Baileys Harbor ranks among the coziest towns in America

Kevin Dittman, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·2 min read

Baileys Harbor is one of the best coziest small towns in America, according one website.

MyDatingAdvisor.com, which rated towns based on weather, food and activities, ranked the Door County destination as No. 20 on its list of 170 towns.

"Near the top of the Door County peninsula and along Lake Michigan, this harbor town boasts a cute A-frame coffee shop, a microbrewery’s taproom, a nature sanctuary with hiking trails, and adorable inns," the website says.

The view to the harbor from the Baileys Harbor Range Lights in The Ridges Sanctuary.
The view to the harbor from the Baileys Harbor Range Lights in The Ridges Sanctuary.

The top spot also was in Wisconsin — Stockholm in Pepin County.

"With a spectacular view of Lake Pepin, Stockholm offers the right blend of shops, dining, and lodging. Antique shops, art galleries, artisan furniture, a performing arts center, and a winery/cidery are all part of Stockholm’s charm," the website noted.

If you're wondering if Stockholm has a cafe to complete this Hallmark movie picture, it does — and a good one. Stockholm Pie is ripe for a big city businessperson to come in and franchise.

Stockholm beat out East Coast heavy-hitter Stowe, Vermont, to claim the top spot. Other Wisconsin towns making the list were Kohler (16), Hayward (31), Mineral Point (80) and Lake Geneva (81). The only other Midwestern town to crack the top 10 was Mackinac Island, Michigan, which came in at No. 8.

The website considered 10 factors in three categories (weather, food and activities) when ranking 170 "popular small towns," including average December temperature and snowfall — the only time Wisconsin might have an advantage over snowbird states in the winter — cafes, bakeries, books and parks. Towns were rated out on a 100-point scale, "with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for coziness."

In addition to getting high marks for weather and food, Stockholm ranked the highest of all small towns for activities. The town is located along the Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway that follows the Mississippi River and was designated as an All American Road in 2021. Wisconsin's segment of the road is peppered with small towns, parks, wineries and more that make it a popular road trip destination.

Chelsey Lewis contributed to this report.

Contact Kevin Dittman at 920-431-8416 or kdittman@gannett.com.

MORE: Ukraine needs light. Door County Candle wants to help.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Baileys Harbor ranks among the coziest towns in America