This New Jersey Town is Among the Most Charming in the U.S.

InsureMyTrip ranked it high for its safety, peacefulness and great cultural scene

istockphoto.com / sparhawk4242

One of our favorite towns in New Jersey has been recognized once again as one of the 10 Most Charming Small Towns in the U.S.

InsureMyTrip studied a variety of aspects of small towns, such as spaciousness, peacefulness, festivals and ratings of local cafés and restaurants. Of the 75 small towns they researched, Cape May made the top 10, placing third nationally.

ISTOCK.COM/S. GREG PANOSIAN / Cape May

Cape May was given a score of 7.5, just behind No. 1 Red Lodge, Montana, with 7.6; and No. 2, Cannon Beach, Oregon, with 7.54. Cape May is most popular in the summer but we love it in the off-season, too,  and especially at the holidays. The southernmost section of the Jersey Shore has beautiful beaches, lots of natural activities (like kayaking, biking and bird watching), must-see sites (like the Emlen Physick Estate and Cape May Lighthouse), gorgeous gardens, charming shops along Washington Street Mall, and historic hotels like Congress Hall. Visit during the holidays and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a Hallmark movie, with all its Victorian architecture.

ISTOCK.COM / WILLIAM SHERMAN

InsureMyTrip also gave Cape May its ranking for its safety aspects, spaciousness and peaceful nature. Plus, with a low population of just around 1,000 residents, it has a great score for hotels for visitors and there are great restaurants (Beach Plum Farm is one of our faves) and cafés. Festivals here are the best, with everything from the Cape May Spring Festival to West Cape May’s Tomato Festival and Strawberry Festival to the Exit Zero Jazz Festival to the Pumpkin Festival (at Historic Cold Spring Village) to Cape May’s Winter Wonderland.

STAFF PHOTO / Cape May County Park & Zoo

And let’s not forget about the Cape May County Park & Zoo, which is technically in Cape May Court House (Exit 11 off the Garden State Parkway) but still worth a visit because it’s free!

CAPE MAY MAC / The Emlen Physick Estate

Welch, West Virginia, is the only other town on the list from the East Coast, placing sixth. It’s a cute little coal mining community with a historic city in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. It’s known for its outdoor recreation, ATV riding and hiking; peaceful, natural areas; and safe streets.

To decide on the towns used, small towns with populations between 1,000 and 6,000 were selected and the 75 with the highest search volume were included, according to InsureMyTrip’s methodology. A score of 10 is the best result, while a score of 0 is the worst. Each destination is then ranked on its overall rating across all metrics to find which is the most charming small town. The study referred to info provided by the Global Peace Index, the USA.com crime index, Booking.com and Google rankings, among other sites.

ISTOCK.COM / WILLIAM SHERMAN

The 10 Most Charming Small Towns In The U.S.:

  1. Red Lodge, Montana
  2. Cannon Beach, Oregon
  3. Cape May, New Jersey
  4. Sun Valley, Idaho
  5. Panguitch, Utah
  6. Welch, West Virginia
  7. McCall, Idaho
  8. Deadwood, South Dakota
  9. Ferndale, California
  10. Sisters, Oregon

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Read More:
These 3 Towns Have Some of the Most Charming Main Streets in the U.S.
3 New Jersey Towns Have Some of the Most Pristine Streets in the U.S.

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