‘Romantic’ Illinois Place Named One of the Best Small Towns in US

Illinois is known for its many great small towns, but one has risen above the rest and has been named one of the top 100 best small towns in America.

In case you're wondering what the criteria for being a small town is these days, the website Far and Wide says it's any place with 10,000 residents or less. They've just shared their 2024 ranking of the 100 best small towns in America and there's one place on their list in Illinois that they describe as "romantic" and they're not wrong.

Congratulations to Galena, Illinois who Far and Wide put in their top 100 small towns in the United States describing its "beautiful architecture and romantic views of the Mississippi River". That does sound a lot like Galena which has an outstanding downtown area near the river.

One of the things about Galena, Illinois that brought them this nice national shout out is the wide variety of seasons when Galena thrives. Spring there is awesome. Summer is pretty great and Fall colors are to die for. It's a really quaint and special small Illinois place.

I normally don't put a lot of importance on internet lists, but in this case I will add my own praise. It's been awhile since I've been through Galena and that's a shame because it really is a neat place. Well done and you certainly deserve the top 100 small town in America honor you've just received.