Celebrating and promoting America's most exceptional small towns
America's Most Beautiful Towns is a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying, certifying, and promoting exceptional small towns across the United States. We believe that the heart of America beats strongest in its small towns—places where history lives on main street, nature frames the skyline, and community spirit thrives.
To celebrate and promote America's most beautiful small towns, fostering sustainable tourism that strengthens local economies while preserving the character and heritage that make these communities special.
A future where regional road trips through America's small towns are recognized as world-class vacation experiences, and where these communities thrive through increased but sustainable visitation.
National parks, major cities, and beach destinations have robust promotional infrastructure and marketing budgets. Small towns don't. Many of America's most exceptional communities remain virtually unknown outside their immediate regions—hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
At the same time, travelers are increasingly seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences. They want to escape the crowds and discover places with genuine character. But without a trusted resource to guide them, finding these destinations requires luck or local knowledge.
We bridge that gap. By creating a curated, quality-controlled network of America's most beautiful small towns, we help travelers find remarkable destinations and help small towns reach the audiences who will appreciate them most.
Our approach is inspired by successful European programs that have promoted small-town tourism for decades. These certification programs have helped hundreds of villages gain recognition while preserving the authentic character that makes them special.
Member towns in these programs report measurable increases in tourism and economic activity. What's more, the certification serves as a quality mark that influences millions of travel decisions each year—directing visitors toward places that truly deliver on the promise of beauty and authenticity.
Similar programs now exist across Europe and Asia, but no equivalent exists at scale in the United States. We're working to change that.
We seek towns that have preserved their genuine character, not manufactured tourist attractions. Real places with real communities.
Tourism should strengthen communities, not overwhelm them. We promote sustainable visitation that respects local character.
Our certification means something because we're selective. We'd rather have 100 exceptional towns than 1,000 mediocre ones.
Our primary measure of success is whether member towns and their residents benefit from our work.
America's Most Beautiful Towns began with a simple question: why doesn't the United States have a curated guide to its most exceptional small towns?
The country has thousands of remarkable places—historic Main Streets, stunning natural settings, vibrant local cultures—but no national program to help travelers discover them. We set out to change that, creating a trusted resource for finding the most beautiful and authentic small towns across all 50 states.
Discover America's most beautiful small towns and start planning your next adventure.
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