11 Best Downtowns In The United States

Across the United States, downtowns come in every flavor, from 18th- and 19th-century street grids to main streets on New England islands, in the Rockies, or along the shores of the Great Lakes. In Walla Walla, you can build an entire afternoon around downtown tasting rooms, and a meal at Hattaway’s on Alder. In Springdale, the main street is the warm-up act for Zion, with coffee stops like Canyon Coffee and red-rock views of Zion Canyon showing up almost everywhere you sit. These 11 standout downtowns prove you do not have to choose between a great main street and a great setting because the best places deliver both.

Walla Walla, Washington

Setting aside the delightful fact that its name is an alliteration, Walla Walla is famous for wine, onions, and its charmingly retro downtown. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, Walla Walla brings back-East small-town vibes to the haunting beauty of the Pacific Northwest, with plenty to offer visitors. Sip local wines at any of its numerous downtown tasting rooms; pick up some of the town’s famous onions at the Saturday morning farmers’ market; sample local flavors at Hattaway’s on Alder. And that’s not counting the museums, historic sites, and farms located just outside of town. It might seem sleepy on the surface, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find that Walla Walla has all the quirky appeal you’d hope for in an up-and-coming Pacific Northwest downtown.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Any town earmarked by the National Trust for Historic Preservation is bound to be worth a visit; this is the case for Eureka Springs, a locally beloved Ozark mountain town that likes to boast it doesn’t have a single stoplight. And it really is as charming as that fact makes it sound.

Many of Eureka Springs’ draws are related to its history as a health spa, like the Blue Spring Heritage Center, with a natural spring that gave it a central place in the town’s history. Fittingly for such a historic place, several local outfitters also offer ghost tours of the favorite downtown haunts, and you can fuel up after a long night of paranormal activity at Sugar and Crumbs Cafe.

Nantucket, Massachusetts

Few names are as synonymous with summer in New England than Nantucket, but there’s a good reason for that. Its longtime popularity as a vacation spot for East Coast travelers reflects its uniquely walkable layout and island-style amiability, and while Cisco Beach draws most visitors at one point or another, it’s the town itself that we find most fun. Brunch at Or, The Whale, exploring the industry that put Nantucket on the map at the Nantucket Whaling Museum, sampling a lobster roll at Charlie Noble: you don’t have to set foot on the beach at all to have a quintessential New England summer day in Nantucket.

Bath, Maine

If you’re looking for a New England summer getaway with a little less tourist crush and a little more serenity, head to Bath in central Maine for exactly that. This seaside city brings a postcard-worthy downtown right up to the coast, a fact to which the Bath Maritime Museum pays tribute, as does Maine’s First Ship, a museum ship that replicates the first oceangoing ship built in the Americas. For another local seaside specialty, hit Five Islands Lobster Co. for the obligatory Maine lobster roll. But give yourself time to take it all in, too: this is the kind of place where every square foot of Downtown is worth a photograph.

Tarpon Springs, Florida

Founded by Greek sponge divers and popularized by sport fishermen, Tarpon Springs is nothing like anyplace else in Florida. Greek cuisine and shops are everywhere, a heritage highlighted at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and the Tarpon Springs Historic Train Depot highlights another key element of the town’s history: the influence of the railroad. Cap off your explorations with a Florida-style Greek meal at Hellas Restaurant and Bakery on the fittingly-named Dodecanese Avenue. And if history’s not your thing, this is Florida: there’s always Sunset Beach.

Estes Park, Colorado

The gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park has downtown allure of its own to offer. With all-around mountain views, scenery is a guarantee, and the walkable downtown provides a stress-free counterpoint to the town’s miles of trails. Main-street draws include surprisingly authentic slices at Antonio’s Real New York Pizza and Earthwood Artisans, which features the work of local artists. The Stanley Hotel, famous for inspiring the classic horror novel The Shining, is a favorite piece of local history. But what really puts downtown Estes Park on the map is its comfortable proximity to the rugged Colorado wild. Few other American downtowns mesh small-town comfort and big-sky grandeur so seamlessly.

Carmel-By-the-Sea, California

A quick drive down the coast from the iconic cliffs of Big Sur and located at one end of the slightly-less-iconic Seventeen-Mile Drive, Carmel-By-the-Sea is almost unfairly blessed with scenic beauty. Fittingly, it’s got a downtown to match. Carmel-By-the-Sea is undoubtedly chichi, and you won’t find that charm like this comes cheap, but wandering its streets and enjoying local favorites like The Cheese Shop and The Sunset Center, an event venue which punches far above its weight with the prestigious performers it attracts, will put that firmly out of your mind. You’d be hard-pressed to find a place to stop in Carmel-By-the-Sea without a view, and that, in our humble opinion, is priceless.

Woodstock, Vermont

Leave it to Vermont to master the art of the dreamy old-fashioned downtown. From an overnight at the Woodstock Inn to the throwback to the days of the general store that is FH Gillingham & Sons or a fine-dining experience par excellent at Mangalista, there’s very little in Woodstock that fails to appeal. Not far beyond the downtown streets are miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, and every season brings its own kind of beauty to Woodstock. This is the New England you thought only existed in the movies, but in this corner of Vermont, it’s delightfully real.

Springdale, Utah

It’s rare to find a main street that ends at the entrance to a national park, but that’s the appeal of Springdale: stroll down the main thoroughfare past tempting stops like Canyon Coffee and Bit and Spur Restaurant, and you’ll arrive at the gates of Zion National Park. But you don’t have to go that far to get a glimpse of Springdale’s unbeatable scenery. The sheer red-rock walls of Zion Canyon are visible just about anywhere you sit downtown, and there might just be no better place for an outdoor meal or coffee break. Our pro tip: skip the blazing-hot and jam-packed summer months and enjoy Springdale in the autumn shoulder season for seclusion and milder temperatures.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

A tiny island downtown in the middle of Lake Huron where cars are prohibited and fudge is a bedrock of the local economy: Mackinac Island might sound like the invention of an author of cozy mysteries, but it’s entirely real. And as if the place needed to be any more twee, horse-drawn carriage rides are a popular way to see the local sights. In the hills above downtown, you can tour the historic Fort Mackinac (and take your afternoon tea). And with the whole island covering only 4.5 square miles, downtown Mackinac Island’s 14 fudge shops will be more than enough fuel for your on-foot explorations.

Decorah, Iowa

If Norway is a little bit out of your price range right now, stop by Decorah instead: its downtown is proudly reflective of its Norwegian heritage, giving this unassuming town in Iowa’s Driftless region an attractive angle you won’t find elsewhere. It’s also known for fishing on the Iowa River and its connection to the Little House on the Prairie novels, but its downtown has plenty of its own charm. The Locust School dates back to 1854 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, while every last weekend in July brings Nordic Fest to the town in celebration of the area’s Norwegian heritage, but if you’re in town any other time of year, the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum will do the trick.

Thanks to the diversity of landscapes, climates, and cultures to be found across the United States, you can find a picture-perfect small town downtown to check almost any boxes you can imagine. But these ones stand out above the rest for their combination of fun downtown and natural beauty — so no matter what it is you’re looking for, you’ll no doubt find it in these 11 beautiful American downtowns.