Interstate 91 Vermont Descriptions

Interstate 91 runs along the eastern border of Vermont and serves as a major transportation corridor for both Vermont and western New Hampshire, though it nevers enters New Hampshire directly. Many exits along Vermont's length of I-91 feature New Hampshire towns on the guide signs (for example, Exit 3, which lists Brattleboro and Keene, NH, as the points of access). I-91 will run for 177 miles in Vermont, nearly two-thirds of the Interstate's total length, yet only carries 29 interchanges along that length. The highway's rural character and long distances between exits in Vermont are in stark contrast to that of its length in Connecticut and greater Springfield, MA, where exits are more frequent and the road carries four lanes of traffic in each direction at some points. The major control "cities" are Brattleboro, White River Junction, St. Johnsbury, and Newport. Of these, only Newport is actually chartered as a city, although the rest are fairly sizable towns.

I-91 enters Vermont in the town of Guilford and straddles the town line between Guilford and Vernon, though neither town has a direct interchange. They can be accessed at Exit 1, just after the highway enters the town of Brattleboro. I-91 runs through the geographic center of town and has three exits in Brattleboro. Exit 3 is considered to be one of the busiest exits along I-91 in Vermont. Brattleboro's busy suburban-like retail center is located here, including one of Vermont's few Home Depots, a supermarket, and a multi-screen movie theater. There are also several hotels and motels as well as a few fast-food outlets. Following Vermont Route 9 eastward, one can reach Keene in 15 miles. After Exit 3, I-91 heads out of Brattleboro to pass through the towns of Dummerston, Putney, Westminster, Rockingham, Springfield, Weathersfield, Windsor, Hartland, and White River Junction. White River Junction, listed as a control city on mileage signs as far south as Greenfield, MA, is where I-91 and I-89 interchange and provide access to many points in Vermont and New Hampshire. Motorist services like hotels and restaurants, as well as many stores, are available in both states near the intersection of the Interstate highways.

North of the interchange with I-89, I-91 continues towards St. Johnsbury and passes through the small towns of Norwich, Thetford, Fairlee, Bradford, Wells River, and Barnet before coming to its next major intersection. Towns in New Hampshire on the other side of the river can also be easily accessed in this stretch. At Exit 19, travelers reach the northern terminus of Interstate 93, one of the major highways in New Hampshire. Taking I-93 south, they can pass through the White Mountains on a trip towards the larger cities in southern NH. Just after the I-93 interchange are three exits for the town of St. Johnsbury, including a major intersection with U.S. Route 2. Along westbound U.S. Route 2, the capital city of Montpelier is eventually reached from I-91, although I-89 provides Montpelier with immediate Interstate access.

Interstate 91 continues northward, passing through the center of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom and the towns of Lyndon (home of Lyndon State College), Sheffield, Barton, and Orleans before entering Newport, just a few miles south of the Canadian border. Two exits serve Newport and its neighboring town of Derby. I-91's final exit in Vermont, just after mile marker 177, is Exit 29 in Derby Line. Beyond the exit ramp, northbound motorists enter Canadian customs. To reverse direction without crossing the border, motorists must use Exit 29 to re-enter I-91 southbound. The road passing over the Interstate actually straddles the international border; westbound drivers are driving in Canada while eastbound drivers are driving in Vermont. This road, if followed westward for a mile, eventually meets U.S. Route 5 at its northern terminus.

The highest point on the road is just north of mile marker 150 in Vermont, 1856 feet.

As with Connecticut and Massachusetts, U.S. Route 5 closely parallels Interstate 91 for their entire lengths in Vermont. Indeed, most of the large exit signs on I-91 list U.S. 5 as one of the roads (if not the only road) that can be accessed from the exit, as seen in the exit list below. While paralleling I-91 in Vermont, U.S. 5 is never co-signed onto the freeway, but remains its own two-lane road.