OGUNQUIT, Maine — For its white sand beach, arts offerings and resort community attractions, the town of Ogunquit has been named USA Today’s Best Coastal Small Town.

“During the summer months, the population of tiny Ogunquit swells as visitors flock to the 3-mile white sand beach backed by grass-covered dunes on the Maine coast,” the newspaper’s write-up reads, in part. “Before gaining fame as a resort community described as a mini Provincetown, Ogunquit attracted prominent artists like Charles H. Woodbury, Walt Kuhn and Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Besides gallery hopping, visitors to the Maine town can whale watch, kayak, hike, golf or go deep-sea fishing just off the coast.”





Voting in the contest ended last Monday and Karen Arel, president of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce, said Ogunquit was revealed as the winner Friday.

“It’s very exciting,” she said. “We were nominated last year and we were neck and neck with Saugatuck, Michigan. In the end they won. They sent us a really nice note that said ‘You’ve been our strongest competition to date.’ We were nominated again this year and said we’re going to do it this year. And we did. It just felt so good.”

Arel said she is “thrilled beyond thrilled” that the town has received this recognition, which she noted is also a boon for the state of Maine as it draws attention not only to Ogunquit but the entire state.

She said locals and tourists from near and far shared word of the contest and voted to put Ogunquit in the number one spot. Throughout the process, Arel said what she enjoyed most was reading social media posts from those who shared the contest and voted.

“It’s for all of us,” she said. “We really are the beautiful place by the sea and have been. Now America and beyond, the whole world, can know that we have this title.”

Ogunquit Town Manager Tom Fortier announced Ogunquit’s win during Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting. He called it a “tribute” to the town’s residents, staff and committees.

“I want to say thank you to everyone, and I want to embrace it. You deserve it. We don’t actively solicit these awards. But we should take credit for it,” he said. “We live in a special community.”