The List: Top 10 historic small towns in the U.S. from Arizona to Rhode Island

It’s always fun to browse USA Today’s 10Best lists, which rank everything from resorts to festivals to winery tours, chosen by travel experts then voted on by readers. (Voting on that last one is underway right now, by the way, and includes Glen Ellen’s Benziger Family Winery, Sonoma’s Buena Vista, Cline Family Cellars and Donum Estate, among others. You know what to do — go do it here: https://10best.usatoday.com.)

They recently featured readers’ takes on the top 10 historic small towns in the U.S., a list that includes Winterset, Iowa (No. 10 on the list), the county seat of Madison County which is known for its covered bridges — as in the 1995 movie, “The Bridges of Madison County.”

Arizona’s Winslow takes the No. 6 spot not only for its place in pop culture — cue the Eagles’ “Take It Easy” — and setting on historic Route 66, but for its Anasazi history. And 17th century architecture rules supreme in Wickford, Rhode Island, which holds the No. 2 ranking.

Take a peek at the list below, then check out the full story, complete with photos and snippets of history, at https://10best.usatoday.com.

1 Ludington, Michigan

2 Wickford, Rhode Island

3 Abilene, Kansas

4 Ruston, Louisiana

5 San Elizario, Texas

6 Winslow, Arizona

7 Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

8 Cumberland, Maryland

9 Jonesborough, Tennessee

10 Winterset, Iowa