 Highland County is located in the Appalachian region as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).The county is considered to have a "transitional" economy by the ARC, meaning it ranks "between the worst 25 percent and the best 25 percent" of counties and it is in a transitional period between weak and strong economies.Highland County does not possess within its borders any section of the Interstate Highway System, though east-west Interstate 64 and north-south Interstate 81 are accessible in adjacent Augusta County near Staunton.