Burlington has been recognized by CNN Travel as one of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2026. Known for its scenic Lake Champlain waterfront, vibrant downtown, and year-round outdoor recreation, Burlington continues to attract visitors from across the country. As Vermont’s gateway, Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport (Leahy BTV) is proud to connect travelers to one of America’s top destinations.
The full CNN article can be read here, with excerpts below:
We searched for America’s best towns to visit. Here are the top 10
American communities have never been more essential. In towns and cities, we get out and meet people who share our interests — or view the world in entirely different ways.
Even in divisive times, we trade ideas, voice disagreements and learn from one another in cafés, bars and bookstores or while strolling along paved urban trails or up rugged mountain paths nearby. These places are the threads that weave the United States together, creating a vast expanse of fabric rippling with peaks, valleys and tides.
As the United States celebrates its 250th birthday, CNN Travel presents this year’s list of America’s Best Towns to Visit. Our third annual list looks beyond some of American tourism’s heaviest hitters to find less-discovered communities or places whose unexpected histories and curiosities have been obscured by splashier attractions.
CNN Travel editors tapped our readers and staffers for nominations for the 2026 list. We weighed the nominees and winnowed them down to 10 by evaluating the finalists’ attractions, food and beverage offerings, cultural and nightlife scenes, diversity, sense of identity, proximity to other interesting spots and “wow factor.” We also looked at travel essentials, including lodging options and the ease of getting there.
Our choices this year run the gamut from beach and mountain towns in the East to creative hubs in the Midwest and the Rockies. They showcase the United States’ incredible diversity — from landscapes and architecture to culture and food. People, too.
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#6 Burlington, Vermont
High scores: Lovely surroundings, farm-fresh food, community spirit
Vermont’s biggest city is also the smallest top population center of any state. That gives this lakeside college community a small-town feel that’s evident in its weekly farmer’s market and walkable downtown. Depending on the season, you can bike along Lake Champlain, enjoy wild ice skating or hike urban trails. Sipping on craft brews and sampling Ben & Jerry’s ice cream from its birthplace nearby are pleasures available here year-round. FULL STORY