Indiana is the place to be for those into midwestern small-town charm.
For the fourth consecutive year, the state has the town named Best Small Town in the Midwest by USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards.
Vevay, Indiana, tops the list. And it’s not the lone Hoosier representation on the list, announced on April 8.
Madison, which was named the best small town in 2024 and 2025, comes in at No. 2 on the list this year, while Middlebury and La Porte are ranked No. 6 and No. 10, respectively.
2026 Best Small Town in the Midwest
1. Vevay, Indiana
2. Madison, Indiana
3. Sister Bay, Wisconsin
4. Winona, Minnesota
5. Mackinac Island, Michigan
6. Middlebury, Indiana
7. Council Grove, Kansas
8. Worthington, Ohio
9. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
10. La Porte, Indiana
Indiana towns on Best Town in the Midwest list
The Indiana towns were named to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards’ Best Small Town in the Midwest list.
Vevay
The “little slice of Switzerland in Indiana” returns to the top spot in 2026. The town topped the list in 2023 and was No. 2 in 2024 and 2025.
Located on the Ohio River, an hour away from Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, the town was settled by Swiss immigrants in 1802.
It became an enclave of wine producers and today holds the Swiss Wine Festival every year. Its historic buildings include the Benjamin Schenck Mansion, built in 1874 and the current residence of Kat Von D.
For information, visit switzcotourism.com.
Madison
Named No. 1 on the“Best Small Town in the Midwest list in 2024 and 2025, Madison has played a major role in the history of the Midwest since the 19th century as many of its local residents helped enslaved people escape from Kentucky via the Underground Railroad, according to Madison’s list entry.
Visitors there “can experience the full splendor of the surrounding Ohio River, head west to marvel at waterfalls along Clifty Falls State Park, then set off for the downtown district to embark on a Rockin’ Thunder River Tour.”
For information, visit visitmadison.org.
Middlebury
Sitting on the banks of the Little Elkhart River in the heart of Indiana’s Amish Country, Middlebury offers scenic beauty with its rolling hills and pastoral landscape, and outdoor attractions like the Krider World’s Fair Garden and the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.
Other draws to the town, a major hub of RV production, include Amish food and crafts and Das Dutchman Essenhaus, which gets about a million visitors per year at its Amish-style restaurant, inn, conference center, and shops.
For information, visit middleburyin.com.
La Porte
Settled in 1832, La Porte is in northwest Indiana, about 30 miles east of Gary, and 40 miles west of South Bend. It was first settled by European Americans in 1832.
Ranked No. 2 on the 2025 Best Small Town in the Midwest list, La Porte has about half a dozen scenic lakes for boating, swimming and kayaking; festivals such as the Sunflower Fair and farmers markets. Indiana Dunes National Park is nearby.
For information, visit livinthelakelife.org.
Contact reporter Cheryl V. Jackson at cheryl.jackson@indystar.com or 317-444-6264. Follow her on X.com:@cherylvjackson or Bluesky:@cherylvjackson.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Four Indiana towns named among best small places in the Midwest
Reporting by Cheryl V. Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
