If you’re looking to live in a rural town with hints of an urban feel, Derby is the place for you. Derby is the biggest and most populous town in Orleans County, Vermont, and sits right below the Canadian border.

 

Derby gives you the chance to be off-grid while still being close to amenities. Single-family homes in Derby have the classic Vermont feel: cabin-style homes with lots of land. If you’re looking to build your home, you’ll find large multiple-acre lots throughout the town.

 

Derby’s students attend Derby Elementary School grades kindergarten through sixth, North Country Union Junior High School for seventh and eighth, and North Country Union High School for ninth through twelfth. After high school, students who want to pursue higher education can attend Community College of Vermont classes in the bordering town Newport or online. Those pursuing a Bachelor’s degree may choose to attend Northern Vermont University at their Lyndon location, less than 40 minutes to home.

 

The Community College of Vermont and Northern Vermont University are also great places to work, with short commutes to Derby. One of the top employers in Derby is Spates Construction Inc, hiring for a number of carpentry and management positions. Join the staff of the Community National Bank in Derby for a great job close to home.

 

Support a local business and shop at the Derby Village Store! Employees of the Derby Village Store are often longtime residents, so they can give you details on anything you need to know. For a larger supermarket, pay a visit to Shaw’s, located right next to a Dollar Tree and Maurice’s for retail shopping! Or you can get all your essentials from the Walmart Supercenter, right on the border of Newport and Derby.

 

Derby is a hidden gem of Vermont, under a half hour to Lake Willoughby, one of the most popular places to hike and swim in the state. It takes just under 20 minutes to get to Seymour Lake, the ideal place for people who love to fish, swim, kayak, boat, and more. A day on either of these lakes is a day well spent. 

  

Derby is a great place to be for all seasons, but winter presents special opportunities for residents. For ski and snowboard lovers, Jay Peak Resort, the eighth largest ski resort in New England, is just 35 minutes away. The mountain offers 81 trails and nine lifts as well as options for your non-skier friends; Jay Peak Resort has an ice skating rink, restaurants, and a year-round waterpark. Vermonters even get a special discount on some lift tickets just for being residents! To explore a different mountain, instead travel an hour to Burke Mountain, slightly smaller but just as fun with 55 different trails. 

  

Feeling like staying local? Visit the Derby Skating Rink in the winter to get your ice skating fix. Afterwards, you can soak up the heat at some of the town’s local restaurants, like Cow Palace, where you can watch elk roam around outside. Or check out Vermont Pie & Pasta Company to find your new favorite pizza. 

 

The Newport Bike Path, which travels through Newport City, Newport Town, and Derby, is the perfect place to take the whole family (and pets!) for a walk or bike ride. Gorgeous views of Lake Memphremagog will keep you going back whenever the weather allows.

  

For book lovers, get yourself a library card to the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, an iconic public library in Derby that straddles the border between the United States and Quebec. A line runs through the library to signify exactly where the two countries meet. Montreal is under two hours to Derby, giving you the opportunity for the perfect day trip to get your fix of shopping, restaurants, and live shows.

  

Prefer to stay in the United States? Burlington is under a 2 hour drive to Derby, and a trip to Boston takes only 3 and a half hours.

 

Derby’s small but strong community is not something to take for granted, and it’s burrowed in the perfect location for all of your local and travel needs. Interested in finding a home in Derby? Contact us to meet the right agent for you.