The Most Romantic City in America Is in ... Mississippi?

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

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Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

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Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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New York? San Francisco? When it comes to romance, they have nothing on … Biloxi, Mississippi?

Apparently.

OpenTable, the popular online restaurant reservation program, recently released its annual list of the 25 Most Romantic Cities in America, with Biloxi at its top. To be fair, I’ve never been to Biloxi. I have heard it’s wonderful and would certainly never disparage a city I’ve never visited. But I can’t be the only person surprised by this.

The list was determined by looking at three criteria: The percentage of restaurants rated “romantic” according to OpenTable diner reviews; the percentage of tables seated for two; and the percentage of people who dined out for Valentine’s Day in 2017. And, of course, this data is based on OpenTable users only, not the general public—so cities where OpenTable isn’t widely used won’t be represented.

So what other cities made the list? Some highlights include Carmel, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Antonio, Texas; Brooklyn, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island.

Need a few more ideas? Check out our list of (less surprising) cities for a romantic getaway.

Readers, what do you think is the most romantic city in America? What do you look for in a romantic city? Let us know in the comments below.

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