Jay Peak rises in northern Vermont near the Canadian border, spanning the towns of Jay and Westfield as the highest point in Orleans County and part of the northern Green Mountains. Named for the town of Jay, itself honoring John Jay, it stands beside Big Jay and North Jay Peak and is the northernmost major mountain crossed by Vermont’s Long Trail. Its slopes, largely within Jay State Forest, and the resort on its northeast side have made it a well-known four-season destination. The mountain also drains into the Missisquoi River system and is tied to local history through a 1943 plane crash and the 1950s campaign to build Route 242 across its south flank.