Northeast Kingdom
Northeast Kingdom | |
|---|---|
Area | |
Panoramic view of Willoughby Notch and Mount Pisgah | |
Interactive map of Northeast Kingdom | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Vermont |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,250 km2 (2,030 sq mi) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 64,764 |
| • Density | 12.3/km2 (32.0/sq mi) |
The Northeast Kingdom (also, locally, "The Kingdom" and abbreviated NEK) is the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont. Its borders are the subject of some debate, but the region is usually taken to comprise Essex, Orleans, and Caledonia counties, which had a population of 63,546 at the 2020 United States census. The term "Northeast Kingdom" is attributed to George D. Aiken, former Governor of Vermont and a U.S. senator, who first used the term in a 1949 speech.
The region includes several "gateway" towns, considered to be entry points from a particular direction: at the southeastern corner, St. Johnsbury, just a few miles from the New Hampshire border; to the north, Newport and Derby, close to the Canada–US border; to the northeast, Canaan; and to the southwest, Hardwick. Another town that has used the term "gateway to the Northeast Kingdom" is Lyndonville although it is not at any of the region's borders.
Interstate 91, Interstate 93, U.S. Route 5, and U.S. Route 2 are the main roads that connect travelers to the Northeast Kingdom.