Sundown Towns in America: The Hidden History of Black Travel, Sundown States & the Green Book

Imagine driving across America knowing that you needed to reach the next safe town before the sun went down.

For generations of Black Americans, this wasn’t a hypothetical scenario.

Sundown Towns was part of traveling in America.

Across the United States were communities that intentionally excluded Black residents—and in some cases other racial, ethnic, or religious minorities—through intimidation, discriminatory policing, housing restrictions, threats and sometimes violence.

They became known as sundown towns.

And contrary to one of the biggest misconceptions about this chapter of American history, sundown towns were not primarily a Deep South phenomenon.

Hundreds existed across the Midwest, North and West.

In Illinois alone, researchers associated with historian and sociologist James W. Loewen eventually estimated that more than 500 communities—roughly 70% of the state’s towns—had been sundown towns.

Similar patterns existed in states such as Indiana and Oregon.

The scale of this exclusion helps explain something else about American history:

Why Black travelers needed their own travel networks.

Why The Negro Motorist Green Book became indispensable.

And why Black-owned hotels, tourist homes, resorts, restaurants and other businesses became places of refuge, dignity and opportunity.

This is the largely forgotten intersection between sundown towns and the history of Black travel in America.

What Is a Sundown Town?

A sundown town was a community that intentionally attempted to exclude Black people or other minority groups from living there or remaining there after dark.

The name came from warnings—sometimes communicated through signs, sometimes through reputation—that certain people should leave town before sunset.

But an important historical distinction is necessary:

Not every racist town was a sundown town.

Researchers look for evidence of intentional exclusion.

That exclusion could take many forms:

• Racially restrictive housing covenants
• Local ordinances
• Realtor steering
• Redlining
• Discriminatory policing
• Threats and intimidation
• Refusal of housing
• Violence against newcomers
• Forced expulsions
• Informal community enforcement

Tougaloo College’s History and Social Justice project specifically identifies both formal and informal methods when researching whether a community historically operated as a sundown town.

Were There “Sundown States”?

“Sundown state” is not an official historical designation.

It is more accurate to talk about states with large numbers or concentrations of sundown communities.

This distinction matters.

There wasn’t a federal list declaring certain states “sundown states.”

Instead, individual towns, suburbs, municipalities and even larger geographic areas developed systems designed to exclude particular populations.

Some states, however, contained astonishing numbers of them.

The Surprising Geography of Sundown Towns

Many Americans understandably associate racial segregation primarily with the Jim Crow South.

But the geography of sundown towns complicates that picture.

Historical research has documented extensive sundown activity throughout parts of the:

Midwest • North • West • South

Illinois is perhaps the most striking example.

When James Loewen began researching sundown towns in 1999, he reportedly expected to find perhaps 10 in Illinois and approximately 50 nationwide.

The research produced a dramatically different picture.

By 2020, the History and Social Justice project estimated that Illinois alone had slightly more than 500 sundown towns—approximately 70% of all towns in the state.

The project reports similarly high proportions in Indiana, Oregon and other Northern states.

Many of these communities became sundown towns between approximately 1890 and 1940, during one of the darkest periods in post-Reconstruction race relations in America.

Why weren’t sundown towns simply a Southern phenomenon?

The systems often operated differently.

Southern segregation frequently sought to control and separate Black populations while continuing to depend heavily upon Black workers.

Elsewhere, some overwhelmingly white communities pursued something different:

Exclusion.

The message wasn’t simply:

Live separately from us.

In some places it was effectively:

Don’t live here at all.

How Did a Town Become a Sundown Town?

There was no single method.

Some communities used law.

Others used economics.

Others used intimidation.

And some used violence.

1. Racially Restrictive Housing

Restrictive covenants could prevent property from being sold or rented to Black families and other minorities.

Realtors, lenders, neighborhood associations and local institutions could reinforce those boundaries.

2. Threats and Intimidation

A Black family attempting to move into an all-white community could encounter harassment, threats or destruction of property.

The objective was straightforward:

Make staying impossible.

3. Forced Expulsion

Some communities became overwhelmingly white after Black residents were driven out.

Violence—or the threat of violence—could transform the demographics of an entire community for generations.

4. Official Action

Police and other local authorities could enforce racial boundaries even when there wasn’t a sign announcing them.

5. The Sundown Warning

The most infamous symbol is the roadside sundown sign warning Black travelers to leave before nightfall.

Actual surviving photographs of such signs are surprisingly scarce.

But documentary evidence, newspaper accounts and oral histories show that warnings and sundown practices existed in numerous communities.

In Stroud, Oklahoma, for example, Tougaloo’s database cites historical reporting describing Black laborers being driven out and a racist warning subsequently being posted in town.

The message could hardly have been clearer:

Leave before dark.

Illinois: An Epicenter of Sundown Town History

Illinois deserves special attention because the scale uncovered by researchers challenges conventional assumptions about American segregation.

More than 500 Illinois communities have been estimated as having sundown histories.

One of the best-known examples is Anna, Illinois.

Anna’s history became the subject of an extensive ProPublica investigation examining both its reputation and the complicated legacy that history left behind.

But Anna represents something much larger.

Researchers found sundown communities ranging from small rural towns to suburbs near major metropolitan areas.

The lesson is important:

Racial exclusion wasn’t confined to places Americans traditionally associate with Jim Crow.

Sundown Towns by State

Historical sundown communities have been documented or investigated across much of the United States.

States where researchers have documented substantial numbers of historic sundown towns and communities include:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Oregon
• Ohio
• Michigan
• Missouri
• Arkansas
• California
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Kentucky
• Wisconsin
• New York
• New Jersey
• and numerous others.

But these categories require caution.

The evidence for individual communities varies.

Some are well documented.

Others are classified by researchers as probable or possible.

And historical status does not automatically describe the character of a community today.

For travelers researching a particular place, one of the best starting points is the History and Social Justice Sundown Towns Database maintained by Tougaloo College.

It Wasn’t Only Black Americans

Another overlooked part of the history is that racial exclusion wasn’t directed exclusively toward African Americans.

Depending upon the region and era, discriminatory policies could target:

• Black Americans
• Native Americans
• Chinese Americans
• Japanese Americans
• Other Asian Americans
• Jewish Americans
• Latino Americans
• Other minority groups

For example, historical research documents communities using restrictive land laws and housing practices against Asian residents in parts of the West.

The broader history of sundown towns is therefore part of the American history of racial, ethnic and religious exclusion.

But their impact upon Black mobility became particularly important to the development of Black travel culture.

What Happened When Black Travelers Entered a Sundown Town?

Imagine planning a road trip without knowing whether the next town would:

sell you gasoline,

serve your family dinner,

allow you to use a restroom,

rent you a hotel room,

or simply allow you to remain there without harassment.

For Black motorists, the open road could represent freedom.

But that freedom had boundaries.

Owning an automobile allowed Black families to escape some of the humiliation associated with segregated trains and buses.

Once on the highway, however, another problem emerged.

Where could you safely stop?

A vacancy sign didn’t guarantee a room.

A restaurant didn’t guarantee service.

A gas station didn’t guarantee access to a restroom.

And a perfectly ordinary-looking town on the map might have a reputation that Black travelers understood very differently.

This wasn’t simply inconvenient.

It fundamentally changed how Black Americans traveled.

The Black Road Trip Required Planning

Families sometimes prepared for long stretches of road where services might be unavailable to them.

Food could be packed.

Routes could be planned around welcoming communities.

Travelers shared information.

Word of mouth mattered.

Knowing someone along the route mattered.

Knowing which hotel welcomed Black guests mattered.

Eventually, one man transformed that knowledge into one of America’s most important travel guides.

Enter the Negro Motorist Green Book

In 1936, Harlem postal worker Victor Hugo Green began publishing The Negro Motorist Green Book.

Its mission was practical and powerful:

Help Black travelers identify businesses where they would be welcomed.

The Green Book listed establishments such as:

• Hotels
• Tourist homes
• Restaurants
• Service stations
• Nightclubs
• Beauty shops
• Barbers
• Taverns
• Resorts
• Other welcoming businesses

Instead of arriving in an unfamiliar town and hoping someone would provide accommodations, Black motorists could travel with information.

Knowledge made the road more navigable.

And hidden inside those pages was something else extraordinary.

The Green Book Was a Map of Black-Owned America

The Green Book didn’t merely tell travelers where discrimination might be avoided.

It helped them discover businesses that welcomed them.

Across America, Black entrepreneurs built an alternative hospitality economy.

There were Black-owned:

hotels.

tourist homes.

restaurants.

resorts.

nightclubs.

service stations.

vacation communities.

These businesses provided something that couldn’t be taken for granted elsewhere:

Welcome.

They also created jobs, accumulated property, built community wealth and provided gathering spaces for Black Americans traveling for business, family, entertainment and leisure.

Some became legendary.

Others were modest tourist homes operated by families who opened rooms to travelers because local hotels wouldn’t.

Together they formed an extraordinary network of Black hospitality.

When America Said “You Can’t Stay Here”

Perhaps the most powerful way to understand the relationship between sundown towns and Black-owned hospitality is through a simple contrast.

One America said:

You cannot stay here.

Black entrepreneurs responded:

You are welcome here.

That is part of the history behind Black-owned hospitality in America.

These properties weren’t merely businesses.

For travelers navigating segregation, they could represent safety, dignity, independence and belonging.

Historic Black Hotels Became Cultural Institutions

Some Black hotels and resorts became far more than accommodations.

They became gathering places for:

musicians,

athletes,

entrepreneurs,

entertainers,

civil rights leaders,

professionals,

families,

and travelers simply taking a vacation.

Places such as the Dew Drop Inn in New Orleans became woven into Black cultural history.

Black resort communities developed where African American families could vacation with freedoms unavailable at many mainstream destinations.

And across the country, thousands of lesser-known establishments provided rooms to travelers whose money other hotels refused to accept.

That history deserves to be remembered.

Original Green Book Hotels You Can Visit Today

That history isn’t confined to the pages of the Green Book. Several properties that once welcomed Black travelers during segregation are still standing—and some still welcome guests today. Explore Original Green Book Hotels You Can Visit Today and discover the remarkable places where Black travel history lives on.

Do Sundown Towns Still Exist Today?

This is where historical accuracy becomes especially important.

The laws and formal systems that legally enforced racial segregation were dismantled through court decisions, civil rights legislation and federal housing protections.

A community’s historical classification as a sundown town therefore does not automatically mean it remains dangerous or hostile today.

People change.

Communities change.

Governments change.

Populations change.

Some former sundown towns have actively confronted their histories.

Others have become considerably more diverse.

Researchers nevertheless use terms such as “recovering sundown towns” and discuss “second-generation sundown town issues” to describe communities still dealing with the effects of exclusionary histories.

Those effects may persist in demographics, housing patterns, reputations or institutions long after an explicit exclusionary policy disappears.

That distinction matters.

We can acknowledge history without assuming that every person living in a community today shares the attitudes of people who lived there generations ago.

How Can You Find a Sundown Town Map?

One of the most extensive resources available is the Sundown Towns Database, part of the History and Social Justice project at Tougaloo College.

The database grew from James Loewen’s research and contains information submitted and researched from communities throughout the country.

Importantly, the database itself should not be interpreted as a definitive list of towns that are hostile today.

Researchers use categories reflecting different levels of historical evidence.

That makes the database especially valuable for:

research—not stereotyping.

From the Green Book to Black Hotel Guide

Nearly ninety years after Victor Green published his first guide, Black travelers inhabit a profoundly different travel world.

A Black family no longer needs a special book identifying hotels legally willing to rent them a room.

That is extraordinary progress.

But one idea behind the Green Book remains surprisingly relevant:

Knowing where your travel dollars go matters.

Victor Green helped travelers discover places that welcomed them.

Today, Black Hotel Guide helps travelers discover Black-owned and Black-led hotels, resorts, inns, villas, vacation rentals and unique stays around the world.

We’re not creating another Green Book.

We don’t need to.

And that itself is something worth celebrating.

But we can continue another part of its legacy:

Discovery.

Discovering entrepreneurs.

Discovering stories.

Discovering historic properties.

Discovering new Black-owned hotels and resorts.

And giving travelers an opportunity to make informed choices about the businesses they support.

The question once was:

“Where can I safely stay?”

Today we have the freedom to ask:

“Who am I supporting when I stay there?”

From Exclusion to Ownership

There is something remarkable about that evolution.

Once, Black travelers carried guides because entire communities might refuse them accommodations.

Today, Black travelers can use technology to intentionally discover hotels owned and operated by Black entrepreneurs themselves.

From:

“You can’t stay here.”

To:

“Welcome. This place belongs to us.”

That is not merely a story about hotels.

It is a story about American travel.

Entrepreneurship.

Ownership.

Progress.

And the freedom to choose.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Sundown Towns

What is a sundown town?

A sundown town – cities, towns, and counties were a community that historically attempted to exclude Black people or other minorities from living there or remaining there after dark through formal or informal practices including discriminatory housing policies, intimidation, policing, threats or violence.

What were sundown states?

“Sundown states” isn’t an official historical classification. The phrase is sometimes used informally to describe states containing large numbers of sundown communities. Researchers instead document individual towns, suburbs, municipalities and other communities.

Which state had the most sundown towns?

Historical research by James Loewen and the History and Social Justice project estimated that Illinois had more than 500 sundown towns—approximately 70% of the state’s towns. Because historical documentation remains incomplete, rankings should be treated as estimates rather than definitive totals.

Were sundown towns only in the South?

No. One of the most important findings of modern sundown-town research is the prevalence of these communities in Northern, Midwestern and Western states, including Illinois, Indiana and Oregon.

Why were they called sundown towns?

The term derives from warnings—sometimes associated with signs or local customs—that Black people or other excluded groups needed to leave a community before sunset.

When were sundown towns most common?

Many sundown communities developed or maintained exclusionary practices during the late nineteenth and first half of the twentieth centuries. Tougaloo’s History and Social Justice project notes that many Northern examples became sundown towns primarily between approximately 1890 and 1940.

Do sundown towns still exist?

While legally enforced sundown towns no longer exist today due to the Civil Rights Act of 1968, the social, institutional, and cultural legacy of these communities remains deeply visible. Historian James Loewen coined the term “second-generation sundown towns” to describe communities that are no longer strictly “whites-only” by law, but still exhibit deeply entrenched racial exclusion, systemic bias, and a hostile environment for minorities

Is there a sundown towns map?

Yes. Tougaloo College’s History and Social Justice project maintains an extensive state-by-state Sundown Towns Database based on James Loewen’s research and subsequent contributions.

→ View Sundown Towns by State

What does the Green Book have to do with sundown towns?

The Negro Motorist Green Book helped Black travelers locate hotels, tourist homes, restaurants, service stations and other establishments where they could expect to be welcomed while traveling through segregated America.

From Exclusion to Ownership: The Story Continues

The history of sundown towns tells us where Black Americans were once told they couldn’t stay. But there is another side of that history—the remarkable story of the Black entrepreneurs who built hotels, inns, resorts, and welcoming spaces of their own.

From pioneering hoteliers such as James Wormley to the Black-owned hotels of the Jim Crow and Green Book eras—and today’s generation of Black hospitality leaders—these entrepreneurs transformed exclusion into ownership, opportunity, and legacy.

Continue the story → Explore the History of African American Hotel Ownership