Irradiation of dimethylpyridine vapors (2-5 Torr) at 254 nm results in the formation of two sets of isomerization products. One set, formed in the larger yield, is substantially quenched when the irradiations are carried out in the presence of 15-21 Torr of nitrogen and is not formed when the irradiations are carried out with light of lambda > 290 nm. In addition, a second set of reactions, which involve the interconversion of 2,3- and 2,5-dimethylpyridines, is enhanced by the addition of nitrogen, and these reactions are the only photoisomerization reactions observed when the irradiations are carried out with light of lambda > 290 nm. In addition to the photoisomerizations, four of the dimethylpyridines also undergo demethylation to yield monomethylpyridines, and 2,6-dimethylpyridine undergoes methylation to yield a trimethylpyridine product. A variety of crossover experiments confirmed that the photoisomerizations are intramolecular. Based on the major phototransposition products, the six dimethylpyridines can be divided into two triads, Interconversion of the three members of each triad results in the major phototransposition products. These intra-triad interconversions are suggested to occur via 2,6-bonding, originating in a vibrationally excited S-2(pi,pi*) state of the dimethylpyridine, followed by nitrogen migration and rearomatization. This allows nitrogen to insert within each carbon-carbon bond. Phototransposition of 2,6-dideuterio-3,5-dimethylpyridine to a mixture of 5,6-dideuterio-2,4-dimethylpyridine and 3,4-dideuterio-2,5-dimethylpyridine is consistent with this mechanism. In addition to these intra-triad reactions, 2,5-dimethylpyridine, a member of triad 1, was observed to interconvert with 2,3-dimethylpyridine, a member of triad 2. These inter-triad reactions are suggested to occur via interconverting Dewar pyridine intermediates, formed from the triplet state of the dimethylpyridines. These Dewar pyridine intermediates were also observed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy after irradiation of the dimethylpyridines in CD3CN at -30 degrees C,