San Angelo Regains Title as Top True Western City

SAN ANGELO, TX – For four years in a row, True West magazine has selected San Angelo to the Top 10 list of Top True Western Towns in the U.S. In 2019, the city was named #2; in 2020, we topped the list at #1, and in 2021, we were #2. 

We are delighted to announce our return to the #1 spot for the year 2022. Prior to 2019, San Angelo had never made the list. 

“San Angelo being named as the number one True Western City supports our long history of and great beginnings of a frontier city," said Mayor Brenda Gunter. "We will always support those longstanding traditions that allow us to stand out and support all things western.” 

This is the 17 th year True West has presented this annual award. Editors base their selection on criteria demonstrating how each town has preserved its history through old buildings, museums, and other institutions, events, and promotions of historic resources. 

“The winning continues in San Angelo. We are so honored to be recognized, once again, as the number one True Western Town in the U.S. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone who comes to experience our wonderful city and our western culture and heritage,” said Walt Koenig, President and CEO of the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. 

One of the main reasons for the selection is Fort Concho.

“Fort Concho is excited to hear the news for our city and looks forward to working with our tourism partners to bring thousands of western heritage fans to our community through its year-long schedule of exhibits, events, programs, and living history,”sated Bob Bluthardt, Site Manager of Fort Concho. 

Diann Bayes, Vice President of the Destination Marketing Organization, formerly known as the Convention & Visitors Bureau, worked with Bluthardt on the application submission to True West for consideration in 2021. 

“The authenticity of San Angelo makes our city a standout to be considered by True West consistently over the past four years. So many attractions, organizations, and businesses embrace our western heritage, making it a continued focus for our destination marketing efforts in telling the story of our city. We were honored once again to receive the news that San Angelo climbed to the top of the list for 2022. We look forward to marketing the western heritage of our community to visitors across the globe.”