Montpelier is located in a picturesque valley along the Winooski River in Central Vermont. As the nation's smallest state capital, Montpelier's intimate size, historic neighborhoods, and diverse community make it a wonderful city in which to visit, live, and do business. While best known as Vermont's capital city, Montpelier is also known for its many institutions of higher learning, its national insurance company headquarters, its historic and architectural riches, its location in the heart of Vermont ski country, and its being a great place to just be. Montpelier is the county seat of Washington County.

Montpelier is a unique, small-town yet cosmopolitan city that offers an outstanding environment in which to live, work, and visit. Despite its relatively small population, Montpelier offers amenities similar to larger cities due to the large influx of people during the work day, its strong economic base, and role as the seat of state government. Its location in the Winooski River Valley contributes to a setting where the State House and surrounding historic neighborhoods are framed by wooded hillsides. The confluence of the North Branch River and the Winooksi River in the heart of the downtown and the abundance of buildings on the National Register for Historic Places helps remind us of the city's early history while providing a delightful respite from the what might be considered an urban atmosphere.

No other state capital in the country is as surrounded by historic residential neighborhoods and accessible to its citizens as in Monptelier. Likewise, Montpelier's local government is highly accessible to citizens, both physically and through technologies such as this Web site.

Montpelier is a compact, walkable city with sidewalks, bike paths, and trails and more planned. A thriving arts and cultural niche help sustain a remarkable number and diversity of restaurants to enjoy. Montpelier has four independently-owned book stores and four independently-owned music stores. The city's thriving downtown is also the largest single National Register for Historic Places District in Vermont. The housing stock is diverse, with housing to fit all income levels and tastes, and is bolstered by several governmental and non-profit organizations working to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing.

In addition to the tools already in place, Montpelier's Conservation Commission, the Friends of the Winooski, and numerous other organizations are actively ensuring the protection of Montpelier's diverse and highly valued natural resources. Its existing park and other public lands are unparalelled for a community of this size--they have to be experienced to be believed.

Education n Montpelier is high caliber and abundant. Not only do its five colleges help make it a place for adult learning and higher education, the local school system is renowned for its quality.

The Capitol is a magnificent building located in downtown Montpelier. The gold leaf dome includes real gold and offers a spectacular contrast with the wooded hillside of Hubbard Park in the background. The interior is adorned with marble floors, spiral staircases and finely carved wood trim.

Hubbard Park was created through a gift of 125 acres to the City of Montpelier by John E. Hubbard in 1899. Since then several other parcels have been added to the park which now consists of 185 acres and roughly 7 miles of hiking and skiing trails, numerous picnic areas, a soccer and baseball field, a small pond, a sledding hill, and a 54 foot observation tower. The observation tower offers spectacular views of the city from the highest point in the city.

Canoeing the Winooski River is a popular pastime. A seven mile stretch begins at the Lower State Street river entry area and ends at the first falls in Middlesex. Improvements to this canoe access is one of the many features that will be found in the new Gateway Park (see map below). At certain times of the year, canoeists can paddle up or down the North Branch. South of the city, the Winooski River offers some challenging white water experiences.

Trails abound for cross country skiing in Hubbard and North Branch River Parks. The creation of a cross country ski trail which would encircle the City and meander throughout its scenic areas is currently being planned. Many private resorts in the area offer cross country skiing at a modest rate. There are many downhill and cross country ski areas within an easy drive of Montpelier.

Housing Cost

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $198,555

Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $217,448; Detached houses: $218,663; Townhouses or other attached units: $184,722; In 2-unit structures: $340,044; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $215,486; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $160,171
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Demographics

Population in July 2008: 7,760. Montpelier covers 10.2 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 525 feet above sea level. Zip codes: 05601, 05602, 05603, 05604, 05609, 05620, 05633 - Area code: 802

Weather

Montpelier, VT climate is mild during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 60's and extremely cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 10's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 78.10 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 7.50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Montpelier is 35.91 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is August with an average rainfall of 4.01 Inches.

Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com