Alexandria is vying for its ninth consecutive ranking in Condé Nast Traveler’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. The city is nominated in the “Cities” category and hopes to retain its place among the “Best Small Cities in the U.S.”
Visit Alexandria, the city’s tourism organization, is asking for public support to keep Alexandria on the list. High-profile rankings in Condé Nast Traveler and other publications are one of the organization’s strategies to boost visitor-related tax revenues that fund core city services.
“Consistent national recognition in top-tier publications such as Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure and others helps solidify the city’s reputation as a top destination and is a key part of Visit Alexandria’s year-round promotional efforts,” Visit Alexandria said in a release. “Research demonstrates that these rankings make a real difference in influencing travel decisions to our destination.”
Last year, Alexandria placed third on the “Best Small Cities” list, only trailing only Charleston, South Carolina, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and surpassing destinations such as Savannah, Georgia, and Honolulu.
The city has appeared on the list every year since the small cities category was created in 2018 and achieved a top-three ranking in 2019 and 2021.
More than 757,000 Condé Nast Traveler readers typically vote in the Readers’ Choice Awards. All 2026 winners will be featured in the magazine’s November issue.
More on voting from Visit Alexandria:
Vote at cntraveler.com/vote and rate Alexandria as “excellent” across all categories by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 30, 2026. We also encourage you to show your support for our hotels: Archer Old Town Alexandria, Hotel AKA Alexandria, Hotel Heron, Hyatt Centric Old Town Alexandria, Morrison House and The Alexandrian. By taking part, you’ll be given a chance to win an eight-day cruise on Viking’s Italian Sojourn journey for two to Italy & Norway (prize provided by Condé Nast Traveler).
Spread the word by sharing Visit Alexandria’s social media posts about the survey on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Join the conversation online by using #CondeNastTraveler and #visitALX.
