Best Small Towns For A Road Trip From Western New York

There are so many quaint, quirky little towns near Western New York, and since it is road trip season, with several people doing last-minute vacations before the school year picks up again, we decided to look at all of them! 

Now, if we did every small town worth driving to, that would be a very long list, so we’re going to keep it within the 5 hour range. Many people shared their favorite small towns on the Buffalo subReddit, and it definitely gives you some ideas to work with! 

The following towns are considered to be small (with approximately 10,000 people) and they are 5 hours or less from Buffalo, New York.

1. Corning, NY - Corning is home to over 100 boutique shops, art galleries, studios, as well as craft beverage producers, restaurants serving fabulous food, and two world-class museums.
2. Geneva, NY - Geneva, NY is often associated with Geneva On The Lake. It is also home to Seneca Lake State Park, Belhurst Castle, Smith Opera House, and more. 
3. Skaneateles, NY - Beautiful, happy town outside of Syracuse, and it’s very pretty during the summer!
4. Clinton, NY - It is the home of Hamilton College, third oldest in the State. 
5. Madison, NY - Madison, New York has many cool places to visit, including museums, historic sites, Eaton's Old Town Museum, National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum, Wellin Museum of Art, and more. 
6. Watkins Glen, NY - The one thing that Watkins Glen is most known for is its gorgeous waterfalls, along with beautiful hiking trails, dairies/farms, vineyards, and breweries.
7. Cooperstown, NY - The biggest reason to visit Cooperstown is the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which has preserved sport’s history and displays over the years. 
8. Old Forge, NY - You can see the Adirondack Railroad, Enchanted Forest/Water Safari, Calypso’s Cove, and more. 
9. Angelica, NY - Angelica was named after Angelica Schuyler, who was mentioned in the Hamilton musical. Her oldest son founded the town and named it after her, and its original street grid plan was modeled after Paris, France.
10. Thousand Islands - The Thousand Islands are a group of more than 1,800 islands in the St. Lawrence River, straddling the border of the U.S. and Canada.
11. Salamanca, NY - You can gamble under the neon lights of a decent casino and go to the forest of Allegany State Park within like 10 minutes of each other. Cheap gas and weed given that it's an Indian reservation. Stop by the shops and restaurants in Ellicottville on the way there
12. Olcott, NY - It has many popular attractions, including Niagara County Krull Park Entrance 2, Olcott Beach Carousel Park, Kappus Farms, Inc., perfect for a trip!
13. Medina, NY - Medina is known for its Medina Sandstone, a stone used widely in buildings across the region. 
14. Ellicottville, NY - Tons of people head to Ellicottville from all over for skiing.
15. Brockport, NY - The Village prides itself on its public art, its Canalfront Welcome Center staffed by volunteers who greet boaters and Erie Canal cyclists, and its nine public parks.
16. Potsdam, NY - The Potsdam area is well known for its reddish-orange Potsdam sandstone.
17. Ogdensburg, NY - Ogdensburg is pretty cute. I've been through it and wanted to spend more time poking around. It also has one end of the absurdly long bridge to Prescott, Ontario.
18. Cape Vincent, NY - If you’re visiting Cape Vincent, you will find the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse, 
19. Alexandria Bay, NY - There are many exciting ways to tour the beautiful 1000 Islands from Alexandria Bay. For a bird's eye view, climb aboard a helicopter or hot air balloon.
20. Fredonia, NY - Fredonia is a great small college town, and it is surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards and the beaches of Lake Erie.
21. Lewiston, NY - Lewiston is known as the birthplace of the world famous Niagara Falls about 12,000 years ago, near the present location of Artpark.
22. Cuba, NY -  It’s a quaint small town with a lot of beautiful scenery. The best time to see the area is in the fall. There’s an amazing cheese shoppe and lots of great restaurants to choose from. If you like camping, there’s nice spots just outside the town as well as a cute little b&b in the heart of Cuba.
23. Seneca Falls, NY - Shoutout to Parkers, a bar and grill that I spent far too much time at when I lived out that way briefly. Also, there is always an off chance that Shooter McGavin will walk in the door, as he lives up the road in Romulus. 
24. Warren, PA - it's one of the most genuinely beautiful places I have ever been in my life.
25. Little Falls, NY - has a really pretty view of rapids on the Mohawk River, and it’s a lovely, oddball little town.
26. Marilla, NY - Cute country store, with awesome diner and a small bar, and they even have seasonal festivals 

Have you been to any of these small towns before? Which one caught your eye the most?

Whats your favorite small town (10,000 people or less) within a 5 hours drive from here?
byu/Dental-Magician inBuffalo