Northeast Kingdom

Back in 1949, much-loved former Vermont governor and then-U.S. Senator George Aiken referred to the three counties between the Connecticut River and the Canadian border—and their wild, ruggedly beautiful terrain—as the “Northeast Kingdom.” Vermonters have used that name ever since, or “the NEK” or simply, “the Kingdom.”

The most rural area of our rural state, Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom is comprised of three counties: Caledonia, Essex and Orleans. Newport is the region’s only city; there’s also 55 towns, the three most populous being St. Johnsbury, Lyndon, and Derby. The region is known for its independent spirit, and it doesn’t take long for visitors and new residents alike to “get NEKed.”   

The NEK is world-renowned for its immediate proximity to the great outdoors—in 2006, the National Geographic Society named it the nation’s most desirable place to visit, and the ninth most desirable in the world. Outdoor recreation, tourism, and hospitality are the most prominent sectors in the region. Ski resorts like Jay Peak and Burke Mountain (with its Olympian-generating ski Academy) join mountain biking magnet Kingdom Trails in East Burke (one of National Geographic’s Top 20 Best Mountain Bike Towns) in offering first-class recreation year-round.   

The Northeast Kingdom’s diverse economic base is not limited to recreation and hospitality. About 80% of the NEK is forested, supporting a thriving forest products industry of sawmills and furniture makers like national brands Lyndon Furniture and Ethan Allen. Manufacturing also has a strong presence throughout the region.