Grand Junction just cracked the top 10 in TravelAwaits’ nationwide hunt for America’s Favorite Small Town, and the Western Slope is buzzing. After beating out more than 300 nominees, the city now needs one final push from locals and fans everywhere to claim the crown.
Daily votes could decide everything, and the momentum feels electric.
How Grand Junction Made the Cut
TravelAwaits opened nominations earlier this year and received hundreds of entries from coast to coast. Readers first voted to narrow the field to a top 20, announced on May 20. Grand Junction landed at number 8 with strong early support.
The final round kicked off this week and runs through June 9 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Anyone can vote once per day, and every vote enters you for a $1,500 travel voucher.
Elizabeth Fogarty, director of Visit Grand Junction, told KJCT the community turnout has already been incredible. “Our locals have already got us to the top 10,” she said. “We’re just asking for a little extra help to make sure we take this home.”
Why Grand Junction Keeps Winning Hearts
People who know Grand Junction aren’t surprised it’s in the running.
The city sits at the doorstep of Colorado National Monument’s red-rock canyons, offers more than 30 wineries on the West Slope’s fruit and wine trails, and serves as the gateway to the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain.
Downtown’s walkable Main Street is packed with independent shops, public art, and restaurants that regularly land on “best of” lists. The Colorado River runs right through town, delivering world-class rafting, fishing, and riverside trails.
Residents point to something harder to quantify: genuine small-town pride mixed with big outdoor access. “You can ski the Powderhorn slopes in the morning and taste wine on the Palisade fruit loop in the afternoon,” one local wrote on X this week. That combination is tough to beat.
The Other Towns in the Final Ten
Grand Junction is up against some heavy hitters:
- Eureka Springs, Arkansas
- Berlin, Maryland
- Cannon Beach, Oregon
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Breckenridge, Colorado
- Sedona, Arizona
- Taos, New Mexico
- Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
- Natchitoches, Louisiana
- Helen, Georgia
Every one of these places has fierce local support. Right now the race is tight, with positions shifting daily.
What a Win Would Mean for the Western Slope
If Grand Junction takes the title, the celebration will be massive.
Visit Grand Junction promises extra festivities during the July 4 parade downtown, plus surprise celebrity appearances still under wraps. National exposure from TravelAwaits would reach millions of readers planning trips, something city leaders say could boost shoulder-season tourism and local businesses for years.
More than that, residents see it as validation. In a year when Colorado is marking 148 years of statehood and the country heads toward its 250th birthday in 2026, being named America’s Favorite Small Town would feel like perfect timing.
Fogarty put it simply: “This is the community’s chance to shout from the rooftops about everything we already love.”
Voting stays open every day until June 9. It takes ten seconds, and you can do it from anywhere.
Grand Junction has the scenery, the spirit, and the story. Now it just needs the votes.
Go vote today (and tomorrow, and every day after that). The Western Slope is counting on you.
