Vermont Abbreviation: VT and Vt.

Vermont abbreviation forms compared

The postal code always has two capital letters and nothing else. The traditional form has a capital V, a lowercase t and a period. Mixing them, as in "Vt" with no dot or "V.T.", is not correct in either system. You can compare every state in the state abbreviations list.

Putting VT on an envelope

Place VT on the bottom address line, between the city and the ZIP. Vermont ZIP codes begin with 05.

When a shipping site or job application shows a state menu, choose VT. In a spreadsheet column labeled "State," type VT so that sorting and filtering work cleanly.

When to use Vt. in news writing

AP style, the guide most American newsrooms follow, spells out Vermont in the body of a story, whether the name stands alone or follows a town. A reporter would write "The fair opens Friday in Rutland, Vermont, and runs all weekend," with commas on both sides of the state name. The traditional Vt. is saved for short forms: the dateline that opens a story, as in "BRATTLEBORO, Vt.," photo captions, lists and tables.

AP does not use postal codes in stories except in full mailing addresses. That is the main difference to remember: VT for the post office, Vt. for a dateline or caption, Vermont for the sentences themselves.

What is the abbreviation for Vermont in school writing?

For reports, essays and research papers, spell out Vermont in the text. Teachers and most style guides for academic work prefer full state names in sentences. Use VT only when you write an address, fill in a form or list states in a narrow table column.

If your paper follows a specific citation style, check its rule for publisher locations. Some styles want the postal code there, so a source might read "Burlington, VT." That is a citation detail, not a rule for normal sentences.

VT, VA and other easy mix ups

Vermont and Virginia both start with V, and their codes are one letter apart. VA is Virginia, never Vermont. VI is the U.S. Virgin Islands, a territory with its own postal code. See Virginia abbreviation for that state's forms.

Some people also confuse VT with NH, because Vermont and New Hampshire sit side by side and are often mentioned together. NH is New Hampshire, which has its own New Hampshire abbreviation page. A quick check of the first letter saves a package from a long detour.

Where the name comes from

Vermont is usually traced to French words meaning green mountain, which fits the state nickname, the Green Mountain State. The Green Mountains run down the middle of the state. The name has nothing to do with the postal code system, which only uses the first and last consonant sounds to make a short, unique code.