Flyover country is a nickname used for the vast middle of the United States, covering everything in between the densely populated Northeastern U.S. and western state of California. U.S. states in the area can correspondingly be called flyover states, a term that became common during the 2000 U.S. presidential election. The name comes from the fact that many popular media figures, entertainers and other American celebrities typically shuttle between New York City and Los Angeles by air, commonly without stopping. Even the nation's third-largest city and one of the world's ten alpha world cities, Chicago, can be considered part of the "region." People and businesses that are primarily on the coasts may be referred to as "bicoastal."

Flyover state also has a somewhat different meaning, referring to the heavy use of aircraft in American political elections. Because the population density of some states can be very low, it is now common for presidential candidates to hopscotch across a region in order to drum up support. This can become dangerous, however, and a number of politicians have died in plane crashes (this has not happened to any presidents, but senatorial and gubernatorial candidates have died in the last decade). However, this makes little sense. Flying is far more safe than roadway travel.

An earlier term for the same general concept was Chicagoland.

See also

• Middle America (US)