LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — USA Today released this year’s ranking of the top 10 small towns in the Midwest — and Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva made the list.
With its watersports, hiking trails, shops and restaurants, the lakeside town is a popular place to visit in Wisconsin’s warmer months.
“Elegant Lake Geneva, once a retreat for Chicago’s elite during the Gilded Age, is renowned for its mansions, best viewed on a scenic boat tour or while walking the around 20-mile Geneva Lake Shore Path,” USA Today said about the town.
USA Today ranked the town fifth on its list. All the towns that made USA Today’s best Midwestern small towns list have a population under 25,000 people.
This is not the first time Lake Geneva has received national recognition. It was named the best small town for adventure by USA Today in 2019. It was also the runner-up for "Best Small Town for Adventure" in 2020 and runner-up for "Best Wisconsin Attraction" in 2017.
USA Today’s full list of the best small Midwest towns included:
- Madison, Indiana
- La Porte, Indiana
- Worthington, Ohio
- Vevay, Indiana
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
- Council Grove, Kansas
- Grand Haven, Michigan
- Winona, Minnesota
- Saugatuck, Michigan
- Mackinac Island, Michigan
The last small towns in Wisconsin to make the list were Bayfield and Mineral Point in 2023. Wisconsin was not represented in 2024's ranking.
