Appalachia, VA

united states

Appalachia is a small coal mining town of 1,400 people in Virginia's southwestern mountains, near the Kentucky border. US Route 23 is the main north-south artery through the valley, connecting to Pikeville, Kentucky and Norton to the south, while State Route 160 links east to Wise. The town sits among steep Appalachian ridges in classic coal country terrain. The massive brick Westmoreland Coal Company store building dominates the downtown, a remnant from the area's mining heyday.