Burlington serves as the county seat of Chittenden County in Vermont, United States. It is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, north of Shelburne Bay, rising from the water's edge to a height of 300 feet. The city occupies a strip of land extending approximately six miles south from the mouth of the Winooski River along the lake shore. Geographically, it lies forty-five miles south of the Canada–United States border and ninety-five miles south of Montreal, positioning it as a significant regional hub in northern New England.

The town was granted on June 7, 1763, to Samuel Willis and sixty-three others, though permanent settlement was delayed by the American Revolutionary War until after its conclusion. The first recorded town meeting occurred in March 1787. Burlington developed into a major port of entry and trade center following the completion of several canals in the early nineteenth century. It became a bustling lumbering and manufacturing hub, at one point ranking as the third largest lumber market in the world, before being incorporated as a city in 1865.

The city is characterized by distinct neighborhoods including Downtown, the Hill Section, and the New North End. Victorian-era prosperity left behind fine architecture by notable firms such as McKim, Mead & White. The waterfront, once a derelict industrial wasteland, was redeveloped into public space featuring the Burlington Bike Path and the Island Line Trail. These trails connect the city to the Lake Champlain islands and extend toward Montreal via Quebec's Route verte, reflecting a strong local focus on bicycle advocacy and public access.

Burlington is a regional college town home to the University of Vermont and Champlain College. It is also the birthplace of the ice cream enterprise Ben & Jerry's, founded in 1978. The city gained national attention in 2015 for becoming the first in the United States to run entirely on renewable energy. This environmental milestone highlights a cultural commitment to sustainability that permeates local governance and community initiatives, drawing visitors interested in eco-friendly urban planning and progressive civic engagement.

As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 44,743, making it the most populous city in Vermont. It holds the distinction of being the smallest U.S. city by population to be the largest within its state. The City of Burlington owns the Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport, located in neighboring South Burlington. The local economy is supported by healthcare institutions like the UVM Medical Center and a robust tourism sector driven by the lakefront attractions and historic architecture.