Top 10 Historic Small Towns in the US, From Arizona to Rhode Island

A new seawall protects the Big Sable Point Lighthouse at Ludington State Park in Ludington, Michigan, on Sept. 30, 2020. Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/TNS

By Jackie Burrell From The Mercury News

It’s always fun to browse USA Today’s 10 Best lists, which rank everything from resorts to festivals to winery tours, chosen by travel experts then voted on by readers.

They recently featured readers’ takes on the top 10 historic small towns in the U.S., a list that includes Winterset, Iowa (No. 10 on the list), the county seat of Madison County, which is known for its covered bridges—as in the 1995 movie “The Bridges of Madison County.”

Arizona’s Winslow takes the No. 6 spot not only for its place in pop culture—cue the Eagles’ “Take It Easy”—and setting on historic Route 66, but for its Anasazi history. And 17th-century architecture rules supreme in Wickford, Rhode Island, which holds the No. 2 ranking.

Take a peek at the list below, then check out the full story, complete with photos and snippets of history, at https://10best.usatoday.com/web-stories/10-best-historic-small-towns

1. Ludington, Michigan

2. Wickford, Rhode Island

3. Abilene, Kansas

4. Ruston, Louisiana

5. San Elizario, Texas

6. Winslow, Arizona

7. Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

8. Cumberland, Maryland

9. Jonesborough, Tennessee

10. Winterset, Iowa

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