Interactive map celebrates streets located at the heart of their communities where people come together to live, work and play
The Main Streets Across America website notes, “Montpelier, Vermont’s capital, is surrounded by farming communities, and local food is celebrated on Main Street, home to many of the restaurants for which this small, friendly city is well-known…With the ‘Best Small Town Downtown in America,’ according to Best Choice Reviews, Montpelier is the nation’s smallest state capital. It has just 8,000 residents, yet it’s a lively community that strongly supports music and the arts. You can hear live music in several venues on most weekend nights, and the two-story, independent Bear Pond Books is an institution on Main Street. So is the Savoy Theatre, an independent movie house where you can watch first-run features from the U.S. and around the world. The Italian Renaissance-style City Hall is home to Lost Nation Theater, an innovative regional theater company whose productions often feature homegrown talent.”
Main Street is an iconic part of American life. Whether it’s named Main Street, Park Avenue, Mountain Road, Ocean Boulevard or something else, it’s a place where businesses, families and individuals come together to support each other, and to live, work and play. It’s the place where people gather to celebrate history and heroes, pass traditions from one generation to the next and build strong and vibrant communities with new perspectives and fresh ideas.
“Main Street is more than just an address, it’s a mindset that embraces a strong sense of community based on shared neighborly values,” said Mehran Assadi, CEO, National Life Group. “It’s a place where handshakes, smiles and personal greetings still mean something and where promises are made and kept. To some, that may sound nostalgic, but at National Life, we believe main street values still exist and we use them to guide everything we do and every decision we make.”
The 2016 Main Streets Across America are featured on an interactive map that celebrates the following streets (listed alphabetically by state):
| State | Street | City |
| Alabama | Broad Street | Gadsden |
| Alaska | West Fourth Avenue | Anchorage |
| Arizona | Main Street | Mesa |
| Arkansas | Center Street | Fayetteville |
| California | Macdonald Avenue | Richmond |
| Colorado | North Main Street | Pueblo |
| Connecticut | West Main Street | Mystic |
| Delaware | East Main Street | Newark |
| District of Columbia | 11th Street NW | Washington, DC |
| Florida | Main Street | Sarasota |
| Georgia | Main Street | Cedartown |
| Hawaii | Kailua Road | Kailua |
| Idaho | Bank Street | Wallace |
| Illinois | First Street | LaSalle |
| Indiana | Main Street | Carmel |
| Iowa | Iowa Avenue | Iowa City |
| Kansas | South Kansas Avenue | Topeka |
| Kentucky | South Main Street | Harrodsburg |
| Louisiana | Saint Charles Avenue | New Orleans |
| Maine | Main Street | Rockland |
| Maryland | Patrick Street | Frederick |
| Massachusetts | Tremont Street | Boston |
| Michigan | East Liberty Street | Ann Arbor |
| Minnesota | Central Avenue | Faribault |
| Mississippi | Main Street | Columbus |
| Missouri | South Main Street | Parkville |
| Montana | Higgins Avenue | Missoula |
| Nebraska | O Street | Lincoln |
| Nevada | Idaho Street | Elko |
| New Hampshire | Congress Street | Portsmouth |
| New Jersey | Haddon Avenue | Collingswood |
| New Mexico | North Bullard Street | Silver City |
| New York | Armory Square | Syracuse |
| North Carolina | Main Street | Hendersonville |
| North Dakota | Main Street | Lisbon |
| Ohio | Main Street | Oberlin |
| Oklahoma | North Muskogee Avenue | Tahlequah |
| Oregon | Main Street (Route 7) | Baker City |
| Pennsylvania | Broadway | Jim Thorpe |
| Rhode Island | Hope Street | Bristol |
| South Carolina | Main Street | Greenville |
| South Dakota | Main Street | Deadwood |
| Tennessee | West Main Street | Franklin |
| Texas | Denton Downtown Square | Denton |
| Utah | 25th Street | Ogden |
| Vermont | Main Street | Montpelier |
| Virginia | East and West Market Street | Leesburg |
| Washington | Columbia Street NW | Olympia |
| West Virginia | East Main Street | Buckhannon |
| Wisconsin | State Street | Madison |
| Wyoming | Capitol Avenue | Cheyenne |
The streets featured in the 2016 Main Streets Across America were selected based on four primary categories of community attributes that reflect strong ‘main street’ values:
- Strong local business presence
- Community gathering spots and scenic vistas
- Celebrations of history and traditions and reflections of civic pride
- Diverse social and cultural events and activities
“These Main Streets Across America are a diverse collection of streets from communities of all different sizes, each with its own unique attributes,” said Assadi. “Each one has a great story to tell based on its history, challenges, successes and outlook for the future. We’re pleased to celebrate them on this inaugural list.”
To view the map of the 2016 Main Streets Across America, show support for your favorite main street, share via social media or to suggest a street for next year’s list, go to: https://blog.nationallife.com/main-streets/
