Wilmington voted No. 10 best small city to visit in U.S. by Condé Nast readers

WILMINGTON, N.C. (CAPE FEAR WEEKEND) - Condé Nast Traveler has released its 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards curated from over 240,000 ratings from readers, and Wilmington was voted number 10 in the best U.S. small cities to visit.

Wilmington was the only city in North Carolina to make the top 10 list, and this is the first time Wilmington has made the list.

Our city was recognized for its picturesque architecture and our pedestrian friendly Riverwalk. Who can resist the rich historic buildings that have graced the Port City since the mid-1700′s? The Wilmington Historic District is a national historic district and encompasses 875 buildings.

The article also mentioned the USS North Carolina as a destination for history buffs. The battleship tours are a favorite among readers along with the ease of water taxi access to the ship.

Wilmington was named America’s first World War II Heritage City in September 2020. Workers built 243 ships over a five-year period in Wilmington during World War II. The city was home of the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company. Three prisoner of war camps were also located in Wilmington, holding as many as 550 Nazi prisoners at their peak.

Nearly 250 men from the Wilmington area died defending the U.S., and two New Hanover High School graduates received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Wilmington was recognized for its major wartime contribution as well as the work actively done to preserve the military legacy. You can read more about the prestigious designation here.

Read more about the best cities and see the full rankings here.

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