“This is an amazing honor for Butler to be recognized by a national magazine and an organization like the Smithsonian. This is fantastic.”

That was Butler Mayor Maggie Stock’s reaction to the city being named as one of the 20 Best Small Towns in America, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

The May edition of the magazine related to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., publishes that list for communities with populations less than 25,000.

It ranks Butler as seventh.

William McCarrier, chairman of the Butler County Commissioners, said he is not surprised about the ranking.

“It doesn’t surprise me. I’ve always known we’re tops. That’s why I have lived here all my life,” he said.

“It confirms what we’ve always known: That Butler County has good jobs, is a good place to live and, most important, we have good people,” McCarrier said.

Chelynne Curci, Butler’s Main Street manager, said she believes last year’s Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival brought a new focus to the city.

“The town is a really cool place and a great place to visit in general,” Curci said, adding that the publicity will be a great help in promoting the city.