Fort Worth Ranked No. 6 Among America’s Best Cities by Travel + Leisure

The votes are in — more than 661,000 this year — and Travel + Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards have ranked Fort Worth No. 6 among America’s best cities. Cowtown also rode away as the highest-ranked city in the Lone Star State, while both Hotel Drover and Bowie House earned top rankings from the annual awards. Local business and civic leaders have played the long game when it comes to preserving historic buildings and the city’s distinctive Western heritage, and that approach is paying dividends.

In recent years, significant investment in that vision has yielded Dickies Arena, Mule Alley, and other destinations that have elevated Fort Worth’s profile while strengthening its appeal to discerning shoppers, diners, and travelers. To celebrate this prestigious accolade, we’re revisiting the best hotels, events, restaurants, and developments that have shaped our lifestyle coverage this year.

A Banner Year for a Now Top-Ranked City

Travel + Leisure’s editors did their research when highlighting what makes our city great. Luxury hotels, world-class art museums, diverse dining options, and events like the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival define life in this city. With the World Cup just now receding in our collective memories, Fort Worth proved that it could host an inundation of visitors and local soccer fans throughout the city, providing an authentic Western experience and warm hospitality.

Visit Fort Worth launched its “Howdy, World” campaign to spotlight our city’s cowboy heritage, and we even welcomed a princess — Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado of Japan — to the Stockyards and Botanic Garden. Fort Worth’s Sundance Square swelled with soccer fans on game days, while the Stockyards buzzed with excitement and heavy crowds of tourists throughout June and July.

PaperCity Fort Worth was recently invited to a three-day Range Rover House that highlighted the city’s growing influence in the luxury automaker market. Hosted at Chef Tim Love’s estate, the exclusive event brought together celebrated locals like Susan Maddox, restauranteurs, and loyal Range Rover owners for the first Range Rover House event ever organized by an independent dealership.

Ambitious developments are reshaping Fort Worth, including private residential golf clubs like Bluejack Ranch and Discovery Land Company’s Maverick, where estates command prices in the multimillion-dollar range. We were at the groundbreaking for both the $1.7 billion Westside Village and the forthcoming $250 million Autobahn Fort Worth. Westside Village will transform the Near Westside with new residences, shopping, hotels, and office space, while Autobahn’s sprawling campus will feature individual dealerships with architecture and amenities tailored to each automotive brand.

Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine, Lonesome Dove, Clay Pigeon, Grace, 61 Osteria, The Mont, and other world-class restaurants continue to position Fort Worth as a top destination for food, even as Almacén El Gallo and Beren Meze & Grill House are bringing Michelin-starred chefs to the city.

Hospitality, Historic Roots, and Visionary Leaders

What makes any city great is the people, and Fort Worth continues to be shaped by leaders who understand the delicate balance between progress and preserving what makes Cowtown great. Fort Worth’s Mayor Mattie Parker is a strong proponent of economic development, public safety, and preserving quality of life. For a city our size — ranked 10th in population — that’s no easy feat.

When developer John Goff brought Fort Worth its own Crescent Hotel, he provided the perfect luxury anchor for a Cultural District already known for world-class art. To the north, Fort Worth’s Stockyards are showing that they’re more than a tourist destination for twice-daily cattle drives. Dena Newell and her team launched Fort Worth Fashion Week Stockyards Style a few years ago, and we’re eagerly anticipating the return of the October event that culminates in an outdoor runway show featuring chic Western wear.

Our city has so many luminaries, in fact, that we launched a monthly series, Fort Worth’s Finest, to highlight the people shaping culture and civic life in Cowtown. Annette Soto Landeros, Chad Mathews, and Wesley Gentle have been featured this year, with each profile exploring their backgrounds to paint a well-rounded portrait of their journeys.

Accolades are gratifying, but no ranking can top the privilege of calling Fort Worth home.