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Roanoke, Virginia

September 26, 2023

This article is about the Virginia city. For the colonization attempt of a North Carolina island, see Roanoke Colony.

Roanoke (/ˈroʊ.əˌnoʊk/ ROH-ə-nohk) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is located in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains, approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of the Virginia–North Carolina border and 250 miles (400 km) southwest of Washington, D.C., along Interstate 81. At the 2020 census, Roanoke's population was 100,011, making it the largest city in Virginia west of the state capital Richmond.[7] It is the principal municipality of the Roanoke metropolitan area, which had a 2020 population of 315,251.

Roanoke, Virginia
Independent city
Clockwise from top: Downtown Roanoke, City market building, St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Hotel Roanoke, Roanoke Star
Seal
Logo
Nickname(s): 
The Star City of The South, Magic City, Star City
Roanoke
Location in Virginia
Roanoke
Roanoke (the United States)
Coordinates: 37°16′15″N 79°56′30″W / 37.27083°N 79.94167°W / 37.27083; -79.94167
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyNone (Independent city)
Named forRoanoke River
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
see Roanoke City Council
 • MayorSherman P. Lea Sr. (D)
 • Vice MayorJoseph L. Cobb
Area
[1]
 • Independent city42.85 sq mi (110.99 km2)
 • Land42.52 sq mi (110.13 km2)
 • Water0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2)
Elevation
[3] [4]
883–1,740 ft (269–530 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Independent city100,011
 • Rank326th in the United States
8th in Virginia
 • Density2,300/sq mi (900/km2)
 • Urban
217,312 (US: 177th)[2]
 • Urban density1,731.6/sq mi (668.6/km2)
 • Metro
315,251 (US: 163rd)
DemonymRoanoker
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
24001–24020, 24022–24038, 24040, 24042–24045, 24048, 24050, 24155, 24157, 24012
Area code(s)540, 826
FIPS code51-77000[5]
GNIS feature ID1499971[6]
Primary AirportRoanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport
Public TransitValley Metro
Websitewww.roanokeva.gov

The Roanoke Valley was originally home to members of the Siouan-speaking Tutelo tribe. However, in the 17th and early-to-mid 18th centuries, Scotch-Irish and later German American farmers gradually drove those Native Americans out of the area as the American frontier pressed westward. A significant turning point in the area's history came in 1882 when the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) chose the small town of Big Lick as the site of its corporate headquarters and railroad shops. Within two years, the town had become the City of Roanoke. With a 2,300% population growth rate in the decade from 1880 to 1890, the young city experienced the advantages and disadvantages of its boomtown status. During the 20th century, Roanoke grew its boundaries through multiple annexations from the surrounding Roanoke County, and it grew into its status as Southwest Virginia's economic and cultural hub. A 1982 decision by N&W to relocate their headquarters out of the city and other manufacturing closures forced Roanoke to pivot to a primarily service economy. In the 21st century, a robust healthcare industry and the development and increased marketing of its outdoor amenities have helped reverse prior declining population trends.

Roanoke is known for the Roanoke Star, an 88.5-foot-tall (27.0 m) illuminated star that sits atop a mountain within the city's limits and is the origin of its nickname "The Star City of the South". Other points of interest include the Hotel Roanoke, a 330-room Tudor Revival structure built by N&W in 1882, the Taubman Museum of Art, designed by architect Randall Stout, and the city's farmer's market, the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the state. The Roanoke Valley features 26 miles of greenways with bicycle and pedestrian trails, and the city's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains provides access to numerous outdoor recreation opportunities.

History Edit

Early history and incorporation Edit

The current site of Roanoke lies near the intersection of the Great Wagon Road and the Carolina Road, two branches of a network of early colonial roads that developed from Native American trails in the Appalachian region.[8] While the name Roanoke is said to have originated from an Algonquian word for "shell money",[9] that name was first used 300 miles (480 km) away where the Roanoke River empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Roanoke Island.[10] The Roanoke Valley itself was originally home to members of the Tutelo tribe,[10][11] a Siouan-speaking people who were gradually pushed out of the area by advancing European settlers.[11]

Many of those settlers were Scotch-Irish who arrived in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries following the Plantation of Ulster.[12]: 3  These pioneers often moved with the frontier, however, pushing farther west into Kentucky and beyond rather than taking root in one location.[13] In their place came significant numbers of Germans from Pennsylvania via the Great Wagon Road who stayed and farmed the land.[12]: 3  By 1838 the area was populated enough that Roanoke County was created out of parts of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties,[14] and the area's first railroad, the Virginia and Tennessee, arrived in 1852.[15]: 49 

The railroad built its new depot just south of a small town named Gainesborough but named the depot after Big Lick, another small community located just to the east, which itself was named after the salt deposits that had drawn game to the area for years.[15]: 49 [16]: 2  Gainesborough became increasingly referred to as Big Lick and even later as Old Lick once development drifted farther south towards the depot.[17] Growth in the area was stalled by the Civil War; Roanoke County voted 850–0 in favor of secession and lost many of its men in the subsequent fighting.[15]: 53  The burgeoning tobacco trade helped the region's recovery during Reconstruction. Within a decade of the war's end, there were no fewer than six tobacco factories near the Big Lick Depot.[15]: 58 

In 1874, the community surrounding the depot applied for and received a town charter, and the Town of Big Lick was formally established.[12]: 71  A pivotal moment in the area's history occurred eight years later when efforts by town boosters succeeded in securing Big Lick as the junction of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W).[15]: 65  The two companies also relocated their respective headquarters to the town (the two lines would officially merge in 1890).[15]: 70 [12]: 204  Big Lick's relatively small size compared to the nearby county seat Salem worked in its favor as a draw for the companies, as Big Lick's ample farmland and nearby water sources were well suited to the railroads' goal of building what was essentially an entire town, including railroad shops, offices, a hotel, and suitable housing for their many employees.[12]: 86 [16]: 8 

 
Hotel Roanoke as it appeared in 1910. N&W ordered an expansion to the hotel before the original structure was completed.[18]

Big Lick's residents voted to rename the town "Kimball" after Frederick J. Kimball, an executive for the two railroad companies who played a significant role in their new location.[16]: 10  Kimball turned down the honor, saying, "On the Roanoke River in Roanoke County – name it Roanoke."[12]: 90  The town obliged, officially becoming the Town of Roanoke on February 3, 1882.[15]: 65  The new charter also annexed nearly two and a half square miles of additional land, including the Town of Gainesborough (later shortened to Gainsboro), which by that point had already become the center of the area's African American community.[19][20]: 153  Kimball chose a wheat field north of the railroad tracks and east of Gainsboro for the N&W's new hotel,[15]: 66  and the 69-room Hotel Roanoke – designed originally in the Queen Anne style before numerous rebuilds and expansions gave it its current Tudor Revival appearance – opened its doors in 1882.[16]: 12 

With the rapid influx of railroad employees and others in associated industries, Roanoke's population soared and, by the end of 1883, had passed 5,000.[15]: 71  That milestone made the town eligible for a city charter, and on January 31, 1884, the town became the City of Roanoke.[12]: 135 

With a population that ballooned from under 700 residents in 1880 to over 16,000 in 1890[21] – and earning itself the nickname "The Magic City" in the process[16]: 1  – Roanoke suffered many of the same difficulties that affected other 19th century boomtowns.[22] Its infrastructure was essentially nonexistent, and a lack of sewers combined with the area's marshy terrain contributed to regular outbreaks of diphtheria and cholera.[16]: 37  Bond initiatives designed to alleviate these and other issues highlighted racial tensions in the city, as the African American community – roughly 30 percent of Roanoke's population in 1891[16]: 105  – opposed the measures because the money would only be used to improve white neighborhoods.[16]: 42  Black neighborhoods in Roanoke typically received public amenities such as running water and paved roads only after their white counterparts, and Roanoke was among the first to adopt the Jim Crow laws that were becoming increasingly popular in the South.[16]: 108  The local press, for its part, stoked the white population's fears and anxiety with near-constant reports of African American "savagery".[16]: 125 [23][24][25]

In September 1893, tensions boiled over when a white woman was allegedly robbed and beaten by an African-American man near the city's market.[15]: 78  The supposed assailant was being held in the city jail when a mob of hundreds surrounded the building and demanded "lynch justice".[16]: 135  A shootout between the mob and an undermanned militia ensued, leaving eight dead and thirty-one more injured. Included among the wounded was the city's mayor, the previously widely admired Henry S. Trout,[16]: 134  who had vowed protection of the prisoner.[15]: 79  A renewed and riotous mob was eventually successful in gaining control of the accused assailant and proceeded to hang him and mutilate his body, which was eventually burned when the mob was deterred from its initial plan to bury it in Mayor Trout's front yard.[16]: 140  The mayor himself was forced to flee the city out of fear for his life and only returned a week later after the national press condemned the riot and praised Trout's courage during the event.[16]: 145 

20th century – present Edit

Despite these and other setbacks, the city grew through the early 20th century.[15]: 84  This growth was manifested both in population surges as well as in multiple annexations of land from the surrounding county.[26] In addition to land gained with its 1882 town charter, relatively unopposed annexations occurred five more times by 1926, though Roanoke County would become less agreeable to later attempts.[26] Mill Mountain became a popular entertainment locale for early residents, with an observation tower and the Rockledge Inn each opening atop the mountain in 1892.[12]: 250  Mountain Park, an early amusement center complete with a casino and roller coaster, opened at the foot of the mountain in 1903,[12]: 205  and beginning in 1910 visitors could pay a quarter to ride an incline railway to the top of Mill Mountain and back.[12]: 473 

Another mainstay at the base of the mountain has been Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Completed in 1900 as Roanoke Hospital,[12]: 341  the building has undergone many expansions and today is the flagship of the Carilion Clinic healthcare group.[27] The hospital joined some manufacturing operations that were established along the banks of the Roanoke River in the early 20th century, including the American Viscose Corporation.[28] That company built a plant in 1917 that by a decade later would employ 5,000 and be the largest rayon producing mill in the world.[15]: 96 

The city leased land for an airfield beginning in 1929.[12]: 570  Still, its development into the region's primary airport would not begin until its designation as a defense project provided federal funding in 1940.[15]: 103  That same year, N&W donated the fairground Maher Field to the city to build a stadium and armory.[15]: 103  Victory Stadium – optimistically named upon its completion in 1942[29] – would play host to the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute for years afterward.[30]

By the mid-20th century, Roanoke was increasingly losing population and businesses to a Roanoke County that had become less rural and more suburban in nature and consequently more resistant to annexation attempts by the city.[15]: 109 [26] The city was nevertheless successful in annexing additional land in 1943, 1949, three small acquisitions in 1965, 1967, and 1968, and once more in 1976.[26] The county won immunity from further annexations in 1980, but by then, the city had grown from its original size of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) to 43.0 square miles (111 km2).[26]

 
The Roanoke Star is the origin of the city's nickname Star City of the South.

In 1949, the local merchants association erected an 88.5-foot-tall (27.0 m) illuminated star at the top of Mill Mountain in celebration of the upcoming Christmas shopping season.[31] The star was an immediate hit among the city's population, leading to its illumination year-round and earning the city its nickname of "Star City of the South".[32] Despite the popularity boost for the merchants association, shopping habits in Roanoke were becoming more fractured as suburban shopping centers drew patrons away from an increasingly vacant downtown.[33] Crossroads Mall, the first enclosed shopping center in Virginia,[34] and Towers Mall, at the time one of the largest shopping centers in the state,[35] were each completed in 1961.[33] In later years, Tanglewood Mall (1973)[36] and Valley View Mall (1985)[37] contributed to Roanoke's status as the region's retail hub.[38]

Another drastic mid-century change to the city arrived with a massive "urban renewal" effort that saw the construction of both the Roanoke Civic Center (now Berglund Center) as well as an interstate spur into Downtown Roanoke.[39] Much of the land for these projects was in Northeast Roanoke, a community of primarily African American citizens who had been largely redlined from the rest of the city.[40] City officials gained the land through eminent domain and proceeded to clear over 1,000 buildings, often through widescale burning.[39] Later projects in the largely black Gainsboro neighborhood removed hundreds of homes and businesses there as well, and late-20th and early-21st century revitalization efforts by the city's government have been met with distrust and varied success.[39][41][42][43]

The second half of the 20th century ushered in a change of identity for Roanoke.[44] In 1982, the N&W completed a merger with the Southern Railway to form the Norfolk Southern Railway, which then relocated their headquarters from Roanoke to Norfolk, Virginia (and have since moved again to Atlanta, Georgia).[44][45] The company closed their regional headquarters in Roanoke in 2015, and in 2020 shuttered the locomotive shops.[46][47] The railroad's departure and a string of manufacturing plant closures left a hole in the city's economic base.[44]

In 1987, however, the merger of two of the area's largest hospitals created what would eventually become Carilion Clinic, a medical group that has since become the largest employer in the state west of Richmond.[48] The group's partnerships with Virginia Tech and Radford University have created two colleges and a research facility in what was formerly an industrial brownfield area but has since been termed the city's "innovation corridor".[49][50] These developments along with the city's decision to improve its parks and recreation amenities and market itself as an outdoor tourism hotspot have helped reverse its decades-long loss of young adults,[51][52] and in 2020 Roanoke's population passed 100,000 for the first time since 1980.[53]

Geography Edit

Roanoke is the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond[54] and the largest located in the Blue Ridge Mountains,[55] a range which is part of the greater Appalachian Mountains. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.9 square miles (111.1 km2), of which 42.5 square miles (110.1 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km2) (0.8%) is water.[56][57] It is located in the center of the greater Roanoke Valley and is bisected by the Roanoke River flowing west-to-east through the city.[58] Within the city limits is Mill Mountain, a 1,700-foot-tall (520 m) mountain and 500-acre municipal park which stands detached from the surrounding ranges.[59]

 
The Blue Ridge Mountains get their distinctive color from isoprene produced by the trees.[60]

Roanoke's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it proximate to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife.[61] The area is home to at least 43 species of salamander,[62] and the Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in neighboring Roanoke County protects the world's largest collection of piratebush, an exceedingly rare parasitic plant endemic to the Appalachians.[63]

Roanoke is the largest city along both the Appalachian Trail, which runs through Roanoke County just north of the city,[64] and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs just south of the city.[65] Carvins Cove, the third-largest municipal park in America at 12,700-acre (51 km2), lies in northeast Roanoke County and southwest Botetourt County.[66] Smith Mountain Lake is several miles southeast of the city,[67] and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are nearby.[68] The area offers ample opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country running, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, disc golf, and other outdoor pursuits.[69]

 
Grandin Village

Neighborhoods Edit

Main article: List of neighborhoods in Roanoke, Virginia

Within its boundaries, Roanoke is divided into 49 individually defined neighborhoods.[70] The city has incorporated into its comprehensive plan the goal of developing these neighborhoods into "villages", each with their own village center, and with the Downtown neighborhood acting as the village center for the city as a whole.[71] The Raleigh Court neighborhood has been cited as a model for such development, consisting of a variety of residential settings located around Grandin Village, an active commercial hub anchored by the Grandin Theatre, the city's only surviving historic theatre.[72] That commercial district is one of the city's eight neighborhoods or portions thereof that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[73]

Climate Edit

Though located along the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations exceeding 900 ft (270 m), Roanoke lies in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa), with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons,[74] and it is located in USDA hardiness zone 7b, with the suburbs falling in zone 7a.[75] Extremes in temperature have ranged from 105 °F (41 °C) as recently as August 21, 1983, down to −12 °F (−24 °C) on December 30, 1917, though neither 100 °F (38 °C) nor 0 °F (−18 °C) is reached in most years; the most recent occurrence of each is July 20, 2020 and February 20, 2015, respectively.[76] More typically, the area records an average of 6.1 days where the temperature stays at or below freezing and 30.5 days with 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually.[76][77] The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 37.9 °F (3.3 °C) in January to 77.8 °F (25.4 °C) in July.[76][77]

Based on the 1991−2020 period, the city averages 14.8 inches (38 cm) of snow per winter.[77] Roanoke experienced something of a snow drought in the 2000s until December 2009 when 17 inches (43 cm) of snow fell on Roanoke in a single storm.[78] Winter snowfall has ranged from trace amounts in 1918–19 and 1919–20 to 62.7 inches (159 cm) in 1959–60;[76] unofficially, the largest single storm dumped approximately three feet (0.9 m) from December 16−18, 1890.[79]

Historically, flooding has been one of the main weather-related hazards faced by Roanoke.[80] Heavy rains, most frequently from the remnants of a hurricane, drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley.[81] The most recent significant flood was in the fall of 2018 when the remains of Hurricane Michael dumped over five inches of rain on the area in the span of only a few hours.[82][83] The most severe flooding in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when heavy storms from Hurricane Juan stalled over the area.[84] Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley and others were saved by rescue personnel.[85] That incident prompted a major flood reduction effort completed in 2012 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has limited the damage caused by subsequent storms.[86]

Climate data for Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 81
(27) 		84
(29) 		90
(32) 		95
(35) 		99
(37) 		104
(40) 		105
(41) 		105
(41) 		103
(39) 		99
(37) 		83
(28) 		80
(27) 		105
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 67.2
(19.6) 		70.3
(21.3) 		78.5
(25.8) 		85.7
(29.8) 		89.5
(31.9) 		93.6
(34.2) 		95.8
(35.4) 		94.5
(34.7) 		91.2
(32.9) 		84.6
(29.2) 		76.0
(24.4) 		68.3
(20.2) 		96.9
(36.1)
Average high °F (°C) 47.1
(8.4) 		50.8
(10.4) 		59.0
(15.0) 		69.7
(20.9) 		77.2
(25.1) 		84.4
(29.1) 		88.1
(31.2) 		86.5
(30.3) 		80.0
(26.7) 		70.1
(21.2) 		59.0
(15.0) 		50.0
(10.0) 		68.5
(20.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 37.9
(3.3) 		40.8
(4.9) 		48.3
(9.1) 		58.0
(14.4) 		66.1
(18.9) 		73.8
(23.2) 		77.8
(25.4) 		76.2
(24.6) 		69.6
(20.9) 		58.9
(14.9) 		48.4
(9.1) 		40.9
(4.9) 		58.1
(14.5)
Average low °F (°C) 28.7
(−1.8) 		30.8
(−0.7) 		37.6
(3.1) 		46.3
(7.9) 		55.0
(12.8) 		63.2
(17.3) 		67.4
(19.7) 		66.0
(18.9) 		59.1
(15.1) 		47.8
(8.8) 		37.7
(3.2) 		31.8
(−0.1) 		47.6
(8.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 11.0
(−11.7) 		15.8
(−9.0) 		21.3
(−5.9) 		31.5
(−0.3) 		40.3
(4.6) 		51.7
(10.9) 		57.6
(14.2) 		55.6
(13.1) 		45.1
(7.3) 		32.0
(0.0) 		23.4
(−4.8) 		16.9
(−8.4) 		9.0
(−12.8)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) 		−1
(−18) 		9
(−13) 		15
(−9) 		30
(−1) 		36
(2) 		47
(8) 		42
(6) 		32
(0) 		22
(−6) 		8
(−13) 		−12
(−24) 		−12
(−24)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.17
(81) 		2.89
(73) 		3.51
(89) 		3.49
(89) 		4.31
(109) 		4.66
(118) 		4.28
(109) 		3.37
(86) 		4.06
(103) 		2.96
(75) 		3.04
(77) 		3.08
(78) 		42.82
(1,088)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 4.3
(11) 		4.8
(12) 		2.3
(5.8) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.1
(0.25) 		3.2
(8.1) 		14.8
(38)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 9.5 9.5 11.1 10.7 12.4 12.2 11.7 9.7 9.0 7.7 7.8 9.2 120.5
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 2.0 2.2 1.4 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.3 7.1
Source: NOAA[76][77]

Demographics Edit

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880669—
189016,1592,315.4%
190021,49533.0%
191034,87462.2%
192050,84245.8%
193069,20636.1%
194069,2870.1%
195091,92132.7%
196097,1105.6%
197092,115−5.1%
1980100,2208.8%
199096,397−3.8%
200094,911−1.5%
201097,0322.2%
2020100,0113.1%
Sources: 1880–1950[21]
1960–1980[87]
1990-2000[88] 2010[89] 2020[90]

2020 census Edit

At the 2020 census,[91] there were 100,011 people residing in 44,411 households in the city, 21,199 of which housed families. The population density was 2,352.0 inhabitants per square mile (908.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 55.94% White, 27.07% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 5.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.48% of the population.

Among the number of households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.4% were married couples living together, 37.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 42.3% were non-families. 38.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

24.0% of the population were under the age of 20, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years.

The median household income was $45,664, and the median family income was $55,345. The per capita income was $29,585. About 20.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.2% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Roanoke city, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[89] Pop 2020[90] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 60,042 55,951 61.88% 55.94%
Black or African American alone (NH) 27,256 27,077 28.09% 27.07%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 198 211 0.20% 0.21%
Asian alone (NH) 1,676 2,462 1.73% 2.46%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 36 42 0.04% 0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 199 523 0.21% 0.52%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 2,280 5,261 2.35% 5.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 5,345 8,484 5.51% 8.48%
Total 97,032 100,011 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Economy Edit

Roanoke's economy initially developed due to and in support of its status as the headquarters for the Norfolk and Western Railway.[16] As time progressed, manufacturing and mining businesses contributed to the region's growth.[92] After the N&W's merger with the Southern Railway created the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982, Norfolk Southern continued to operate maintenance facilities and a rail yard in Roanoke but moved its headquarters to Norfolk, Virginia, and in 2015 moved out of its Downtown Roanoke office building.[93] On May 18, 2020, after 139 years of production, Norfolk Southern shut down its locomotive shops and moved all operations to the Juniata Locomotive Shops in Altoona, Pennsylvania.[94] With Norfolk Southern's departure, Roanoke's economy has since the mid-1990s shifted to become dominated by the healthcare industry.[92]

 
Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has been expanded many times since its opening in 1900.

As of 2023 the city's top employer – and the largest private employer west of Richmond[48] – is Carilion Clinic, which developed from the 1987 merger of two of the area's largest hospitals.[95] The non-profit group employs over 13,000 people. It operates nine hospitals in Western Virginia, along with public-private partnerships with Virginia Tech (Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute)[96] and Radford University (Radford University Carilion).[97][98] The clinic's expansions have spurred considerable development in the former brownfields located south of Roanoke's downtown,[49] turning the once abandoned industrial sites into what's been termed the city's "innovation corridor".[50]

Another driving factor in the region's economy has been the push during the 21st century to market the area's outdoor recreation potential.[99] The Roanoke Regional Partnership, an economic development group representing the area's municipalities, has created a division called the Roanoke Outside Foundation that seeks to recruit businesses and talent based on the strength of the region's natural amenities.[100] The organization also puts on annual events such as the Blue Ridge Marathon and the GO Outside Festival which themselves generate millions of dollars in economic impact in the region.[101]

Other areas of strength in the region's economy include manufacturing and retail, each comprising over ten percent of the valley's industry.[102] Transportation manufacturers such as Yokohama Tire,[103] Volvo,[104] Mack Trucks,[105] Metalsa[106] and Altec[107] contribute to the thousands of people employed in that field regionally.[102] Night-vision device makers Elbit Systems[108] and the fiber optics company Luna Innovations[109] are just two of the hundreds of other advanced manufacturers in the area.[102]

Top employers Edit

According to Roanoke's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[110] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital 1,000+
2 Roanoke City Public Schools 1,000+
3 Carilion Services 1,000+
4 United Parcel Service 1,000+
5 City of Roanoke 500 to 999
6 Walmart 500 to 999
7 United States Postal Service 500 to 999
8 Virginia Western Community College 500 to 999
9 Anthem, member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association 500 to 999
10 Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division 500 to 999

Arts and culture Edit

Frequently described as the "arts and cultural hub of Southwest Virginia,"[111][112][113] Roanoke is home to several museums and cultural institutions in addition to being the host of several festivals, many centering around Elmwood Park in Downtown Roanoke.

Museums Edit

Center in the Square, an arts and culture organization located near downtown's historic market building and farmers' market, was developed alongside the city's "Design '79" downtown revitalization effort and opened in 1983.[114] The center, located in a converted warehouse, originally housed the city's arts council and museum, history and science museums, and the Mill Mountain Theatre.[115] It has since expanded to five buildings providing rent-free space to twelve institutions, including the Science Museum of Western Virginia and Hopkins Planetarium, the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, and the Roanoke Pinball Museum.[115]

 
The Taubman Museum of Art

One of the original tenants of Center in the Square, the Art Museum of Western Virginia, moved to a downtown Salem Avenue facility in 2008.[116] The move was made with the help of a $15.2 million donation from Nicholas and Jenny Taubman, whose family had established Advance Auto Parts in Roanoke in the 1930s.[117] As a result the museum was renamed the Taubman Museum of Art.[118] The art museum features 19th and 20th century American art, contemporary and modern art, decorative arts, and works on paper, and presents exhibitions of both regional and national significance.[119] The 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2) facility was designed by Los Angeles-based architect Randall Stout, who earlier in his career worked under Frank Gehry.[116] Though the building's avant-garde design was controversial,[120][121] it has since won international praise for its architecture.[122][123]

 
Jupiter Rocket outside the Virginia Museum of Transportation

Also located downtown is the Virginia Museum of Transportation, which houses many locomotives that were built in Roanoke by the Norfolk & Western Railway, including the 1218 and 611 steam engines, the latter being a J-class steam engine considered the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology.[124][125] A 2013 fundraising campaign led to the engine's refurbishment,[126] and it now does tourist excursion runs when not home at the museum.[127] In addition to its rail exhibits, the museum also displays a US Army Jupiter rocket[128] and houses exhibits covering aviation as well as automobiles.[129] The museum itself is located in the former Norfolk and Western freight depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[130]

The former Norfolk and Western Passenger Station hosts two museums: the O. Winston Link Museum, dedicated to the late steam-era railroad photography of O. Winston Link, and the History Museum of Western Virginia.[131] Originally built in 1905, the station underwent a 1949 renovation in the Moderne style by designer Raymond Loewy, and is one of four contributing structures to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[132]

Arts Edit

The Berglund Performing Arts Theatre is a 2,150-seat venue within the larger Berglund Center complex.[133] It regularly hosts concerts,[134][135] touring Broadway theatre performances,[136][137] stand-up comedy shows,[138][139] and the Miss Virginia pageant.[140][141] The city's first permanent artwork funded by the Percent for Art ordinance – a law stating that the city must set aside 1% of its capital improvements budget for the purchasing of public art[111] – stands before the theater. Dedicated in 2008 to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary,[142] the 30-foot (9.1 m) stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands", is one of over 160 works in the city's public art catalog.[143]

 
The Jefferson Center as it appeared in 2023. The Tudor Revival building opened as Jefferson High School in 1924.[144]

The Jefferson Center is a former city high school that saw extensive renovation during the 1990s, turning it into a mixed-use building including office space for non-profits and city departments, event space for meetings and receptions, and the Shaftman Performance Hall, a 925-seat theatre created from the original high school's auditorium.[145][146]

In 2006, the former Dumas Hotel was reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development.[147] The center is located on Henry Street, which served as the commercial and cultural center of Roanoke's African-American community before a mid-20th century urban renewal project that saw much of the historic Gainsboro neighborhood razed or relocated.[39][148] The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests as Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole when they performed in Roanoke.[149] The renovated Dumas Center features an auditorium with more than 200 seats,[147] and the building is a contributing structure to the Henry Street Historic District, listed in 2004 to the National Register of Historic Places.[150]

Since 1964, the Roanoke Valley has enjoyed performances by the Mill Mountain Theatre, a regional theatre that has been located in Center in the Square since its original home atop Mill Mountain burned down in 1976.[151] The theatre has both a main stage for mainstream performances and a smaller black box theatre called Waldron Stage, which hosts both newer and more experimental plays along with other live events.[152]

Roanoke has been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre since 1951,[153] and since 2008, the Virginia Children's Theatre has presented shows aimed at a younger audience, often based on children's literature.[154] Originally formed as Roanoke Children's Theatre and housed in the Taubman Museum at that building's opening, the theatre expanded into the Dumas Center in 2013, and in 2016 moved to its current home in the Jefferson Center.[154]

Opera Roanoke is Southwest Virginia's only professional opera company, established in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society.[155] It has performed under its current name since 1991, and its official orchestra since 2004 has been the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (RSO).[156] That group was established in 1953, and has been led since 1996 by music director and conductor David Wiley,[157] under whose leadership the orchestra has grown to be the largest in Virginia west of Richmond.[157] The orchestra performs out of the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre, Salem Civic Center, and Shaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center.[158]

Points of interest Edit

Roanoke is the largest metropolitan area on the Blue Ridge Parkway,[159] a 469-mile-long scenic road that is the most-visited element of the National Park System.[160] The Mill Mountain Parkway exit off of the Blue Ridge Parkway leads to the Roanoke Star, an 88.5-foot-tall (27.0 m) illuminated star sitting atop a mountain inside the city's limits and affording panoramic views of the valley.[161] Also on the mountain's summit is Mill Mountain Zoo, a Zoological Association of America-accredited facility housing over 170 animals.[162][163]

 
The Texas Tavern has changed little since its establishment in 1930.

St. Andrew's Catholic Church rests on a hill overlooking downtown and has been called "one of Virginia’s foremost examples of the High Victorian Gothic".[164] The church dates to 1900, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[165] Just below the church lies the Hotel Roanoke, a historic 330-room Tudor Revival hotel originally built by the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1882 and rebuilt and expanded many times since.[166] Nicknamed the "Grand Old Lady",[167] the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.[168]

A pedestrian bridge leads from the Hotel Roanoke to the city's historic market building and farmers' market, the latter of which dates to 1882 and is the oldest continuously operating open-air market in Virginia.[169] Near the terminus of the market is Fire Station No. 1, which for a time was the oldest continuously operating station in the state.[170] The Georgian Revival structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973,[171] and currently houses a local furniture showroom, restaurant, and boutique hotel.[172] Two blocks west on the same street is Texas Tavern, an "iconic"[173][174] ten-seat greasy spoon restaurant that the same family has operated since its establishment in 1930.[175]

Festivals Edit

 
Parade of Nations at the Local Colors Festival

Roanoke features several annual festivals and events of various types. A parade for St. Patrick's Day occurs every March,[176] and Pride in the Park is an LGBTQ+ community celebration that draws thousands of visitors every April.[177] Several events occur in May, including the Local Colors festival celebrating the cultures of the area's diverse ethnicities,[178] the city's Strawberry Festival,[179] the Down by Downtown music festival which coincides with the Blue Ridge Marathon,[180] and Memorial Day weekend's Festival in the Park, which brings music and vendors to downtown Elmwood Park.[181]

Later in the year, Elmwood Park hosts the Henry Street Heritage Festival, the primary fundraiser for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.[182] The event's popularity necessitated the move from its eponymous location.[182] The Go Outside Festival, also known as GO Fest, is a free three-day event every October that celebrates the region's outdoor recreation opportunities,[183] and the city holds the multi-week Dickens of a Christmas each December. This Victorian era-themed event includes a Christmas tree lighting, parade, and horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown.[184]

Sports Edit

The 1971–1972 Virginia Squires of the ABA were the only major league sports team to play home games in Roanoke regularly. During that season, the Squires split home games between Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton Roads and Roanoke.[185] Julius Erving played his professional rookie season with the Squires that year before being sent to the New York Nets.[186]

 
The Blue Ridge Mountains viewed from Salem Memorial Ballpark

Minor league baseball has had a long history in the Roanoke Valley.[187] In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roanoke was home to a class B farm team of the Boston Red Sox.[188] Since 1955, neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team, which as of 2023 is the Salem Red Sox of the Low-A Carolina League.[188] The team had previously been affiliated with the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies and known as the Avalanche until becoming an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, whose ownership group purchased the Avalanche after the 2007 season.[189]

The history of minor league hockey in the Roanoke Valley goes back to 1967.[190] The Roanoke Express of the ECHL built a loyal following in the mid-1990s,[191] but a combination of financial turmoil due to mismanagement and declining attendance from a lack of post-season success led to the ECHL ending their franchise in 2004.[191][192] An attempt at a revival in 2005–06 by the UHL's Roanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season.[190] In 2016, professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL began to play,[190] and the team won its first-ever President's Cup title in 2023.[193]

While the Roanoke area is not home to any NCAA Division I schools, its proximity to Virginia Tech has led it to host some collegiate athletic events. Beginning in 1977, Roanoke, along with Richmond, was one of the primary neutral sites for the annual basketball game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Cavaliers.[194] In 2000 the schools started holding these games in campus facilities.[195]

From 1913, Roanoke played host to an annual football game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute, first at Maher Field and then in the newly constructed Victory Stadium starting in 1942.[30] The game was moved to Thanksgiving Day beginning in the early 1920s and was a holiday mainstay in the city until 1971.[30][196]

Roanoke's location among the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it a destination for other sporting events. Every year since 2010 (barring 2020, when it was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic),[197] the Roanoke Outside Foundation has put on the Blue Ridge Marathon, which has been referred to as the country's toughest road marathon due to its considerable elevation changes.[197][198] The USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships were held in the city and surrounding areas in 2022 and 2023,[199] and an Ironman 70.3 triathlon event brought competitors to the region from 2021–2023.[200]

Parks and recreation Edit

There are 60 parks within Roanoke's city limits, and its parks and recreation department is responsible for nearly 14,000 acres of public land.[201] Highland Park in the historic Old Southwest neighborhood is the city's oldest, having been purchased in 1902 when the former farm was still distant from the settled part of the city.[12]: 370  Elmwood Park in Downtown Roanoke became the city's second in 1911.[12]: 370  It features a Japanese magnolia tree that was acquired by Commodore Matthew Perry during an expedition to Japan and donated in 1857 to the former owner of the park.[202] As of 2023 Elmwood holds the city's main library branch as well as an art walk and a 4,000-seat amphitheater.[203]

Roanoke features an extensive network of paved greenways for walkers, runners, and cyclists.[204] Though the idea for a publicly owned greenway system can be traced back to a 1907 comprehensive plan for the city,[205] it wasn't until 1995 that an intergovernmental committee was formed to plan and develop the project.[206] Since that time, 26 miles of greenways have been built across the Roanoke Valley,[207] including what is as of 2023 a twelve-mile continuous stretch along the Roanoke River from Salem through Roanoke City to Vinton.[208] Roanoke County is also in the planning stages of extending that same stretch westward into Montgomery County.[209] As of 2023, Roanoke contained over 100 miles (160 km) of trails and greenways.[210]

Government Edit

See also: List of mayors of Roanoke, Virginia
United States presidential election results for Roanoke, Virginia[211]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 15,607 36.02% 26,773 61.80% 943 2.18%
2016 14,789 37.47% 22,286 56.47% 2,391 6.06%
2012 14,991 37.33% 24,134 60.10% 1,030 2.57%
2008 15,394 37.76% 24,934 61.15% 444 1.09%
2004 16,661 46.28% 18,862 52.39% 477 1.33%
2000 14,630 43.75% 17,920 53.59% 892 2.67%
1996 12,283 38.37% 17,282 53.98% 2,451 7.66%
1992 13,443 38.21% 17,724 50.38% 4,014 11.41%
1988 15,389 46.90% 17,185 52.37% 239 0.73%
1984 19,008 52.09% 17,300 47.41% 184 0.50%
1980 15,164 43.39% 18,139 51.91% 1,643 4.70%
1976 14,738 41.00% 20,696 57.57% 515 1.43%
1972 18,541 64.67% 9,498 33.13% 632 2.20%
1968 15,368 51.21% 9,281 30.93% 5,359 17.86%
1964 13,164 46.20% 15,314 53.74% 18 0.06%
1960 15,229 62.28% 9,175 37.52% 49 0.20%
1956 16,708 69.38% 6,751 28.03% 623 2.59%
1952 15,673 66.00% 8,042 33.87% 32 0.13%
1948 6,542 49.56% 5,343 40.48% 1,315 9.96%
1944 5,095 40.92% 7,322 58.81% 34 0.27%
1940 3,553 33.70% 6,942 65.85% 47 0.45%
1936 3,363 32.02% 7,087 67.47% 54 0.51%
1932 3,195 33.49% 6,215 65.15% 130 1.36%

Like most cities in Virginia, Roanoke has a council-manager form of government.[212][213] The city manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the city's government and has the authority to hire and fire city employees.[213] The mayor has little executive authority and is essentially the "first among equals" on the Roanoke City Council,[213] though the position wields influence through public appearances and annual State of the City addresses.[214] The city council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on an at-large basis.[215] A proposal for a ward-based council was rejected by Roanoke voters in 1997, but ward system advocates still contend that the at-large system results in a disproportionate number of council members coming from affluent neighborhoods and that electing some or all council members on a ward basis would result in a more equal representation of all areas of the city.[216] The four-year terms of city council members are staggered, with three members elected every two years.[215] The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the vice mayor for the following two years.[215]

On June 27, 2016, Sherman P. Lea, Sr. took the office of mayor,[217] and he was re-elected to the same position in 2020.[218] The current city manager, Bob Cowell, has been in that position since 2017.[219] Joseph L. Cobb is serving his second term as the city's vice mayor.[220]

The city has adopted a budget for the 2024 fiscal year that includes revenues and expenditures totaling $355.4 million, representing a 9.4% increase over the previous year.[221] Local taxes, including real estate, personal property, and sales taxes, are the government's largest source of revenue at over 70% of its intake.[222]

Roanoke is represented by two members of the Virginia House of Delegates, Sam Rasoul (D-11th) and Chris Head (R-17th), and one member of the Virginia Senate, John Edwards (D-21st).[223][224] In February 2023, Edwards announced his intention to retire after 28 years in the state senate.[225] The city lies within Virginia's 6th congressional district, which also includes Lynchburg and much of the Shenandoah Valley. Since 2019 the district has been represented by Republican Ben Cline.[226]

Roanoke is one of the few Democratic pockets in the otherwise heavily Republican Southwest Virginia.[227] It has supported the Democratic Party nominee in every election since 1988 and in all but one election since 1976.[228]

Education Edit

Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities – Roanoke College in the city of Salem,[229] and Hollins University in Roanoke County.[230] Virginia Tech and Radford University's main campuses are located in the nearby New River Valley, and both of those schools have partnered with Carilion Clinic, the regional nonprofit health care organization based in Roanoke, to create medical colleges in the city.[231][232] Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute was founded in 2007,[233] and Radford University Carilion was established in 2019.[234] The Roanoke Higher Education Center opened in 2000 in the former Norfolk and Western General Office Building–North, and provides over 150 programs ranging from high school equivalent degrees to doctorates.[235][236] Virginia Western Community College is located in the city and provides associate degrees as well as facilitated transfers to many four-year colleges in the area.[237][238] ECPI University, a private for-profit institution, also has a campus located in Roanoke.[239]

The local public school division is Roanoke City Public Schools.[240] The two general enrollment public high schools in the city are Patrick Henry High School, located in the Raleigh Court area,[241] and William Fleming High School, located in Northwest Roanoke.[242]

A prominent parochial school in the city is Roanoke Catholic,[243] which dates to 1889 and shares its campus with St. Andrews Catholic Church.[244] Private non-parochial schools in Roanoke include Community High School of Arts and Academics, which began its life housed in the Jefferson Center before moving to its current location in Downtown Roanoke in 2011.[245]

Media Edit

The city's daily newspaper, The Roanoke Times, has been published since 1886.[246] As of 2023, weekday and Sunday circulation average just under and just over 25,000, respectively.[247] Beth Macy, author of the bestselling book Dopesick which was adapted into a 2021 Hulu miniseries of the same name, was a reporter at The Roanoke Times for 25 years.[248] In 2013 the paper was sold to Berkshire Hathaway, which in turn sold its BH Media holdings – The Roanoke Times included – to Lee Enterprises in 2020.[249] The weekly Roanoke Tribune covers the city's African-American community.[250] The publication was founded in 1939 by the Rev. Fleming Alexander and since 1971 has been owned and edited by his daughter.[251] The Roanoker is the area's bi-monthly lifestyle magazine and has been published since 1972 by Leisure Publishing, which also puts out the bi-monthly Blue Ridge Country magazine.[252]

The Roanoke Star and Cardinal News are independent digital newspapers that have sought to fill the local news coverage gap resulting from the purchase of The Roanoke Times by an out-of-state publisher and its subsequent reduction in staff.[253][254]

Roanoke and Lynchburg are grouped in the same television market, which as of 2022 ranks #71 in the United States with 456,390 households.[255] The city has affiliates for all major networks including NBC affiliate WSLS 10,[256] CBS affiliate WDBJ 7,[257] Fox affiliate WFXR Fox,[258] PBS affiliate WBRA-TV,[259] and ION Television affiliate WPXR-TV.[260] The Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market has a population of 451,600 and is ranked number 122 in the United States as of 2022.[261] iHeartMedia owns many stations in the area, including WROV, WJJS, WYYD, and WSTV.[262]

The reality television show Salvage Dawgs was based out of Roanoke. The show, which ran for 11 seasons on the DIY Network, followed the owners and employees of the architectural salvage company Black Dog Salvage as they located and acquired pieces for their store.[263] Some of the company's projects in Roanoke itself were highlighted on the show, including their part in the renovation of the historic Fire Station No. 1.[263]

Infrastructure Edit

Transportation Edit

Main articles: Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport and Roanoke station (Virginia)

Interstate 581, the primary north–south roadway in the city, connects Roanoke to Interstate 81 to the north. Interstate 581 is a concurrency with U.S. Route 220, which continues as the Roy L. Webber Expressway from downtown Roanoke, where the I-581 designation ends, south to State Route 419. Route 220 continues south to connect Roanoke to Martinsville, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina; a proposed extension of Interstate 73 into Roanoke from North Carolina, running partially concurrent with and parallel to US 220, has long been stalled due to funding issues.[264]

The primary east–west roadway through the city is U.S. Route 460, named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg to the east and Christiansburg to the west. U.S. Route 11 passes through the city, primarily as Brandon Avenue and Williamson Road, which was a center of automotive-based commercial development after World War II.[265] Other major roads include U.S. Route 221, State Route 117 (known as Peters Creek Road) and State Route 101 (known as Hershberger Road). The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.[266]

 
Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport terminal building

Roanoke is divided into four quadrants: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southwest (SW) and Southeast (SE).[267] The mailing address for locations in Roanoke includes the two-letter quadrant abbreviation after the street name. For example, the Center in the Square complex in downtown Roanoke has the address "1 Market Square SE".[268]

The Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport is located in the northern part of the city. It is the primary passenger and cargo airport for Southwest Virginia.[269] The airport is served by American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta, and Allegiant Air.[270] Due to the facility's size, location in the mountains, and proximity to Andrews Air Force Base, it is often used as a pilot training destination for the Special Air Mission fleet that serves as Air Force One and Two when the nation's leaders are aboard.[271]

While Roanoke is known for its rail history, low ridership numbers led Amtrak to discontinue passenger rail service to the city in 1979.[272] Beginning in 2011, Roanoke funded a bus service, the Smart Way Connector, to connect riders to the Amtrak station in Lynchburg as well as to show Amtrak that there was once again a demand for the service in Roanoke.[273] In August 2013, it was announced that Amtrak's Northeast Regional service would be extended from Lynchburg by 2017. On October 31, 2017, after 38 years without passenger rail service, Amtrak resumed service to Roanoke.[274] The service has been successful enough that a second daily train to Roanoke was added in 2022.[275]

 
Roanoke station platform

Despite Norfolk Southern's relocation of its corporate headquarters out of the city, Roanoke is still a major hub in the company's freight rail system.[276] The railway's Pocahontas Division, consisting of over 2,500 miles of track, is headquartered just outside of Downtown Roanoke,[277] and though the volume of coal passing through the city has declined in recent decades, 70 million tons of freight are shipped on the area's railroads annually.[278][279]

The Valley Metro provides bus service to the city of Roanoke and surrounding areas. In June 2023, the service began operating out of a new facility on Third Street in Downtown Roanoke, built to replace the aging Campbell Court station.[280] Valley Metro also offers bus service to Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Virginia Tech via its Smart Way service,[281] as well as the Ferrum Express, a free shuttle that runs between Downtown Roanoke and Ferrum College in nearby Rocky Mount.[282]

The 21st century has seen Roanoke put considerable resources towards improving its cycling infrastructure. In addition to its extensive paved greenway network, Roanoke has added 43 miles of marked bike lanes along its major roads.[283] In recent years, the city has put millions of dollars towards pedestrian safety improvements, including lane reductions on busy roads, audible signals, and additional street lighting.[284] Roanoke is served by RIDE Solutions, a regional transportation demand management agency that provides carpool matching, cycling advocacy, transit assistance and remote work assistance to businesses and citizens in the region.[285]

Utilities Edit

Roanoke is supplied electricity by the Appalachian Power Company, a American Electric Power division. Appalachian Power serves roughly 500,000 people in Western Virginia and another 500,000 in West Virginia and Tennessee.[286] The area's water and wastewater operations are managed by the Western Virginia Water Authority. That organization was founded in 2004 with the consolidation of the water utilities of Roanoke City and Roanoke County, under the logic that the location of watersheds should determine the management of local resources rather than government boundaries.[287] The Water Authority has since taken on the water-based utilities of Franklin and Botetourt Counties as well as the towns of Boones Mill and Vinton.[287]

Healthcare Edit

Roanoke is the primary center for healthcare in Western Virginia, serving an estimated one million people.[288] Carilion Clinic, a non-profit healthcare group, is the region's largest provider with over 750 physicians spread across eight hospitals.[98] The region is also served by the Lewis-Gale Medical Center, a 521-bed facility established in Roanoke in 1911 and now located in Salem,[288][289] as well as a Veterans Affairs Medical Center serving over 100,000 military veterans in the region, also located in Salem.[288]

Notable people Edit

Born in Roanoke:

Raised in Roanoke:

One-time resident:

Sister cities Edit

Roanoke has six sister cities:[296]

In February 2023, it was announced that the city would officially pause its sister city affiliation with Pskov, Russia due to the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine.[297]

See also Edit

References Edit

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External links Edit

  • Official website
  • Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge
  • Downtown Roanoke
  • Roanoke Regional Partnership
  • Roanoke Outside

37°16′N 79°56′W / 37.267°N 79.933°W / 37.267; -79.933

September 26, 2023
roanoke, virginia, this, article, about, virginia, city, colonization, attempt, north, carolina, island, roanoke, colony, roanoke, nohk, independent, city, state, virginia, located, southwest, virginia, along, roanoke, river, blue, ridge, range, greater, appal. This article is about the Virginia city For the colonization attempt of a North Carolina island see Roanoke Colony Roanoke ˈ r oʊ e ˌ n oʊ k ROH e nohk is an independent city in the U S state of Virginia It is located in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River in the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains approximately 50 miles 80 km north of the Virginia North Carolina border and 250 miles 400 km southwest of Washington D C along Interstate 81 At the 2020 census Roanoke s population was 100 011 making it the largest city in Virginia west of the state capital Richmond 7 It is the principal municipality of the Roanoke metropolitan area which had a 2020 population of 315 251 Roanoke VirginiaIndependent cityClockwise from top Downtown Roanoke City market building St Andrew s Catholic Church Hotel Roanoke Roanoke StarSealLogoNickname s The Star City of The South Magic City Star CityRoanokeLocation in VirginiaShow map of VirginiaRoanokeRoanoke the United States Show map of the United StatesCoordinates 37 16 15 N 79 56 30 W 37 27083 N 79 94167 W 37 27083 79 94167CountryUnited StatesStateVirginiaCountyNone Independent city Named forRoanoke RiverGovernment TypeCouncil Managersee Roanoke City Council MayorSherman P Lea Sr D Vice MayorJoseph L CobbArea 1 Independent city42 85 sq mi 110 99 km2 Land42 52 sq mi 110 13 km2 Water0 33 sq mi 0 86 km2 Elevation 3 4 883 1 740 ft 269 530 m Population 2020 Independent city100 011 Rank326th in the United States8th in Virginia Density2 300 sq mi 900 km2 Urban217 312 US 177th 2 Urban density1 731 6 sq mi 668 6 km2 Metro315 251 US 163rd DemonymRoanokerTime zoneUTC 5 Eastern EST Summer DST UTC 4 EDT ZIP Codes24001 24020 24022 24038 24040 24042 24045 24048 24050 24155 24157 24012Area code s 540 826FIPS code51 77000 5 GNIS feature ID1499971 6 Primary AirportRoanoke Blacksburg Regional AirportPublic TransitValley MetroWebsitewww roanokeva govThe Roanoke Valley was originally home to members of the Siouan speaking Tutelo tribe However in the 17th and early to mid 18th centuries Scotch Irish and later German American farmers gradually drove those Native Americans out of the area as the American frontier pressed westward A significant turning point in the area s history came in 1882 when the Norfolk and Western Railway N amp W chose the small town of Big Lick as the site of its corporate headquarters and railroad shops Within two years the town had become the City of Roanoke With a 2 300 population growth rate in the decade from 1880 to 1890 the young city experienced the advantages and disadvantages of its boomtown status During the 20th century Roanoke grew its boundaries through multiple annexations from the surrounding Roanoke County and it grew into its status as Southwest Virginia s economic and cultural hub A 1982 decision by N amp W to relocate their headquarters out of the city and other manufacturing closures forced Roanoke to pivot to a primarily service economy In the 21st century a robust healthcare industry and the development and increased marketing of its outdoor amenities have helped reverse prior declining population trends Roanoke is known for the Roanoke Star an 88 5 foot tall 27 0 m illuminated star that sits atop a mountain within the city s limits and is the origin of its nickname The Star City of the South Other points of interest include the Hotel Roanoke a 330 room Tudor Revival structure built by N amp W in 1882 the Taubman Museum of Art designed by architect Randall Stout and the city s farmer s market the oldest continuously operating open air market in the state The Roanoke Valley features 26 miles of greenways with bicycle and pedestrian trails and the city s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains provides access to numerous outdoor recreation opportunities Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history and incorporation 1 2 20th century present 2 Geography 2 1 Neighborhoods 2 2 Climate 3 Demographics 3 1 2020 census 4 Economy 4 1 Top employers 5 Arts and culture 5 1 Museums 5 2 Arts 5 3 Points of interest 5 4 Festivals 6 Sports 7 Parks and recreation 8 Government 9 Education 10 Media 11 Infrastructure 11 1 Transportation 11 2 Utilities 11 3 Healthcare 12 Notable people 13 Sister cities 14 See also 15 References 16 External linksHistory EditEarly history and incorporation Edit The current site of Roanoke lies near the intersection of the Great Wagon Road and the Carolina Road two branches of a network of early colonial roads that developed from Native American trails in the Appalachian region 8 While the name Roanoke is said to have originated from an Algonquian word for shell money 9 that name was first used 300 miles 480 km away where the Roanoke River empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Roanoke Island 10 The Roanoke Valley itself was originally home to members of the Tutelo tribe 10 11 a Siouan speaking people who were gradually pushed out of the area by advancing European settlers 11 Many of those settlers were Scotch Irish who arrived in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries following the Plantation of Ulster 12 3 These pioneers often moved with the frontier however pushing farther west into Kentucky and beyond rather than taking root in one location 13 In their place came significant numbers of Germans from Pennsylvania via the Great Wagon Road who stayed and farmed the land 12 3 By 1838 the area was populated enough that Roanoke County was created out of parts of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties 14 and the area s first railroad the Virginia and Tennessee arrived in 1852 15 49 The railroad built its new depot just south of a small town named Gainesborough but named the depot after Big Lick another small community located just to the east which itself was named after the salt deposits that had drawn game to the area for years 15 49 16 2 Gainesborough became increasingly referred to as Big Lick and even later as Old Lick once development drifted farther south towards the depot 17 Growth in the area was stalled by the Civil War Roanoke County voted 850 0 in favor of secession and lost many of its men in the subsequent fighting 15 53 The burgeoning tobacco trade helped the region s recovery during Reconstruction Within a decade of the war s end there were no fewer than six tobacco factories near the Big Lick Depot 15 58 In 1874 the community surrounding the depot applied for and received a town charter and the Town of Big Lick was formally established 12 71 A pivotal moment in the area s history occurred eight years later when efforts by town boosters succeeded in securing Big Lick as the junction of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railway N amp W 15 65 The two companies also relocated their respective headquarters to the town the two lines would officially merge in 1890 15 70 12 204 Big Lick s relatively small size compared to the nearby county seat Salem worked in its favor as a draw for the companies as Big Lick s ample farmland and nearby water sources were well suited to the railroads goal of building what was essentially an entire town including railroad shops offices a hotel and suitable housing for their many employees 12 86 16 8 nbsp Hotel Roanoke as it appeared in 1910 N amp W ordered an expansion to the hotel before the original structure was completed 18 Big Lick s residents voted to rename the town Kimball after Frederick J Kimball an executive for the two railroad companies who played a significant role in their new location 16 10 Kimball turned down the honor saying On the Roanoke River in Roanoke County name it Roanoke 12 90 The town obliged officially becoming the Town of Roanoke on February 3 1882 15 65 The new charter also annexed nearly two and a half square miles of additional land including the Town of Gainesborough later shortened to Gainsboro which by that point had already become the center of the area s African American community 19 20 153 Kimball chose a wheat field north of the railroad tracks and east of Gainsboro for the N amp W s new hotel 15 66 and the 69 room Hotel Roanoke designed originally in the Queen Anne style before numerous rebuilds and expansions gave it its current Tudor Revival appearance opened its doors in 1882 16 12 With the rapid influx of railroad employees and others in associated industries Roanoke s population soared and by the end of 1883 had passed 5 000 15 71 That milestone made the town eligible for a city charter and on January 31 1884 the town became the City of Roanoke 12 135 With a population that ballooned from under 700 residents in 1880 to over 16 000 in 1890 21 and earning itself the nickname The Magic City in the process 16 1 Roanoke suffered many of the same difficulties that affected other 19th century boomtowns 22 Its infrastructure was essentially nonexistent and a lack of sewers combined with the area s marshy terrain contributed to regular outbreaks of diphtheria and cholera 16 37 Bond initiatives designed to alleviate these and other issues highlighted racial tensions in the city as the African American community roughly 30 percent of Roanoke s population in 1891 16 105 opposed the measures because the money would only be used to improve white neighborhoods 16 42 Black neighborhoods in Roanoke typically received public amenities such as running water and paved roads only after their white counterparts and Roanoke was among the first to adopt the Jim Crow laws that were becoming increasingly popular in the South 16 108 The local press for its part stoked the white population s fears and anxiety with near constant reports of African American savagery 16 125 23 24 25 In September 1893 tensions boiled over when a white woman was allegedly robbed and beaten by an African American man near the city s market 15 78 The supposed assailant was being held in the city jail when a mob of hundreds surrounded the building and demanded lynch justice 16 135 A shootout between the mob and an undermanned militia ensued leaving eight dead and thirty one more injured Included among the wounded was the city s mayor the previously widely admired Henry S Trout 16 134 who had vowed protection of the prisoner 15 79 A renewed and riotous mob was eventually successful in gaining control of the accused assailant and proceeded to hang him and mutilate his body which was eventually burned when the mob was deterred from its initial plan to bury it in Mayor Trout s front yard 16 140 The mayor himself was forced to flee the city out of fear for his life and only returned a week later after the national press condemned the riot and praised Trout s courage during the event 16 145 20th century present Edit Despite these and other setbacks the city grew through the early 20th century 15 84 This growth was manifested both in population surges as well as in multiple annexations of land from the surrounding county 26 In addition to land gained with its 1882 town charter relatively unopposed annexations occurred five more times by 1926 though Roanoke County would become less agreeable to later attempts 26 Mill Mountain became a popular entertainment locale for early residents with an observation tower and the Rockledge Inn each opening atop the mountain in 1892 12 250 Mountain Park an early amusement center complete with a casino and roller coaster opened at the foot of the mountain in 1903 12 205 and beginning in 1910 visitors could pay a quarter to ride an incline railway to the top of Mill Mountain and back 12 473 Another mainstay at the base of the mountain has been Roanoke Memorial Hospital Completed in 1900 as Roanoke Hospital 12 341 the building has undergone many expansions and today is the flagship of the Carilion Clinic healthcare group 27 The hospital joined some manufacturing operations that were established along the banks of the Roanoke River in the early 20th century including the American Viscose Corporation 28 That company built a plant in 1917 that by a decade later would employ 5 000 and be the largest rayon producing mill in the world 15 96 The city leased land for an airfield beginning in 1929 12 570 Still its development into the region s primary airport would not begin until its designation as a defense project provided federal funding in 1940 15 103 That same year N amp W donated the fairground Maher Field to the city to build a stadium and armory 15 103 Victory Stadium optimistically named upon its completion in 1942 29 would play host to the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute for years afterward 30 By the mid 20th century Roanoke was increasingly losing population and businesses to a Roanoke County that had become less rural and more suburban in nature and consequently more resistant to annexation attempts by the city 15 109 26 The city was nevertheless successful in annexing additional land in 1943 1949 three small acquisitions in 1965 1967 and 1968 and once more in 1976 26 The county won immunity from further annexations in 1980 but by then the city had grown from its original size of 0 5 square miles 1 3 km2 to 43 0 square miles 111 km2 26 nbsp The Roanoke Star is the origin of the city s nickname Star City of the South In 1949 the local merchants association erected an 88 5 foot tall 27 0 m illuminated star at the top of Mill Mountain in celebration of the upcoming Christmas shopping season 31 The star was an immediate hit among the city s population leading to its illumination year round and earning the city its nickname of Star City of the South 32 Despite the popularity boost for the merchants association shopping habits in Roanoke were becoming more fractured as suburban shopping centers drew patrons away from an increasingly vacant downtown 33 Crossroads Mall the first enclosed shopping center in Virginia 34 and Towers Mall at the time one of the largest shopping centers in the state 35 were each completed in 1961 33 In later years Tanglewood Mall 1973 36 and Valley View Mall 1985 37 contributed to Roanoke s status as the region s retail hub 38 Another drastic mid century change to the city arrived with a massive urban renewal effort that saw the construction of both the Roanoke Civic Center now Berglund Center as well as an interstate spur into Downtown Roanoke 39 Much of the land for these projects was in Northeast Roanoke a community of primarily African American citizens who had been largely redlined from the rest of the city 40 City officials gained the land through eminent domain and proceeded to clear over 1 000 buildings often through widescale burning 39 Later projects in the largely black Gainsboro neighborhood removed hundreds of homes and businesses there as well and late 20th and early 21st century revitalization efforts by the city s government have been met with distrust and varied success 39 41 42 43 The second half of the 20th century ushered in a change of identity for Roanoke 44 In 1982 the N amp W completed a merger with the Southern Railway to form the Norfolk Southern Railway which then relocated their headquarters from Roanoke to Norfolk Virginia and have since moved again to Atlanta Georgia 44 45 The company closed their regional headquarters in Roanoke in 2015 and in 2020 shuttered the locomotive shops 46 47 The railroad s departure and a string of manufacturing plant closures left a hole in the city s economic base 44 In 1987 however the merger of two of the area s largest hospitals created what would eventually become Carilion Clinic a medical group that has since become the largest employer in the state west of Richmond 48 The group s partnerships with Virginia Tech and Radford University have created two colleges and a research facility in what was formerly an industrial brownfield area but has since been termed the city s innovation corridor 49 50 These developments along with the city s decision to improve its parks and recreation amenities and market itself as an outdoor tourism hotspot have helped reverse its decades long loss of young adults 51 52 and in 2020 Roanoke s population passed 100 000 for the first time since 1980 53 Geography EditRoanoke is the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond 54 and the largest located in the Blue Ridge Mountains 55 a range which is part of the greater Appalachian Mountains According to the United States Census Bureau the city has a total area of 42 9 square miles 111 1 km2 of which 42 5 square miles 110 1 km2 is land and 0 3 square miles 0 8 km2 0 8 is water 56 57 It is located in the center of the greater Roanoke Valley and is bisected by the Roanoke River flowing west to east through the city 58 Within the city limits is Mill Mountain a 1 700 foot tall 520 m mountain and 500 acre municipal park which stands detached from the surrounding ranges 59 nbsp The Blue Ridge Mountains get their distinctive color from isoprene produced by the trees 60 Roanoke s location in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it proximate to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife 61 The area is home to at least 43 species of salamander 62 and the Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in neighboring Roanoke County protects the world s largest collection of piratebush an exceedingly rare parasitic plant endemic to the Appalachians 63 Roanoke is the largest city along both the Appalachian Trail which runs through Roanoke County just north of the city 64 and the Blue Ridge Parkway which runs just south of the city 65 Carvins Cove the third largest municipal park in America at 12 700 acre 51 km2 lies in northeast Roanoke County and southwest Botetourt County 66 Smith Mountain Lake is several miles southeast of the city 67 and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are nearby 68 The area offers ample opportunities for hiking mountain biking cross country running canoeing kayaking fly fishing disc golf and other outdoor pursuits 69 nbsp Grandin VillageNeighborhoods Edit Main article List of neighborhoods in Roanoke Virginia Within its boundaries Roanoke is divided into 49 individually defined neighborhoods 70 The city has incorporated into its comprehensive plan the goal of developing these neighborhoods into villages each with their own village center and with the Downtown neighborhood acting as the village center for the city as a whole 71 The Raleigh Court neighborhood has been cited as a model for such development consisting of a variety of residential settings located around Grandin Village an active commercial hub anchored by the Grandin Theatre the city s only surviving historic theatre 72 That commercial district is one of the city s eight neighborhoods or portions thereof that have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places 73 Climate Edit Though located along the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations exceeding 900 ft 270 m Roanoke lies in the humid subtropical climate zone Koppen Cfa with four distinct but generally mild seasons 74 and it is located in USDA hardiness zone 7b with the suburbs falling in zone 7a 75 Extremes in temperature have ranged from 105 F 41 C as recently as August 21 1983 down to 12 F 24 C on December 30 1917 though neither 100 F 38 C nor 0 F 18 C is reached in most years the most recent occurrence of each is July 20 2020 and February 20 2015 respectively 76 More typically the area records an average of 6 1 days where the temperature stays at or below freezing and 30 5 days with 90 F 32 C highs annually 76 77 The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 37 9 F 3 3 C in January to 77 8 F 25 4 C in July 76 77 Based on the 1991 2020 period the city averages 14 8 inches 38 cm of snow per winter 77 Roanoke experienced something of a snow drought in the 2000s until December 2009 when 17 inches 43 cm of snow fell on Roanoke in a single storm 78 Winter snowfall has ranged from trace amounts in 1918 19 and 1919 20 to 62 7 inches 159 cm in 1959 60 76 unofficially the largest single storm dumped approximately three feet 0 9 m from December 16 18 1890 79 Historically flooding has been one of the main weather related hazards faced by Roanoke 80 Heavy rains most frequently from the remnants of a hurricane drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley 81 The most recent significant flood was in the fall of 2018 when the remains of Hurricane Michael dumped over five inches of rain on the area in the span of only a few hours 82 83 The most severe flooding in the city s history occurred on November 4 1985 when heavy storms from Hurricane Juan stalled over the area 84 Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley and others were saved by rescue personnel 85 That incident prompted a major flood reduction effort completed in 2012 by the U S Army Corps of Engineers which has limited the damage caused by subsequent storms 86 Climate data for Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport Virginia 1991 2020 normals extremes 1912 present Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high F C 81 27 84 29 90 32 95 35 99 37 104 40 105 41 105 41 103 39 99 37 83 28 80 27 105 41 Mean maximum F C 67 2 19 6 70 3 21 3 78 5 25 8 85 7 29 8 89 5 31 9 93 6 34 2 95 8 35 4 94 5 34 7 91 2 32 9 84 6 29 2 76 0 24 4 68 3 20 2 96 9 36 1 Average high F C 47 1 8 4 50 8 10 4 59 0 15 0 69 7 20 9 77 2 25 1 84 4 29 1 88 1 31 2 86 5 30 3 80 0 26 7 70 1 21 2 59 0 15 0 50 0 10 0 68 5 20 3 Daily mean F C 37 9 3 3 40 8 4 9 48 3 9 1 58 0 14 4 66 1 18 9 73 8 23 2 77 8 25 4 76 2 24 6 69 6 20 9 58 9 14 9 48 4 9 1 40 9 4 9 58 1 14 5 Average low F C 28 7 1 8 30 8 0 7 37 6 3 1 46 3 7 9 55 0 12 8 63 2 17 3 67 4 19 7 66 0 18 9 59 1 15 1 47 8 8 8 37 7 3 2 31 8 0 1 47 6 8 7 Mean minimum F C 11 0 11 7 15 8 9 0 21 3 5 9 31 5 0 3 40 3 4 6 51 7 10 9 57 6 14 2 55 6 13 1 45 1 7 3 32 0 0 0 23 4 4 8 16 9 8 4 9 0 12 8 Record low F C 11 24 1 18 9 13 15 9 30 1 36 2 47 8 42 6 32 0 22 6 8 13 12 24 12 24 Average precipitation inches mm 3 17 81 2 89 73 3 51 89 3 49 89 4 31 109 4 66 118 4 28 109 3 37 86 4 06 103 2 96 75 3 04 77 3 08 78 42 82 1 088 Average snowfall inches cm 4 3 11 4 8 12 2 3 5 8 0 1 0 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 25 3 2 8 1 14 8 38 Average precipitation days 0 01 in 9 5 9 5 11 1 10 7 12 4 12 2 11 7 9 7 9 0 7 7 7 8 9 2 120 5Average snowy days 0 1 in 2 0 2 2 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 7 1Source NOAA 76 77 Demographics EditHistorical population CensusPop Note 1880669 189016 1592 315 4 190021 49533 0 191034 87462 2 192050 84245 8 193069 20636 1 194069 2870 1 195091 92132 7 196097 1105 6 197092 115 5 1 1980100 2208 8 199096 397 3 8 200094 911 1 5 201097 0322 2 2020100 0113 1 Sources 1880 1950 21 1960 1980 87 1990 2000 88 2010 89 2020 90 2020 census Edit At the 2020 census 91 there were 100 011 people residing in 44 411 households in the city 21 199 of which housed families The population density was 2 352 0 inhabitants per square mile 908 1 km2 The racial makeup of the city was 55 94 White 27 07 African American 0 21 Native American 2 46 Asian 0 04 Pacific Islander 0 52 from other races and 5 26 from two or more races Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 48 of the population Among the number of households 25 2 had children under the age of 18 living with them 30 4 were married couples living together 37 4 had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 42 3 were non families 38 5 of all households were made up of individuals and 14 6 had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older 24 0 of the population were under the age of 20 and 17 9 who were 65 years of age or older The median age was 39 1 years The median household income was 45 664 and the median family income was 55 345 The per capita income was 29 585 About 20 1 of the population were below the poverty line including 29 2 of those under age 18 and 12 3 of those age 65 or over Roanoke city Virginia Demographic Profile NH Non Hispanic Race Ethnicity Pop 2010 89 Pop 2020 90 2010 2020White alone NH 60 042 55 951 61 88 55 94 Black or African American alone NH 27 256 27 077 28 09 27 07 Native American or Alaska Native alone NH 198 211 0 20 0 21 Asian alone NH 1 676 2 462 1 73 2 46 Pacific Islander alone NH 36 42 0 04 0 04 Some Other Race alone NH 199 523 0 21 0 52 Mixed Race Multi Racial NH 2 280 5 261 2 35 5 26 Hispanic or Latino any race 5 345 8 484 5 51 8 48 Total 97 032 100 011 100 00 100 00 Note the US Census treats Hispanic Latino as an ethnic category This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category Hispanics Latinos can be of any race Economy EditRoanoke s economy initially developed due to and in support of its status as the headquarters for the Norfolk and Western Railway 16 As time progressed manufacturing and mining businesses contributed to the region s growth 92 After the N amp W s merger with the Southern Railway created the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982 Norfolk Southern continued to operate maintenance facilities and a rail yard in Roanoke but moved its headquarters to Norfolk Virginia and in 2015 moved out of its Downtown Roanoke office building 93 On May 18 2020 after 139 years of production Norfolk Southern shut down its locomotive shops and moved all operations to the Juniata Locomotive Shops in Altoona Pennsylvania 94 With Norfolk Southern s departure Roanoke s economy has since the mid 1990s shifted to become dominated by the healthcare industry 92 nbsp Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has been expanded many times since its opening in 1900 As of 2023 update the city s top employer and the largest private employer west of Richmond 48 is Carilion Clinic which developed from the 1987 merger of two of the area s largest hospitals 95 The non profit group employs over 13 000 people It operates nine hospitals in Western Virginia along with public private partnerships with Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute 96 and Radford University Radford University Carilion 97 98 The clinic s expansions have spurred considerable development in the former brownfields located south of Roanoke s downtown 49 turning the once abandoned industrial sites into what s been termed the city s innovation corridor 50 Another driving factor in the region s economy has been the push during the 21st century to market the area s outdoor recreation potential 99 The Roanoke Regional Partnership an economic development group representing the area s municipalities has created a division called the Roanoke Outside Foundation that seeks to recruit businesses and talent based on the strength of the region s natural amenities 100 The organization also puts on annual events such as the Blue Ridge Marathon and the GO Outside Festival which themselves generate millions of dollars in economic impact in the region 101 Other areas of strength in the region s economy include manufacturing and retail each comprising over ten percent of the valley s industry 102 Transportation manufacturers such as Yokohama Tire 103 Volvo 104 Mack Trucks 105 Metalsa 106 and Altec 107 contribute to the thousands of people employed in that field regionally 102 Night vision device makers Elbit Systems 108 and the fiber optics company Luna Innovations 109 are just two of the hundreds of other advanced manufacturers in the area 102 Top employers Edit According to Roanoke s 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report 110 the top employers in the city are Employer of Employees1 Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital 1 000 2 Roanoke City Public Schools 1 000 3 Carilion Services 1 000 4 United Parcel Service 1 000 5 City of Roanoke 500 to 9996 Walmart 500 to 9997 United States Postal Service 500 to 9998 Virginia Western Community College 500 to 9999 Anthem member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association 500 to 99910 Steel Dynamics Roanoke Bar Division 500 to 999Arts and culture EditFrequently described as the arts and cultural hub of Southwest Virginia 111 112 113 Roanoke is home to several museums and cultural institutions in addition to being the host of several festivals many centering around Elmwood Park in Downtown Roanoke Museums Edit Center in the Square an arts and culture organization located near downtown s historic market building and farmers market was developed alongside the city s Design 79 downtown revitalization effort and opened in 1983 114 The center located in a converted warehouse originally housed the city s arts council and museum history and science museums and the Mill Mountain Theatre 115 It has since expanded to five buildings providing rent free space to twelve institutions including the Science Museum of Western Virginia and Hopkins Planetarium the Harrison Museum of African American Culture and the Roanoke Pinball Museum 115 nbsp The Taubman Museum of ArtOne of the original tenants of Center in the Square the Art Museum of Western Virginia moved to a downtown Salem Avenue facility in 2008 116 The move was made with the help of a 15 2 million donation from Nicholas and Jenny Taubman whose family had established Advance Auto Parts in Roanoke in the 1930s 117 As a result the museum was renamed the Taubman Museum of Art 118 The art museum features 19th and 20th century American art contemporary and modern art decorative arts and works on paper and presents exhibitions of both regional and national significance 119 The 75 000 square foot 7 000 m2 facility was designed by Los Angeles based architect Randall Stout who earlier in his career worked under Frank Gehry 116 Though the building s avant garde design was controversial 120 121 it has since won international praise for its architecture 122 123 nbsp Jupiter Rocket outside the Virginia Museum of TransportationAlso located downtown is the Virginia Museum of Transportation which houses many locomotives that were built in Roanoke by the Norfolk amp Western Railway including the 1218 and 611 steam engines the latter being a J class steam engine considered the pinnacle of steam locomotive technology 124 125 A 2013 fundraising campaign led to the engine s refurbishment 126 and it now does tourist excursion runs when not home at the museum 127 In addition to its rail exhibits the museum also displays a US Army Jupiter rocket 128 and houses exhibits covering aviation as well as automobiles 129 The museum itself is located in the former Norfolk and Western freight depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places 130 The former Norfolk and Western Passenger Station hosts two museums the O Winston Link Museum dedicated to the late steam era railroad photography of O Winston Link and the History Museum of Western Virginia 131 Originally built in 1905 the station underwent a 1949 renovation in the Moderne style by designer Raymond Loewy and is one of four contributing structures to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places 132 Arts Edit The Berglund Performing Arts Theatre is a 2 150 seat venue within the larger Berglund Center complex 133 It regularly hosts concerts 134 135 touring Broadway theatre performances 136 137 stand up comedy shows 138 139 and the Miss Virginia pageant 140 141 The city s first permanent artwork funded by the Percent for Art ordinance a law stating that the city must set aside 1 of its capital improvements budget for the purchasing of public art 111 stands before the theater Dedicated in 2008 to celebrate the city s 150th anniversary 142 the 30 foot 9 1 m stainless steel sculpture In My Hands is one of over 160 works in the city s public art catalog 143 nbsp The Jefferson Center as it appeared in 2023 The Tudor Revival building opened as Jefferson High School in 1924 144 The Jefferson Center is a former city high school that saw extensive renovation during the 1990s turning it into a mixed use building including office space for non profits and city departments event space for meetings and receptions and the Shaftman Performance Hall a 925 seat theatre created from the original high school s auditorium 145 146 In 2006 the former Dumas Hotel was reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development 147 The center is located on Henry Street which served as the commercial and cultural center of Roanoke s African American community before a mid 20th century urban renewal project that saw much of the historic Gainsboro neighborhood razed or relocated 39 148 The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests as Louis Armstrong Ethel Waters Count Basie Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole when they performed in Roanoke 149 The renovated Dumas Center features an auditorium with more than 200 seats 147 and the building is a contributing structure to the Henry Street Historic District listed in 2004 to the National Register of Historic Places 150 Since 1964 the Roanoke Valley has enjoyed performances by the Mill Mountain Theatre a regional theatre that has been located in Center in the Square since its original home atop Mill Mountain burned down in 1976 151 The theatre has both a main stage for mainstream performances and a smaller black box theatre called Waldron Stage which hosts both newer and more experimental plays along with other live events 152 Roanoke has been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre since 1951 153 and since 2008 the Virginia Children s Theatre has presented shows aimed at a younger audience often based on children s literature 154 Originally formed as Roanoke Children s Theatre and housed in the Taubman Museum at that building s opening the theatre expanded into the Dumas Center in 2013 and in 2016 moved to its current home in the Jefferson Center 154 Opera Roanoke is Southwest Virginia s only professional opera company established in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society 155 It has performed under its current name since 1991 and its official orchestra since 2004 has been the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra RSO 156 That group was established in 1953 and has been led since 1996 by music director and conductor David Wiley 157 under whose leadership the orchestra has grown to be the largest in Virginia west of Richmond 157 The orchestra performs out of the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre Salem Civic Center and Shaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center 158 Points of interest Edit Roanoke is the largest metropolitan area on the Blue Ridge Parkway 159 a 469 mile long scenic road that is the most visited element of the National Park System 160 The Mill Mountain Parkway exit off of the Blue Ridge Parkway leads to the Roanoke Star an 88 5 foot tall 27 0 m illuminated star sitting atop a mountain inside the city s limits and affording panoramic views of the valley 161 Also on the mountain s summit is Mill Mountain Zoo a Zoological Association of America accredited facility housing over 170 animals 162 163 nbsp The Texas Tavern has changed little since its establishment in 1930 St Andrew s Catholic Church rests on a hill overlooking downtown and has been called one of Virginia s foremost examples of the High Victorian Gothic 164 The church dates to 1900 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 165 Just below the church lies the Hotel Roanoke a historic 330 room Tudor Revival hotel originally built by the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1882 and rebuilt and expanded many times since 166 Nicknamed the Grand Old Lady 167 the hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 168 A pedestrian bridge leads from the Hotel Roanoke to the city s historic market building and farmers market the latter of which dates to 1882 and is the oldest continuously operating open air market in Virginia 169 Near the terminus of the market is Fire Station No 1 which for a time was the oldest continuously operating station in the state 170 The Georgian Revival structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 171 and currently houses a local furniture showroom restaurant and boutique hotel 172 Two blocks west on the same street is Texas Tavern an iconic 173 174 ten seat greasy spoon restaurant that the same family has operated since its establishment in 1930 175 Festivals Edit nbsp Parade of Nations at the Local Colors FestivalRoanoke features several annual festivals and events of various types A parade for St Patrick s Day occurs every March 176 and Pride in the Park is an LGBTQ community celebration that draws thousands of visitors every April 177 Several events occur in May including the Local Colors festival celebrating the cultures of the area s diverse ethnicities 178 the city s Strawberry Festival 179 the Down by Downtown music festival which coincides with the Blue Ridge Marathon 180 and Memorial Day weekend s Festival in the Park which brings music and vendors to downtown Elmwood Park 181 Later in the year Elmwood Park hosts the Henry Street Heritage Festival the primary fundraiser for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture 182 The event s popularity necessitated the move from its eponymous location 182 The Go Outside Festival also known as GO Fest is a free three day event every October that celebrates the region s outdoor recreation opportunities 183 and the city holds the multi week Dickens of a Christmas each December This Victorian era themed event includes a Christmas tree lighting parade and horse drawn carriage rides through downtown 184 Sports EditThe 1971 1972 Virginia Squires of the ABA were the only major league sports team to play home games in Roanoke regularly During that season the Squires split home games between Richmond Norfolk Hampton Roads and Roanoke 185 Julius Erving played his professional rookie season with the Squires that year before being sent to the New York Nets 186 nbsp The Blue Ridge Mountains viewed from Salem Memorial BallparkMinor league baseball has had a long history in the Roanoke Valley 187 In the 1940s and early 1950s Roanoke was home to a class B farm team of the Boston Red Sox 188 Since 1955 neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team which as of 2023 update is the Salem Red Sox of the Low A Carolina League 188 The team had previously been affiliated with the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies and known as the Avalanche until becoming an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox whose ownership group purchased the Avalanche after the 2007 season 189 The history of minor league hockey in the Roanoke Valley goes back to 1967 190 The Roanoke Express of the ECHL built a loyal following in the mid 1990s 191 but a combination of financial turmoil due to mismanagement and declining attendance from a lack of post season success led to the ECHL ending their franchise in 2004 191 192 An attempt at a revival in 2005 06 by the UHL s Roanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season 190 In 2016 professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL began to play 190 and the team won its first ever President s Cup title in 2023 193 While the Roanoke area is not home to any NCAA Division I schools its proximity to Virginia Tech has led it to host some collegiate athletic events Beginning in 1977 Roanoke along with Richmond was one of the primary neutral sites for the annual basketball game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Cavaliers 194 In 2000 the schools started holding these games in campus facilities 195 From 1913 Roanoke played host to an annual football game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute first at Maher Field and then in the newly constructed Victory Stadium starting in 1942 30 The game was moved to Thanksgiving Day beginning in the early 1920s and was a holiday mainstay in the city until 1971 30 196 Roanoke s location among the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it a destination for other sporting events Every year since 2010 barring 2020 when it was held virtually due to the COVID 19 pandemic 197 the Roanoke Outside Foundation has put on the Blue Ridge Marathon which has been referred to as the country s toughest road marathon due to its considerable elevation changes 197 198 The USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships were held in the city and surrounding areas in 2022 and 2023 199 and an Ironman 70 3 triathlon event brought competitors to the region from 2021 2023 200 Parks and recreation EditThere are 60 parks within Roanoke s city limits and its parks and recreation department is responsible for nearly 14 000 acres of public land 201 Highland Park in the historic Old Southwest neighborhood is the city s oldest having been purchased in 1902 when the former farm was still distant from the settled part of the city 12 370 Elmwood Park in Downtown Roanoke became the city s second in 1911 12 370 It features a Japanese magnolia tree that was acquired by Commodore Matthew Perry during an expedition to Japan and donated in 1857 to the former owner of the park 202 As of 2023 update Elmwood holds the city s main library branch as well as an art walk and a 4 000 seat amphitheater 203 Roanoke features an extensive network of paved greenways for walkers runners and cyclists 204 Though the idea for a publicly owned greenway system can be traced back to a 1907 comprehensive plan for the city 205 it wasn t until 1995 that an intergovernmental committee was formed to plan and develop the project 206 Since that time 26 miles of greenways have been built across the Roanoke Valley 207 including what is as of 2023 update a twelve mile continuous stretch along the Roanoke River from Salem through Roanoke City to Vinton 208 Roanoke County is also in the planning stages of extending that same stretch westward into Montgomery County 209 As of 2023 update Roanoke contained over 100 miles 160 km of trails and greenways 210 Government EditSee also List of mayors of Roanoke Virginia United States presidential election results for Roanoke Virginia 211 Year Republican Democratic Third partyNo No No 2020 15 607 36 02 26 773 61 80 943 2 18 2016 14 789 37 47 22 286 56 47 2 391 6 06 2012 14 991 37 33 24 134 60 10 1 030 2 57 2008 15 394 37 76 24 934 61 15 444 1 09 2004 16 661 46 28 18 862 52 39 477 1 33 2000 14 630 43 75 17 920 53 59 892 2 67 1996 12 283 38 37 17 282 53 98 2 451 7 66 1992 13 443 38 21 17 724 50 38 4 014 11 41 1988 15 389 46 90 17 185 52 37 239 0 73 1984 19 008 52 09 17 300 47 41 184 0 50 1980 15 164 43 39 18 139 51 91 1 643 4 70 1976 14 738 41 00 20 696 57 57 515 1 43 1972 18 541 64 67 9 498 33 13 632 2 20 1968 15 368 51 21 9 281 30 93 5 359 17 86 1964 13 164 46 20 15 314 53 74 18 0 06 1960 15 229 62 28 9 175 37 52 49 0 20 1956 16 708 69 38 6 751 28 03 623 2 59 1952 15 673 66 00 8 042 33 87 32 0 13 1948 6 542 49 56 5 343 40 48 1 315 9 96 1944 5 095 40 92 7 322 58 81 34 0 27 1940 3 553 33 70 6 942 65 85 47 0 45 1936 3 363 32 02 7 087 67 47 54 0 51 1932 3 195 33 49 6 215 65 15 130 1 36 Like most cities in Virginia Roanoke has a council manager form of government 212 213 The city manager is responsible for the day to day operation of the city s government and has the authority to hire and fire city employees 213 The mayor has little executive authority and is essentially the first among equals on the Roanoke City Council 213 though the position wields influence through public appearances and annual State of the City addresses 214 The city council has six members not counting the mayor all of whom are elected on an at large basis 215 A proposal for a ward based council was rejected by Roanoke voters in 1997 but ward system advocates still contend that the at large system results in a disproportionate number of council members coming from affluent neighborhoods and that electing some or all council members on a ward basis would result in a more equal representation of all areas of the city 216 The four year terms of city council members are staggered with three members elected every two years 215 The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the vice mayor for the following two years 215 On June 27 2016 Sherman P Lea Sr took the office of mayor 217 and he was re elected to the same position in 2020 218 The current city manager Bob Cowell has been in that position since 2017 219 Joseph L Cobb is serving his second term as the city s vice mayor 220 The city has adopted a budget for the 2024 fiscal year that includes revenues and expenditures totaling 355 4 million representing a 9 4 increase over the previous year 221 Local taxes including real estate personal property and sales taxes are the government s largest source of revenue at over 70 of its intake 222 Roanoke is represented by two members of the Virginia House of Delegates Sam Rasoul D 11th and Chris Head R 17th and one member of the Virginia Senate John Edwards D 21st 223 224 In February 2023 Edwards announced his intention to retire after 28 years in the state senate 225 The city lies within Virginia s 6th congressional district which also includes Lynchburg and much of the Shenandoah Valley Since 2019 the district has been represented by Republican Ben Cline 226 Roanoke is one of the few Democratic pockets in the otherwise heavily Republican Southwest Virginia 227 It has supported the Democratic Party nominee in every election since 1988 and in all but one election since 1976 228 Education EditTwo four year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities Roanoke College in the city of Salem 229 and Hollins University in Roanoke County 230 Virginia Tech and Radford University s main campuses are located in the nearby New River Valley and both of those schools have partnered with Carilion Clinic the regional nonprofit health care organization based in Roanoke to create medical colleges in the city 231 232 Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute was founded in 2007 233 and Radford University Carilion was established in 2019 234 The Roanoke Higher Education Center opened in 2000 in the former Norfolk and Western General Office Building North and provides over 150 programs ranging from high school equivalent degrees to doctorates 235 236 Virginia Western Community College is located in the city and provides associate degrees as well as facilitated transfers to many four year colleges in the area 237 238 ECPI University a private for profit institution also has a campus located in Roanoke 239 The local public school division is Roanoke City Public Schools 240 The two general enrollment public high schools in the city are Patrick Henry High School located in the Raleigh Court area 241 and William Fleming High School located in Northwest Roanoke 242 A prominent parochial school in the city is Roanoke Catholic 243 which dates to 1889 and shares its campus with St Andrews Catholic Church 244 Private non parochial schools in Roanoke include Community High School of Arts and Academics which began its life housed in the Jefferson Center before moving to its current location in Downtown Roanoke in 2011 245 Media EditThe city s daily newspaper The Roanoke Times has been published since 1886 246 As of 2023 update weekday and Sunday circulation average just under and just over 25 000 respectively 247 Beth Macy author of the bestselling book Dopesick which was adapted into a 2021 Hulu miniseries of the same name was a reporter at The Roanoke Times for 25 years 248 In 2013 the paper was sold to Berkshire Hathaway which in turn sold its BH Media holdings The Roanoke Times included to Lee Enterprises in 2020 249 The weekly Roanoke Tribune covers the city s African American community 250 The publication was founded in 1939 by the Rev Fleming Alexander and since 1971 has been owned and edited by his daughter 251 The Roanoker is the area s bi monthly lifestyle magazine and has been published since 1972 by Leisure Publishing which also puts out the bi monthly Blue Ridge Country magazine 252 The Roanoke Star and Cardinal News are independent digital newspapers that have sought to fill the local news coverage gap resulting from the purchase of The Roanoke Times by an out of state publisher and its subsequent reduction in staff 253 254 Roanoke and Lynchburg are grouped in the same television market which as of 2022 update ranks 71 in the United States with 456 390 households 255 The city has affiliates for all major networks including NBC affiliate WSLS 10 256 CBS affiliate WDBJ 7 257 Fox affiliate WFXR Fox 258 PBS affiliate WBRA TV 259 and ION Television affiliate WPXR TV 260 The Roanoke Lynchburg radio market has a population of 451 600 and is ranked number 122 in the United States as of 2022 update 261 iHeartMedia owns many stations in the area including WROV WJJS WYYD and WSTV 262 The reality television show Salvage Dawgs was based out of Roanoke The show which ran for 11 seasons on the DIY Network followed the owners and employees of the architectural salvage company Black Dog Salvage as they located and acquired pieces for their store 263 Some of the company s projects in Roanoke itself were highlighted on the show including their part in the renovation of the historic Fire Station No 1 263 Infrastructure EditTransportation Edit Main articles Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport and Roanoke station Virginia Interstate 581 the primary north south roadway in the city connects Roanoke to Interstate 81 to the north Interstate 581 is a concurrency with U S Route 220 which continues as the Roy L Webber Expressway from downtown Roanoke where the I 581 designation ends south to State Route 419 Route 220 continues south to connect Roanoke to Martinsville Virginia and Greensboro North Carolina a proposed extension of Interstate 73 into Roanoke from North Carolina running partially concurrent with and parallel to US 220 has long been stalled due to funding issues 264 The primary east west roadway through the city is U S Route 460 named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg to the east and Christiansburg to the west U S Route 11 passes through the city primarily as Brandon Avenue and Williamson Road which was a center of automotive based commercial development after World War II 265 Other major roads include U S Route 221 State Route 117 known as Peters Creek Road and State Route 101 known as Hershberger Road The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border 266 nbsp Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport terminal buildingRoanoke is divided into four quadrants Northwest NW Northeast NE Southwest SW and Southeast SE 267 The mailing address for locations in Roanoke includes the two letter quadrant abbreviation after the street name For example the Center in the Square complex in downtown Roanoke has the address 1 Market Square SE 268 The Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport is located in the northern part of the city It is the primary passenger and cargo airport for Southwest Virginia 269 The airport is served by American Airlines United Airlines Delta and Allegiant Air 270 Due to the facility s size location in the mountains and proximity to Andrews Air Force Base it is often used as a pilot training destination for the Special Air Mission fleet that serves as Air Force One and Two when the nation s leaders are aboard 271 While Roanoke is known for its rail history low ridership numbers led Amtrak to discontinue passenger rail service to the city in 1979 272 Beginning in 2011 Roanoke funded a bus service the Smart Way Connector to connect riders to the Amtrak station in Lynchburg as well as to show Amtrak that there was once again a demand for the service in Roanoke 273 In August 2013 it was announced that Amtrak s Northeast Regional service would be extended from Lynchburg by 2017 On October 31 2017 after 38 years without passenger rail service Amtrak resumed service to Roanoke 274 The service has been successful enough that a second daily train to Roanoke was added in 2022 275 nbsp Roanoke station platformDespite Norfolk Southern s relocation of its corporate headquarters out of the city Roanoke is still a major hub in the company s freight rail system 276 The railway s Pocahontas Division consisting of over 2 500 miles of track is headquartered just outside of Downtown Roanoke 277 and though the volume of coal passing through the city has declined in recent decades 70 million tons of freight are shipped on the area s railroads annually 278 279 The Valley Metro provides bus service to the city of Roanoke and surrounding areas In June 2023 the service began operating out of a new facility on Third Street in Downtown Roanoke built to replace the aging Campbell Court station 280 Valley Metro also offers bus service to Blacksburg Christiansburg and Virginia Tech via its Smart Way service 281 as well as the Ferrum Express a free shuttle that runs between Downtown Roanoke and Ferrum College in nearby Rocky Mount 282 The 21st century has seen Roanoke put considerable resources towards improving its cycling infrastructure In addition to its extensive paved greenway network Roanoke has added 43 miles of marked bike lanes along its major roads 283 In recent years the city has put millions of dollars towards pedestrian safety improvements including lane reductions on busy roads audible signals and additional street lighting 284 Roanoke is served by RIDE Solutions a regional transportation demand management agency that provides carpool matching cycling advocacy transit assistance and remote work assistance to businesses and citizens in the region 285 Utilities Edit Roanoke is supplied electricity by the Appalachian Power Company a American Electric Power division Appalachian Power serves roughly 500 000 people in Western Virginia and another 500 000 in West Virginia and Tennessee 286 The area s water and wastewater operations are managed by the Western Virginia Water Authority That organization was founded in 2004 with the consolidation of the water utilities of Roanoke City and Roanoke County under the logic that the location of watersheds should determine the management of local resources rather than government boundaries 287 The Water Authority has since taken on the water based utilities of Franklin and Botetourt Counties as well as the towns of Boones Mill and Vinton 287 Healthcare Edit Roanoke is the primary center for healthcare in Western Virginia serving an estimated one million people 288 Carilion Clinic a non profit healthcare group is the region s largest provider with over 750 physicians spread across eight hospitals 98 The region is also served by the Lewis Gale Medical Center a 521 bed facility established in Roanoke in 1911 and now located in Salem 288 289 as well as a Veterans Affairs Medical Center serving over 100 000 military veterans in the region also located in Salem 288 Notable people EditBorn in Roanoke Tony Atlas wrestler 290 Ronde Barber NFL player 291 Tiki Barber NFL player Beth A Brown NASA astrophysicist George E Bushnell Michigan Supreme Court justice Tai Collins model and actress Lew DeWitt founding tenor and guitarist of the Statler Brothers Henry H Fowler U S Secretary of the Treasury Dorothy Gillespie artist sculptor Antoinette Hale painter Jim Harrell professional wrestler K J Hippensteel tennis player James Hylton racing driver Louis A Johnson United States Secretary of Defense Danny Karbassiyoon Arsenal FC soccer player Henrietta Lacks medical patient 292 George Lynch NBA player John C Mather astrophysicist and Nobel laureate John Alan Maxwell artist Walter Muir International Master of Correspondence Chess John Payne actor Don Pullen jazz pianist Billy Sample MLB outfielder John St Clair NFL player Curtis Staples basketball player 293 Lee Suggs NFL player Nicholas F Taubman former United States Ambassador to Romania Lois Weaver artist activist writer director and Professor of Contemporary Performance at Queen Mary University of London Eric Weinrich NHL defensemanRaised in Roanoke George Canale MLB player India Ferrah drag queen Wayne LaPierre CEO of the National Rifle Association John McAfee founder of McAfee Wayne Newton singer 294 J J Redick NBA player 295 Joshua Strachan musicianOne time resident Fleming Alexander minister businessman and publisher of the Roanoke Tribune Nelson S Bond author Sarah Johnson Cocke writer and civic leader Whitney Cummings comedian and actress Nidal Hasan shooter in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting Oliver Hill civil rights attorney Kermit Hunter playwright Johan Kriek tennis player Samuel W Martien Louisiana cotton planter and politician Oscar Micheaux early 20th century filmmaker John Forbes Nash mathematician and Nobel laureate Harry Penn dentist and civic rights activist John Henry Pinkard businessman banker and herb doctor G Samantha Rosenthal historian author and academic Curtis Turner NASCAR legend pioneer and Hall of Famer Harriet French Turner folk artistSister cities EditRoanoke has six sister cities 296 nbsp Florianopolis Brazil nbsp Kisumu Kenya nbsp Lijiang China nbsp Opole Poland nbsp Saint Lo France nbsp Wonju South Korea In February 2023 it was announced that the city would officially pause its sister city affiliation with Pskov Russia due to the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine 297 See also Edit nbsp Virginia portalNational Register of Historic Places listings in Roanoke Virginia USS Roanoke 7 shipsReferences Edit 2019 U S Gazetteer Files United States Census Bureau Retrieved August 7 2020 List of 2020 Census Urban Areas census gov United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 7 2023 Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail Mountain Trail Star City Roanoke Water Pollution Control Plant Dgif state va us Archived from the original on July 23 2012 Retrieved August 27 2009 Roanoke City High Point Trip Report Cohp org November 17 2000 Archived from the original on October 4 2008 Retrieved August 27 2009 U S Census website United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 31 2008 US Board on Geographic Names United States Geological Survey October 25 2007 Retrieved January 31 2008 QuickFacts Roanoke city Virginia United States Census Bureau Retrieved September 7 2021 Rouse Jr Parke 1973 The Great Wagon Road From Philadelphia to the South McGraw Hill Book Company ISBN 0 07 054101 9 Trade Items as Transfer of Money Lost colony com Archived from the original on July 20 2008 Retrieved August 27 2009 a b Kagey Deedie 1988 When Past is Prologue A History of Roanoke County Roanoke County Sesquicentennial Committee p 7 a b Griffin James B 1942 On the Historic Location of the Tutelo and the Mohetan in the Ohio Valley American Anthropologist 44 2 275 280 doi 10 1525 aa 1942 44 2 02a00080 ISSN 0002 7294 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Barnes Raymond P 1968 A History of the City of Roanoke Commonwealth Press Inc Green Samuel Swett April 1895 The Scotch Irish in America PDF American Antiquarian Society History Roanoke County VA Official Website www roanokecountyva gov Retrieved May 24 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p White Clare 1982 Roanoke 1740 1982 Roanoke Valley Historical Society a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Dotson Rand 2007 Roanoke Virginia 1882 1912 Magic City of the New South The University of Tennessee Press Knoxville ISBN 978 1 57233 592 9 Hill Studio February 2004 Historic Architectural Survey of and National Register Nominations for Roanoke Downtown Historic District PDF Retrieved May 24 2023 Piedmont Donlan 1994 Peanut Soup and Spoonbread An Informal History of Hotel Roanoke Virginia Tech Real Estate Foundation Inc p 16 ISBN 0 9617635 1 5 City of Roanoke Planning Building and Development Gainsboro Neighborhood Plan History Roanoke Document Center Retrieved May 26 2023 Shareef Reginald 1996 The Roanoke Valley s African American Heritage A Pictorial History The Donning Company ISBN 0 89865 962 0 a b Census of Population 1950 US Census Bureau Retrieved August 2 2023 Dybdahl Pete GROWING PAINS Roanoke Times The VA December 19 2007 1 Crime of the Century The Roanoke Times February 2 1901 p 4 Men Worse Than Apes The Roanoke Times February 13 1896 p 3 Brutal Work at Staunton The Roanoke Times May 1 1894 p 1 a b c d e Smith Leslie F August 5 1985 The Political Geography of Annexation Roanoke Virginia Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertations Chittum Matt Research district transforms Roanoke 50 million gift bolsters health campus that was years in the making Roanoke Times The VA December 9 2018 1A Hammack Laurence and Hunter Molly Past pollution a present concern Past pollution a present concern for Riverdale plans Roanoke Times The VA March 26 2023 Colorful Crowd Attends Dedication of Stadium The Roanoke Times November 27 1942 p 1 a b c Cox Ray Military Classic was Thanksgiving fare Roanoke Times The VA February 9 2015 B1 Roanoke Star in Virginia s Blue Ridge www visitroanokeva com Retrieved June 12 2023 Berrier Jr Ralph Our star turns 65 Roanoke Times The VA November 23 2014 E1 a b Times Editorial Board The Roanoke A valentine for an astronaut Roanoke Times The VA February 14 2017 B5 Fabris Casey Roanoke developer dies at 93 T A Carter whose work helped change Roanoke Valley shopping patterns dies at 93 Roanoke Times The VA January 2 2021 1A Two Firms Will Share Managing Duties The Roanoke Times October 8 1961 p 58 Cockerham Amy April 7 2023 Roanoke County s Tanglewood Mall under new ownership WSLS Retrieved June 14 2023 Codispoti Amanda Changes under way at Valley View Mall Roanoke Times The VA September 8 2013 1 Codispoti Amanda Making the Star City the right fit Roanoke Times The VA June 9 2013 1 a b c d Bishop Mary January 29 1995 Urban Renewal s Untold Stories Roanoke Times amp World News pp Special Section Retrieved May 12 2023 Chittum Matt When Segregation Ruled the Streets Roanoke Times The VA August 14 2005 A1 Adams Mason Troubled Legacy Roanoke Times The VA August 31 2008 B1 Campagna Mary E Sale of Dumas is a stab wound to the heart Roanoke Times The VA July 26 2017 9B Adams Mason Residents Argue for Renewal Program Roanoke Times The VA August 8 2008 B5 a b c Lowe Cody Our Past 100 Years Roanoke Times The VA November 7 1999 1 Railroad company Norfolk Southern is moving its headquarters from Norfolk to Atlanta The Florida Times Union Retrieved June 14 2023 End of an era Editorial End of an era for Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA May 18 2020 5A Sturgeon Jeff Norfolk Southern to repay grant Norfolk Southern to repay grant state expects check Friday Roanoke Times The VA December 21 2018 1A a b Rife Luanne Economists say Carilion adds 3 2B to Va s economy Economists Carilion s economic impact pegged at 3 2 billion a year Roanoke Times The VA January 30 2020 1A a b Rife Luanne The catalyst for innovation Roanoke Times The VA October 22 2017 1A a b Chittum Matt Mayor praises city s ethic of hard work Roanoke s mayor cites the hard work behind building region s economy improving city Roanoke Times The VA August 30 2019 1D The valley s success story Editorial Population estimates show Roanoke Valley s quality of life pitch works Roanoke Times The VA March 28 2021 5B A consequential decade Editorial A look back at a consequential decade Roanoke Times The VA December 30 2019 50B Five lessons from the census Editorial Five lessons for Southwest Virginia from the census results Roanoke Times The VA August 17 2021 7A Williamson III John B Move Roanoke Forward Not Backward Roanoke Times The VA April 22 2004 B9 Engels Jonathon January 15 2022 The 15 Best Things to Do in Roanoke VA Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide Retrieved June 14 2023 US Gazetteer files 2010 2000 and 1990 United States Census Bureau February 12 2011 Retrieved April 23 2011 Roanoke City County VA USA com www usa com Retrieved June 21 2023 Roanoke River Greenway Greenways Retrieved June 21 2023 Mill Mountain Park including Star Trail dwr virginia gov Retrieved June 14 2023 Frequently Asked Questions Blue Ridge Parkway U S National Park Service www nps gov Retrieved August 3 2023 Holland Rebecca Naturefest Roanoke Times The VA August 21 2014 E1 Chumney Richard NatureFest celebrates biodiversity at Peaks of Otter Annual NatureFest celebrates biodiversity at Peaks of Otter Roanoke Times The VA August 27 2018 4C Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve www dcr virginia gov Retrieved June 23 2023 Hiking the Appalachian Trail www visitroanokeva com Retrieved June 14 2023 Roanoke Mountain Blue Ridge Parkway VA Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks Retrieved June 14 2023 The 100 Largest City Parks in the US Update for 2022 Infoplease www infoplease com Retrieved June 8 2023 Smith Mountain Lake roanokeoutside com Retrieved June 14 2023 George Washington amp Jefferson National Forests Virginia s Blue Ridge www visitroanokeva com Retrieved June 14 2023 Outdoor Adventures in Virginia s Blue Ridge www visitroanokeva com Retrieved June 14 2023 Roanoke City Planning June 23 2023 About Our City PDF Roanoke City Planning June 23 2023 Roanoke Virginia Comprehensive Plan Vision 2001 2020 PDF Planning Building and Economic Development Roanoke City May 21 2007 Greater Raleigh Court Neighborhood Plan PDF Historic Registers Archive DHR Retrieved June 23 2023 Roanoke Virginia WorldAtlas September 22 2022 Retrieved June 26 2023 United States Department of Agriculture USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map United States National Arboretum Archived from the original on March 3 2015 Retrieved February 19 2015 a b c d e NowData NOAA Online Weather Data National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved July 1 2021 a b c d Station Roanoke RGNL AP VA U S Climate Normals 2020 U S Monthly Climate Normals 1991 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved July 1 2021 Ballisty Tim January 14 2013 Snow Totals Adding Up from Blizzard 2009 weather com Archived from the original on June 11 2013 Retrieved June 12 2013 1890 snowstorm one of biggest events in Roanoke s weather history www roanoke com Retrieved January 24 2017 Myatt Kevin Last big Roanoke flood was decade ago Roanoke Times The VA September 24 2014 B3 Myatt Kevin It rained a long time but not all that hard Weather Journal It rained a long time but not all that hard Roanoke Times The VA May 23 2020 3A Myatt Kevin Wettest year to date likely won t uproot 2018 Weather Journal Wettest year to date probably won t be wettest at end Roanoke Times The VA October 14 2020 2B Myatt Kevin Soggy year sets high water mark 2018 A waterlogged year when the weather didn t follow the calendar Roanoke Times The VA January 2 2019 1A Myatt Kevin August 14 2014 What was the worst hurricane to affect Southwest Virginia Roanoke Times The Retrieved June 26 2023 Beagle Ben When the Waters Killed The Flood of 85 Lives on in the Memories of Those Who Survived Roanoke Times The VA November 5 1995 G1 Chittum Matt Rains to test flood reduction plan Heavy rains this weekend may be another test for Roanoke River flood reduction project Roanoke Times The VA September 13 2018 1A Census of Population 1980 US Census Bureau Retrieved August 2 2023 Census 2000 PHC T 4 Ranking Tables for Counties 1990 and 2000 PDF United States Census Bureau Retrieved January 6 2014 a b P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2010 DEC Redistricting Data PL 94 171 Roanoke city Virginia United States Census Bureau a b P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE 2020 DEC Redistricting Data PL 94 171 Roanoke city Virginia United States Census Bureau Bureau US Census Data Census Website Retrieved June 26 2023 a b Sturgeon Jeff Roanoke region will see sharp but short economic decline economist predicts Roanoke region will see sharp but short economic decline economist predicts Roanoke Times The VA March 29 2020 E Norfolk Southern to close Roanoke office building relocate employees Norfolk Southern Archived from the original on June 23 2019 Retrieved June 23 2019 End of an era for Roanoke The Roanoke Times Archived from the original on May 19 2020 Retrieved February 11 2020 Our History Our History Retrieved May 8 2023 permanent dead link The First Ten Years medicine vtc vt edu Retrieved May 8 2023 Rife Luanne Graduation marks college s evolution Jefferson College hosts final graduation before merger with Radford Roanoke Times The VA May 3 2019 1A a b Carilion Clinic Fast Facts 2020 At a Glance https www carilionclinic org sites default files 2021 06 carilion ar 2020 factsheet 210601 0 0 pdf Retrieved July 31 2023 Codispoti Amanda Marketing the great outdoors Roanoke Times The VA March 25 2012 1 About roanokeoutside com Retrieved May 9 2023 Eshelman Pete and Marston Brett Ironman shows success Eshelman IRONMAN shows region s success Roanoke Times The VA June 12 2021 2B a b c Leading Employers Roanoke Regional Partnership Retrieved May 10 2023 Petska Alicia Yokohama Tire union in Salem ratifies a new contract Yokohama Tire union in Salem ratifies new contract Roanoke Times The VA October 1 2022 2A Volvo plant builds more electric trucks Volvo s Dublin plant building more electric trucks copy Roanoke Times The VA April 13 2022 1K Fabris Casey Truck manufacturing plant coming to Roanoke County Mack to open truck manufacturing plant in Roanoke County Roanoke Times The VA January 31 2020 1A NewsBank America s News https infoweb newsbank com apps news document view p NewsBank amp docref news 178CFAFCE437BE68 Petska Alicia Manufacturer now zero waste facility Business Intel Metalsa Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA October 23 2022 1C Adams Duncan Altec expansion to add 200 jobs Roanoke Times The VA June 19 2014 A8 Wall Sam Night vision innovation Roanoke County plant to play key role in night vision innovation copy Roanoke Times The VA April 27 2022 3E Petska Alicia Business Intel Luna Innovations Roanoke Times The VA April 10 2022 4C Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30 2022 roanokeva gov City of Roanoke Retrieved August 1 2023 a b Allen Mike Arts amp Extras Building a frame for Roanoke s arts programs Roanoke Times The VA July 12 2019 2A Trinkle supports the arts Roanoke Times The VA February 12 2016 B7 Morrill Chris A vibrant city evolves purposefully Roanoke Times The VA April 8 2012 1 Allen Mike Center of Attention Roanoke Times The VA January 19 2008 B1 a b Square Center in the Center in the Square Center in the Square Retrieved May 10 2023 a b Kittredge Kevin Could Art Museum Prompt a Downtown Transformation Roanoke Times The VA November 2 2008 A1 Advance Auto Parts Inc Our Story corp advanceautoparts com Retrieved May 10 2023 Kittredge Kevin New Art Museum to Carry Taubman Name Roanoke Times The VA February 7 2008 B1 Taubman unveils master artworks Editorial New art show brings choice masterworks to Southwest Virginia Roanoke Times The VA October 7 2022 7A Schultz Robert INSIDE THE ART MUSEUM Roanoke Times The VA July 20 2008 1 Podger Pamela J December 29 2007 With Bold Museum a Virginia City Aims for Visibility The New York Times ProQuest 433734189 Allen Mike Architect wins award for Taubman Roanoke Times The VA October 15 2009 A8 Heilman Christian August 28 2018 Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke named best designed museum in Virginia WDBJ7 Retrieved May 18 2023 Miller Kenneth 2000 Norfolk and Western Class J The Finest Steam Passenger Locomotive Roanoke Chapter National Railway Historical Society ISBN 0 615 11664 7 Allen Mike New transportation museum director trades cowboy hat for engineer s cap Roanoke Times The VA June 14 2019 1A Allen Mike Historic engine 611 to get its old steam back Roanoke Times The VA April 1 2014 B1 VMT Norfolk amp Western J Class 611 www vmt org Retrieved May 11 2023 Jackson Todd Ex Wasena Park Rocket to Land Downtown It Will Stand Outside the Virginia Museum of Transportation Roanoke Times The VA December 19 1998 B1 About the Virginia Museum of Transportation www vmt org Retrieved May 11 2023 Henry Geoffrey B April 2012 http www dhr virginia gov registers Cities Roanoke 128 6162 Norfolk Western Railway Freight Station 2012 NRHP FINAL pdf PDF Virginia Department of Historic Resources Koomen Christina The Art of Place The Art of Place features railroad line local artists Roanoke Times The VA March 21 2023 8B Harnesberger Douglas J and Kraus Nancy July 1998 https www dhr virginia gov VLR to transfer PDFNoms 128 5432 N amp W Railroad HD 1999 Final Nomination pdf Virginia Department of Historic Resources About Us Berglund Center Retrieved May 11 2023 Dickens Tad Old Crow Medicine Show returns to Roanoke Old Crow Medicine Show returns to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA January 11 2023 3A Dickens Tad From the lips of the Berglund Hinder returning to Roanoke From the lips of the Berglund Hinder returning to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA May 27 2021 2A Helms Beckner Alexis Out amp About Cats at Berglund theater Out amp About Cats at Berglund theater Roanoke Times The VA April 11 2022 8B Allen Mike Cornershot Broadway in Roanoke unveils 2019 20 performance season Roanoke Times The VA May 19 2019 1E Dickens Tad Brian Regan Scythian Paul Thorn 4848 Fest Top Tickets Brian Regan Scythian Paul Thorn 4848 Fest Replenish Festival Kidd G and Chase Matthews Mike Mitchell Band Her Majesty Roanoke Times The VA July 7 2022 8B Comedy double bill set for Roanoke Comedy double bill set for Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA July 19 2022 8B Mouketo Julia Ashburn woman wins Miss Virginia crown Ashburn woman wins Miss Virginia title Roanoke Times The VA June 27 2022 1A Miss Virginia names more preliminary winners Miss Virginia Roanoke Times The VA June 24 2017 2A In My Hands Roanoke VA Retrieved May 11 2023 Roanoke Arts Commission Roanoke Arts Commission Retrieved August 8 2023 Jefferson Center Roanoke s Premier Performing Arts and Cultural Center www jeffcenter org Retrieved August 30 2023 Kittredge Kevin Curtain Up Roanoke Times The VA April 29 2001 1 Jefferson Center Roanoke s Premier Performing Arts and Cultural Center www jeffcenter org Retrieved May 12 2023 a b Hutkin Erinn Music Revives Dumas Roanoke Times The VA November 5 2006 B1 Fullilove Mindy Thompson 2004 Root Shock how tearing up city neighborhoods hurts America and what we can do about it One World Ballantine Books ISBN 9780345454225 Lewis Annette May 1 2017 Why Sell The Dumas A Valuable Piece Of History TAP Roanoke Virginia TAP Retrieved May 11 2023 Blanton Allison S June 2004 https www dhr virginia gov VLR to transfer PDFNoms 128 5764 Henry Street HD 2004 Final Nomination pdf Virginia Department of Historic Resources Kittredge Kevin Mona Black was life of Mill Mountain Theatre Roanoke Times The VA April 16 2010 A10 Allen Mike Mill Mountain Theatre announces 2019 season Mill Mountain Theatre shares 2019 season Roanoke Times The VA October 17 2018 1E Allen Mike Showtimers to explore new ways to reach out after canceling 70th season Arts amp Extras Showtimers to explore new ways to reach out after canceling 70th season Roanoke Times The VA June 26 2020 2A a b Allen Mike Roanoke Children s Theatre opens new chapter Roanoke Children s Theatre opens new chapter Roanoke Times The VA August 18 2019 1E Opera Roanoke scores a US premiere Editorial How Roanoke s opera scored an American premiere Roanoke Times The VA October 28 2021 6A Opera Roanoke www virginia org Retrieved May 12 2023 a b Staplefoote Liz September 4 2018 Roanoke Has a Lot to Celebrate TheRoanoker com Retrieved May 12 2023 Venues amp Locations Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Retrieved May 12 2023 Asheville Blue Ridge Parkway Association P O Box 2136 Roanoke Valley Area Blue Ridge Parkway Retrieved May 15 2023 Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia s Blue Ridge Mountains www visitroanokeva com Retrieved May 15 2023 Dashiell Joe May 10 2023 Roanoke considers restoration or replacement of Mill Mountain Star WDBJ7 Retrieved May 15 2023 Berrier Jr Ralph Mill Mountain Zoo earns accreditation Mill Mountain Zoo earns accreditation from national zoo association Roanoke Times The VA March 15 2019 3B Mill Mountain Zoo Roanoke VA 24014 www visitroanokeva com Retrieved May 15 2023 128 0030 St Andrew s Roman Catholic Church www dhr virginia gov Retrieved May 15 2023 Weidman Gregory May 1972 https www dhr virginia gov VLR to transfer PDFNoms 128 0030 Saint Andrew s Roman Catholic Church 1973 Final Nomination pdf Virginia Department of Historic Resources 128 0025 Hotel Roanoke www dhr virginia gov Retrieved May 15 2023 About Our Southwest Virginia Hotel Historic Downtown Hotel Roanoke www hotelroanoke com Retrieved May 15 2023 Giles Leslie A and Kern John R September 1995 https www dhr virginia gov VLR to transfer PDFNoms 128 0025 Hotel Roanoke 1996 Final Nomination pdf Virginia Department of Historic Resources History of the Market Farmer s Market Explore Downtown Roanoke www downtownroanoke org Retrieved May 15 2023 Struzzi Diane Things Look Up for Firehouse Roanoke Times The VA June 16 1994 C 1 128 0033 Fire Station No 1 www dhr virginia gov Retrieved May 15 2023 Petska Alicia Fire Station No 1 has new calling Fire Station No 1 downtown Roanoke historic landmark has new calling Roanoke Times The VA September 24 2022 1A Berrier Jr Ralph Texas Tavern auction raised 5 085 for Tudor House Texas Tavern sign auction raised 5 085 for Tudor House Roanoke Times The VA November 12 2020 2B Friedenberger Amy Roanoke Valley aids flood victims in S C Roanoke Times The VA October 8 2015 B1 Nair Lindsey The Best of Burger Nation Roanoke Times The VA June 4 2008 1 Sampson Anne Hooves o the Irish Hooves o the Irish Budweiser Clydesdales to march in St Patrick s Day Parade Roanoke Times The VA March 10 2022 2T Sturgeon Jeff Thousands show Pride colors at spring festival Thousands show Pride colors at spring festival Roanoke Times The VA April 15 2018 1C Weir Luke Flags food downtown for Local Colors Festival Flags food downtown for Local Colors Festival Roanoke Times The VA May 22 2022 1A Standouts include Strawberry Festival Great Strides fundraiser Roanoke Times The VA May 3 2018 1D Dickens Tad Down by Downtown to mark 10 years Down by Downtown Blue Ridge Marathon celebrate 10 years next week Roanoke Times The VA April 7 2019 1E Dickens Tad Festival in Park goes all tribute route For boomers about to rock Festival in the Park goes the all tribute route for 23 Roanoke Times The VA April 28 2023 8B a b Mouketo Julia Henry Street Heritage Festival returns Henry Street Heritage Festival returns to Elmwood in full force Roanoke Times The VA September 16 2022 8B Wall Sam GO Fest ready to rock downtown GO Fest ready to rock roll at new downtown location Roanoke Times The VA September 21 2021 8B Berrier Jr Ralph Dickens of a Christmas returns Dickens of a Christmas returning to downtown Roanoke Times The VA December 3 2021 10B Virginia Squires Remember the ABA Archived from the original on September 27 2007 Retrieved August 27 2009 Goldaper Sam August 1 1973 Nets Get Erving From Squires for Carter Cash and Dr J Coming Home To Do His Aerial Act The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved May 5 2023 McFarling Aaron Salem salutes baseball bond Roanoke Times The VA June 19 2017 1A a b Salem Baseball History MiLB com Retrieved June 28 2023 Berman Mark Former Salem baseball team owner Kelvin Bowles dies at 82 Roanoke Times The VA March 2 2022 3E a b c Berman Mark Star City Slap Shot Roanoke Times The VA October 21 2015 A1 a b Pro Hockey in the Roanoke Valley Roanoke Times The VA July 21 2004 A5 Waugh Katrina ECHL Ends Express Franchise Roanoke Times The VA July 21 2004 A1 Sordelett Damien May 2 2023 Jansen s overtime winner lifts Rail Yard Dawgs to President s Cup title Roanoke Times Retrieved May 3 2023 Men s Basketball History vs University of Virginia Virginia Tech Athletics Retrieved June 29 2023 Bogaczyk Jack Campus Sites Will Heat Up State Rivalry Roanoke Times The VA January 25 2000 B6 Ayers Glenn A Roanoke Thanksgiving that is no more Roanoke Times The VA November 26 2009 A25 a b Wall Sam Running back into its old form Roanoke marathon circles back to pre pandemic form crowds Roanoke Times The VA April 17 2022 1A Boone Jenny Kincaid New Marathon Rising in Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA August 13 2009 A1 Wall Sam Cycling national championships close in Roanoke USA Cycling national championships close in downtown Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA June 18 2023 3A Sturgeon Jeff Final splash for Ironman Ironman athletes swim bike and run across the Roanoke Valley Roanoke Times The VA June 5 2023 1A Recreation Roanoke Parks And About Us Roanoke Parks And Recreation Retrieved July 3 2023 Bradburn Bridget Magnolia in Elmwood has Japanese heritage Roanoke Times The VA March 28 2011 B5 Roanoke Parks and Recreation Elmwood Park Roanoke Parks And Recreation Retrieved July 3 2023 Roanoke Valley Greenways Virginia s Blue Ridge www visitroanokeva com Retrieved May 4 2023 Nolen John 1907 Remodeling Roanoke A report to the committee on civic improvement by John Nolen Landscape Architect Report History Greenways Retrieved May 5 2023 Roanoke Valley Greenways www virginia org Retrieved May 5 2023 Dehr Cooper Bridge the Gap to Salem opens Bridge the Gap connects Roanoke greenway to Salem Roanoke Times The VA July 29 2023 1A Roanoke County to hold meetings on extending greenway more Cardinal News October 19 2022 Retrieved May 5 2023 Stuart August 28 2023 Roanoke Parks amp Rec Celebrates Over 100 Miles of Trails and Greenways The Roanoke Star News Retrieved August 30 2023 Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org They re coming down Editorial The monuments come down Roanoke Times The VA July 3 2020 11A a b c Cramer John D A Look at the Men Behind the Curtain Roanoke Times The VA May 16 1999 B1 Chittum Matt Striking the right balance Roanoke Times The VA August 19 2018 1A a b c Roanoke City Charter Article 4 charter of 2023 Virginia General Assembly Sturgeon Jeff Should council return to ward system Roanoke City Council candidates on a ward system for council and an elected school board Roanoke Times The VA October 3 2022 1A Sherman Lea sworn in as Roanoke s mayor Go Dan River Retrieved May 8 2017 Berrier Jr Ralph Lea wins second term as Roanoke mayor Roanoke Times The VA November 4 2020 1A City Manager Roanoke VA www roanokeva gov Retrieved July 5 2023 Joseph L Cobb Roanoke VA www roanokeva gov Retrieved July 5 2023 Budget Development Roanoke VA www roanokeva gov Retrieved July 6 2023 City of Roanoke June 20 2023 FY 2023 2024 Adopted Budget Document PDF Report p 22 Retrieved July 6 2023 Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings virginiageneralassembly gov Retrieved July 5 2023 Senate of Virginia apps senate virginia gov Retrieved July 5 2023 Hammack Laurence Senator Edwards to retire John Edwards decides not to seek another term as Roanoke senator Roanoke Times The VA February 28 2023 About Congressman Ben Cline January 3 2021 Retrieved July 5 2023 Chittum Matt Roanoke and Blacksburg voters make some change Voters in Democratic strongholds of Roanoke Blacksburg cite differing motivations for primary choices Roanoke Times The VA March 4 2020 1A Dave Leip s Atlas of U S Presidential Elections uselectionatlas org Retrieved July 5 2023 Roanoke College Roanoke edu Retrieved July 19 2022 Hollins University Hollins At A Glance hollins edu Archived from the original on June 29 2022 Retrieved July 19 2022 Virginia Tech Carilion will create joint medical school in Roanoke Vtnews vt edu Virginia Tech January 3 2007 Archived from the original on June 2 2010 Retrieved August 27 2009 Rife Luanne Radford U eyes bigger nursing program Radford University will seek to double number of nursing students after merger with Jefferson College Roanoke Times The VA April 23 2019 1A Jones Sarah Bruyn VA TECH CARILION MEDICAL SCHOOL TAKING SHAPE Roanoke Times The VA September 28 2008 A10 Wall Sam Radford appoints medical provost Radford University hires first health sciences provost Roanoke Times The VA October 12 2019 1B Edwards John S Twenty years of the Roanoke Higher Education Center Roanoke Times The VA August 19 2020 51B About the Center Roanoke Higher Education Center Retrieved August 4 2023 Adkins Andrew Hollins Virginia Western set program transfer agreement Education Notebook Hollins University Virginia Western announce guaranteed admission agreements Roanoke Times The VA February 21 2019 2B Adkins Andrew Virginia Western Averett sign student transfer deal Virginia Western Averett reach deal linking criminal justice programs Roanoke Times The VA July 20 2018 1B Mattingly Justin ECPI University reopening campuses ECPI University reopens campuses will take temperatures as people enter buildings Roanoke Times The VA May 22 2020 2B Official website of Roanoke City Public Schools rcps info Retrieved July 19 2022 Patrick Henry High Virginia School Quality Profiles June 28 2023 Retrieved August 14 2023 William Fleming High Virginia School Quality Profiles June 28 2023 Retrieved August 14 2023 Roanoke Catholic School Mission Statement Roanokecatholic com Archived from the original on March 18 2009 Retrieved August 27 2009 Hammack Laurence School celebrates 125 years of being a light on the hill Roanoke Times The VA April 24 2015 B1 McCallum Annie Roanoke school halves its tuition fee Roanoke Times The VA March 20 2013 A1 McClenney Elizabeth G Research Guides Virginia Newspapers Home libguides roanoke edu Retrieved July 19 2023 Lee Enterprises Form 10 K investors lee net Retrieved July 19 2023 Woods Charlotte Rene Va gets 1st 67M in opioid settlement Virginia receives first 67 million from Johnson amp Johnson opioid settlement Roanoke Times The VA October 20 2022 4A Times Dispatch Richmond Sale of The Roanoke Times complete Lee Enterprises completes acquisition of The Roanoke Times and other newspapers Roanoke Times The VA March 17 2020 6B Our History The ROANOKE TRIBUNE Retrieved July 21 2023 Fifer Jordan Black women honored for legacy to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA February 2 2014 B1 Boone Jenny Kincaid Selling Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA February 9 2008 C8 About us Cardinal News Retrieved July 21 2023 The Roanoke Star News The Roanoke Star News July 20 2023 Retrieved July 21 2023 Nielsen DMA Rankings 2023 ustvdb com Retrieved July 20 2023 WSLS 10 News wsls com Retrieved June 22 2022 WDBJ Virginia Local News Weather Sports WDBJ7 com Retrieved June 22 2022 WFXR News Homepage WFXRtv com Retrieved June 22 2022 Home Blue Ridge PBS Retrieved July 20 2023 Berrier Jr Ralph Jones Broadcasting moving to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA July 21 2012 A8 Radio Market Survey Population Rankings amp Information PDF Nielsen The Nielsen Company Retrieved July 21 2023 Roanoke Stations iHeartMedia Stations iHeartMedia www iheartmedia com Retrieved July 21 2023 a b Fabris Casey Salvage Dawgs to end after 11 seasons Black Dog Salvage owners leave the TV limelight after 11 seasons of Salvage Dawgs Roanoke Times The VA July 28 2020 1A Sturgeon Jeff Diverging diamond interchange planned for Tanglewood exit in 2028 Roanoke Times The VA June 20 2019 1B McDaniel Brenda June 30 2016 Williamson Road Roanoke s Historic Strip TheRoanoker com Retrieved July 21 2023 Parkway in Virginia Nps gov Retrieved August 27 2009 Landon Tom A primer on Roanoke s complicated dividing lines Roanoke Times The VA August 19 2013 A6 Allen Mike Arts amp Extras Helmets crash and snakes fly at science museum Roanoke Times The VA October 8 2021 8B About us Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport flyroa com Retrieved January 16 2022 Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport Roanoke Transportation www visitroanokeva com Retrieved July 21 2023 Kojima Emi Roanoke s Patriotic Duty Air Force Pilots Sharpen Skills at Roanoke Regional Airport Roanoke Times The VA May 5 2002 A1 Sturgeon Jeff Can Passenger Rail Return to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA July 22 2008 A1 Sturgeon Jeff Amtrak is back Amtrak returns to Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA October 31 2017 1A Wickline Alison Roanoke celebrates inaugural Amtrak ride www wsls com Archived from the original on November 7 2017 Retrieved December 26 2017 Sturgeon Jeff Roanoke Amtrak expansion rolling Significant ridership increase predicted Roanoke Times The VA July 12 2022 1A Sturgeon Jeff Roanoke region will see sharp but short economic decline economist predicts Roanoke Times The VA March 29 2020 E Jordan Greg January 13 2016 Norfolk Southern consolidates Pocahontas Division moving headquarters to Roanoke Va Bluefield Daily Telegraph Retrieved July 25 2023 Editorial End of an era for Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA May 18 2020 5A Sturgeon Jeff Impasse fueling rail advocates Rail advocate to try again as I 81 road measures lack support Roanoke Times The VA February 9 2019 1C Dehr Cooper A great day for transportation A grand opening Roanoke s new bus station a vision of where transportation is going Roanoke Times The VA June 15 2023 1A Smart Bus Smart Way Bus smartwaybus com Retrieved July 24 2023 Transportation Rocky Mount VA va rockymount civicplus com Retrieved July 24 2023 Casey Dan New safe cycling group rolls out CASEY New safe cycling advocacy group launches in Roanoke Roanoke Times The VA September 22 2022 2A Ruhlen Rachel Less traffic more crashes Ruhlen Faster Dangerous Traffic What Is Roanoke Doing About It Roanoke Times The VA June 27 2021 6B Holland Monique March 12 2023 Shared transportation RIDE Solutions connects carpoolers van users and more Martinsville Bulletin Retrieved July 26 2023 Hammack Laurence APCO appoints a new president Appalachian Power appoints new president and chief operating officer Roanoke Times The VA September 24 2022 9B a b History of the Authority Western Virginia Water Authority www westernvawater org Retrieved July 26 2023 a b c Health Care Roanoke County Economic Development VA www yesroanoke com Retrieved July 31 2023 Kagey Deedie 1988 When Past is Prologue A History of Roanoke County Roanoke County Sesquicentennial Committee p 309 Tony Atlas Biography WWE Retrieved July 16 2022 Berman Mark February 9 2022 Hard work has put Ronde Barber on cusp of Canton The Roanoke Times Retrieved July 16 2022 WHO honors Henrietta Lacks Roanoke native whose cells served science WDBJ7 com October 13 2021 Retrieved October 13 2021 Lundquist Jerry June 20 2022 Jerry Lundquist s Sports Memories Catching Up with Curtis Staples Richmond Times Dispatch Retrieved July 19 2022 Quinlan Adriane August 1 2006 For Wayne Newton It s Viva Virginia The Washington Post Retrieved July 19 2022 Berman Mark September 21 2021 Former Cave Spring star J J Redick retires from the NBA Roanoke com Retrieved September 21 2021 Home Roanoke Valley Sister Cities Retrieved June 30 2020 Hunter Molly Sister City ties on hold Roanoke s relationship with Russian city paused flag to be removed Roanoke Times The VA February 22 2023 1A External links EditRoanoke Virginia at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity nbsp Travel information from Wikivoyage Official website Visit Virginia s Blue Ridge Downtown Roanoke Roanoke Regional Partnership Roanoke Outside37 16 N 79 56 W 37 267 N 79 933 W 37 267 79 933 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Roanoke Virginia amp oldid 1175714284, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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