Yes, Kentucky is home to one of Southern Living’s top 10 best cities in the South
Joining gems such as Atlanta and Nashville, Lexington has been recognized by Southern Living readers as one of the South’s best cities to visit in 2025.
Southern Living partnered with a marketing research firm to survey readers and ask them to rate their favorite places across the South. Conducted between July and August 2024, the survey had more than 10,000 respondents, according to Southern Living.
This year, Lexington snagged the No. 10 spot, and Southern Living shouted out the city’s 250th birthday celebration this year as a major draw for travelers.
“Celebrating its 250th birthday this year, Lexington has long been a destination for horses and bourbon, but it offers so much more these days,” Southern Living writer Lisa Cericola wrote of the city in the March 11 article.
It’s at least the second consecutive year Lexington has won acclaim from Southern Living, featuring among its “South’s Best” series.
In 2024, it came in at No. 11 among the 25 best cities in the South, according to Southern Living. This year, it moved up one place, and Southern Living readers ranked it just behind Atlanta.
The Herald-Leader reached out via email to a Lexington mayor’s office for comment on this latest accolade, but did not receive a response.
Lexington has also received praise from the lifestyle magazine’s editors, who named it as one of their favorite places to visit in 2024.
Lexington’s picturesque horse farms and thriving bourbon distillery scene remain a favorite among Southern Living readers, but the magazine also highlighted elements of the city often overlooked by visitors, including:
- A night out in The Distillery District. For many years, the district was home to the historic James E. Pepper Distillery. The 1879 distillery, and the land that came with it, was left abandoned, but over the course of the last decade, the area has seen a new era of development. Now, Southern Living describes it as “the place to go to have a little tour of everything that Lexington has to offer, including working bourbon distilleries, restaurants, bars and shops.”
- Enjoy some Kentucky barbecue at Blue Door Smokehouse. Southern Living calls its brisket the best in the area, recommending out-of-towners “ask for the ‘Blue Door Special’ to sample all the proteins in stock on any given day.” Alternatively, Southern Living recommends local favorites such as Dudley’s on Short, Pearl’s, Missy’s Pies and Corta Lima.
- Recharge at a boutique hotel, such as downtown’s 21c Museum Hotel, The Manchester in the Distillery District or The Elwood, which Southern Living praised for its pet-friendly accommodations.
Southern Living’s 2025 best cities in the South
According to Southern Living, the South’s 20 best cities to visit in 2025 include:
Charleston, S.C.
Savannah, Ga.
Asheville, N.C.
New Orleans, La.
Nashville, Tenn.
Greenville, S.C.
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Atlanta, Ga.
Lexington, Ky.
Athens, Ga.
San Antonio, Texas
Wilmington, N.C.
Franklin, Tenn.
Orlando, Fla.
Birmingham, Ala.
Austin, Texas
Tampa, Fla.
Huntsville, Ala.
Annapolis, Md.
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