U.S. Route 7 (US 7) is a north–south highway extending from southern Connecticut to the northernmost part of Vermont. In Vermont, the route extends for 176 miles (283 km) along the western side of the state as a mostly two-lane rural road with a few short expressway sections. It is known as the Ethan Allen Highway for much of its path through the state. US 7 ends at an interchange with Interstate 89 (I-89) in the town of Highgate, just south of the Canadian border. I-89 continues to the border crossing.

US 7 crosses the Massachusetts–Vermont state line at Pownal, from where the road heads north to Bennington as a rural two-lane highway. Just north of downtown Bennington, the highway transitions into a limited-access highway. For 3 miles (4.8 km), US 7 is a true expressway with divided carriageways and multiple lanes. The road subsequently narrows down to an undivided two-lane freeway; however, many stretches have passing lanes. This continues to a point just north of Manchester, where US 7 reverts to a surface road.

Most of US 7 between Manchester and the Canadian border is an undivided, uncontrolled road varying in width from two to four lanes. Two divided highway sections also exist: a 10-mile (16 km) section south of Rutland, and a stretch between Shelburne and Burlington known as Shelburne Road. There is overhead signage at the junction with I-189 in South Burlington that directs northbound trucks onto I-189. While US 7 heads directly into Burlington, I-189 bypasses the city to the south and east and leads directly to I-89, which closely parallels US 7 through northern Vermont.

Near downtown Burlington, US 7 intersects with US 2; the latter route joins US 7 for more than 9 miles (14 km) to Colchester. North of here, US 7 and I-89 run through northern Vermont to Highgate, where US 7 ends at the northernmost exit on I-89.

US 7 was assigned in 1926.

A freeway is being built to the north and east of Bennington. Once complete, US 7 will utilize this new bypass while the existing two-lane road into town will become part of Vermont Route 7A (VT 7A).

US 7 has two suffixed routes, both of which are old alignments of US 7.

U.S. Route 7 Alternate (ALT US 7) is an alternate route of US 7 in Burlington. The southbound-only US 7 Alternate begins at the intersection of Hyde Street and Riverside Avenue (US 2 and US 7) and runs for a distance of 2.107 miles (3.391 km) in the following manner: west on Riverside Avenue, south on North and South Winooski avenues, south on St. Paul Street, and south on Shelburne Street to its end at US 7 at the rotary-style intersection of South Willard Street (US 7), Locust Street and Ledge Road. Mainline US 7 travels over Hyde Street and North and South Willard streets until the aforementioned intersection.

The lone "Alternate US 7" assembly on the route is located on St. Paul Street in Burlington, just south of the intersection with South Winooski Avenue and Howard Street.