The theme of mapping birthplaces began, I think, when redditor “pete8789” made a map of “Number of US Presidents born in each State,” others followed including, Birthplaces of: South African Presidents, French Presidents, New Zealand Prime Ministers, Leaders of the Soviet Union, Australian Prime Ministers, Swedish Prime Ministers, Dutch Prime Ministers, etc.

I think Detroit should be a part of the fad and has a very interesting map that reaches across the Atlantic showing Detroit’s days as a “frontier town.” The majority of early Mayors came from states on the East Coast, which is not surprising given the level of immigration moving from the East to the Midwest. Detroit was a main way point as immigrants made their way West to new areas of the United States. Detroit’s proximity to Canada earned it two Mayors born in Ontario. Emblematic of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South starting in 1910, Detroit had one Mayor who was born in the South, Coleman Young. His family moved to Detroit in 1923 and he began working for the Ford Motor Company.

In the last 130 years only 9 Mayors were born outside of the City of Detroit.

Source: Wikipedia