Explore the real-world places that appear in Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Middletown High School, Armco Steel Plant, Jackson, Kentucky, Ohio State University, Mamaw and Papaw's House and 5 more.
601 N Breiel Blvd — Where J.D. struggled academically
J.D. Vance attended Middletown High School during his turbulent teenage years, struggling with poor grades and lack of direction. His academic performance suffered due to the chaos at home with his mother Bev's addiction and rotating boyfriends. The school represents his early educational struggles before he would later excel at Ohio State and Yale Law School.
Middletown High School was established in the early 20th century to serve the growing industrial community. The school educated generations of children from working-class families, many of whom came north from Appalachia seeking factory jobs.
The school continues to operate as part of the Middletown City Schools district, serving a diverse student population in a community still grappling with economic challenges and the decline of manufacturing jobs.
1500 Curtis St — Where Papaw worked for decades
J.D.'s grandfather Papaw worked at the massive Armco Steel plant for most of his adult life after migrating from Kentucky. The plant provided stable, well-paying jobs that allowed Appalachian migrants like Papaw to achieve middle-class stability. Vance describes how the plant's decline paralleled the economic struggles of his community and family.
The Armco Steel Corporation plant in Middletown was one of Ohio's largest steel producers, employing thousands of workers from the 1900s through the late 20th century. It was a major destination for Appalachian migrants seeking industrial employment during the Great Migration.
The original Armco plant has been largely demolished, with only portions remaining as part of AK Steel (now Cleveland-Cliffs). The site symbolizes the deindustrialization that has affected much of the Rust Belt.
Breathitt County — Vance family ancestral home
Jackson, Kentucky, is where J.D.'s grandparents Papaw and Mamaw grew up before migrating north to Ohio. Vance visits relatives here and describes the deep poverty, family feuds, and cultural traditions that shaped his grandparents' worldview. The town represents the Appalachian roots that his family never fully left behind, even after moving to Ohio.
Jackson, the county seat of Breathitt County, was founded in 1839 and named after President Andrew Jackson. The area has long been one of Kentucky's poorest regions, dependent on coal mining and subsistence farming, with a history of family feuds and violence.
Jackson remains a small Appalachian town struggling with poverty, drug addiction, and population decline. The coal industry that once provided jobs has largely disappeared, leaving behind economic hardship and social problems.
Visit: Breathitt County Courthouse (historic site)
230 N Oval Mall, Columbus — Where J.D. found academic success
After serving in the Marines, J.D. Vance enrolled at Ohio State University, where he finally discovered his academic potential. He excelled in his studies, graduating in less than two years with a degree in political science and philosophy. OSU represented his first real escape from the cycle of poverty and dysfunction that had defined his childhood in Middletown.
Founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ohio State University became one of the largest public universities in the United States. It has long served as an educational ladder for working-class Ohioans seeking upward mobility.
OSU remains one of America's largest universities with over 60,000 students. The main campus in Columbus continues to provide educational opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds, including many first-generation college students like Vance was.
Visit: Ohio State University Campus (landmark)
McKinley Avenue area — The stable home in J.D.'s chaotic childhood
J.D.'s grandparents' house on McKinley Avenue served as his refuge from his mother Bev's addiction and instability. Mamaw and Papaw provided the only consistent parenting he received, with Mamaw being particularly fierce in protecting him. The house was filled with books, and Mamaw insisted on education despite her own limited schooling. This became his true home when his mother's behavior became too erratic.
The McKinley Avenue area was part of Middletown's working-class neighborhoods that developed in the early-to-mid 20th century to house families working in local factories. These modest homes represented the American Dream for Appalachian migrants.
The neighborhood has experienced some decline along with Middletown's economic struggles, but many of the original houses remain. Some streets have been revitalized while others continue to face challenges from poverty and disinvestment.
Main Street & Central Avenue — The declining city center
Vance describes Middletown's downtown as a symbol of the community's economic decline. Once a thriving business district supported by the steel industry, it had become largely empty and run-down by his childhood. The deterioration of downtown reflected the broader struggles of working-class communities as manufacturing jobs disappeared.
Middletown's downtown was built around the industrial boom of the early 20th century, serving steel workers and their families. Main Street was lined with shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues that catered to the prosperous working class.
Downtown Middletown has seen some revitalization efforts in recent years, with new restaurants and businesses opening. However, it still faces challenges from suburban development and the loss of its industrial base.
Visit: Middletown Historic District (historic site)
127 Wall St, New Haven, CT — Where J.D. encountered elite culture
At Yale Law School, J.D. Vance experienced profound culture shock as he encountered the world of elite academia and privilege. He struggled with imposter syndrome and felt alienated from his wealthy, connected classmates. Yale represented both his ultimate achievement and the vast cultural distance he had traveled from his Appalachian roots in Middletown.
Yale Law School, founded in 1824, is one of America's most prestigious law schools, having educated numerous Supreme Court justices, presidents, and legal scholars. It has long been a gateway to the American elite.
Yale Law School continues to be one of the most selective and influential law schools in the country, training future leaders in law, politics, and business. The school has increasingly focused on diversifying its student body.
Visit: Yale Law School (landmark)
Quantico, VA — Where J.D. served and found discipline
J.D. Vance enlisted in the Marines and trained at Quantico, where he found the structure and discipline that had been missing from his chaotic childhood. Military service taught him responsibility, leadership, and gave him the GI Bill benefits that would later help fund his education at Ohio State and Yale.
Marine Corps Base Quantico, established in 1917, is known as the 'Crossroads of the Marine Corps.' It has trained generations of Marines and houses the FBI Academy. The base has long been a pathway for working-class Americans to gain skills and education.
Quantico continues to serve as a major training facility for the Marine Corps and other federal agencies. It remains an important institution for military education and law enforcement training.
Visit: National Museum of the Marine Corps (museum)
105 McKnight Dr — Site of family medical crises
The hospital appears in several of Vance's most traumatic childhood memories, including visits related to his mother Bev's overdoses and addiction-related medical emergencies. These hospital visits exemplified the chaos and instability that defined much of his early life, with medical crises often stemming from his mother's substance abuse problems.
Middletown Regional Hospital was established to serve the growing industrial community of Middletown and surrounding areas. It provided essential healthcare services to working-class families, many of whom worked in dangerous industrial jobs.
The hospital continues to operate as Atrium Medical Center, serving the Middletown community and surrounding areas. It remains an important healthcare provider for a region that continues to struggle with addiction and related health issues.
3715 Towne Blvd — Symbol of economic change
Vance uses Walmart as a symbol of the economic transformation that affected working-class communities like Middletown. While providing jobs and affordable goods, big box stores also represented the decline of local businesses and the changing nature of American retail and employment.
The arrival of big box retailers like Walmart in communities like Middletown in the 1980s and 1990s coincided with the decline of local businesses and traditional manufacturing jobs, fundamentally changing the economic landscape of small industrial cities.
This Walmart Supercenter continues to serve the Middletown area, providing both employment and shopping options for local residents. It remains emblematic of the retail landscape that replaced much of the traditional downtown business district.
More by J.D. Vance: All J.D. Vance books
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