Quaint, cozy, under-the-radar, charming… if these words describe your ideal travel destination, Travel + Leisure has a list for you. The travel magazine has named the best small towns in America, sharing their favorite lesser-known gems in seven categories to inspire travel to these underappreciated destinations.
Winning small towns are revealed in the categories of Beach, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Food and Culture, Wine/Beer/Spirits and Spa and Wellness. Each winning town has a full-time population below 25,000 residents, excels in its category, offers a variety of activities for the visitor and has a timely reason to visit, such as a festival, new attraction or tourism initiative.
The resulting list includes decidedly un-buzzy towns but definitely worth a trip. Whether you’re looking for outdoor recreation, natural beauty, a fantastic food scene or a rejuvenating escape, these towns offer all that and more without the hassle of larger, more popular destinations.
Here are Travel + Leisure’s best small towns in America that should be on your travel list for 2023 (and the runner-ups that are worth visiting too):
Best Small Beach Town: Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island, Florida (runner-up Port Aransas, Texas)
Best Small Mountain Town: Highlands, North Carolina (runner-up Red Lodge, Montana)
Best Small Lake Town: Grand Marais, Minnesota (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire)
Best Small Desert Town: Kanab, Utah (runner-up Yucca Valley, California)
Best Small Food and Culture Town: Los Olivos, California (runner up McCook, Nebraska)
Best Small Wine, Beer and Spirits Town: Dahlonega, Georgia (runner up Greenport, New York)
Best Small Spa and Wellness Town: Aurora, New York (runner up Girdwood, Alaska)
See the full report here to find out why each town was chosen. And if you’re passionate about an exceptional small town that didn’t make the list, T+L is accepting nominations for next year’s survey.