The town of Leadville was declared the "Best Historic Small Town" by USA Today as a part of their 10 Best Readers' Choice Travel Award Contest.

Leadville, located in Lake County Colorado, has a rich history as a former mining town and although the population is less than 3,000, was once the second most populous city next to Denver.

The award was given to Leadville by contributors of USA Today and 10Best.com and was voted on by the public throughout the month of June.

In addition to its rich history, Leadville is known for sitting at an incredible 10,152 feet above sea level, where numerous 14,000-foot peaks, known by the locals as 14ers, are visible from the town.

USA Today had this to say following the announcement of Leadville winning the award:

History is alive and well in Leadville, a former Colorado mining town. The Tabor Opera House, built in 1879 is beginning a historic rehabilitation, and visitors can peer underground into the Matchless Mine. The downtown area boasts 70 square city blocks of Victorian buildings, and the Leadville scenic train follows a historic rail route through the scenic wilderness. The mining district's original headframes and mining equipment bring alive the Silver Rush days.

Colorado has many towns that hold incredible history dating back to the mining days of the state, but Leadville is unique in its location, its altitude, and ability to preserve historic sites such as those mentioned in the USA Today article. And, despite a large number of historic mining towns in Colorado, Leadville was the only town in Colorado to win this specific award.

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