both Burlington, Vt., and the Canadian border. Home to almost 7,000 people, St. Albans residents have close access to city life in a vibrant, walkable downtown.
Taylor Park hosts live music in summer, and the two blocks surrounding it offer easy access to local restaurants and shopping. Hard’ack Recreation Area offers 200 acres of recreation within St. Albans City, just about a mile from downtown, including disc golf, hiking, and biking in the summer, swimming at a public pool year-round, and in winter, the recreation area makes St. Albans one of the only Vermont cities with its own locally operated ski hill. Sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing at Hard’ack are draws for the whole family.
Hikers and birders can explore Missisquoi Valley Wildlife Refuge, and cyclists and walkers can enjoy the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, a 26-mile path from St. Albans to Richford. When Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is complete, it will connect nearby Swanton to Danville, spanning 93 miles of recreational pathways. Kill Kare State Park, located on a peninsula in St. Albans Bay is a refreshing summer destination for the local community—offering a ferry from the park to Burton Island. Within a 30-minute drive heading north or south you can reach the Champlain Islands – a biking, swimming, paddling, and scenic-drive-worthy destination.
Small towns thrive when the community commits to a high quality of life, and St. Albans has set itself apart in the past decade with an ambitious progression of revitalization and redevelopment projects, including the transformation of downtown spaces into housing and revitalizing the city’s downtown to make it an attractive destination for tourists and residents. Sixty new apartments have just been completed downtown and there are plans for 70 more and beyond, said Chip Sawyer, director of planning and development for the city, with single-family homes being refurbished and built. Those considering relocating to St. Albans can keep up with housing by making connections with area real estate agents and checking with the St. Albans Messenger, the area’s local newspaper.
With all this investment in St. Albans, find the opportunity to put life before work with job opportunities in sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and shipping, with employers like pharmaceuticals manufacturing firm Mylan Technologies, Ben & Jerry’s, which has a manufacturing plant in St. Albans, freight and distribution firm A.N. Deringer, and award-winning hospital Northwestern Medical Center offering career opportunities in the region. Area schools include St. Albans City School and Bellows Free Academy, and St. Albans is about a 30-minute drive from both Champlain College and the University of Vermont. Both federal and state government offices, including U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, offer regional employment.
Located within agriculture-forward Franklin County, St. Albans’ history honors that heritage, from celebrating Vermont’s famed maple syrup industry at Vermont Maple Festival in springtime to Franklin County Field Days in the fall, bringing a tight-knit community together to celebrate the harvest season. Live music by the bay in the summer and the weekly farmers market are some ways to enjoy the local flavor of the city.
St. Albans’ history as a railroad hub continues today, positioning the city as the northern terminus of Amtrak’s Vermonter route. Green Mountain Transit offers both a commuter bus and a downtown shuttle to serve the St. Albans region, and both Interstate 89 and VT Route 7 pass through the city, connecting it to Burlington and the rest of the state. A ferry from nearby Grand Isle connects Vermont to Plattsburgh, N.Y., and international airports in both Montreal, an hour and a half away, and Burlington give St. Albans residents easy access to travel for work or vacation.
Thinking about relocating to St. Albans? Programs both statewide and region-specific can help potential new Vermonters find information, answers to their questions, and planning resources for a move. Kick off a job search by browsing positions currently open in Vermont. Economic development tools, incentives, and special programs can also help those looking to expand or relocate their businesses to Vermont.
