The Town of Hillsborough is currently running a close second behind Washington, N.C. in a contest to find “America’s Coolest Small Town.”

Washington and Hillsborough are dominating the contest on the Budget Travel website. Topping a long list of contenders, Washington, N.C. has a total of 4656 votes, while Hillsborough has a total of 4,376 votes.

No one else even comes close. The third-place contender so far is Huron, Ohio, with 1,850 votes.

While Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens praises Washington for its coolness, he’s urging WCHL’s listeners to cast votes for his town.

“It’s just a great place to live, work, play,” said Stevens. “And most of the things that make it the coolest small town are just the things that people who live there do for themselves.”

Budget Travel is looking at towns with a population under 10,000 that can boast of stunning architecture, unique history, great food and shops, and thriving scenes in art and music.

You can vote here for Hillsborough until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2.

Website editors will the narrow the list down to 15, and voters will pick the winner from there.

The 10 finalists will be announced in February.

Related Stories
‹
Hillsborough: Special Meeting of the Board, Storm Recovery, Occaneechi Village
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell Spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stucky on Tuesday, July 15, discussing town news and events. He discussed an upcoming meeting of the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners to address how to pay for storm recovery, and to hear an initial assessment of the response. He talked about the steps needed to start recovery on Gold Park and River Walk, as well as the state of the historic Occaneechi replica village, and more.
Despite Restored Water Operations, Town of Hillsborough Faces Extensive Costs From Flooding
While the Town of Hillsborough ended its conservation call for water and sewer customers after flooding damaged and contaminated its treatment plants, the road back to normal operations appears to be long for the small town. Historic rain from Tropical Depression Chantal led to flooding levels not seen for decades in Orange County, with parts […]
Hillsborough Repairs Water, Wastewater Treatment Plants; Residents No Longer Asked To Conserve
The Town of Hillsborough lifted the boil water notice for residents on Wednesday afternoon — but still warned against using much water.
'We Need Help': Orange County Flood Victims Beginning to Pick Up the Pieces
Orange County residents whose homes were flooded during Sunday's storm shared their emotions and what help they need in the aftermath.
Hillsborough: Flood Damange Assessment, Boil Water Notice
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 8, discussing town news and events. He recounted his experience with Tropical Storm Chantal, and the realization that this was more than an ordinary tropical rain event. He discussed some of the long term challenges facing the town's water infrastructure, as well as the short-term implications of the town's boil water notice. He shared the probable timeline for the lifting of the boil water notice, and more.
Hillsborough Under Boil Water Notice, OWASA Responds to Chapel Hill Wastewater Overflows
Flooding from the Eno River led to the Town of Hillsborough issuing a boil water notice for water and sewer customers until further notice.
Photo Gallery: Tropical Depression Chantal Causes Floods In Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chatham County
Here's Chapelboro's photo gallery of flooding and aftermath, featuring images gathered from Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Chatham County.
Hillsborough Police Investigate Gunfire, Injury From A Fourth of July Party
One man suffered a gunshot wound to the leg during a Fourth of July celebration in Hillsborough in the early morning hours of Saturday, with the police investigation extending into the day.
Celebration of July 4 to Alter Local Government Services in Orange County
The celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what will and won’t be happening that week: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday. Residential trash pickup will not be affected. Commercial trash will […]
Hillsborough: Mark Bell on Running for Re-election
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 1, discussing town news and events. He talked about his recent decision to run for another two-year term as Hillsborough's Mayor. He discussed when he made the decision, the challenges of balancing public office private life, what he's most proud of during his first 18 months, and more. He also mentioned upcoming town events, a recent ribbon cutting, and more.
›