U.S. Highway 7

Totaling 176.3 miles through western Vermont, U.S. 7 joins Bennington with Rutland, Burlington, St. Albans and Swanton. The US highway winds northward with two overall lanes into Townal, Vermont from Williamstown, Massachusetts through to Downtown Bennington. The route upgrades to a mostly super-two expressway leading north along the Green Mountains to Glastenbury, Sunderland, Manchester and East Dorset.

Returning to at-grade, U.S. 7 runs north through a valley to Danby and Wallingford with two lanes, and with four lanes to Clarendon and the south side of Rutland. U.S. 4 ties into U.S. 7 from the east end of its freeway leading west to Fair Haven for a 2.2 mile overlap into Rutland. U.S. 4 branches east to Sherburne and White River Junction while U.S. 7 meanders northward through a hodge podge of farm land to Pittsford, Brandon and Middlebury.

Vermont 22A ties into U.S. 7 on the north side of Vergennes, adding traffic originating from the Crown Point Bridge into Upstate New York. The route increases in traffic as it leads north to Shelburne and the south suburbs of greater Burlington as a commercial arterial. Once in Burlington, U.S. 7 navigates through the city street grid, merging with U.S. 2 north from Main Street to Downtown Winooski.

U.S. 2 and 7 overlap for 9.56 miles from Burlington north to Colchester parallel to Interstate 89. U.S. 2 turns west to the Lake Champlain Islands ahead of the Milton town line, which U.S. 7 crosses en route to Georgia, St. Albans, Swanton and Highgate. The north end ties into I-89 opposite the port of entry to Canada.

The National Interregional Highway Committee report Interregional Highways recommended a 33,900 mile interregional system in 1944. Vermont designated U.S. 7 as its first choice for an interregional highway, but Massachusetts denied the connection, selecting the route of U.S. 5 instead. The Highway Board approved the present system of Interstate Highways in 1946.1

U.S. 7 north
Northbound U.S. 7 at "Interstate Access Road" in St. Albans. Notice the lack of a border on the I-89 Vermont shield, and the button copy lettering. Photo taken 07/22/00.
An end shield for U.S. 7 posted along the west side of the diamond interchange joining the route with Interstate 89 beside the Canadian border. Photo taken 07/22/00.
U.S. 7 South
The first shield for U.S. 7 stands at the diamond interchange joining it with Interstate 89 near Highgate Springs. Photo taken 07/22/00.
Cutout Vermont U.S. 7 Shield in St. Albans on southbound. This sign dates back before the 1950s and measures under 18 inches in width, while being embossed. Photo taken 07/22/00.
New signs were installed by 1998 for the Interstate 189/U.S. 7 interchange in Burlington. This photo shows a sign bridge on southbound U.S. 7 for the western terminus of Interstate 189. The newer signs contain smaller font and smaller shields then the ones that they replaced (see above photograph). Photo taken 07/22/00.
Interstate 189 to Interstate 89 overhead signage on U.S. 7 southbound at the western beginning of Interstate 189. This photograph was taken during July of 1995, and shows signage that was since been replaced.

  1. "Outline History of Vermont State Highways." Vermont Department of Highways, National Highway Week, September 19-25, 1965.

Page Updated March 4, 2002.

© AARoads