Swanton has outdoor recreation and a growing village center
In Northwestern Vermont, Swanton is a lush community bordering Lake Champlain. It consists of the Town of Swanton, known for its rural atmosphere and acres of farmland, and the Village of Swanton, an incorporated community with a quaint downtown tucked alongside the Missisquoi River. “Swanton is a smaller community, but it’s right there on Lake Champlain and has some new restaurants that are really great,” says Philip Gerbode, a broker with Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty with nearly 40 years of experience in the industry. With access to outdoor recreation and local businesses, Swanton offers a blend of rustic charm and modern conveniences. It’s home to fewer than 7,000 residents, all of whom enjoy living in a central location within commuting distance of Burlington and less than 10 miles from the Canada-United States border.
Outdoor recreation includes parks and trails near Lake Champlain
On the shores of the Missisquoi River, Marble Mill Park features a playground and tennis, pickleball and basketball courts. Those looking to access the water can head to Goose Point Park, which has a public boating and fishing area. The Missisquoi River drains into Missisquoi Bay, which is part of Lake Champlain and is just north of the nearly 7,000-acre Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. With miles of nature trails and two boat ramps, the refuge is a popular destination for nature walkers, birdwatchers and boaters. A bit farther south along the shores of Lake Champlain, Swanton Beach has a picnic area where locals can watch the sun set over the water.
Swanton offers access to several trail systems. The Swanton Recreation Path connects with the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which also intersects with the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail. While walkers, runners and cyclists hit the trails, paddle boaters can head to the Missisquoi River and follow the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile waterway that passes through Swanton on its way from the Adirondacks to Maine. Golfers have access to the Champlain Country Club, which has an 18-hole course that’s open to the public.
Local shops, restaurants and a town green in the Village of Swanton
The Village of Swanton has a quaint downtown with a mix of small businesses and chains. Local favorites include Scampers, a thrift store with secondhand clothing and home goods, and Bees on Broadway, a boutique known for its Vermont honey and natural skincare products. Residents can support independent restaurants like Green Mountain Bistro and Shaggy’s Snack Bar, a family owned spot serving pizza, burgers and poutine through its walk-up window. For the necessities, downtown has big retailers like Dollar General and Hannaford. It also features a handful of fast-food chains, including Dunkin’ and McDonald’s. Farther from the Village of Swanton, residents can support local farms such as Hudak Farm, which operates a roadside farmstand with a rotating selection of fresh produce and perennials. For more shopping and dining, downtown St. Albans is about 10 miles south of Swanton.
Village Green Park anchors downtown. It serves as a community gathering space with benches, walking paths and a bandstand. The village green is also home to Swanton’s “Royal Swans,” a pair of birds gifted to the town by the Queen of England in 1961 to celebrate its upcoming bicentennial. While today’s swans aren’t descendants of the original duo, they continue to spend their summers in the park and are a symbol of tradition in the community. Around Village Green Park, residents can connect at the Swanton Public Library and several houses of worship.
Diverse housing options in Swanton include lakefront properties
Swanton has a variety of housing options and styles, and the village is more densely populated than the surrounding town. It features everything from historic New Englanders and farmhouse-style houses to traditional Cape Cod, Colonial Revival and ranch-style homes. Most properties in the village were built from the late 19th through the mid-20th century and have quarter- or half-acre lots. Home prices in the village range from $240,000 to $350,000.
Outside of the village, properties range from mobile homes to new construction and lakefront properties with deeded waterfront access rights. "Houses in the town tend to be a little bit newer and have more land," Gerbode says. Those farthest from the village center have up to several acres of land. Manufactured homes sell for $90,000 to $300,000, while prices for new construction and waterfront properties range from $400,000 to $550,000. Due to Swanton’s proximity to Lake Champlain and the Missisquoi River, portions of the community can be susceptible to flooding, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. Swanton’s overall CAP Index Crime Score is 3 out of 10, slightly lower than the national average of 4.
The Missisquoi Valley School District has a unique agricultural program
The town is part of the Missisquoi Valley School District, which earns an overall grade of C-minus from Niche and has an average student-teacher ratio of 11-to-1. Swanton Elementary School receives a B-minus and serves prekindergarten through sixth grade. Its campus includes two buildings, the Babcock Building and the Central Building, for prekindergarten through second grade and third through sixth grade. Missisquoi Valley Union Middle and High School (MVU) covers seventh through 12th grade and has a C from Niche. MVU’s Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources department includes the James F. Messier Agricultural Education Center, where middle and high schoolers can get hands-on farm experience while caring for animals.
Year-round events and celebrations in Village Green Park
Residents get together throughout the year for various community events. Annual festivities include the Swanton Car Show, which brings over a hundred vintage cars and motorcycles to Village Green Park each July. It also features food trucks, a DJ and raffles. The Memorial Day Parade is another local favorite, ending with a barbecue sponsored by the Swanton Village Fire Department. The community also celebrates holidays with events like Halloween in the Park and Christmas in the Park.
I-89 and other major roads connect Swanton to Burlington and beyond
Swanton offers access to major thoroughfares such as Interstate 89, Vermont Route 78 and U.S. Route 7. The interstate provides a direct route to Burlington, about 38 miles south of town, and to Burlington International Airport. Residents can also head north towards the Canada-United States border, less than 10 miles from Swanton. Public transportation includes local bus service courtesy of Green Mountain Transit and daily train service at Amtrak’s St. Albans Station, about 10 miles away. For healthcare, residents are about 12 miles from Northwestern Medical Center.
Written By
Sally Stimpson
