These Kentucky small towns make USA Today’s ’10 Best’

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Two Kentucky towns are shining in the national spotlight.

Murray and Newport have been named among some of the best small towns in the nation, according to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards.

Murray was named fourth in “Best Small College Town,” and Newport came in at sixth in “Best Small Historic Town.”

The 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards were announced on Wednesday and showcase the best in travel, food and drink, and more in the nation.

“We want to know what’s on your mind! Make your opinion count by helping us choose the 10 best across several travel and lifestyle categories. A panel of experts makes nominations in awards covering food and drink, shopping, sports and outdoors, travel destinations, lodging, attractions — the list goes on. It’s up to you to help crown the winners by casting your votes,” reads the USA Today 10Best website.

Best Small College Town

The list highlighted the connectedness between Murray and Murray State University, with the town offering pubs, casual restaurants, and local parks. Editors said the noncollegiate visitors have loved the Calloway County Quilt Trail, which features more than 60 quilt patterns on barns, homes, and other buildings.

1. Florence, Alabama
2. Oxford, Mississippi
3. Jacksonville, Alabama
4. Murray, Kentucky
5. Clemson, South Carolina
6. Ruston, Louisiana
7. Saratoga Springs, New York
8. Cape Girardeau, Missouri
9. Williamsburg, Virginia
10. Frostburg, Maryland

Best Historic Small Town

Editors said that since the late 1700s, Newport, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, has had many iterations, even earning a reputation as a “Sin City” being a hotbed for prohibition gangsters, casinos, and adult entertainment.

The city also has family-friendly history, including Mansion Hill, East Newport, and Monmouth Street, and a Newport History Walk app for self-guided tours.

1. Granbury, Texas
2. Abilene, Kansas
3. Worthington, Ohio
4. Ludington, Michigan
5. Ruston, Louisiana
6. Newport, Kentucky
7. Mackinac Island, Michigan
8. Castine, Maine
9. Eureka Springs, Arkansas
10. Astoria, Oregon

You can learn more about USA Today’s 10Best lists online.