ORLEANS COUNTY

County Offices
247 Main Street
Newport 802-334-3344

Chamber of Commerce
246 The Causeway
Newport 802-334-7782
https://www.vtnorthcountry.org/

One of the four northernmost counties in Vermont, Orleans County borders Canada between the eastern and western ranges of the scenic Green Mountains. Home to Jay Peak and Jay Peak Resort, Orleans County is the largest of the three counties that make up the celebrated Northeast Kingdom.

Services
Orleans County provides a regional healthcare resource that serves 22 communities in a two-county region in the rural expanse of the Northeast Kingdom. North Country Hospital covers a 30-acre campus in the city of Newport, combining medical expertise, advanced technology, and a patient-centered attitude. In addition to serving a regional residential population, NCH also provides care to the throngs of summer visitors, skiers, and sports enthusiasts who frequent the area. The North Country Health System includes the hospital, outpatient services, physician practices, and the skilled care facility of Derby Green. Some of the more specialized services include asthma management, cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes education, occupational medicine, pulmonary health, and numerous educational programs. Newport is also home to the Family Practice of Newport, North County OB/Gyn Services, and the North County Orthopaedic Surgery center.

The educational opportunities are diverse and first-rate in and near Orleans County, home to the North County Career Center in Newport. This regional resource offers career programs to students of all ages in diverse fields from culinary and web design to business and green industry technologies. Newport is also home to a learning center for the Community College of Vermont, one of five Vermont State Colleges. CCV is widely recognized for its innovative programming and delivery methods, which include online opportunities that bring higher education as close to home as the nearest computer. Other institutions of higher education close to home include Johnson State College in Johnson, Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, and the St. Johnsbury campus of Springfield College. The latter serves the Northeast Kingdom with innovation programming that meets the needs of human services professionals. Sterling College in Craftsbury Common provides a small, private college that is committed to experiential academics and distinguished as one of the few Work-Learning-Service colleges in America. Other options include Union Institute and University, and the Woodbury Institute of Champlain College, both in Montpelier.

Lifestyle
Anchored by the city of Newport with its lively downtown district, Orleans County welcomes new residents to breathtaking natural beauty and diverse communities. Recreational tourism is a major industry in this scenic area, home to the Jay Peak Resort and the newly opened Ice Haus Arena with its NHL regulation rink. The resort welcomes visitors to outstanding winter sports and a champion golf course when the snow melts into green grass. Many people choose to live in Vermont for the quality of outdoor experiences, and Orleans County is no exception. In fact, the communities that dot the landscape offer quality venues for exercise and relaxation, from skating rinks to country clubs, golf courses, racquet and fitness centers, a skate park, multi-purpose trails, and first-rate tennis courts.

The friendly towns and villages in Orleans County are less commercialized than some of Vermont’s more developed resort areas, providing a tranquil hometown setting for residential development and a charming retreat off the beaten path for seasonal visitors and vacationers. Local shops, studios and galleries, specialty foods, and Vermont-made products are just a few of the homespun delights that give this region such a distinctive appeal. The community spirit is strong and volunteerism runs high, drawing newcomers to a quality of life that is rarely experienced in the midst of today’s traffic and bustle. Many residents are entrepreneurs or home-based business people, some are employed in professional services, and others support the brisk tourism industry. The housing mix is eclectic, ranging from historic village neighborhoods to vibrant new construction on sweeping lots or generous acreage. Without a doubt, Orleans County is a home for all reasons.

Derby
Town Offices
802-766-4906
https://derbyvt.org/

Chamber of Commerce
802-334-7782
https://www.vtnorthcountry.org/

Chartered in 1779, the historic town of Derby includes the villages of Derby Center, Derby Line, and Beebe. Several bodies of water grace this rural town, including Lake Memphremagog, Derby Lake or Derby Pond, Salem Lake, Clyde Pond, and Brownington Pond. The Clyde River runs from Island Pond to Newport, providing opportunities for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Derby has the unique distinction of being located along the Canadian border. In fact, this area is home to an opera house with the boundary line between the United States and Canada running through it. Canusa Avenue, which takes it names from the two counties, also sports a yellow boundary line down the middle. Other highlights in this small town include agri-businesses, a local library, a 4H camp, and a family campground.

Newport City
City Offices
802-334-2112
https://www.newportvermont.org/

Chamber of Commerce
802-334-7782
https://www.vtnorthcountry.org/

Situated at the southern end of beautiful Lake Memphremagog, the city of Newport is a border town between Vermont and Canada and the largest municipality in Orleans County. The downtown district has recently been beautified by the addition of a Vermont State office building that also houses a number of other businesses. Newport City, Newport Town, and Newport Center are all encompassed in the Newport area, which serves as a hub of commerce for surrounding rural communities. Retail stores, restaurants, convenient services, a regional hospital, higher education learning centers, a state airport, and lively night spots are all part of the Newport scene. The deep, spring-fed natural feature of Lake Memphremagog is popular with anglers and photographers, featuring a pristine shoreline that extends 30 miles into Quebec, Canada. Views of the towering Canadian mountains are visible from the lakeshore in Newport.