When you love a place, you rally behind it to make sure everyone knows how great it is. Vote-offs like "America's Coolest Small Town" by Budget Travel are annual favorites, and Virginia towns have been included in two of the last three votes. A real pride of place, however, takes over when a publication names the town or city closest to your heart as "best" or "favorite" without any public input. The accolades that these Virginia towns and cities have garnered are well deserved. Do add them to your travel bucket list to see the sweet gems you've been missing out on. [caption id="attachment_7969" align="alignright" width="300"]Old Town Historic Alexandria. ©Cameron Davidson Old Town Historic Alexandria. ©Cameron Davidson[/caption] Abingdon
  • Best Performing Arts Town -The South's Most Creative Small Towns, Garden and Gun, 2011
Alexandria
  • Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in the U.S., Amazon.com, 2014
  • Prettiest Little Escapes, Huffington Post, 2013
  • Best Small Cities for Art Lovers, Nerdwallet, 2013
Blacksburg
  • #14, The South's Best College Towns, Southern Living
Bristol
  • Best Music Town, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2013
[caption id="attachment_7970" align="alignright" width="300"]Cape Charles. ©Cameron Davidson Cape Charles. ©Cameron Davidson[/caption] Cape Charles
  • #4, Perfect Little Beach Town, Southern Living
Charlottesville
  • #1, Happiest American Cities, Harvard Gazette, 2014 (per National Bureau for Economic Research)
  • #1, Top 5 College Towns in America, Travelers Today, 2014
  • Top Five Destinations Every American Should Visit, Orbitz Worldwide, 2014
  • #9, America's Favorite Mountain Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2014
  • #1, America's 5 New Foodie Cities, Wine Enthusiast, 2014
  • #2, America's Best College Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
  • #1, America's Best Small Towns for Food, TheDailyMeal.com, 2013
  • #14, America's Favorite Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
  • #1, Top College Towns, TravelChannel.com
  • #2, The South's Best College Towns, Southern Living
Chincoteague
  • #1, America's Happiest Seaside Towns, Coastal Living, 2014
  • #6, 8 of the Best Small Town Getaways in the U.S., WallStCheatSheet.com, 2014
  • #2, America's Best Little Beach Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
Culpeper
  • One of America's Top 10 Small Towns. Crampton, Norman. The 100 Best Small Towns in America.
[caption id="attachment_7971" align="alignright" width="200"]Downtown Harrisonburg. ©Elisabeth Bixby Downtown Harrisonburg. ©Elisabeth Bixby[/caption] Floyd
  • 50 Great American Places to Visit this Summer, Men's Journal, 2013
Fredericksburg
  • #9, America's Best College Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
Galax
  • The Next Great Mountain Towns, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2011
Harrisonburg
  • Best Beer Town, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2013
  • #5, America's Best College Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
Lexington
  • Best Small Towns to Visit, Smithsonian Magazine, 2013
  • #14, America's Best College Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
  • 10 Coolest Small Towns in America, Budget Travel, 2009
Luray
  • The Next Great Mountain Towns, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2011
Lynchburg
  • 50 Best Places to Live & Play, National Geographic, 2007
[caption id="attachment_7972" align="alignright" width="300"]Downtown Middleburg. ©Virginia Tourism Corporation Downtown Middleburg. ©Virginia Tourism Corporation[/caption] Middleburg
  • Best Small Town Weekend Getaways, Southern Living
  • #6, 20 Best Day Trips in the U.S., Fodor's Travel, 2014
Richmond
  • Frommer's Top Destinations for 2014, Frommer's, 2014
  • Best Town Ever, Outside, 2012
Roanoke
  • Top 10 Valentine's Day Getaways, WorldPropertyChannel.com, 2014
  • 10Best: Bike-Friendly Cities, USAToday.com, 2014
  • Best Trail Town, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2013
  • Best Mid-Sized Mountain Town, Blue Ridge Outdoors, 2012
Smithfield
  • #41, America's Happiest Seaside Towns, Coastal Living, 2014
[caption id="attachment_7973" align="alignright" width="200"]Virginia Beach. ©John Henley Virginia Beach. ©John Henley[/caption] Staunton
  • America's Best Main Streets, Fordor's Travel, 2014
  • America's Favorite Mountain Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2014
  • America's Greatest Main Streets, Travel + Leisure, 2012
  • Best Small Towns in America, Smithsonian Magazine, 2012
Virginia Beach
  • Top 10 Summer Destinations, Priceline.com, 2014
  • Top 20 Destinations for Fourth of July Travel, Priceline.com, 2014
  • Best Cities for Summer Drives, NBCNews.com, 2013
  • Top 10 Art Beaches, Huffington Post Travel, 2013
  • 8 Great Labor Day Weekend Getaways, Budget Travel, 2013
  • 7 Most Beautiful and Underrated Cities in the U.S., EscapeHere.com, 2013
Williamsburg
  • #2, Best Historic Destinations in the USA, US News & World Report, 2014-15
  • #3, 10Best: Best Historic Cities, USAToday.com, 2014
  • #3, 10Best: Places to Explore American History, USAToday.com, 2014
  • 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in Virginia in 2014, Smithsonian Magazine
  • #4, America's Best College Towns, Travel + Leisure, 2013
  • These Old Towns are the Prettiest Little Escapes, Huffington Post, 2013 (Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement)
  • #7 Best Weekend Getaways, US News & World Report
  • #8, 8 Affordable Family Vacations, US News & World Report
Which Virginia city or town is your favorite and why? Leave a comment to let us know! Related

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