Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls is a village of 2,891 people in Windham County, Vermont, founded in 1909.
Why visit Bellows Falls
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 11 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Arch Bridge, Hall Bridge, Adams Gristmill Warehouse and Bellows Falls Co-operative Creamery Complex.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 12°F.
Weather in Bellows Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bellows Falls
Bellows Falls is one of two incorporated villages located in the town of Rockingham in Windham County, Vermont, United States. It is a 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) area bounded on the east by the Connecticut River, and as of the 2020 census, the population was 2,747. It is home to the Bellows Falls Petroglyph Site, the Green Mountain Railroad, including Bellows Falls station, and they host the annual Roots on the River Festival and the No Film Film Festival.
From the Wikipedia article Bellows Falls, Vermont (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Arch Bridge
Bridge · 0.6 mi
Former bridge in Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA
Museums and landmarks22
Adams Gristmill Warehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic industrial building on Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls Co-operative Creamery Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic industrial property in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls Neighborhood Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Bellows Falls Times Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic newspaper plant on Bridge and Island Streets in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Drewsville Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in New Hampshire, United States
Gas Station at Bridge and Island Streets
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Service station in Bellows Falls, Vermont, United States
George-Pine-Henry Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Vermont, United States
Hall Covered Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Covered bridge in Rockingham, Vermont, United States
Howard Hardware Storehouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic storage building off Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Miss Bellows Falls Diner
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
A restaurant in Bellows Falls, Vermont, USA
Moore and Thompson Paper Mill Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Major late 19th-century industrial site off Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont
Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Windham County
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes11
China Garden
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.6 mi
117 Rockingham Street, Bellows Falls
Tu-Th 11:30-21:00; Fr 11:30-22:00; Sa 14:00-22:00; Su 14:00-21:00
Dari Joy
Restaurant · American, Ice Cream · 0.5 mi
140 Rockingham Street, Bellows Falls
Mo-Su 10:00-22:00
History
The community was settled in 1753 by colonists of English descent, who called it Great Falls. Later the settlers renamed the town for Colonel Benjamin Bellows, a landowner, but kept the name "Great Falls" for the waterfall, a translation of their Abenaki name, "Kitchee pontegu."
In 1785, Colonel Enoch Hale built the first bridge over the Connecticut River, and it remained the only bridge across the Connecticut River until another was built in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1796. In 1820, Nathaniel Tucker bought the old bridge site and funded its reconstruction when it started becoming unsafe. There are only two bridges that currently link Bellows Falls to New Hampshire: the Vilas Bridge and the New Arch Bridge, also called the Church Street Bridge, replacing the Arch Bridge in 1982.
From the History section of Bellows Falls, Vermont on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping4
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Fall Mountain Regional -Pre School Program
School · 3.2 mi
144 Fmrhs Rd., Langdon
Healthcare1
Map of Bellows Falls
70 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 12°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 14°F | 3.0 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 21°F | 3.6 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 33°F | 3.8 in |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 53°F | 5.1 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 58°F | 4.8 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 56°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 49°F | 4.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 38°F | 4.6 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 28°F | 3.6 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 19°F | 3.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Walpole 2S Nepp (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Windham County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-08-08: Tropical Depression Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-03-02: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-07-14: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-07-10: Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-09-29: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-08-22: Tropical Storm Henri (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hartness State Airport (VSF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 15 miles away.
- Keene 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- Claremont 18 mi north, about 30 min by car
- West Swanzey 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Marlborough 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Newport 21 mi northeast, about 34 min by car
- Hinsdale 24 mi south, about 38 min by car
- Winchester 25 mi south, about 40 min by car
- Troy 26 mi southeast, about 41 min by car
- Antrim 26 mi east, about 42 min by car
- Hillsborough 28 mi east, about 46 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- BellowsFalls, Wayne Blanchard ( VtWayne at en.wikipedia ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Williams Street Extension, Bellows Falls VT, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 01, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 02, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 08, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 09, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 04, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 03, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 06, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 05, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 07, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Interior Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT August 2023, Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Big Boy statue Dari Joy 140 Rockingham Street U.S. Route 5 Bellows Falls VT September 2023, Artaxerxes, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Charles Roman Catholic Church 31 Cherry Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 04, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Pine Street, Bellows Falls VT, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Charles Roman Catholic Church 31 Cherry Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 03, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Saint Charles Roman Catholic Church 31 Cherry Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024 02, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Interior Dunkin' Penguin Market Gas 124 Rockingham Street (US Rte 5) Bellows Falls VT August 2026 01, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Interior Dunkin' Penguin Market Gas 124 Rockingham Street (US Rte 5) Bellows Falls VT August 2026 02, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- BPOE No. 1619, Bridge and Island Streets, Bellows Falls VT, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The MOOver bus stop Penguin Market Gas 124 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT August 2026, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Defunct payphone Penguin Mart 124 Rockingham Street (US Rte 5) Bellows Falls VT May 2026, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Michael J. Farrand Santa hat Penguin Market 124 Rockingham Street Bellows Falls VT December 2025, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Saint Charles Roman Catholic Church 31 Cherry Street Bellows Falls VT May 2024, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Meeting Waters YMCA, Bellows Falls VT, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Misty Autumn Morning on the Connecticut River at Bellows Falls, Vermont - panoramio, daxtell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Connecticut River High Water in Bellows Falls Vermont (4724922647), Keene Public Library and the Historical Society of Cheshire County from USA, No restrictions
- Pizza Palace 111 Rockingham Road (U.S. Rte 5) downtown Bellows Falls VT August 2026, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Railroad truss bridge over Bellows Falls Canal, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bellows Falls Middle School, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Depot Street Bridge, Bellows Falls, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Connecticut River High Water in Bellows Falls Vermont (4724922755), Keene Public Library and the Historical Society of Cheshire County from USA, No restrictions
- The MOOver bus stop Main Street downtown Bellows Falls VT August 2026, Artaxerxes, CC BY 4.0
- Bellows Falls Amtrak platform, Mackensen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- United Church of Bellows Falls, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bellows Falls Canal from Depot Street, January 2015, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Waypoint Visitors Center, Bellows Falls, January 2015, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Immanuel Episcopal Church, Bellows Falls, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- William A. Hall House,1 Hapgood Street, Bellows Falls VT, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- RockinghamVT US5 WilliamsRiverBridge TrussView, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 3.0
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