The 30 Best Small Cities in America

By Debbie Strong

August 13,2015; 1:17PM,EDT

Here are the small American charmers, as voted on by Condé Nast Traveler readers. All have populations of under 100,000, and often as much to offer as cities ten times their size.
Newport Beach, California

Credit: Gary Crabbe / Alamy
Check out the legendary waves at beautiful Balboa Peninsula, where surfers reign and a nearby bustling boardwalk offers some of the best people-watching in all of sunny SoCal. Stay at The Resort at Pelican Hill, in an elegant, Palladian-inspired villa overlooking the Pacific.
Annapolis, Maryland

Credit: Sean Pavone / Alamy
History buffs, take note: Maryland's capital city is home to the U.S. Naval Academy (and its bright copper-domed chapel, pictured) and more than 50 well-preserved buildings that predate the Revolutionary War. Stop in for crab cakes at the Middleton Tavern, which dates to 1750 and counts George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as former famous patrons, among others.
Palm Springs, California

Credit: Saguaro
Soak up old Hollywood glamour mixed with breathtaking scenery in this ultra-hip desert oasis. Stay at the candy-colored Saguaro Palm Springs (pictured) and dine at Copley's on Palm Canyon, once Cary Grant's estate.