10 Best Small Cities In America

Have you visited the 10 best small cities in America? The next time you're planning a road trip, consider spending time in one of these offbeat, less populated destinations. In no particular order, here are ten of the best small cities in the U.S.

1. Savannah, Georgia.  Savannah's picturesque historic district, one of the largest in the country, is chock full of charm with its 22 celebrated parks (called "squares") and churches, buildings and cemeteries dating back to the 1800's. The Riverfront District is lined with bars, restaurants and cafes. Adjacent Tybee Island provides sandy shores on the Atlantic Ocean for beachgoers.
2. Santa Cruz, California.  Skip the crowded beaches of Southern California and head North to visit the coastal town of Santa Cruz, where you'll be treated to a seaside boardwalk and quaint town with cafes and bookstores. UC Santa Cruz, with its liberal History Of Consciousness Master's Degree program attracts such activists as former Black Panther Angela Davis.
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Santa Fe has long attracted artists and Bohemian types, such as painter Georiga O'Keeffe, who lived there before settling elsewhere in New Mexico. Pueblo style architecture and a city organized around its central plaza make this one of the ten best small cities in America.
4. Ashland, Oregon.  Ashland is situated just North of the California border. The internationally recognized Oregon Shakespeare Festival is held here each summer.
5. Madison, Wisconsin.  Are you a beer lover? The The Great Taste of the Midwest is a beer festival featuring over 100 brew pub offerings on the second Saturday of August. Plan ahead, because tickets sell out in a day! The University of Wisconsin keeps Madison lively with undergrads and graduate students.
6. Woodstock, New York.  Woodstock may be best known for its 1968 music festival of the same name, but its association with the arts goes back to the early 1900's. Artisans, writers and musicians have long called this town home.
7. Olympia, Washington.  Home to Evergreen State College, a liberal and experimental private school, Olympia boasts intelligent and radical residents. Kurt Cobain wrote many of Nirvana's songs while living in Olympia, putting it on the grunge music map.
8. Ketchum, Idaho.  Ketchum is the town adjacent to Sun Valley Ski Resort. Ernest "Papa" Hemingway lived and died here, and one of his old favorite drinking haunts, the Casino, is still in business. While ski season is the most lively (and crowded) time of year here, the slower months of fall and spring are equally beautiful and you'll find the locals more relaxed.
9. Nags Head, North Carolina. The sand dunes and miles of beach make Nags Head one of the ten best small cities in America. It's a hang-gliding mecca and the laid-back vibe here makes this beach town a favorite with vacationers.
10. Lawrence, Kansas.  William Burroughs lived in Lawrence, and rumor has it that descendents of his pet cat still do. Lawrence is a liberal oasis in a Republican state, and the University of Kansas gives Lawrence its college-town feel.