Laguna makes list as among best of American small towns

Laguna Beach has been named one of the 20 best small towns in America, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

The town landed on the list as No. 17.

The magazine’s website cited Laguna’s impressive art scene, including the Sawdust Art Festival, the Laguna Playhouse and the annual Laguna Dance Festival, which is going on now.

The blurb also mentions Laguna’s beautiful coastlines, wildlife and the nature of Laguna Canyon.

The No. 1 small town in the country is Great Barrington, Mass., according to the website. Others that rated higher than Laguna include Naples, Fla., Princeton, N.J., and Mill Valley, Calif.

The list was compiled using Esri, a geographic information systems company. It focuses on cities with populations of 25,000 or less, according to the website.

—Kelly Parker

Twitter: @KellyParkerTCN