Kansas is home to one of America’s ‘best historic small towns,’ USA Today says
A small Kansas city with fewer than 25,000 people is packing a big punch for its historical bonafides.
Abilene recently earned a spot on USA TODAY’s 10Best list of the best historic small towns worth visiting in 2025, snagging the No. 2 spot.
Through its 10Best series, USA TODAY highlights the top destinations and attractions across various travel and lifestyle categories. To pick the top 10, it finalizes a list of nominees with the help of an expert panel of travel writers and editors. USA TODAY then invites the public to vote on their favorite nominees over a four-week period.
Honing in on historic small towns in particular, USA TODAY chose those with a population of less than 25,000 people. The tiny Dickinson County community, about a 90-minute drive north of Wichita, has a population of about 6,400, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.
“Abilene isn’t just a town with history—it’s a town that makes history,” Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau director Julie Weeks told The Eagle on Tuesday via email. “This recognition reflects our community’s commitment to sharing Abilene’s story and creating unforgettable visitor experiences. From presidential history to the Wild West, we’re proud to invite the world to discover our one-of-a-kind attractions.”
According to USA TODAY, Abilene is perhaps most notable as the hometown of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the five-star general and 34th president.
That said, as the publication notes, there’s much more to explore in the city.
“Besides the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home, visitors can ride with the Kansas’ Official Heritage Railroad, tour the historic Seelye Mansion, take a spin on the oldest operational Parker Carousel and step back into the Wild West Old Abilene Town,” USA TODAY reports.
The history of Abilene itself dates from the pioneer cattle days when massive herds of longhorns were driven overland from Texas to Abilene, which was the western terminus of the first railroad through Kansas, according to a history of Abilene published on the city’s website.
“Many of the legends and the traditions of the cowboy days had their origin in the Abilene of nearly a century ago. Unlike so many pioneer boom towns, Abilene never lost its fame and character,” the website states.
Here’s how Abilene compares to other historic small towns featured on USA TODAY’s 10Best list:
Granbury, Texas
Abilene, Kansas
Worthington, Ohio
Ludington, Michigan
Ruston, Louisiana
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Castine, Maine
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Astoria, Oregon