This Florida city clinched the No. 1 spot for best coastal small town

Gianna Montesano, Treasure Coast Newspapers

Surrounded by beaches, a bustling downtown and museums, it's no surprise Stuart clinched the No. 1 spot as the best coastal small town in the USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards.

Stuart was lauded for its access to the St. Lucie River; its parks, such as Flagler and Shepard; its museums; and its restaurant-lined downtown. It also has bragging rights as the site of the next station along Brightline's route between Orlando and Miami.

Other communities ranking high on the list of best coastal small towns:

  • No. 2: Saugatuck, Michigan

  • No. 3: Key West

  • No. 4: Gulf Shores, Alabama

  • No. 5: Pismo Beach, California

  • No. 6: Newport, Rhode Island

  • No. 7: Sandusky, Ohio

  • No. 8: Cape May, New Jersey

  • No. 9: Washington Island, Wisconsin

  • No. 10: Long Beach, Washington

Stuart moved up to the top spot from No. 2 last year.

10 Best is a standalone media travel site promoted across USA Today travel media group products.

The 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards nominees are chosen by a panel of relevant experts, including editors from USA TODAY; 10Best.com editors; relevant expert contributors; and sources for both these media and other Gannett properties.

TCPalm is part of the USA TODAY network, and is owned by Gannett.

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart No. 1 best coastal small town

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