# U.S. Route 7 in Vermont

U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south highway extending from southern Connecticut to the northernmost part of Vermont. In Vermont, the route extends for 176 miles (283 km) along the western side of the state as a mostly two-lane rural road, with the exception of an expressway section between Bennington and East Dorset. US 7 is known as the Ethan Allen Highway for its entire length through the state, named after the US Revolutionary War general. US 7 ends at an interchange with Interstate 89 (I-89) in the town of Highgate, just south of the Canada–United States border. I-89 continues to the border crossing.

## Route description

US 7 crosses the Massachusetts–Vermont state line at Pownal, from where the road heads north to Bennington as a rural two-lane highway. Just north of downtown Bennington, the highway transitions into a limited-access highway. For three miles (4.8 km), US 7 is a true expressway with divided carriageways and multiple lanes. The road subsequently narrows down to an undivided two-lane freeway; however, many stretches have passing lanes. This continues to a point just south of East Dorset, where US 7 reverts to a surface road.
Most of US 7 between East Dorset and the Canada–United States border is an undivided, uncontrolled road varying in width from two to four lanes. Two divided highway sections also exist: a 10-mile (16 km) section south of Rutland and a three-mile (4.8 km) stretch with numerous traffic signals between Shelburne and South Burlington known as Shelburne Road. There is overhead signage at the junction with I-189 in South Burlington that directs northbound trucks onto I-189. While US 7 heads directly into Burlington, I-189 bypasses the city to the south and east and leads directly to I-89, which runs close to US 7 north of Winooski.
Near downtown Burlington, US 7 intersects with US 2; the latter route joins US 7 for more than nine miles (14 km) to Colchester. From here, US 7 and I-89 run through northern Vermont to Highgate, where US 7 ends at the northernmost exit on I-89.

## History

US 7 was assigned in 1926. I-89 was originally envisioned to parallel US 7 from the Canadian frontier to the Massachusetts border. This plan was ultimately canceled, and I-89 was shifted to its current alignment, turning southeast at Burlington toward Montpelier and White River Junction. Prior to the cancelation of the original I-89 routing, approximately 25 miles (40 km) of freeway (mostly super two with some four-lane sections) was built in the US 7 corridor between Bennington and Manchester, plus an additional seven miles (11 km) of four-lane highway between Wallingford and Rutland were completed.

## Major intersections

| County | Location | mi | km | Old exit | New exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Bennington | Pownal | 0.000 | 0.000 | | | US 7 south – Williamstown | Continuation into Massachusetts |
| Bennington | Pownal | 1.863 | 2.998 | | | VT 346 west – Pownal, North Pownal | Eastern terminus of VT 346 |
| Bennington | Community of Bennington | 10.957 | 17.634 | | | VT 9 (Main Street) | |
| Bennington | Town of Bennington | 12.140 | 19.537 | | | VT 7A north (Kocher Drive) to VT 67A north – Welcome Center | Southern terminus of VT 7A; former routing of US 7 |
| Bennington | Town of Bennington | 12.236 | 19.692 | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section | Southern end of freeway section |
| Bennington | Town of Bennington | 13.153 | 21.168 | 1 | 13 | VT 279 to VT 9 east – Brattleboro, Troy | Also serves Vermont Welcome Center |
| Bennington | Town of Bennington | 14.393 | 23.163 | 2 | 14 | VT 7A – Shaftsbury | Access via VT 9025 |
| Bennington | Sunderland | 24.224 | 38.985 | 3 | 24 | VT 313 west to VT 7A – Arlington, Sunderland, Shaftsbury | Eastern terminus of VT 313 |
| Bennington | Manchester Center | 34.501 | 55.524 | 4 | 34 | VT 11 / VT 30 to VT 7A – Manchester Center, Manchester | Also serves Dorset and Peru |
| Bennington | Dorset | 38.897 | 62.599 | Northern end of freeway section | Northern end of freeway section | Northern end of freeway section | Northern end of freeway section |
| Bennington | Dorset | 38.897 | 62.599 | | | VT 7A south – Manchester Center | Northern terminus of VT 7A; former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Wallingford | 56.165 | 90.389 | | | VT 140 west / VT 140 east – Tinmouth, East Wallingford | |
| Rutland | Wallingford | 57.054 | 91.820 | | | VT 7B north (Clarendon Road) | Southern terminus of VT 7B; former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Clarendon | 58.581 | 94.277 | | | VT 7B south | Southern end of VT 7B concurrency; former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Clarendon | 59.297 | 95.429 | | | VT 7B north – Clarendon | Northern end of VT 7B concurrency; former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Clarendon | 61.169 | 98.442 | | | VT 103 south – Airport, Ludlow | Northern terminus of VT 103 |
| Rutland | Clarendon | 62.591 | 100.730 | | | VT 7B – North Clarendon | Former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Clarendon | 63.393 | 102.021 | | | VT 7B south | Northern terminus of VT 7B; former routing of US 7 |
| Rutland | Town of Rutland | 63.844 | 102.747 | | | US 4 west – Fair Haven | Southern end of US 4 concurrency |
| Rutland | City of Rutland | 65.944 | 106.127 | | | US 4 Bus. west – Downtown Rutland | Eastern terminus of US 4 Bus. |
| Rutland | City of Rutland | 66.081 | 106.347 | | | US 4 east | Northern end of US 4 concurrency |
| Rutland | Pittsford | 73.057 | 117.574 | | | VT 3 south – Proctor | Northern terminus of VT 3 |
| Rutland | Community of Brandon | 81.656 | 131.413 | | | VT 73 east (Park Street) | Southern end of VT 73 concurrency |
| Rutland | Community of Brandon | 82.072 | 132.082 | | | VT 73 west (Champlain Street) | Northern end of VT 73 concurrency |
| Addison | Salisbury | 91.315 | 146.957 | | | VT 53 south – Lake Dunmore, Forestdale | Northern terminus of VT 53 |
| Addison | Middlebury | 94.157 | 151.531 | | | VT 116 north to VT 125 east – East Middlebury, Snow Bowl Ski Area, Bristol | Southern terminus of VT 116 |
| Addison | Middlebury | 94.431 | 151.972 | | | VT 125 east – East Middlebury, Airport, Ripton | Southern end of VT 125 concurrency |
| Addison | Middlebury | 97.067 | 156.214 | | | VT 125 west – Cornwall, Bridport | Northern end of VT 125 concurrency |
| Addison | Middlebury | 98.285 | 158.174 | | | VT 30 south to VT 125 west / VT 23 – Cornwall, Hospital | Northern terminus of VT 30 |
| Addison | New Haven | 106.034 | 170.645 | | | VT 17 east – New Haven, Bristol | Southern end of VT 17 concurrency |
| Addison | New Haven | 106.148 | 170.829 | | | VT 17 west – Waltham, Bridge to NY State | Northern end of VT 17 concurrency |
| Addison | Ferrisburgh | 111.511 | 179.460 | | | VT 22A south – Vergennes | Northern terminus of VT 22A |
| Chittenden | Charlotte | 120.723 | 194.285 | | | VT F5 west – Charlotte, Ferry to N.Y. State | Eastern terminus of VT F5 |
| Chittenden | South Burlington–Burlington line | 130.350– 130.626 | 209.778– 210.222 | | | I-189 east to I-89 – Montpelier, St. Albans | Western terminus of I-189 |
| Chittenden | Burlington | 131.627 | 211.833 | | | US 7 Alt. north (Shelburne Street at South Willard Street) | Southern terminus of US 7 Alt. |
| Chittenden | Burlington | 132.550 | 213.319 | | | US 2 east | Southern end of US 2 concurrency |
| Chittenden | Burlington | 133.490 | 214.831 | | | US 7 Alt. south (Riverside Avenue at Hyde Street) | Northern terminus of US 7 Alt. |
| Chittenden | Winooski | 134.793 | 216.928 | | | VT 15 east to I-89 south – Essex Junction | Roundabout; western terminus of VT 15 |
| Chittenden | Colchester | 135.804– 135.876 | 218.555– 218.671 | | | I-89 – Burlington, St. Albans, Champlain Islands | Exit 16 on I-89 |
| Chittenden | Colchester | 137.620 | 221.478 | | | VT 127 south | Northern terminus of VT 127 |
| Chittenden | Colchester | 139.067 | 223.807 | | | To VT 2A south – Essex Junction | Access via VT 127 |
| Chittenden | Colchester | 139.261 | 224.119 | | | VT 2A south – Essex Junction | Northern terminus of VT 2A |
| Chittenden | Colchester | 142.151 | 228.770 | | | US 2 west to I-89 – Lake Champlain Islands, New York State | Northern end of US 2 concurrency |
| Franklin | Georgia | 151.526 | 243.857 | | | VT 104A east – Fairfax | Northern terminus of VT 104A |
| Franklin | Georgia | 151.689– 152.011 | 244.120– 244.638 | | | I-89 – St. Albans, Montreal, Burlington | Exit 18 on I-89 |
| Franklin | City of St. Albans | 160.373 | 258.095 | | | VT 36 east (Fairfield Street) | Southern end of VT 36 concurrency |
| Franklin | City of St. Albans | 160.401 | 258.140 | | | VT 36 west (Lake Street) – St. Albans Bay | Northern end of VT 36 concurrency |
| Franklin | City of St. Albans | 160.952 | 259.027 | | | VT 38 west (Lower Newton Street) | Eastern terminus of VT 38 |
| Franklin | City of St. Albans | 161.363 | 259.689 | | | VT 105 east – Sheldon Junction, Enosburg Falls | Western terminus of VT 105 |
| Franklin | Town of St. Albans | 162.514 | 261.541 | | | VT 207 north to I-89 – Burlington, Highgate Center, Swanton, Montreal Que. | Southern terminus of VT 207 |
| Franklin | Village of Swanton | 168.951 | 271.900 | | | VT 78 east to I-89 – Highgate Center, East Highgate | Southern end of VT 78 concurrency |
| Franklin | Village of Swanton | 169.033 | 272.032 | | | VT 78 west to VT 36 – Alburg, New York State | North end of VT 78 concurrency |
| Franklin | Highgate | 175.963– 176.328 | 283.185– 283.772 | | | I-89 – Montreal, Swanton, St. Albans | Northern terminus; exit 22 on I-89 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus ||||||||

## Suffixed routes

US 7 has two suffixed routes, both of which are old alignments of US 7.
* VT 7A (27.820 mi or 44.772 km) is an alternate route of US 7 between Bennington and Dorset. The route is signed as "Historic VT 7A" to distinguish it, the original routing of US 7, from the modern US 7 limited-access highway.
* VT 7B (6.786 mi or 10.921 km) is an alternate route of US 7 through the towns of Wallingford and Clarendon. VT 7B was the original alignment of US 7 prior to the construction of the current US 7 divided highway through the area. The route intersects US 7 five times (including the terminuses) and overlaps it for 0.716 miles (1.152 km) in Clarendon.

## US 7 Alternate

U.S. Route 7 Alternate (US 7 Alt.) is an alternate route of US 7 in Burlington. The southbound-only US 7 Alt. begins at the intersection of Hyde Street and Riverside Avenue (US 2 and US 7) and runs for a distance of 2.107 miles (3.391 km) in the following manner: west on Riverside Avenue, south on North and South Winooski avenues, south on St. Paul Street, and south on Shelburne Street to its end at US 7 at a roundabout intersection with South Willard Street (US 7) and Locust Street. Mainline US 7 travels over Hyde Street and North and South Willard streets until the aforementioned intersection.
As of July 2016, there are three US 7 Alt. assemblies along the route. The original one is located on Saint Paul Street in Burlington, just south of the intersection with South Winooski Avenue and Howard Street, with the newer two on South Winooski Avenue, with one at the intersection with Pearl Street, and the other at Main Street.
As of November 2022, in conjunction with the reconstruction of the rotary-style intersection where US 7 Alt. terminates, there is a new directional US 7 Alt. sign installed in the rotary, along with a lone reassurance US 7 Alt. marker installed just to the north.