Alexandria Named 3rd Best Small City In The U.S.: Condé Nast

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The appeal of Old Town Alexandria to visitors helped the city once again make a ranking of the best small cities in the U.S.

Condé Nast Traveler named Alexandria the third-best small city as part of its 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. More than 520,000 of the travel magazine's readers rated different kinds of travel experiences, from cities to hotels, airlines, airports and trains.

Alexandria has been on the Best Small Cities in the U.S. list for six consecutive years, since the small cities category was created in 2018. Visit Alexandria, the membership-based tourism organization for the city, has been working to get the city on high-profile rankings to help boost the hospitality industry, which contributes to city revenues. Alexandria has also appeared onlists from Travel + Leisure, Money magazine and Fortune in 2023.

On the best small cities list, Alexandria followed the top-ranked Charleston, South Carolina and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Following Alexandria on the list were Greenville, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Aspen, Colorado; St. Augustine, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; Annapolis, Maryland and Sedona, Arizona.

Here's what Condé Nast Traveler had to say about Alexandria:

"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."

The magazine focuses on the Old Town Alexandria neighborhood, the most popular spot in the city for visitors. Mentions include the Torpedo Factory Art Center, King Street's boutiques and restaurants, and the historic Gadsby's Tavern.

Visitors to the DC region can visit two top-ranked cities on the same trip. Alexandria's neighbor across the Potomac River, Washington, DC, ranked ninth on the Best Large Cities on the U.S. list.