How Alexandria Ranks On Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S.

ALEXANDRIA, VA — For the second year, Alexandria has ranked on Travel + Leisure's list of the best U.S. cities.

Alexandria is ninth on the list decided by over 165,000 Travel + Leisure readers voting in the magazine's annual World's Best Awards. Alexandria ranked ahead of cities like San Antonio, Texas; Williamsburg, Virginia; San Diego, California; and Boston, Massachusetts.

Last year, Alexandria ranked eighth on the list. This time around, Alexandria was just behind eighth-ranked Nashville, Tennessee.

Readers rated cities based on factors like landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping and value. Travel + Leisure noted Alexandria "offers the charm of a small town alongside the buzz of the nation’s capital" with historic homes and taverns, brick sidewalks and the nation's oldest continuing farmer's market — the Old Town Farmers Market. Other highlights mentioned by the magazine are ghost tours, boutiques, luxury hotels and nightlife.

Visit Alexandria, a membership-based tourism organization for the city, worked to get Alexandria included in high-profile rankings to help the city's hospitality industry revenues recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Alexandria was also ranked a best place to travel by Money magazine and a best place to live for families by Fortune in 2023.

Charleston, South Carolina again topped Travel + Leisure's list. The magazine noted Charleston has "the perfect combination of southern charm and city vibes" with friendly locals, historic sites, shopping, quality restaurants, and a variety of hotels.

Here is the top 10 on the best cities in the U.S. list:

1. Charleston, SC
2. Santa Fe, NM
3. New Orleans, LA
4. Savannah, GA
5. Chicago, IL
6. Honolulu, HI
7. New York City, NY
8. Nashville, TN
9. Alexandria, VA
10. San Antonio, TX
11. Williamsburg, VA
12. Bend, Oregon
13. San Diego, CA
14. Boston, MA
15. Asheville, NC