Readers' Choice: America's best small towns

Move over Big Apple and Los Angeles! Sometimes the best travel experiences come in small packages. USA TODAY 10Best set out to find America's best small towns in five different categories. For four weeks readers voted daily for their favorite small college towns, historic small towns, coastal small towns, small town weekend escapes from big metros and small town food scenes. Here are the top 10 in each category (determined by total votes over a four week period):

Best Historic Small Town

The USA has a rich and exciting history, and visiting the places which most affected it is so much more fun than reading about it. These 10 winners in the category Best Historic Small Town have big histories and small populations – fewer than 25,000 people – making them fun and affordable ways to dive into our nation's past.

1. Bisbee, Ariz.
2. Thomasville, Ga.
3. Abingdon, Va.
4. Mackinac Island, Mich.
5. Astoria, Ore.
6. Solvang, Calif.
7. Sitka, Alaska
8. Hudson, N.Y.
9. Williamsburg, Va.
10. Dahlonega, Ga.

Best Coastal Small Town

Our 10 winners for Best Coastal Small Town – each with a population of fewer than 25,000 people – offer uncrowded, unpretentious and affordable seaside fun in small packages that prove bigger isn't always better.

1. Ogunquit, Maine
2. St. Simons Island, Ga.
3. Fernandina Beach, Fla.
4. Rockport, Texas
5. Saugatuck, Mich.
6. Chincoteague, Va.
7. Port Townsend, Wash.
8. Tybee Island, Ga.
9. Gulf Shores, Ala.
10. Bayfield, Wis.

Best Small College Town

Our 10 winners in the category Best Small College Town have a fun, youthful vibe, unexpected shopping options, restaurants, bars and entertainment – all plentiful and affordable, and all with a population of less than 100,000. Throw in a beautiful campus, a culturally diverse population, some regional surprises and voila' - you have a great recipe for a vacation.

1. Athens, Ohio
2. Ithaca, N.Y.
3. Williamsburg, Va.
4. Flagstaff, Ariz.
5. Lawrence, Kan.
6. Iowa City, Iowa
7. San Luis Obispo, Calif.
8. Santa Fe
9. Oxford, Miss.
10. Yellow Springs, Ohio

Best Small Town Weekend Escape

Need to get away? These small towns with populations of under 25,000 are all within 150 miles of major metros, making them easily reachable whether you fly and rent a car or live nearby.

1. Saugatuck, Mich.
2. Granbury, Texas
3. Sedona, Ariz.
4. Lauderdale-by-the Sea, Fla.
5. Estes Park, Colo.
6. Dahlonega, Ga.
7. Hudson, N.Y.
8. Middleburg, Va.
9. Friday Harbor, Wash.
10. Leiper’s Fork, Tenn.

Best Small Town Food Scene

These 10 small towns – each with a population of under 25,000 – have big food scenes with chef-driven restaurants, local flavors and plenty of variety, especially given their small size.

1. Frankenmuth, Mich.
2. Driftwood, Texas
3. Portsmouth, N.H.
4. Yountville, Calif.
5. St. Helena, Calif.
6. Traverse City, Mich.
7. Tarpon Springs, Fla.
8. Hendersonville, N.C.
9. Naples, Fla.
10. Fredericksburg, Texas

Congratulations to all the winning small towns. Visit 10Best.com to read more about the winners and to vote in more Readers' Choice categories.