Urban Appalachians

Urban Appalachians refers to people from or with close ancestral ties to Appalachia who are living in metropolitan areas outside of the region. As a result of multi-decade migrations, most of these individuals are not first generation migrants from the region. This mass exodus of Appalachian migrants out of Appalachia began to occur before many of the migrational landing cities were founded. It was not until the period following World War II, however, that large-scale migration to urban areas became commonplace due to the decline of coal mining and the increase in industrial jobs available in the Midwest and Northeast. The migration of Appalachians is often known as the Hillbilly Highway.

A large majority of Appalachian migrants settled in industrial centers in the Midwest and Northeast, with Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Toledo, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh being known for particularly large populations. Cities that have smaller but significant populations include Columbus, Fort Wayne, Lansing, Hazel Park and Dayton.

In terms of national origin urban Appalachian ancestral regions reflect the varied heritage of the Appalachian region. With predominately Scots-Irish, Melungeon, English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh. There were also large numbers of people with German, Central European, and Southern European ancestry, who were recruited to work in the coal and steel industries. A related phenomenon to the exodus of Appalachians on the Hillbilly Highway is the Great Migration of black southerners, including some from Appalachia.

Appalachian migrants came from numerous areas of Appalachia. Majority came from coal camp villages in the Cumberland Plateau or Allegheny Mountains; others came from cities such as Knoxville, Charleston, West Virginia, or the Huntington-Ashland area.

During the period of the nation's industrial expansion, the majority worked in factories, particularly in the automotive industry. More recently, work in the service economy is becoming more predominant. The decline of industry in the Rust Belt starting in the 1970s had a negative effect on blue-collar workers of Appalachian backgrounds, and many returned home.

Despite the Appalachian migrants' having come from different states and backgrounds, their shared history and the common experience of living in the hills, towns, valleys or foothills of Appalachia resulted in a regional culture that many urban Appalachians celebrate today.