The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015 by the Smithsonian

(Image © David C. Phillips/Garden Photo World/Corbis; graphic by Shaylyn Esposito)

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2015 by the Smithsonian, published in Apr 16, 2015 follows their Best Small Towns lists from 2014, 2013, and 2012). For the fourth annual version of our list, we once again worked with the geographical information company Esri to sort the nation’s small towns (those with a population under 20,000) according to their number of cultural attractions, historical sites, nature opportunities and food-and-drink destinations, then researched to find the places commemorating important anniversaries, openings, renovations, recoveries and other milestones in 2015. Think of this list not as a ranking but as a menu, with something for every taste—whether it’s country bluegrass, Florida’s white beaches or Alaska’s blue mountains.

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