Vehicles
Personal vehicle ownership is nearly universal in Vermont, with most households owning around two vehicles due to limited public transit and the state's rural, spread-out geography.
Households without a vehicle
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, B08201 (2020 not released).
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles per Household | 2 | 1.9 |
- •Vermont has one of the lowest rates of vehicle-free households in the Northeast
- •Vermont requires periodic vehicle safety inspections, unlike many states
- •Electric vehicle adoption has grown rapidly, spurred by state rebate programs
Public Transit
Public transit usage in Vermont is among the lowest in the nation at under 1% of commuters, limited mainly to bus service in Burlington and a few Amtrak rail lines connecting to Boston and New York.
Workers commuting by public transit
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Transit Commute Share (%) | 0.8 | 3.1 |
- •Green Mountain Transit is Vermont's largest bus operator, based in Burlington
- •The Amtrak Vermonter route runs from St. Albans, VT to Washington, D.C.
- •Vermont has no light rail or subway systems
Airports
Burlington International Airport is Vermont's principal air gateway, handling around 1.3 million passengers annually with connections to major East Coast hubs, while numerous small regional airports serve general aviation.
Passengers boarded at all commercial airports in Vermont
2011–2025FAA Air Carrier Activity Information System, calendar-year commercial-service enplanements.
Passengers boarded at Patrick Leahy Burlington International (BTV)
2011–2025FAA calendar-year enplanements.
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Passengers (millions) | 1.3 | 13.4 |
- •Burlington International Airport is home to the Vermont Air National Guard's F-35 fighter wing
- •Vermont has no other airport offering scheduled commercial passenger service
- •Many southern Vermont residents fly out of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire
Traffic
Vermont experiences minimal traffic congestion compared to the rest of the U.S., with even its busiest corridors around Burlington rarely producing significant delays outside peak ski-season weekends.
Traffic fatalities
1994–2024NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), State Traffic Data.
Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles
1994–2024NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), State Traffic Data.
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Hours Lost to Congestion per Year | 10 | 51 |
- •Vermont has no interstate highway numbered above I-91 or I-89, reflecting its small road network
- •Fall foliage season brings a significant seasonal spike in out-of-state traffic
- •Vermont's traffic fatality rate is influenced heavily by rural, high-speed roads rather than congestion
Commuting Patterns
Vermont commuters enjoy one of the shortest average commute times in the country at about 23 minutes, reflecting the state's small, dispersed population and lack of major urban congestion.
Mean travel time to work
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, aggregate travel time ÷ workers not working at home, B08013/B08012 (2020 not released).
Workers who drive alone
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).
Workers who work from home
2006–2024Census American Community Survey 1-year estimates, share of workers 16+, B08301 (2020 not released).
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Average Commute (minutes) | 23 | 26.4 |
- •Vermont has the highest telework rate relative to its size among rural states
- •Burlington is Vermont's largest city yet has fewer than 45,000 residents
- •Many Vermonters commute across state lines to New Hampshire or New York
Infrastructure
Vermont maintains roughly 4,500 kilometers of state roads and about 2,700 bridges, many aging and vulnerable to harsh winters and flooding, requiring ongoing state investment in maintenance and resilience.
Bridges in poor condition
2000–2025FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).
Bridges in good condition
2000–2025FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).
Total highway bridges
2000–2025FHWA National Bridge Inventory, Bridge Condition by Highway System (as of June each year).
Vehicle miles traveled
1994–2024FHWA vehicle miles traveled as published with NHTSA FARS (fatalities ÷ fatality rate per 100M VMT).
| Indicator | Vermont | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Structurally Deficient Bridges (%) | 5 | 6.8 |
- •Vermont's 1968 billboard ban makes it one of only four states nationwide with such a law
- •The July 2023 floods caused an estimated $1 billion in infrastructure damage statewide
- •Vermont has invested heavily in bridge resilience following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011