St. George

Saint George is proud to be recognized as "Vermont’s Smallest Town," running less than 4 square miles along Vermont Route 2A, with a population that has stayed under 1,000 residents since the 1790s. As a result, the area feels like a little village in Chittenden County, consisting of a manufactured home neighborhood and a handful of farms. In the 1990s, the VermontWare manufacturing building was built in the center of town, providing jobs and inspiring upgrades to the town’s water and septic systems. However, the rest of the area’s businesses remain small, run by a few residents. Whether working from home or down at the corner store, this slow-paced lifestyle is what Saint George folks desire. “I prefer rural,” says Mark Duchaine Jr., a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway for the past 11 years and is an area local. “You’re closer to nature, and you don’t have neighbors right on top of you. There aren’t a lot of huge businesses like Walmart or a bunch of gas stations, so it’s got a small-town feel. But you’re still really close to Williston and Hinesburg, which is great.” Students travel outside town for school and study within the Champlain Valley Public School District. With Lake Iroquois and the Rocky Ridge Golf Club nearby, there are plenty of ways to get outside in the little countryside town of Saint George. Living in Saint George means benefiting from the town’s membership with the Lake Iroquois Recreation District, which allows locals to access the lake’s beach, park, playground and walking trails. Because the town is a member, it pays the district annual fees to allow folks free access. Lake Iroquois also has a state boat launch, and anglers can fish for bullhead, largemouth bass, yellow perch and panfish. In the wintertime, locals can bring their snowmobiles and ATVs to go ice fishing. “The 2A portion of Saint George is more developed, but you can drive down Old Creamery Road for that old-country flair and the fantastic views,” Duchaine says. “Plus, there are a few areas you can hike in Saint George, like at Sucker Brook Hollow Trail." The trail is located in Sucker Brook Hollow Country Park, just 2 miles north of the clerk’s office. The Rocky Ridge Golf Club on the southwest side is the area’s closest 18-hole golf course. It is semi-private and partners with the Neshobe Golf Club in Brandon. During the winter, locals can sled down its hill or cross-country ski on the grounds. Members of the club can attend social events or join competitions and leagues. Saint George has one of the lowest municipal tax rates in the county, and it's common to see private hobby farms and public Christmas tree farms. This leads to the area's close-knit farming culture with a lot of heart. Driving around town means seeing horses and chickens out the window or stopping by Guillemette Farm to pick sunflowers or a jar of fresh honey from their beehives. Though the homes here are modest, folks find ways to use the land to create something unique and wholly their own. “When you live in Burlington, the lots are really tiny, but if you get out to Huntington or Saint George, you can get over an acre. I know a couple of people with 20 acres or even 100 acres, and they’ve got a much more private, secluded feel. Plus, in some of those rural areas, people will have farms or maple sugar operations.” Small farms or single-family residences on spacious lots range in style from New England farmhouses to vinyl-sided split-levels or ranch homes. Prices can range between $275,000 to $450,000 depending on the house's state and the land's size. The Saint George Mobile Home Park is now a resident-owned cooperative, giving those who live there the power to preserve their affordable housing. Prices for those manufactured homes can range from $50,000 to $150,000. Though there aren’t any restaurants in town, the Rocky Ridge Golf Club has a clubhouse open to the public and offers a simple deli menu. Folks can also drive 3 miles south down Route 116 to Hinesburg. There, they will find locally owned places like The Dumb Luck Pub and Grill or Hinesburg Public House for craft beer and classic pub fare. Down the road, Papa Nick’s serves Creemes (soft serve ice cream), pizzas and big breakfast plates in a cafe setting. Folks can also head about 5 miles north on Route 116 to Williston, which has big box stores like Walmart, The Home Depot and Best Buy. Nearby are chain restaurants like Longhorn Steakhouse and the area’s Majestic 10 movie theater. The Saint George Town Center hosts community events, town hall meetings and community discussions. Saint George hosts a community Dragon Day celebration as a nod to the town's flag and logo, which has a red dragon and the phrase "Vermont's Smallest Town" on it. The event includes entertainment, picnicking, a dragon parade and costumes, where neighbors gather to connect and have fun. Residents can join the town’s active social media page to stay in touch, notify each other of any issues or weather dangers and stay on top of community events and festivals. The town hall plans to develop parts of town to encourage growth while maintaining Vermont's surrounding natural landscape. They hope to create a pedestrian-oriented square in the town's center with public gathering spaces and a main street feel. There are some factors to consider when choosing to buy in Saint George. “Some people from city areas might not know that you should test the area you want to buy in for cellphone coverage or check what kind of internet you can get. I have Starlink Internet, which is satellite internet,” Duchaine says. “Another thing to be aware of for places like Saint George or Huntington is that there are a couple of seasons where the dirt roads get bad. We’ve got mud season and winter ice and snow. The town will plow the main paved roads first, so some people hire their own plow service.” Saint George is also known to experience erosion of roadways and hillsides during major rainstorms due to the area’s unique topography and river corridors. Because of this, the town implements stormwater management plans and erosion control. Students in Saint George can attend any elementary school within the Champlain Valley School District. However, public school bus transportation only applies to Williston Central School, which is graded an A-minus on Niche. This large campus accommodates kindergarten through eighth-grade students and has several sports fields and playgrounds. Behind the school is the Allen Brook Nature Trail and Williston Disc Golf Course. In front of the school, students can explore the many books at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. All area students may then attend Champlain Valley Union High School, graded an A, which teaches business education, performing arts and media education courses on top of the core curriculum. Through the high school's partner programs, students can also access technical education courses through the Burlington Technical Center and the Center of Technology in Essex. Route 116 splits off into Route 2A, which cuts through Saint George, making it easy for locals to get where they need to go. Williston is located about 5 miles to the north, while Hinesburg is about 3 miles to the south. There aren’t any bus stops in Saint George, so most residents drive, but the Park and Ride in Williston can take passengers all the way into Burlington. For those who prefer to drive themselves, Burlington’s city center is about 11 miles north via Route 116 or 12 miles north via Route 2A. It usually takes about 25 minutes to get there during low traffic. Once there, folks can reach the University of Vermont Medical Center or head down to the shores of Lake Champlain. For weekends away, the Burlington International Airport is about 9 miles north of town.