Travel & Leisure Has a New #1 City in America for the First Time in 12 Years
"Travel & Leisure" put out its annual list of the top U.S. cities to visit. And for the first time since 2012, Charleston, South Carolina is NOT #1.
Charleston held the top spot for 12 straight years. But 180,000 readers voted, and the new best city in America is . . . Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Santa Fe scored the highest thanks to its 300 days of sunshine, excellent food options, and natural beauty. Charleston fell to #3 this year.
The Top 10 U.S. cities to visit in 2025 are: Santa Fe . . . New Orleans . . . Charleston . . . Savannah, Georgia . . . Alexandria, Virginia . . . Honolulu . . . Greenville, South Carolina . . . New York City . . . Asheville, North Carolina . . . and Chicago, Illinois.
Santa Fe ranked 19th worldwide. The world #1 went to central Mexico's San Miguel de Allende. (ah-YEN-day)
Mexico City also made the Top 10 at #7. (Chiang Mai, Thailand is second worldwide, then Tokyo, Bangkok, and Jaipur, India.)
Originally posted on July 9th, 2025