Two of America's Most Charming Small Towns Are Close To Rockford

Remember that old airline slogan, "Need to get away for a while?"

If you're feeling like it might be time to move to a small town because big city life isn't working, you won't have to go too far from Rockford to do it right.

Checking out Far & Wide's Best U.S. Towns With Fewer Than 10,000 Residents I was pleasantly surprised to see two towns close to the Forest City on the list.

THE FIRST ONE WAS IN GALENA

We have shared with you how great of a small town Galena really is many times over. It's perfect for a day trip, or in this case, a perfect town to just live in.

Coming in at #56 out of 100, Far & Wide said this about Galena:

History buffs love visiting to admire the town’s beautiful architecture and romantic views of the Mississippi River.

Photo by Austin Goode on Unsplash

THE SECOND TOWN IS A NEW ONE TO ME

I have never heard of this place until I stumbled across it while checking out the full list.

About 90 minutes from Rockford, sits Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Just a few ticks ahead of Galena, Mineral Point checked in at #47 overall.

Far & Wide:

Considered "Where Wisconsin Began," Mineral Point was built with limestone the English settlers brought with them. A mining town, stone buildings still stand and provide a glimpse at the town's early 1800s beginning.

Have you been to Mineral Point and Galena? If you had to choose between them both, which one would you rather move to? Tell us!

LOOK: Here are the 25 best places to live in Illinois

Stacker compiled a list of the best places to live in Illinois using data from Niche. Niche ranks places to live based on a variety of factors including cost of living, schools, health care, recreation, and weather. Cities, suburbs, and towns were included. Listings and images are from realtor.com.

On the list, there's a robust mix of offerings from great schools and nightlife to high walkability and public parks. Some areas have enjoyed rapid growth thanks to new businesses moving to the area, while others offer glimpses into area history with well-preserved architecture and museums. Keep reading to see if your hometown made the list.