America's Best Towns to Visit
City view

10 great US towns to check out now

These destinations, selected by CNN Travel editors, offer loads of personality and plenty to see and do without the elbow-to-elbow crowds of the big tourist cities.

10
Duluth, Minnesota

Making the most of life on the lake:
How this town got its cool reputation

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9
Knoxville, Tennessee

This ‘scruffy little city’ tastes and sounds great

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8
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Why ‘Beer City USA’ is so much more than a drinking town

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7
Macon, Georgia

From ‘ghost town’ to ‘popping’:
How this Southern destination got its groove back

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6
Flagstaff, Arizona

This Grand Canyon pit stop is now a bona fide hot spot

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5
San Luis Obispo, California

The laid-back California dream lives on here

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4
Portland, Maine

This coastal culinary hub has a ‘big-city feel in a small-city package’

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3
Tacoma, Washington

‘Grit City’ shines thanks to stunning scenery and glass art

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2
Providence, Rhode Island

This Rhode Island gem moved rivers to emerge as New England’s creative capital

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1
Richmond, Virginia

Our top town offers first-rate arts, food and festivals and a hard look at its complicated history

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how we chose

We tapped our network of CNN Travel contributors for nominations for our inaugural list, winnowing the finalists to 10 by looking at each town's attractions, food and beverage offerings, nightlife and cultural scene, sense of identity, proximity to other interesting spots and wow factor. We also looked at lodging options and the ease of getting there and around.

PHOTO CREDITS

  • Intro: Chris Johnson/Visit Richmond
  • Duluth: Visit Duluth
  • Knoxville: SeanPavonePhoto/iStockphoto/Getty Images
  • Grand Rapids: Ideology/Experience Grand Rapids
  • Macon: Visit Macon
  • Flagstaff: CNN
  • San Luis Obispo: Brittany App/Visit SLO
  • Portland: Visit Portland
  • Tacoma: CNN/Travel Tacoma/Museum of Glass
  • Providence: N. Millard/GoProvidence.com
  • Richmond: Richmond Region Tourism