American communities have never been more essential. In towns and cities, we get out and meet people who share our interests — or view the world in entirely different ways.
Even in divisive times, we trade ideas, voice disagreements and learn from one another in cafés, bars and bookstores or while strolling along paved urban trails or up rugged mountain paths nearby. These places are the threads that weave the United States together, creating a vast expanse of fabric rippling with peaks, valleys and tides.
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, CNN Travel presents this year’s list of America’s Best Towns to Visit. Our third annual list looks beyond some of American tourism’s heaviest hitters to find less-discovered communities or places whose unexpected histories and curiosities have been obscured by splashier attractions.
CNN Travel editors tapped our readers and staffers for nominations for the 2026 list. We weighed the nominees and winnowed them down to 10 by evaluating the finalists’ attractions, food and beverage offerings, cultural and nightlife scenes, diversity, sense of identity, proximity to other interesting spots and “wow factor.” We also looked at travel essentials, including lodging options and the ease of getting there.
