Bethel, Vermont
Bethel is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It has about 1,942 residents (2020) and includes Bethel village, Bethel-Gilead, East Bethel, Lilliesville, Lympus, and West Bethel. The town is known for Bethel White granite, which was used to build Washington Union Station and the National Museum of Natural History.
Geography and transportation: Bethel covers about 45.4 square miles, mostly land. It is crossed by Interstate 89 (Exit 3), Vermont Route 12, and Vermont Route 107. Amtrak’s Vermonter passes through the area daily but does not stop in Bethel; the nearest stations are in Randolph and White River Junction.
History: Bethel was the first town created by the independent Republic of Vermont in 1779 and was named after the Biblical village of Bethel.
Education: Bethel Elementary School serves Pre-K through 5th grade. Since 2017–2018, Bethel and nearby towns joined the White River Unified School District. Middle school students (grades 6–8) attend White River Valley Middle School on the Bethel campus, and high school students (grades 9–12) attend White River Valley High School. A six-person school board represents Bethel and South Royalton. Bethel is part of the White River Valley Supervisory Union.
Community life: Bethel hosts a Fall “Bethel Better Block” to revitalize the downtown, a Winter program called Bethel University, and arts projects funded by a 2017 Vermont Arts Council grant, including a trout mural, lamp post banners, and sculpture benches.
Climate: Bethel has a humid continental climate, with warm, sometimes hot summers and cold winters.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:35 (CET).