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Sunday Roundup: This year’s best beach in the US isn’t in Hawaii or Florida

Sunday Roundup: This year’s best beach in the US isn’t in Hawaii or Florida

Surprise, surprise

June 01, 2025

In a 35-Year First, the Best Beach in the US Isn't in Hawaiʻi or Florida

Dr. Beach — the nickname affectionately given to coastal expert Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman by his students at the University of Maryland — is a professor and director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University. Since 1993, he’s released annual rankings of America’s top beaches, based on 50 rigorous criteria ranging from sand softness to water quality. And for the first time in 35 years, his data reveals a surprise: the #1 beach in the US isn’t in Hawai‘i, California, or Florida.

These are the top US beaches to visit.

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