| Vermont is located in the New England region | | | | |
| in the eastern United States and comprises | | | | Several mountains have timberlines: Mount |
| 9,614 square miles (24,902 km2), making it | | | | Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state, |
| the 45th largest state. Of this, land | | | | as well as Killington are examples. About 77 |
| comprises 9,250 square miles (23,955 km2) and | | | | percent of the state is covered by forest; |
| water comprises 365 square miles (948 km2), | | | | the rest is covered in meadow, uplands, |
| making it the 43rd largest in land area and | | | | lakes, ponds and swampy wetlands. |
| the 47th in water area. | | | | |
| | | | Areas in Vermont administered by the National |
| The west bank of the Connecticut River marks | | | | Park Service include the Appalachian National |
| the eastern border of the state with New | | | | Scenic Trail and the |
| Hampshire (the river itself is part of New | | | | Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National |
| Hampshire). Lake Champlain, the major lake in | | | | Historical Park in Woodstock. |
| Vermont, is the sixth-largest body of fresh | | | | |
| water in the United States and separates | | | | Climate |
| Vermont from New York in the northwest | | | | |
| portion of the state. From north to south, | | | | Vermont has a humid continental climate |
| Vermont is 159 miles (256 km). Its greatest | | | | (Koppen climate classification Dfb), with |
| width, from east to west, is 89 miles (143 | | | | warm, humid summers and cold winters, which |
| km) at the Canadian border; the narrowest | | | | become colder at higher elevations. Vermont |
| width is 37 miles (60 km) at the | | | | is known for its mud season in spring |
| Massachusetts line. The state's geographic | | | | followed by a generally mild summer and a |
| center is Washington, three miles (5 km) east | | | | colorful autumn, and particularly for its |
| of Roxbury. | | | | cold winters. The northern part of the state, |
| | | | including the rural northeastern section |
| There are six distinct physiographic regions | | | | (dubbed the "Northeast Kingdom") is known for |
| of Vermont. Categorized by geological and | | | | exceptionally cold winters, often averaging |
| physical attributes, they are the | | | | 10 °F (6 °C) colder than the southern |
| Northeastern Highlands, the Green Mountains, | | | | areas of the state. Annual snowfall averages |
| the Taconic Mountains, the Champlain | | | | between 60 to 100 inches (150–250 cm) |
| Lowlands, the Valley of Vermont and the | | | | depending on elevation, giving Vermont some |
| Vermont Piedmont. | | | | of New England's best cross-country and |
| | | | downhill ski areas. |
| The origin of the name Green Mountains | | | | |
| (French: Verts monts) is uncertain. Some | | | | In the autumn, Vermont's hills experience an |
| authorities say that they are so named | | | | explosion of red, orange and gold foliage |
| because they have much more forestation than | | | | displayed on the sugar maple as cold weather |
| the higher White Mountains of New Hampshire | | | | approaches. This famous display of color that |
| and Adirondacks of New York. Other | | | | occurs so abundantly in Vermont is not due so |
| authorities say that they are so named | | | | much to the presence of a particular variant |
| because of the predominance of | | | | of the sugar maple; rather it is caused by a |
| mica-quartz-chlorite schist, a green-hued | | | | number of soil and climate conditions unique |
| metamorphosed shale. The range forms a | | | | to the area. |
| north-south spine running most of the length | | | | |
| of the state, slightly west of its center. In | | | | The highest-recorded temperature was 105 |
| the southwest portion of the state are the | | | | °F (41 °C), at Vernon on July 4, 1911; |
| Taconic Mountains; the Granitic Mountains are | | | | the lowest-recorded temperature was -50 °F |
| in the northeast. In the northwest near Lake | | | | (-46 °C), at Bloomfield on December 30, |
| Champlain is the fertile Champlain Valley. In | | | | 1933. |
| the south of the valley is Lake Bomoseen. | | | | |