Editing Brighton, Vermont (section)

==Geography==
Brighton is in western Essex County, bordered to the north by [[Warren's Gore, Vermont|Warren's Gore]] and [[Averys Gore, Vermont|Averys Gore]], to the northeast by [[Lewis, Vermont|Lewis]], to the southeast by [[Ferdinand, Vermont|Ferdinand]], to the southwest by [[Newark, Vermont|Newark]] in [[Caledonia County, Vermont|Caledonia County]] and [[Westmore, Vermont|Westmore]] in [[Orleans County, Vermont|Orleans County]], and to the northwest by [[Charleston, Vermont|Charleston]] and [[Morgan, Vermont|Morgan]] in Orleans County. The unincorporated community of [[Island Pond, Vermont|Island Pond]], the main community in the town, is at the north end of the lake of the same name in the center of the town.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town of Brighton has a total area of {{convert|138.1|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|134.3|sqkm|order=flip}} is land and {{convert|3.8|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 2.76%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US5000908725| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Brighton town, Essex County, Vermont| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=March 31, 2016| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213130131/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US5000908725| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> Island Pond, originally called "Knowlton Pond" in the 19th century to honor [[Luke Knowlton]], who surveyed and laid out the town, is Brighton's largest body of water. The [[Clyde River (Vermont)|Clyde River]] flows out of the north end of Island Pond and proceeds in a northwesterly direction towards [[Charleston, Vermont|Charleston]]. Spectacle Pond is a [[Kettle (landform)|kettle lake]] just east (upstream) of Island Pond. It is only {{convert|8|to|10|ft}} deep, with a thick bottom of muck.<ref name="Johnson, Charles W. 1984">{{cite book | author = Johnson, Charles W. |title = The Nature of Vermont | publisher = [[University Press of New England]] | year = 1984}}</ref> Most of the town, including Island and Spectacle ponds and the Clyde River, is part of the [[Lake Memphremagog]] watershed, and thus part of the [[Saint Lawrence River]] basin, via the [[Magog River|Magog]] and [[Saint-François River|Saint-François]] rivers of [[Quebec]]. The east side of the town drains to the [[Connecticut River]], mostly to the east via the [[Nulhegan River]], but a small portion to the south via the East Branch of the [[Passumpsic River]]. The highest point in Brighton is the {{convert|2789|ft|adj=on}} southern summit of Bluff Mountain, in the northern part of the town.

Vermont Routes [[Vermont Route 114|114]] and [[Vermont Route 105|105]] cross the town, joining as Derby Street through Island Pond. Route 114 leads north {{convert|16|mi}} to the [[Canada–United States border]] at [[Norton, Vermont]], and south {{convert|24|mi}} to [[Lyndonville, Vermont|Lyndonville]]. Route 105 leads east {{convert|16|mi}} to [[Bloomfield, Vermont|Bloomfield]] on the [[Connecticut River]] and northwest {{convert|17|mi}} through [[Charleston, Vermont|Charleston]] to [[Derby Center, Vermont|Derby Center]].