Roanoke is an independent City located in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roanoke is also part of the Roanoke Region of Virginia, and is the largest city in the Roanoke Valley. The city of Roanoke is adjacent to the city of Salem and the town of Vinton and is otherwise surrounded by, but politically separate from, Roanoke County.
Roanoke actually dates from the seventeenth century, when pioneers moved west across Virginia and settled in the Shenandoah Valley on the banks of the Roanoke River. As a result of the salt deposits in the area, this settlement received the tragic name "Big Lick." When the railroads began to forge their way across America, the city prospered as a transportation hub. The interstate system, however, nearly killed the town in the 1950's and 1960's. Ever resilient, Roanoke strove onward and, in recent years, reclaimed its downtown area. A good example of their progressive outlook is the popular Market Square – home to excellent dining, nightlife, and shopping as well as the historic Farmer's Market. Several museums are also here, including the Art Museum of Western Virginia and the Harrison Museum of African-American Culture. Today, Roanoke's future is as bright as ever, and if you look in the direction of Mill Mountain, you'll see that the city's star shines bright and true.
The city of Roanoke is in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Roanoke's Center in the Square features the focal point of cultural activity with the Science Museum of Western Virginia, Hopkins Planetarium, the Roanoke Museum of Fine Arts, the Mill Mountain Theater and the Roanoke Valley History Museum. The Farmer's Market is also part of the Center in the Square.
The area includes other attractions, such as the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Harrison Museum of African American Culture and the Mill Mountain Zoo, atop Mill Mountain just outside the city limits of Roanoke. The famous Roanoke Star sits atop this mountain, reminding residents and visitors that "Roanoke" is called "the Star City of the South" and Indians named the Shenandoah Valley "daughter of the stars."
The area is blessed with abundant forests, streams and lakes. The Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail extend over the northwestern edge of Roanoke County and offer excellent camping, hiking and hunting opportunities. The famed Blue Ridge Parkway passes through the Roanoke Valley and offers even more opportunities!
Interesting Facts about Roanoke
Mill Mountain boasts a huge neon star that is reportedly the largest manufactured star in the United States. Erected by the Chamber of Commerce, the star weighs 10,000 pounds and is 88.5 feet high. It's no wonder that it can be seen from sixty miles away!
At one time, Roanoke was possibly called Rawrenock or Roenoak, an Indian word that means "white shell beads" or "money." Originally, the name was Big Lick, referring to the area's salt deposits that were popular with the animals. Today, it is the largest Virginia city west of Richmond.
A trip to the Center in the Square provides an opportunity to really kill some time – the interesting way! The Science Museum of Western Virginia, Hopkins Planetarium, the Art Museum of Western Virginia, the Roanoke Valley History Museum, and the Mill Mountain Theatre are located within this renovated 1914 warehouse. Some 400,000 people visit here annually.
"Get your motor runnin'!" The Virginia Museum of Transportation honors the history of getting from Point A to Point B. The museum includes every transportation method from a 1950 Studebaker Landcruiser to steam engines and the horse and buggy.
Within a 30-45 minute drive from Roanoke lays "The Jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains." Smith Mountain Lake is a beautifully scenic, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia. The lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows in the nearby areas. The Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers were dammed to form Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 and ended almost 2-1/2 years later on March 7, 1966. Virginia's most popular lake with 500 miles of shoreline, it offers superb recreational activities, vacation rental properties and private homes.
Housing Cost
Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $122,700
Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $152,543; Detached houses: $153,595; Townhouses or other attached units: $176,684; In 2-unit structures: $92,953; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $225,000; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $131,996; Mobile homes: $15,776
Demographics
Population in July 2008: 92,967. Roanoke covers 42.9 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 940 feet above sea level.
Weather
Roanoke, VA climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 30's.
The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 87.50 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 26.60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 19 degrees Fahrenheit.
The annual average precipitation at Roanoke is 42.49 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is May with an average rainfall of 4.24 Inches.
Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com
he town of Vinton and is otherwise surrounded by, but politically separate from, Roanoke County.
untain just outside the city limits of Roanoke. The famous Roanoke Star sits atop this mountain, reminding residents and visitors that "Roanoke" is called "the Star City of the South" and Indians named the Shenandoah Valley "daughter of the stars."