Travel magazine names Lexington one of America’s best small cities. How it compares

Lexington is once again getting recognition as a top travel spot, and not just for its trademark as the Horse Capital of the World or a beacon for bourbon aficionados.

By tallying up the 575,048 votes from its Readers’ Choice Awards survey, Condé Nast Traveler compiled the best big and small cities of 2024 .

The travel magazine ranked Lexington No. 4 on its list of the top 10 best small cities in America. It also went further than praising the city’s horse racing venues, as worthy as those places are for tourists and locals alike.

“Despite its Horse Capital of the World moniker, equines are only a small part of Lexington’s appeal,” Condé Nast Traveler said, praising the city’s unique dining options as well. “Lexington’s spirits scene is matched only by its culinary scene: Be sure to stop by Doodles for loaded breakfast sandwiches, Bourbon on Rye for burgers topped with beer cheese and Crank & Boom for an ice cream flight to write home about.”

On the magazine’s list, the city ranked just behind Alexandria, Va., part of the Washington, D.C.-metro area, which says something about how highly Condé Nast Traveler readers think of Lexington.

Santa Fe, N.M., ranked second and Charleston, S.C., snagged the spot for the No. 1 best small city in the country.

Here’s the full list of Condé Nast Traveler’s best small cities in the U.S:

1. Charleston, S.C.

2. Santa Fe, N.M.

3. Alexandria, Va.

4. Lexington

5. Greenville, S.C.

6. Savannah, Ga.

7. Pensacola, Fla.

8. Healdsburg, Calif.

9. Key West, Fla.

10. Chattanooga, Tenn.

Other recent accolades for Lexington, Kentucky

Lexington gets regular mentions on “best-of” lists, with recent examples recognizing its relatively low cost of living and good quality of life. Here are a few recent accolades:

• In July, the popular ranking and reviewing website Niche called Lexington one of the best places to buy a home . The website described the city as having a “dense suburban feel” with highly rated schools and plentiful restaurants, bars, coffee shops and parks. Drawing data from user reviews, surveys and publicly available data, such as the U.S. Census Bureau or education data, Niche gave Lexington an A overall.
• In August, Lexington appeared along with Covington among the 50 best places to live in the U.S. , according to Money. In surveying its readers, Money found they described Lexington as clean and safe, with good schools and an air of “Southern hospitality.” The publication also praised the city’s comparatively lower median home prices.
• In September, Lexington again got recognition from Niche, this time for its status as the home of Kentucky’s flagship university. The website rated the University of Kentucky highly across the areas of academics, athletics and student life, among other categories.

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