Illinois River Town Named the Best Downtown Area in the State

I don't agree with much I find on the internet these days, but I believe this one might have gotten it right. It declared one Illinois river town as having the best downtown area in the Land of Lincoln.

Saw this brand new ranking just shared today by World Atlas as they claim to know the town in Illinois with the best downtown area in 2024. Their choice of the top 8 includes one at the top that I would argue is one of the more beloved towns in all of Illinois.

They say that Galena, Illinois has the best downtown area in all of the state. Why Galena? They mention "800 properties on the National Register of Historic Places, with key sites including the U.S. Grant Home, Dowling House, and Belvedere Mansion" and they're not wrong. That's a lot of history in this small Illinois place.

Galena, Illinois is one of those rare places where you can spend the day walking through places of interest in the downtown area and have a great time exploring the region, too. There's a lot to do in this downstate place in Illinois.

Is it possible that the internet got something right for a change? In this case, I'd say yes. If anyplace deserves some national attention, it's Galena. You won't find many places like it in Illinois these days.