National Geographic Traveler picks Spokane as a top coffee city

National Geographic Traveler magazine will take a second cup of Spokane, at least when it comes to its coffee.

The publication has listed the community as one of America’s top coffee cities in its March 2018 issue.

The magazine partnered with Resonance Consultancy and pulled data to determine which cities had the most coffee shops per capita for cities under 600,000 in population. The magazine’s editors then “selected cities with offerings ranging from great hikes, to museum tours, to pure relaxation – all with a perfect morning joe,” according to its website.

Traveler highlighted the coffee culture of 10 cities that meet the population limit – Pacific Northwest cities making the grade included Spokane and Bellingham. Others were: Portland, Maine; Anchorage; Santa Cruz, California; Greenville, South Carolina; Boulder, Colorado; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Honolulu; and Charlottesville, Virginia.

“This kind of recognition in such an internationally respected magazine is wonderful news,” Cheryl Kilday, Visit Spokane president and CEO, said in a news release. “Greater Spokane is filled to the brim with cozy coffee shops and a culture that has embraced the art of making a perfect cup. It’s nice to see people are taking notice …”

This is the second time this year National Geographic Traveler has recognized Spokane and its coffee in its Best Small Cities series. In January, Spokane was listed as one of the best small cities in the U.S., with Traveler noting it stood out – you guessed it – for its number of coffee shops and its hipster environment, as measured by concentrations of tattoo parlors, record shops and vintage stores.

In 2013, Outside Magazine included Spokane on its “Best Towns” list, based on attributes such as number of trail heads, farmers markets and gear shops. Sunset Magazine also listed Spokane among its best small cities on the West Coast in its February issue.