15 Small Town Romance Shows Like Virgin River (No Sweet Magnolias on This List)

If you're looking for more shows where the setting is just as important as the characters, and where love always finds a way, this list is your next go-to; it's a collection of tales that celebrate the small-town spirit, the kind that makes you want to visit these places and maybe, just maybe, find a little romance of your own.

1. Sullivan's Crossing (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

Neurosurgeon Maggie Sullivan seeks solace and a fresh start at her father's rural campground after a high-pressure career leads to a nervous breakdown; here, she encounters a community that brings healing, love, and unexpected challenges as she runs the family business and reconnects with her roots.

2. Northern Rescue (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 91%

After his wife's death, search and rescue commander John West relocates with his three children to his rural hometown to take command of the local search-and-rescue service, where the family tackles personal and communal crises, finding new beginnings amidst grief.

3. Ginny and Georgia ( 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

Fifteen-year-old Ginny Miller and her thirty-year-old mother, Georgia, move to a New England town for a fresh start, but Georgia's dark past threatens their new life, as Ginny navigates the complexities of teenage life and uncovers her mother's secrets.

4. Chesapeake Shores (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 89%

Abby O'Brien, a high-powered career woman and divorced mother of two, returns to her hometown of Chesapeake Shores after years away, facing old loves, family drama, and career decisions as she reevaluates what truly matters in life.

5. The Durrells (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

In the 1930s, Louisa Durrell, along with her four quirky children, relocates from England to Corfu, Greece, to escape their financial woes and start anew, encountering a colorful array of locals and expats that challenge and change their family dynamics.

6. Friends from College (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%

A group of Harvard alumni in their 40s reunite in New York, struggling with the realization that their lives haven't turned out as planned, which leads to comedic and poignant misadventures reflecting on friendship, love, and nostalgia.

7. Good Witch (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 83%

Cassie Nightingale, the kind-hearted witch of the small town of Middleton, along with her teenage daughter Grace, uses her unique abilities and intuition to help her neighbors and visitors, weaving magic that often leads to unexpected outcomes and teaching life lessons.

8. A Million Little Things (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 69%

After the unexpected suicide of a friend, a group of Boston friends reflect on their lives and realize they need to finally start living, leading to revelations of secrets, personal growth, and the strength of friendship through adversity.

9. The Ranch (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 71%

Colt Bennett returns to his family's Colorado ranch after a semi-professional football career fails to pan out, clashing and bonding with his brother and father as they manage the ranch's challenges, family dynamics, and personal failures.

10. Good Girls (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

Three suburban mothers, facing financial hardships and personal crises, decide to rob a supermarket, plunging them into a world of crime that proves more dangerous and complex than they anticipated, testing their friendship and morals.

11. Hart of Dixie (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%

New York surgeon Dr. Zoe Hart inherits a medical practice in the quirky small town of Bluebell, Alabama, where she encounters eccentric locals, romantic entanglements, and the challenge of adapting to rural life while finding her place in the community.

12. Everwood (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Following his wife's death, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Brown moves his family to the small town of Everwood, Colorado, seeking a simpler life, but finds that starting over brings new complexities as he opens a free clinic and his family adjusts to small-town dynamics.

13. Parenthood (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

The Bravermans, a large and imperfect family from Berkeley, California, deal with the challenges of parenthood, marriage, and personal growth, facing life's ups and downs with love and humor, as they support each other through various trials.

14. Heartland (2007)

Set in the rolling foothills of the Rockies, the series follows sisters Amy and Lou Fleming, along with their grandfather Jack, as they face the challenges of running the family's horse ranch, healing abused or neglected horses, and dealing with trials and tribulations of family life.

15. Friday Night Lights (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%

In the small town of Dillon, Texas, high school football coach Eric Taylor guides his team through the pressures of the sport, while he and his wife, Tami, navigate personal and community struggles, highlighting the impact of football on their lives and relationships.