Bethlehem is being lauded by yet another national media outlet.
CNN named the Lehigh Valley city as one of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2026. The list was released Wednesday.
A CNN spokesperson said hundreds of destinations nationwide were considered before selecting the top 10 based “on factors including attractions, food and drink, arts and culture, local identity, accessibility, proximity to other notable destinations and overall visitor experience.”
Bethlehem was ranked fourth behind Sarasota, Florida; New Haven, Connecticut; and Greenville, South Carolina.
The city’s rich history, celebrated Main Street and holiday-hub identity helped put Bethlehem in the top 10.
“No, Bethlehem no longer produces steel. But its fabled industrial history lives on at the former Bethlehem Steel site, where visitors can tour the rusting plant and enjoy outdoor events in the shadows of the company’s towering blast furnaces, which punctuate the city’s skyline,” CNN said. “After some lean years, Bethlehem is thriving again, thanks to a picturesque Main Street, its appeal as a twinkly Christmastime destination and the US’ newest UNESCO World Heritage site.”
Other national honors for Bethlehem this year include being named one of the best places in America to spend July 4 by Travel + Leisure magazine, and Bethlehem’s Main Street was named the best in the country by USA Today for the second year in a row.
The rest of CNN’s top 10 included: Fort Collins, Colorado; Burlington, Vermont; Juneau, Alaska; Iowa City, Iowa; Lawrence, Kansas; and Roanoke, Virginia.
CNN said its third annual list “looks beyond some of American tourism’s heaviest hitters to find less-discovered communities or places whose unexpected histories and curiosities have been obscured by splashier attractions.”
CNN Travel editors asked readers and staffers for nominations.