Farmland and Lake Champlain retreats in Ferrisburgh
Along the eastern shores of Lake Champlain, Ferrisburgh is an agricultural town less than 25 miles south of Burlington. Its 21 miles of lakefront make it a coveted destination for seasonal residents and summer tourists, but those seasonal residents co-exist alongside a collection of year-round households. With a full-time population of almost 2,800, most residents live on large rural parcels farther inland. Other residences include a smaller cluster of high-end lakefront properties and cozy cottages that line the waterfront.
The Basin Harbor Resort and Boat Club draws vacationers each year, and Long Point, a private seasonal community with over 120 cottages, offers lakeside living from spring through fall. Despite the influx of seasonal visitors, Ferrisburgh retains a close-knit, small-town character with a CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10, the lowest possible score. "It's the kind of place where you know your neighbors and town hall meetings are still a large part of the community," says Trent Stephens, Realtor with Wohler Realty Group, who has been in the industry since 2020.
Long Point, managed by the Long Point Corporation, operates almost as a town within a town, complete with its own building regulations, water system and calendar of community events. The rest of Ferrisburgh reflects Vermont's "live and let live" spirit, with an eclectic mix of homes scattered along rural roads. State parks offer a myriad of outdoor recreational opportunities and sweeping landscapes, while everyday necessities and local businesses are clustered along U.S. Route 7 and in the neighboring city of Vergennes.
Lakeside recreation, forest trails and local entertainment
Ferrisburgh offers an abundance of outdoor recreation and entertainment anchored by Lake Champlain. "I moved here from Ohio, and there's something different about the mountains, rivers and lakes," Stephens says. "Vermont is just an ideal place to live." Along the shoreline, Basin Harbor Resort offers public access to its golf course and marina, where boat rentals, waterskiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing are open to locals and visitors alike.
Beyond the docks, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum preserves the region's nautical history through exhibits and hands-on programs like boat building and rowing classes. Along Lake Champlain's edge, the Long Point Corporation organizes annual events, including ice cream socials, music festivals and a festive Fourth of July boat parade.
Ferrisburgh's culture is just as tied to the land. The Rokeby Museum, once a stop on the Underground Railroad, hosts exhibits and walking tours through a historic farmstead. Down the road, the Friends of the Union Meeting Hall is a nonprofit housed in an old church across the street from the Ferrisburgh Town Hall. It aims to transform this building into a community center, hosting events like the Taste of Summer, with live music, local vendors and family-friendly activities.
Expansive parks in the town encapsulate Vermont's natural beauty. Ferrisburgh Town Forest offers shaded trails inland, while the nearby Mt. Philo State Park features panoramic views stretching from the Adirondacks to the Green Mountains. Other parks hug the shoreline. Kingsland Bay State Park offers 264 acres of trails, cliffside views and a historic estate, the Hawley House, which was built around 1790 and is open to the public for guided tours. Just south, Button Bay State Park overlooks Lake Champlain. This 253-acre park is known for its clay "buttons" created by deposits that dot the shoreline, hiking trails, campsites and nature center.
Seasonal cottages, lakefront estates and country homes
Ferrisburgh’s housing stock is comprised of single-family homes ranging from sprawling countryside estates to seasonal lakefront cottages on Long Point. Winding rural roads weave past historic 19th-century farmhouses 20th-century ramblers that typically fetch from $400,000 to $700,000, and manufactured homes priced from the upper-$200,000s to the low-$300,000s. Long Point cottages typically sell for $400,000 to $650,000, but operate on seasonal public water that is only in operation from May through October. Custom-built estates on acreage and well-restored historic properties can range from $800,000 to well over $1 million. A few rare Lake Champlain estates have price tags as high as $6.5 million to $23 million, but those are not the norm.
Education in Addison Northwest School District
The Addison Northwest School District enrolls fewer than 900 students across four towns and one city, including Ferrisburgh, Addison, Panton, Vergennes and Waltham. Pre-kindergarteners through sixth graders may attend Ferrisburgh Central School (FCS), which scores a B-plus on Niche, which named it the third-best public school in Addison County. Seventh through twelfth graders may then attend the B-plus-rated Vergennes Union Middle and High School. Owing to the region's heavily agricultural culture, the high school offers students the option of taking several agricultural science electives, ranging from business management to tractor safety courses.
Shopping and dining in Ferrisburgh and Vergennes
Mom-and-pop shops, restaurants and other local businesses line U.S. Route 7. Tucked into a converted farmhouse, Starry Night Cafe is a hidden gem known for its seasonal fine-dining menu and cozy waterside patio. Up the road, Vermont Cookie Love offers up soft-serve ice cream and freshly baked cookies from a roadside stand. Small shops range from The Vermont Flannel Co. to local farm markets. Dakin Farm draws regulars and tourists alike with its maple syrup, local cheeses, smoked meats and nostalgic country store feel. Farther south, Gilfeather's Fine Provisions is the go-to spot for craft beer, fine wine and charcuterie essentials.
A couple of miles south, Vergennes is home to Dollar General and Shaw's for everyday necessities. Vergennes's charming downtown offers additional convenience with boutique shops and casual favorites like 3 Squares Cafe, known for hearty breakfasts and lunch staples. Still, variety has its limits in a town this size: "We have great general stores and great diners, but the options are still slim," Stephens says. "So, if you're looking for awesome bars and amazing restaurants, you go to Burlington."
Commutes around Ferrisburgh
The Ferrisburgh-Vergennes Amtrak Station sits along the southern border of town. Tri-Valley Transit services the neighboring city of Vergennes, but Ferrisburgh is a heavily car-dependent community. State Route 22A cuts diagonally across Ferrisburgh and merges with U.S. Route 7 just beyond the town’s northwestern corner. Downtown Burlington is about 20 miles away via Route 7, and both Burlington International Airport and the University of Vermont Medical Center are less than 25 miles away.
