Photo by Chris Cruz for Visit Alexandria
Visitors stroll Old Town Alexandria's pedestrian-friendly King Street near the waterfront.
The kudos for Alexandria just keep on coming.
Condé Nast Traveler is out Tuesday, Oct. 7 with its "Best Cities in the US.: 2025 Readers' Choice Awards" and Alexandria has landed at #3 in the "Best Small Cities" category. This year, readers cast an astonishing 757,109 votes in the 38th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey.
"Good things come in small packages, and nowhere is that more evident than in these 10 dynamic, reader-favorite cities," the magazine noted. "Whether you're on the lookout for a cutting-edge arts scene, inventive new restaurants, or eye-catching architecture, you're bound to find the next big thing in travel."
Here's what the magazine had to say about Alexandria (and see the full list of the 10 Best Small Cities cities on the list below the quote):
Washingtonians are all in on the secret, but it’s no surprise the rest of the world is catching up: Alexandria, Virginia, the charming, historic city just across the Potomac River from our nation's capital, draws travelers and would-be residents alike. Most folks start to imagine moving there immediately after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries. When you visit, scope out King Street, packed with boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops; then land at the waterfront, where you can watch the boats bobbing on the water before touring the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a collective of galleries and artists’ studios. End the day at Gadsby’s Tavern, where some of our founding fathers used to drink—don’t mind the actors in colonial garb.
Here's a look at the top 10 list:
#10: Pensacola, Fla.
#9: Honolulu
#8: Lexington, Ky.
#7: Oakland, Calif.
#6: Savannah, Ga.
#5: San Juan, Puerto Rico
#4: St. Augustine, Fla.
#3: Alexandria, Va.
#2: Santa Fe, N.M.
#1: Charleston, S.C.
