Montgomery wins USA Today Travel's 10 Best contest, named Best Historic City in America

 After weeks of voting, Montgomery has emerged the victor in USA Today Travel's 10Best contest to name the Best Historic City in the United States.

Montgomery was announced as the winner of the contest today, which was decided by number of votes, after running neck-and-neck with several other contenders throughout the competition.

“This is great news for our city, a place with immense history and the setting for some of the most seminal moments in our nation’s history – from the Civil War to Civil Rights to civil aviation,” Mayor Todd Strange said.

 “As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March and 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott next year, visitors will not only experience our history, but they will discover there’s a whole lot more to Montgomery, like our revitalized riverfront, the vibrant downtown entertainment district and world-class cultural institutions."

The competition, which kicked off at the beginning of April, included a list of 20 cities selected as nominees due to their roles in America's history. Among the other nominated cities was New Orleans, Charleston, Boston and more.

The city of Montgomery made the list of 20 nominees for its role in the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. USA Today Travel said the following about Montgomery in its description:

"In 1819, two small settlements of cotton plantations merged together to form the town of Montgomery. During the Civil War, Montgomery was home of the First White House of the Confederacy, where Jefferson Davis and his family lived, but its most important historical contributions came during the Civil Rights movement as the site of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The city also had the first electric street car system, and the first flight school set up by the Wright Brothers."

Below is a listing of the cities ranked as the contest's top 10 Best Historic Cities:

1.     Montgomery, Ala.
2.     Annapolis, Md.
3.     Williamsburg, Va.
4.     Savannah, Ga.
5.     Charleston, S.C.
6.     St. Augustine, Fla.
7.     Boston
8.     Santa Fe
9.     Philadelphia
10.     New Orleans