Island Pond Vermont is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Brighton, in Essex County and the beautifully scenic Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, an area that National Geographic selected as part of their geotourism program for sustainable destinations. Located at Route 114 and Route 105, the village of Island Pond takes its name from the adjacent body of water, which in turn is named for the 20-acre island in the pond.
Island Pond became an important railroad center in 1853, but its days as a major railroad town were over by the late 1950s. The area was also the home of the Twelve Tribes religious movement when they relocated to Island Pond from Tennessee in 1977. From 2004 to 2008, Island Pond gained publicity nationwide because of the town's practice of strict traffic enforcement.
Some notable people from Island Pond include U.S. Representative and Senator from Vermont, Porter H. Dole, and the popular American entertainer, Rudy Vallee.