100 Best Small Towns In America: 2 In MN Make List

MINNESOTA — Two small towns in Minnesota are among the best in the country, according to a new report.

The travel media company Far and Wide recently ranked the 100 best towns with fewer than 10,000 residents.

The list includes well-known towns across the country — including Harpers Ferry in West Virginia, Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, and Cooperstown in New York — and as well as lesser-known gems such as Monowi, Nebraska. Monowi, with a population of one, has ranked as the No. 1 small town in America.

Here are the towns from Minnesota that made the list:

29. Grand Marais, Minnesota

• Population: 1,360
• When to visit: Moose Madness Family Festival

Why it made the list, per Far and Wide:

Sitting on the shores of Lake Superior, you can expect to see incredible landscapes in beautiful Grand Marais. Water activities are popular, as is hiking, but the town also offers urban recreation.

57. Perham, Minnesota

• Population: 3,512
• Recommended place to stay: The Otter Lodge
• Recommended place to visit: ITOW (In Their Own Words) Veteran Museum

Why it made the list, per Far and Wide:

Nobody would expect a town as small as Perham to always be enlivened with cultural events, but that is exactly why travelers are pleasantly surprised when visiting. Antiques, coffee shops and craft brewers abound as well as art centers, public murals and as many small-town festivals as your heart could ever desire.

The Midwest and South regions were home to several of the best small towns in America, according to the report. Towns in Nebraska, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Missouri, Alabama, West Virginia, South Dakota, and Kentucky all cracked the top 10.

1. Monowi, Nebraska
2. Mooresville, Alabama
3. Stockholm, Wisconsin
4. Medora, North Dakota
5. Watch Hill, Rhode Island
6. Rocheport, Missouri
7. Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
8. Keystone, South Dakota
9. Trinidad, California
10. Grand Rivers, Kentucky