Burlington, Vermont is a small city on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. Ask three residents where they live and you may hear three different answers: a neighborhood name, a ward number, or simply "downtown." This guide sorts out the names you will hear most often, what each area is known for according to public sources, and how the city's own ward and neighborhood-assembly system fits on top of it.
A quick note before we start: neighborhood names are informal. The boundaries below come from Wikipedia's descriptions, not from an official City map, so treat them as a general orientation rather than a survey line. If you are making a decision that depends on an exact boundary, such as a school district, a voting ward or a zoning rule, check with the City of Burlington directly.
The city in a few facts
Burlington sits on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain and is the county seat of Chittenden County. At the 2020 census it had a population of 44,743, making it the most populous municipality in Vermont. Wikipedia describes it as a regional college town, home to the University of Vermont (UVM) and Champlain College. Burlington was settled in 1783, organized as a town in 1785, and incorporated as a city in 1865.
A city of roughly 45,000 people is small, but the neighborhoods below each have a distinct description in public sources.
Downtown and the Church Street Marketplace
Wikipedia calls downtown the city's commercial hub. At its center is the Church Street Marketplace, described by the Marketplace itself as four pedestrian blocks with more than 100 shops, restaurants and local small businesses. The Marketplace says it was founded in 1981. Wikipedia notes that the pedestrian mall hosts festivals throughout the year.
If you are new to town, downtown is a natural place to start. At its western end, Battery Park, a 14-acre park at the top of Battery Street, overlooks Lake Champlain.
Old North End
Wikipedia describes the Old North End as the city's oldest and most densely populated neighborhood. According to Wikipedia, a largely Jewish neighborhood nicknamed "Little Jerusalem" flourished here from the 1880s through the 1930s. If you are curious about the city's past, this is a good area to read about before you visit.
South End
The South End was once mostly industrial and is now known as a largely artistic district south of downtown. Wikipedia lists the waterfront Oakledge Park among its features, and says the area is home to the headquarters of companies such as Burton Snowboards and Dealer.com. It also says events such as the annual South End Art Hop provide a forum for the visual arts in the South End. Within the South End is the historic Five Sisters neighborhood, a smaller district.
Oakledge Park also matters if you like to bike. The Burlington Bike Path, which Wikipedia says was complete by 1990, runs from Oakledge Park in the south to the Winooski River in the north, and the Island Line Trail begins near Oakledge as well.
Hill Section
The Hill Section lies east of South Union Street and Shelburne Street and south of Main Street, and is described by Wikipedia as Burlington's wealthiest neighborhood. It is home to the Burlington Country Club and includes Champlain College. As with every description here, "wealthiest" is a statement from a public reference source, not a ranking we have independently measured.
University District
The University District includes UVM and lies south of the Winooski River. Wikipedia notes that many former single-family homes in this area have been converted into apartments for students and young professionals.
New North End
Wikipedia describes the New North End as Burlington's most populous neighborhood, a northwest suburban extension of the city. Wikipedia lists Leddy Park, Ethan Allen Park and North Beach among its green spaces. Of the areas described here, it is the one Wikipedia describes as suburban.
Intervale
The Intervale is not a neighborhood in the usual sense. Wikipedia calls it a large area of locally owned organic farms and nature preserves along the Winooski River. The Intervale Center, a nonprofit based at 180 Intervale Road, says it manages a 360-acre campus of farmland, trails and open space, and gives 1988 as its founding year. Wikipedia places it north of the Old North End and east of the New North End, a reminder that working agricultural land sits inside the city.
Wards and Neighborhood Planning Assemblies
Here is where residents sometimes get confused. Burlington is divided into eight wards, and those are not the same thing as the neighborhood names above. Overlaid on the wards are Neighborhood Planning Assemblies, or NPAs, which the City describes as neighborhood advocacy groups in each of Burlington's eight wards. According to the City, the NPAs were established in 1982, receive an annual budget per ward and each has a steering committee. The City says every resident of a ward is welcome to take part in that ward's NPA, and its NPA page links to a ward map tool for looking up an address.
The City's NPA page lists the following groups: an All Wards NPA, Ward 1, Ward 2, Ward 3, Wards 4 and 7 together, Ward 5, Ward 6 and Ward 8. In other words, the neighborhood name you use and the ward you live in may not match neatly. If you want to be involved in local decisions, finding your ward and its NPA is a more reliable route than guessing from a neighborhood name.
How to choose a neighborhood
There is no single best neighborhood, and nothing here replaces visiting at different times of day and season. Some questions worth asking yourself:
- How do you plan to get around? The bike path starts at Oakledge Park in the South End and runs north to the Winooski River. If you plan to bike or walk a lot, check how close an address is to it and to downtown. If you mostly drive, the location may matter less.
- How much do you care about winter? Burlington's average annual snowfall is about 86 inches according to Wikipedia's climate summary, and the city can call overnight snow bans that affect on-street parking. If you rely on street parking, read the City's winter parking rules before you commit to an address.
- Do you want student energy or quiet streets? The University District and the area around UVM and Champlain College will feel different from the New North End.
- Do you want green space nearby? Oakledge Park, Battery Park, Leddy Park, North Beach and the Intervale each offer something different.
What we left out on purpose
You will notice we have not listed rents, home prices, crime figures or school ratings. Those numbers change quickly and differ by source, and we do not want to print a figure we cannot verify here. For any of them, go to current listings, the City of Burlington, or the relevant agency, and check the date on whatever you find.
Bottom line
Burlington's neighborhoods are easiest to understand as a handful of recognizable districts: a downtown built around a pedestrian mall, the Old North End (described as the oldest), the artistic South End, the Hill Section, the University District around UVM, the suburban New North End and the farm-and-trail landscape of the Intervale. Learn those names, then learn your ward and NPA, and most conversations about "where things are" in Burlington will make sense.
Sources
- Wikipedia, "Burlington, Vermont" (location, county seat, 2020 population, college town, settlement and incorporation dates, neighborhood descriptions, South End Art Hop, bike path, snowfall): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Vermont
- City of Burlington, Neighborhood Planning Assemblies (eight wards, NPAs established 1982, annual budget, steering committees, list of NPA groups, ward map tool): https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/NPA
- Church Street Marketplace, About (four pedestrian blocks, 100+ shops and restaurants, founded 1981): https://churchstmarketplace.com/about-us/
- Wikipedia, "Battery Park (Burlington, Vermont)" (14 acres, top of Battery Street, overlooks Lake Champlain): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battery_Park_(Burlington,_Vermont)
- Intervale Center, Mission & Vision (360-acre campus, 180 Intervale Road, founded 1988): https://www.intervale.org/mission-vision
- Intervale Center, home page (describes itself as a 501(c)3 nonprofit): https://www.intervale.org/intervale-center-home
- Wikipedia, "Island Line Trail" (trail begins near Oakledge Park): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_Line_Trail
Facts checked 2026-10-09 and re-checked 2026-10-12. Re-verify population, hours and rules before publishing.
