KENT, Conn.—Kent continues to add to its roll of honors as one of the best towns for rural pleasures in Connecticut and even nationwide.
CT Insider recently ranked the town Number 2 on its list of the 10 best towns in Connecticut for fall foliage.
The town drew the distinction because of its scenic views from Route 7, outdoor landmarks such as Kent Falls State Park and Macedonia Brook State Park and its “postcard potential” for visitors seeking peak autumn colors.
“Downtown Kent contributes shops, galleries and places to eat without losing its small-town scale,” the publication continued. “It is not [centrally located,] but, in this case, the drive is part of the reward.”
Litchfield topped the Kent this year, ranking number 1. “Litchfield wins because it does almost everything well,” the article stated. “The historic center looks the way people imagine a New England town should look in October. Just outside it, the 4,000-acre White Memorial Foundation has forests, fields, wetlands and 40 miles of trails, while Topsmead State Forest adds landscaped grounds and pastoral hill views.”
Kent residents could feel entitled to be blasé about such honors. CT Insider also ranked it sixth overall in its comprehensive list of all 169 Connecticut towns this year, and in 2024, Yankee Magazine chose it as one of the “absolute best places to live in New England.”
In 2024 Kent made the top 20 lists for Country Living’s “Most Beautiful Fall Foliage” list (ranking number 12), and in 2025 was listed among Reader’s Digest’s “Most Beautiful Main Streets in America.” Going back to 2017, Kent was named the “single most beautiful town in Connecticut” by Expedia.
In making its announcement on Thursday, Aug. 27, Ct Insider noted, “There is no perfectly scientific formula for ranking Connecticut’s best autumn towns. … Like our summer rankings, this list uses a blend of factors, from the measurable to the utterly subjective.”
It said foliage views received the most weight, but some towns also earned credit for being relatively easy to reach or useful as a base for exploring a larger region. Farms, orchards, restaurants, cider and other seasonal food and drink helped, too.
