springfield is a full-service town of about 9,000 on the connecticut river in east-central vermont. springfield is accessed by exit 7 on interstate 91 and serves as a regional center for commerce and services which include springfield hospital, hartness state airport, the edgar may health & recreation center, the black river innovation campus and the vermont state office building. springfield was chartered in 1761 and became an important manufacturing center using the water power available from the black river which drops 110 feet in one-eighth of a mile downtown & features five significant waterfalls. today the town's attractions include fiber-optic internet, several dance companies, the gallery at the vault, muckross state park, the toonerville rail trail connecting downtown with a boat launching site at hoyt's landing, springfield food coop, and the hartness house inn which features astronomy exhibits and a historic telescope. crown point country club, okemo mountain resort, and mount ascutney state park are less than 30 minutes away. springfield is also notable as the official hometown of the simpsons television family, an honor it earned in 2007 when it hosted the world premiere of the simpsons movie at its independent cinema.