Duluth Beats Provo, Utah to Earn “Best Town in America” 2014 by Outside Magazine

Way back on May 15, voting opened in Outside Magazine's bracket-style competition to be named 2014's best town in America. As one of the 64 cities competing for the title, Duluth faced many worthy competitors, but was ultimately crowned the winner late Sunday night.

Duluth faced Provo, Utah in the final round of the contest, which included heated debates on message boards online regarding the contest. In the end, Duluth was victorious, winning by a sizable margin. Large margins were the name of the game, as fans of Duluth cast significantly more votes in each round than the rest of the cities in the competition were able to gather.

Beside a passionate base of voters, Duluth does sport an extensive offering of outdoor activities that support this naming of "best outdoor town" by Outside Magazine. Along with the multitude of parks, trails, and waterways within the city, Duluth is surrounded by several world-renowned outdoor destinations.

Contest Breakdown

Round 1 vs. Columbia, MO -  Duluth wins 15,512 to 3,463 (82% of the vote)

Round 2 vs. Athens, OH - Duluth wins 23,541 to 6,330 (79% of the vote)

Round 3 vs. La Crosse, WI - Duluth wins 26,958 to 14,867 (64% of the vote)

Round 4 vs. Minneapolis, MN (Midwestern Region Championship) - Duluth wins 60,210 to 40,530 (60% of the vote)

Round 5 vs. Asheville, NC - Duluth wins 28,371 to 13,391 (68% of the vote)

Round 6 vs. Provo, UT (Championship) - Duluth wins 66,750 to 54,850 (preliminary final numbers)

This isn't the first time Duluth has been in a "best of" race of this nature. Outside Magazine named Duluth one of the "30 Best Towns in America" in 2007, and our fair city was also named one of the "Top Dream Towns" of 2001.