Leadville Lands in Top 10 of Nation’s Best Historic Small Towns

A small Colorado mountain town is receiving national attention.

The town of Leadville, with a population of under 3,000 was one of the winners in the 2020 USA TODAY 10-Best Reader's Choice Travel Award Contest. A total of 20 nominees, chosen by a panel of experts, were in the running for the honor. During the month of June, the public was invited to vote online to select the winner. Leadville was the only Colorado town to make the top 10.

USA TODAY described Leadville by saying "History is alive and well in Leadville, a former Colorado mining town. The downtown area boasts 70 square city blocks of Victorian buildings, and the Leadville Scenic train follows a historic rail route through the scenic wilderness." One of the features of Leadville is the legendary Tabor Opera House, built in 1879.

The town of Leadville is not one you are going to visit accidentally pass through. Situated between Mount Lincoln and Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, the historic community is definitely off the beaten path. Nonetheless, thousands of tourists visit Leadville every year.

By the number one town on USA TODAY'S list of winners in the small historic town, category was Granbury, Texas, followed by Abilene, Kansas, and Valparaiso, Indiana. Leadville claimed the #10 spot on the list.