Flyover Country

Flyover country and flyover states are Americanisms describing the region of the United States between the East and the West Coasts. The terms, which are often used in a pejorative sense, refer to the regions of the country passed over during transcontinental flights—e.g., flights between the nation's two largest cities, New York City and Los Angeles. Flyover country thus refers to the part of the country that many Americans only view by air and never actually see in person at ground level.