Grand Isle

Grand Isle, county, northwestern Vermont, U.S. It is bordered to the north by Quebec, Canada, and to the west by New York state. It consists of a peninsula extending southward into Lake Champlain from Quebec and an archipelago of three larger islands (Isle La Motte and North and South Hero islands) and several smaller islands. The county is linked by bridge to mainland Vermont and to New York. The low-lying terrain, which once supported an abundance of wildlife, is wooded with hardwoods, hemlock, and white pine. Recreational areas include North Hero, Grand Isle, and Knight Point state parks.

On Isle La Motte is the site of the French garrison Fort Sainte-Anne (1666), the first European settlement in what is now Vermont. The Chazgan Coral Reef at Jordan Bay is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. Black marble was quarried on Isle La Motte in the 19th century. Built in 1783, the Hyde Log Cabin on South Hero is one of the oldest extant log cabins in the nation. During the U.S. War of Independence, British and American forces anchored among these islands before engaging in the nearby Battle of Valcour Island (October 11, 1776).

Grand Isle, created in 1802, has the smallest area of any county in the state. North Hero is the county seat. Other communities are South Hero, Alburg, and Keeler Bay. Tourism is a major industry. Area 83 square miles (214 square km). Pop. (2000) 6,901; (2010) 6,970.