Saint Albans embraces New England charm in Northwestern Vermont
Saint Albans, commonly abbreviated as St. Albans, offers a quintessential Vermont experience on the shores of Lake Champlain. The community is a recreational hub with eight miles of shoreline on the lake, and it also has a rich agricultural history in the dairy and maple syrup industries. “The outdoors are important to a lot of people in Northwestern Vermont, but I think folks come to Saint Albans for the small-town feel and New England quality,” says Philip Gerbode, a longtime resident and broker with Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty. “It’s really a wonderful area to live in. I’ve watched it grow over the last 40 years, and it’s just become an absolutely remarkable town.”
The community consists of the Town of Saint Albans, which features acres of farmland and has more of a rural feel, and the City of Saint Albans, an independent municipality with a growing downtown scene anchored by local businesses and farm-fresh restaurants. “It’s like a donut. The city is the center of the donut, and the town surrounds it,” Gerbode says. In addition to its recreational opportunities and quaint Main Street community, Saint Albans offers a central location in Northwestern Vermont, about 30 miles from Burlington.
A four-season destination for outdoor recreation near Lake Champlain
The Town of Saint Albans has two parks next to Lake Champlain: Cohen Park and St. Albans Bay Park. Cohen Park is a popular spot to watch the sun set over the lake, while St. Albans Bay Park features a playground, various athletic facilities and a pavilion where locals gather each summer to listen to live music, peruse offerings from local artists and buy fresh produce at the St. Albans Bay Farmers Market, which is open every Thursday evening from 4:30—7:30 beginning at the end of May and running until the beginning of September from . Residents can rent boat slips from the Saint Albans Bay Marina, and the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife maintains a public fishing access area along Saint Albans Bay. On the southwestern tip of St. Albans Point, Kill Kare State Park has a public boat launch and a rocky beach where swimmers can get into the lake. It also operates a seasonal ferry that runs between Kill Kare and Burton Island State Park.
The City of Saint Albans is home to the Hard’ack Recreation Area, a year-round destination for outdoor recreation. Warmer months bring people to its hiking trails and outdoor pool, while snowy winters transform the recreation area into a ski area with opportunities for downhill and cross-country skiing. Residents are also about 30 miles from major ski resorts like Smugglers’ Notch Resort and Stowe Mountain Resort. Back in town, hikers and cyclists can explore the St. Albans Town Forest and the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. For golfers, the 18-hole course at Champlain Country Club is open to the public.
Shopping, dining, and community spaces in downtown Saint Albans
Local shops and restaurants line Main Street in downtown Saint Albans. Residents can browse the shelves at The Eloquent Page, shop for crystals at Moonshadows Gifts for the Spirit and try unique candies at Tee Time Treats. For the necessities, there’s Dollar General and Food City. The downtown dining scene ranges from cafés like Catalyst Coffee Bar to local bars such as Twigg’s American Gastropub, known for its craft beers and boutique wines. Local institutions include Jeff’s Maine Seafood, which offers a fine dining experience, and the Maple City Diner, an old-fashioned spot serving comfort foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Taylor Park is the centerpiece of downtown Saint Albans. It’s a popular spot for passive recreation and features paved walking paths, benches and lush gardens. Residents also gather in the park for various events, including the community’s summer concert series and the seasonal Northwest Farmers Market. Around the park, spots like the St. Albans Free Library, Saint Albans Museum and Welden Theatre offer local entertainment. There are also several houses of worship in downtown along Church Street, including the historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, which has stood in its current location since 1861.
Housing options range from 19th-century homes to lakefront properties
The City of Saint Albans is more densely populated than the surrounding town and features a mix of architectural styles. “The city has some of the oldest houses in the area. There are some big, beautiful homes, mostly built by people who were involved in the upper echelons of the railroad,” Gerbode says. While historic Victorian and farmhouse-style homes date back to the late 19th century, the city also has a mix of split-level, Cape Cod and ranch-style homes. Home prices in the city typically range from $175,000 to $530,000.
In the Town of Saint Albans, properties tend to have larger lots with up to several acres of land. New construction and custom-built country estates are common in town, and lakefront properties boast deeded waterfront access rights. Single-family homes in the Town of Saint Albans sell for $300,000 to $600,000, and lakefront houses can fetch anywhere from $450,000 to $800,000. The community’s overall CAP Index Crime Score is 3 out of 10, slightly lower than the national average of 4.
Saint Albans is part of the Maple Run Unified School District
Residents live in the Maple Run Unified School District. Kids in the City of Saint Albans can begin their education at St. Albans City School, while those who live in the Town of Saint Albans may attend the St. Albans Town Educational Center. Both schools earn a C from Niche and cover kindergarten through eighth grade. The district’s high school is Bellow Free Academy (BFA), which receives a C-minus and is known for its award-winning athletic programs. BFA’s most decorated sports teams are its boys ice hockey and girls ice hockey teams, which together boast 31 state championships. “They have one of the top hockey teams in the state, and the other sports are quite good as well,” Gerbode says. Vermont does offer school choice for high schoolers, which means that those students can choose to attend any public high school in the state, regardless of district assignment.
The annual Vermont Maple Festival brings thousands of people downtown
Vermont is the country’s top producer of maple syrup, and thousands of people gather in downtown Saint Albans each April for the Vermont Maple Festival. “Maple sugaring is a real cultural thing up here. Franklin County is kind of the center of the maple syrup universe, and everyone from here thinks their syrup is the best,” Gerbode says. The festival marks the end of sugaring season and celebrates the state’s agricultural heritage with three full days of events. Folks can sample maple-themed treats before touring some of the local sugarhouses where maple syrup is made. “People make all kinds of things, from maple donuts to different kinds of pies,” Gerbode says. The event also features live music, local artisans and family-friendly activities in Taylor Park.
Access to major highways and public transportation near Burlington
In addition to its walkable downtown, Saint Albans offers convenient highway access. Its main thoroughfares are Interstate 89 and U.S. Route 7. Residents can follow I-89 south towards Burlington, about 30 miles away, or head north to the Canada-United States border, less than 20 miles away. Public transportation includes bus service courtesy of Green Mountain Transit, with stops concentrated around downtown. Saint Albans is also the northern terminus of Amtrak’s Vermonter line, and residents can take the train between St. Albans Station and Washington, D.C.
As the county seat, Saint Albans is home to some of the region’s top employers. “The number-one industry in the county is still the dairy industry, but things are also oriented towards different kinds of manufacturing,” Gerbode says. While St. Albans Creamery & Supply provides cream to major companies like Ben & Jerry’s, other employers in the area range from the Northwestern Medical Center to manufacturing companies like Mylan Technologies.
Written By
Sally Stimpson
