BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. – Today, Bainbridge Island celebrates its nomination as among the Best Western Small Towns as part of USA Today’s 2023 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards.

Part of the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula, Bainbridge Island is located just 35 minutes from Seattle by ferry and offers visitors the quintessential Pacific Northwest island experience with picturesque mountain views, enchanting emerald forests, quiet beachcombing coves, and spectacular arts and food scenes. 

“We’re honored to have been selected as part of this year’s travel awards,” Visit Bainbridge Island Executive Director Chris Mueller said. “Bainbridge Island is an incredibly open and welcoming community where it’s easy to feel like a local. It’s small enough to make incredible connections with local shop owners and residents, yet large enough to have award-winning restaurants and craft beverage purveyors, a renowned creative district and arts community, incredible live performances, and a parks, trails, and waterways inventory to rival any large city.”

Now, we need your help!

Vote for Bainbridge Island as your favorite Small Western Town at https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-western-small-town/. You can vote one time each day now through Monday, Feb. 20.

“Awards like this are incredibly helpful for small destination awareness,” Mueller said. “They help to bolster visitation, but can really have an impact by increasing awareness in the low season which helps our businesses weather the current economic uncertainty and higher operating costs post-pandemic. It also puts crucial tax dollars into the city and county while easing the burden on residents.”

Bainbridge Island was nominated alongside other incredible destinations like Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, Ketchum, Idaho, Whitefish, Montana, Sitka, Alaska, Hatch, New Mexico, and Moab, Utah by a slate of travel editors and writers.

As part of this year’s travel awards, we’re excited to be in the company of our neighbor, Poulsbo, who was selected as among readers’ Top 10 Favorite Small Cultural Towns. You can also cast your vote for Poulsbo at https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-small-town-cultural-scene-2023/poulsbo-washington/. 

This year’s winners will be announced by USA Today Friday, March 3.

Visit Bainbridge Island is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) committed to promoting Bainbridge Island as a special place to visit, stay, and play. As a 501(c) 6 nonprofit organization, Visit Bainbridge Island works with the island’s arts, entertainment, restaurants, wineries and distilleries, natural outdoor attractions, and hospitality industry to enhance economic growth and sustainability through innovative tourism programs and partnerships. We encourage both day and overnight guests to come enjoy the natural beauty and vibrant spirit of our island community. Start planning today at www.visitbainbridgeisland.org or follow us on Instagram or Facebook @visitbainbridgeislandwa.