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Coordinates: 37°16′14″N 79°56′33″W / 37.27056°N 79.94250°W / 37.27056; -79.94250
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{{About||the metropolitan area|Roanoke metropolitan area|the colonization attempt of a different location|Roanoke Colony}}
{{update|Demographics|date=October 2018}}
{{short description|Independent city in Virginia, United States}}
{{short description|Independent city in Virginia, United States}}
{{About|the Virginia city|the colonization attempt of a North Carolina island|Roanoke Colony||}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Roanoke, Virginia
| name = Roanoke, Virginia
| settlement_type = [[Independent city (United States)|Independent city]]
| named_for = [[Roanoke River]]
| settlement_type = [[Independent city (United States)|Independent city]]
| nickname = The Star City of The South, Magic City, Star City
| nickname = The Star City of The South, Magic City, Star City
| population_demonym = Roanoker
| motto =
| motto =
| image_skyline = Roanoke City (Virginia) from Mill Mountain Star at Dusk.jpg
| image_skyline = {{multiple image
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption = [[Downtown Roanoke]]
|perrow = 1 / 2 / 2
| image_blank_emblem = RoanokeLogo.svg
|align = center
| blank_emblem_type = Logo
|total_width = 300
| image_flag =
|image1 = Roanoke City (Virginia) from Mill Mountain Star at Dusk.jpg
| image_seal = City Seal of Roanoke, VA.jpg
|image2 = Roanoke star.jpg
|image3 = Roanoke City Market, Roanoke, Virginia (49461688771).jpg
| pushpin_map = Shenandoah Valley#USA Virginia#USA
| pushpin_label = Roanoke
|image4 = Hotel Roanoke Front Entrance.jpg
| mapsize = 250x200px
|image5 = Saint Andrew's.jpg
}}
| map_caption = Location in Virginia
| image_map1 =
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption = Clockwise from top: [[Downtown Roanoke]], [[Roanoke City Market Historic District|City market building]], [[Basilica of St. Andrew (Roanoke, Virginia)|Basilica of St. Andrew]], [[Hotel Roanoke]], [[Roanoke Star]]
| mapsize1 =
| image_blank_emblem = Roanoke Virginia City Logo Small.jpg
| map_caption1 =
| blank_emblem_type = Logo
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_type1 = State
| image_flag = Flag of Roanoke, Virginia.png
| subdivision_type2 = [[County]]
| image_seal = Seal of Roanoke, Virginia.png
| subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}}
| pushpin_map = USA Virginia#USA
| pushpin_label = Roanoke
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Virginia}}
| pushpin_relief = yes
| subdivision_name2 = None ([[Independent city (United States)|Independent city]])
| mapsize = 250x200px
| government_type = Council-Manager<br />''see [[Roanoke City Council]]''
| leader_title = [[List of mayors of Roanoke, Virginia|Mayor]]
| map_caption = Location in Virginia
| image_map1 =
| leader_name = Sherman P. Lea Sr. ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| established_title =
| mapsize1 =
| established_date =
| map_caption1 =
| subdivision_type = Country
| area_magnitude =
| subdivision_type1 = [[U.S. state|State]]
| area_total_sq_mi = 42.85
| subdivision_type2 =
| area_land_sq_mi = 42.52
| subdivision_name = United States
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.33
| subdivision_name1 = [[Virginia]]
| area_urban_sq_mi =
| government_type = [[Council–manager]]
| area_urban_km2 =
| area_metro_sq_mi =
| leader_title = [[List of mayors of Roanoke, Virginia|Mayor]]
| area_metro_km2 =
| leader_name = Joseph L. Cobb
| leader_party =
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| leader_title1 = Vice mayor
| population_rank = [[List of United States cities by population|326th]] in the United States<br />[[List of cities in Virginia|8th]] in Virginia
| population_note =
| leader_name1 = Terry McGuire
| established_title =
| population_total = 100011
| established_date =
| population_metro = 315251 (US: [[Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|163rd]])
| area_magnitude =
| population_urban = 210111 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|173rd]])
| area_total_sq_mi = 42.85
| population_density_sq_mi = 2352
| area_land_sq_mi = 42.52
| timezone = Eastern (EST)
| area_water_sq_mi = 0.33
| utc_offset = −5
| area_urban_sq_mi =
| timezone_DST = EDT
| utc_offset_DST = −4
| area_urban_km2 =
| area_metro_sq_mi =
| coordinates = {{coord|37|16|15|N|79|56|30|W|region:US-VA|display=inline}}
| area_metro_km2 =
| elevation_m = 269–530
| population_as_of = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| elevation_ft = 883–1740
| population_rank = [[List of United States cities by population|326th]] in the United States<br />[[List of cities in Virginia|8th]] in Virginia
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dgif.state.va.us/vbwt/site.asp?trail=2&loop=MSC&site=MSC08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723225650/http://www.dgif.state.va.us/vbwt/site.asp?trail=2&loop=MSC&site=MSC08 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |title=Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail » Mountain Trail » Star City » Roanoke Water Pollution Control Plant |publisher=Dgif.state.va.us |access-date=August 27, 2009 }}</ref>
| population_note =
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cohp.org/va/Roanoke_City_1.html |title=Roanoke City High Point Trip Report |website=Cohp.org |date=November 17, 2000 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004144401/http://www.cohp.org/va/Roanoke_City_1.html |archive-date=October 4, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| population_total = 100011
| website = [http://www.roanokeva.gov www.roanokeva.gov]
| population_metro = 315251 (US: [[Table of United States Metropolitan Statistical Areas|163rd]])
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]s
| population_urban = 217,312 (US: [[List of United States urban areas|177th]])<ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html |title=List of 2020 Census Urban Areas |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 7, 2023 |archive-date=January 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114022812/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/geography/guidance/geo-areas/urban-rural.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
| postal_code = 24001–24020, 24022–24038, 24040, 24042–24045, 24048, 24050, 24155, 24157, 24012
| population_density_urban_sq_mi = 1,731.6
| area_code = [[Area code 540|540]]
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| timezone = Eastern (EST)
| blank_info = 51-77000<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| utc_offset = −5
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| timezone_DST = EDT
| blank1_info = 1499971<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| utc_offset_DST = −4
| blank2_name = Primary Airport
| coordinates = {{coord|37|16|14|N|79|56|33|W|type:city_region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
| blank2_info = [[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport]]
| footnotes =
| elevation_m = 297
| pop_est_as_of =
| elevation_ft = 974
| elevation_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/1498439 |title=U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Roanoke Virginia |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=December 20, 2023}}</ref>
| pop_est_footnotes =
| postal_code_type = [[ZIP Code]]s
| population_est =
| postal_code = 24001–24020, 24022–24038, 24040, 24042–24045, 24048, 24050, 24155, 24157, 24012
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_code = [[Area codes 540 and 826|540, 826]]
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| area_total_km2 = 110.99
| blank_info = 51-77000<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/ |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website |archive-date=July 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_land_km2 = 110.13
| blank1_name = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| area_water_km2 = 0.86
| blank1_info = 1499971<ref name="GR3">{{cite web |url=http://geonames.usgs.gov/ |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=US Board on Geographic Names |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |date=October 25, 2007 |archive-date=December 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225203902/https://geonames.usgs.gov/%20 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = 900.24
| name =
| pop_est_as_of =
| pop_est_footnotes =
| leader_party =
| population_est =
| leader_title1 = [[Vice Mayor]]
| leader_name1 = Patricia White-Boyd
| unit_pref = Imperial
| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web |title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=August 7, 2020 |archive-date=October 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016234816/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt |url-status=live}}</ref>
| population_demonym = Roanoker
| area_total_km2 = 110.99
| area_land_km2 = 110.13
| area_water_km2 = 0.86
| population_density_km2 = auto
| website = [http://www.roanokeva.gov www.roanokeva.gov]
}}
}}
'''Roanoke''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|oʊ|ə|n|oʊ|k}} {{respell|ROH|ə|nohk}}) is an [[independent city (United States)|independent city]] in the [[U.S. state|U.S. commonwealth]] of [[Virginia]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 100,011,<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=QuickFacts Roanoke city, Virginia|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/roanokecityvirginia|access-date=September 7, 2021|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> making it the [[List of cities in Virginia|8th most populous city in Virginia]] and the largest city in Virginia west of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]. It is located in the [[Roanoke Valley]] of the [[Roanoke Region of Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.org |title=Roanoke Region of Virginia |website=Roanoke.org |access-date=August 27, 2009}}</ref>


'''Roanoke''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|r|oʊ|.|ə|ˌ|n|oʊ|k}} {{respell|ROH|ə|nohk}}) is an [[Independent city (United States)|independent city]] in [[Virginia]], United States. It is located in [[Southwest Virginia]] along the [[Roanoke River]], in the [[Blue Ridge Mountains|Blue Ridge]] range of the greater [[Appalachian Mountains]]. Roanoke is approximately {{Convert|50|mi|km}} north of the Virginia{{Endash}}[[North Carolina]] border and {{Convert|250|mi|km}} southwest of [[Washington, D.C.]], along [[Interstate 81]]. At the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], Roanoke's population was 100,011, making it the most-populous city in Virginia west of the state capital [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name="QF">{{cite web |title=QuickFacts Roanoke city, Virginia |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/roanokecityvirginia |access-date=September 7, 2021 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622181022/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/roanokecityvirginia |url-status=live}}</ref> It is the primary population center of the [[Roanoke metropolitan area]], which had a population of 315,251 in 2020.
Roanoke is the largest municipality in [[Southwest Virginia]], and is the principal municipality of the Roanoke [[Roanoke Metropolitan Area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]] (MSA), which had a 2020 population of 315,251. It is composed of the independent cities of Roanoke and [[Salem, Virginia|Salem]], and [[Botetourt County, Virginia|Botetourt]], [[Craig County, Virginia|Craig]], [[Franklin County, Virginia|Franklin]], and [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke]] counties. Bisected by the [[Roanoke River]], Roanoke is the commercial and cultural hub of much of [[Southwest Virginia]] and portions of [[Southern West Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanoke.org/roanokeregionaltradearea |title=Roanoke Regional Trade Area |publisher=Roanoke.org |access-date=April 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413050057/http://www.roanoke.org/roanokeregionaltradearea |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |url-status=dead }}<br />- {{cite web |url=http://www.newportmedia.com/maps/countyinfo.php?m=67 |title=Roanoke-Lynchburg DMA Map |publisher=newportmedia.com |access-date=April 11, 2014 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The [[Roanoke Valley]] was originally home to members of the [[Siouan languages|Siouan]]-speaking [[Tutelo]] tribe. However, in the 17th and early-to-mid 18th centuries, [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]] and later [[German Americans|German American]] farmers gradually drove those [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] out of the area as the [[American frontier]] pressed westward. In 1882, the [[Norfolk and Western Railway]] (N&W) chose the small town of Big Lick as the site of its corporate headquarters and [[Roanoke Shops|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's boundaries expanded through multiple [[Municipal annexation|annexations]] from the surrounding [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County]], and it became Southwest Virginia's economic and cultural hub. The 1982 decision by N&W to relocate their headquarters out of the city, combined with other manufacturing closures, led 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 [[Population decline|declining population trends]].

Roanoke is known for the [[Roanoke Star]], an {{Convert|88.5|ft||-tall|adj=mid}} 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 [[Roanoke City Market Historic District|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==
==History==
===Timeline===
{{hidden begin
|title = Timeline of Roanoke, Virginia
|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:90%
}}
* 1835 - Town of [[Gainsboro, Roanoke, Virginia|Gainesborough]] incorporated.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1232 |title=Gainsboro Neighborhood Plan |publisher=City of Roanoke |year=2003 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318002628/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/1232 |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1838 - [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County]] created.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |title=Virginia: Individual County Chronologies |work=Atlas of Historical County Boundaries |author=Scholl Center for American History and Culture |publisher=[[Newberry Library]] |location=Chicago |access-date=March 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305011359/http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/ |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1852 - Big Lick Depot built near Gainesborough; [[Virginia & Tennessee Railroad]] begins operating.{{sfn|Dotson|2008}}
* 1865 - April: Big Lick settlement sacked by [[Union (American Civil War)|Federal]] forces during [[American Civil War]].{{sfn|Dotson|2008}}
* 1870 - [[Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad]] begins operating.
* 1874
** Town of Big Lick incorporated.<ref name=LVA-maps />
** John Trout becomes mayor.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
* 1878 - ''Big Lick News'' begins publication.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
* 1882
** Big Lick and [[Gainsboro, Roanoke, Virginia|Old Lick]] renamed "Roanoke".<ref name=LVA-maps>{{cite web |url=http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/local/county_formation/locality_maps_bioCitiesRW.htm |publisher=[[Library of Virginia]] |work=County and City Records |title=Maps and Formation Information: Roanoke |access-date=March 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317054659/http://www.lva.virginia.gov/whatwehave/local/county_formation/locality_maps_bioCitiesRW.htm |archive-date=March 17, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
** [[Roanoke Machine Works]] in business.{{sfn|Jack and Jacobs|1912}}
** Population: 5,276.{{sfn|Jack and Jacobs|1912}}
* 1883 - [[YMCA]] branch founded.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
* 1884 - City of Roanoke incorporated.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url= http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Cities_of_Virginia |title=Cities of Virginia: Roanoke |encyclopedia= Encyclopedia Virginia |publisher=Virginia Foundation for the Humanities |access-date=March 17, 2017 }}</ref>
* 1885 - Municipal market established.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
* 1886 - ''[[The Roanoke Times|Roanoke Daily Times]]'' newspaper begins publication.<ref name=LOC>{{cite web |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=Virginia&city=Roanoke&rows=50&sort=date |title=US Newspaper Directory |location=Washington DC |work=[[Chronicling America]] |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=March 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317143832/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=Virginia&city=Roanoke&rows=50&sort=date |archive-date=March 17, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1889 - ''Evening World'' newspaper begins publication.<ref name=LOC />
* 1890
** Roanoke Hospital founded.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
** Population: 16,159.
* 1891 - ''Roanoke Weekly Press'' newspaper begins publication.<ref name=VFH>{{cite web |url=http://encyclopediavirginia.org |title=Encyclopedia Virginia |publisher=Virginia Foundation for the Humanities |access-date=March 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503103811/http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/ |archive-date=May 3, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1893 - September 20: "Lynch riot" occurs.{{sfn|Dotson|2008}}<ref name=VFH />
* 1902 - [[Beth Israel Synagogue (Roanoke, Virginia)|Beth Israel congregation]] formed.<ref name=Goldring />
* 1903 - Agricultural "Great Roanoke Fair" begins.{{sfn|Jack and Jacobs|1912}}
* 1904 - Chamber of Commerce founded.{{sfn|Jack and Jacobs|1912}}
* 1906 - [[Virginian Railway]] begins operating.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
* 1910
** City Health Department established.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
** [[Mill Mountain Incline]] (funicular) begins operating.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
** Population: 34,874.
* 1911 - Roanoke Theatre in business.<ref name=cinema>{{cite web |url= http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/virginia/roanoke?status=all |title= Movie Theaters in Roanoke, VA |work= CinemaTreasures.org |publisher= Cinema Treasures LLC |location= Los Angeles |access-date= March 17, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170317144533/http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/united-states/virginia/roanoke?status=all |archive-date= March 17, 2017 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
* 1913 - Bijou Theatre in business.<ref name=cinema />
* 1914 - [[YWCA]] branch founded.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
* 1919 - "Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court" established.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
* 1920 - Population: 50,842.{{sfn|Hoffer|1928}}
* 1921
** Public Library opens.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
** [[Ku Klux Klan]] branch active (approximate date).<ref name="Jackson1967">{{cite book|author= [[Kenneth T. Jackson]] |title=The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xkgwSauBgTwC|year= 1992 |orig-year=1967 |publisher=[[Ivan R. Dee]] |location=Chicago |isbn=978-1-4617-3005-7}}</ref>{{Chronology citation needed|date=March 2017}}
* 1924 - [[WFIR|WDBJ]] radio begins broadcasting.<ref name=Alicoate1939>{{citation |title=Radio Annual |oclc=2459636 |year=1939 |editor= Jack Alicoate |publisher= Radio Daily |location=New York |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/radioannual193900radi#page/396/mode/2up |chapter= Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States: Virginia }} {{free access}}</ref>
* 1925 - [[Patrick Henry Hotel]] in business.
* 1926 - [[Memorial Bridge (Roanoke, Virginia)|Memorial Bridge]] opens.
* 1930 - Big Lick Garden Club formed.{{sfn|Federal Writers' Project|1941}}
* 1933 - [[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport|Roanoke Municipal Airport]] begins operating.
* 1936 - First [[Dr. Pepper]] plant east of the [[Mississippi River]] opened by John William "Bill" Davis; Roanoke soon becomes the Dr. Pepper Capitol of the World <ref>Christina Rogers, "Dr Pepper pops to life again", ''Roanoke.com''. Retrieved July 14, 2009.</ref>
* 1939 - ''[[Roanoke Tribune]]'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1950 - Population: 91,921.
* 1952
** WSLS-TV ([[List of television stations in Virginia|television]]) begins broadcasting.<ref name=Alicoate1960>{{citation |title=Radio Annual and Television Year Book |oclc=10512206 |year=1960 |editor=Charles A. Alicoate |publisher= Radio Daily Corp. |location=New York |chapter=Television Stations: Virginia |chapter-url= https://archive.org/stream/radio00radi#page/858/mode/2up }} {{free access}}</ref>
** [[Mill Mountain Zoo]] established.<ref>{{cite book|editor=Vernon N. Kisling, Jr. |title=Zoo and Aquarium History|year= 2001|publisher=[[CRC Press]] |location=USA |isbn=978-1-4200-3924-5 |chapter=Zoological Gardens of the United States (chronological list) |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ulbMBQAAQBAJ }}</ref>
* 1955 - WDBJ-TV ([[List of television stations in Virginia|television]]) begins broadcasting.<ref name=Alicoate1960 />
* 1957 - Roanoke Historical Society founded.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://roanokehistory.org/?page_id=102 |title=About Us |publisher=Historical Society of Western Virginia |location=Roanoke |access-date=March 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318003731/http://roanokehistory.org/?page_id=102 |archive-date=March 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1959 - Temple Emanuel Synagogue built.<ref name=Goldring>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.isjl.org/virginia-encyclopedia.html |title=Roanoke, Virginia |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities |publisher=[[Goldring / Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life]] |location=Jackson, Mississippi |access-date=March 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215174856/http://www.isjl.org/virginia-encyclopedia.html |archive-date=February 15, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 1966 - [[Virginia Western Community College]] established.
* 1976 - Portion of Roanoke County becomes part of city.<ref name=LVA-maps />
* 1980 - Population: 100,220.
* 1985 - [[Valley View Mall (Roanoke, Virginia)|Valley View Mall]] in business.
* 1992 - [[David A. Bowers]] becomes mayor.<ref name=Council />
* 1993 - [[Bob Goodlatte]] becomes [[U.S. representative]] for [[Virginia's 6th congressional district]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Official Congressional Directory |title-link=Official Congressional Directory |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Government Printing Office |year= 1993 |chapter= Virginia |hdl=2027/uc1.l0072691827?urlappend=%3Bseq=350 |chapter-url= https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.l0072691827?urlappend=%3Bseq=350 |via= [[HathiTrust]] }}</ref>
* 2000 - City website online (approximate date).<ref>{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000816004039/http://www.ci.roanoke.va.us/ |url= http://www.ci.roanoke.va.us/ |archive-date= August 16, 2000 |title= City Web: Roanoke, VA |via= Internet Archive, [[Wayback Machine]] }}<br />- {{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20000824034945/http://officialcitysites.org/Virginia/Cities/R/ |url= http://officialcitysites.org/WestVirginia/Cities/ |url-status=dead |archive-date= August 24, 2000 |title=United States of America: Virginia |work= Official City Sites |editor1= Kevin Hyde |editor2= Tamie Hyde |location=Utah |oclc=40169021 }}</ref>
* 2004 - [[O. Winston Link Museum]] opens.
* 2010 - Population: 97,032.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/51770 |title=Roanoke city, Virginia |work=QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 16, 2017 }}</ref>
* 2016
** October 25: [[FreightCar America shooting]] occurs.
** Sherman P. Lea becomes mayor.<ref name=Council>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanokeva.gov/1085/Council-History |title=City Council: Council History |publisher=City of Roanoke |access-date=March 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317055107/http://www.roanokeva.gov/1085/Council-History |archive-date=March 17, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{hidden end}}


=== Early history and incorporation ===
===Incorporation===
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 [[Appalachia]]n region.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rouse, Jr. |first=Parke |title=The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South |publisher=McGraw-Hill Book Company |year=1973 |isbn=978-0-07-054101-6}}</ref> While the name ''Roanoke'' is said to have originated from a Native American word for shell beads used as [[shell money|currency]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Otto |first=Paul |date=2017 |title="This is that which...they call Wampum" Europeans Coming to Terms With Native Shell Beads |url=https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=hist_fac |journal=Faculty Publications - Department of History, Politics, and International Studies |issue=77}}</ref> that word was first used {{convert|300|mi|km}} away, where the [[Roanoke River]] empties into the Atlantic Ocean near [[Roanoke Island]].<ref name="Kagey">{{Cite book |last=Kagey |first=Deedie |title=When Past is Prologue: A History of Roanoke County |publisher=Roanoke County Sesquicentennial Committee |year=1988 |page=7}}</ref> The [[Roanoke Valley]] itself was originally home to members of the [[Tutelo]] tribe,<ref name="Kagey" /><ref name="Griffin-1942">{{Cite journal |last=Griffin |first=James B. |date=1942 |title=On the Historic Location of the Tutelo and the Mohetan in the Ohio Valley |journal=American Anthropologist |language=en |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=275–280 |doi=10.1525/aa.1942.44.2.02a00080 |issn=0002-7294 |doi-access=free}}</ref> a [[Siouan languages|Siouan]]-speaking people who were gradually pushed out of the area by advancing European settlers.<ref name="Griffin-1942" />
First called '''Big Lick''', after a large outcropping of salt that drew the wildlife to the site near the [[Roanoke River]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/VAGuide/roanoke.html |title=Roanoke |website=Xroads.virginia.edu |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521081641/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Vaguide/roanoke.html |archive-date=May 21, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the town was established in 1852 and chartered in 1874. In 1882, Big Lick became the town of Roanoke, and in 1884, it was chartered as the independent city of Roanoke. The name ''Roanoke'' is said to have originated from an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]] word for "shell money",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lost-colony.com/trade.html |title=Trade Items as Transfer of Money |website=Lost-colony.com |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720175403/http://www.lost-colony.com/trade.html |archive-date=July 20, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was the name used for the river by the Algonquian speakers who lived {{convert|300|mi|km}} away, where the river emptied into the sea near [[Roanoke Island]]. The native people who lived near where the city was founded did not speak Algonquian. They spoke [[Siouan]] languages, [[Tutelo language|Tutelo]], and [[Catawban]]. There were also [[Cherokee language|Cherokee]] speakers in the general area who fought with the [[Catawba people]]. The city grew frequently via [[annexation]] through the middle of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dls.state.va.us/lrc/charters/ROANOKE.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - ROANOKE.DOC |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115155259/http://dls.state.va.us/lrc/charters/ROANOKE.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> The last annexation was in 1976. The state legislature has since prohibited cities from annexing land from adjacent counties. Roanoke's location in the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], in the middle of the [[Roanoke Valley]] between [[Maryland]] and [[Tennessee]], made it the transportation hub of western Virginia and contributed to its rapid growth.


Many of those settlers were [[Scotch-Irish Americans|Scotch-Irish]] who arrived in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries following the [[Plantation of Ulster]].<ref name="Barnes-1968">{{Cite book |last=Barnes |first=Raymond P. |title=A History of the City of Roanoke |publisher=Commonwealth Press, Inc. |year=1968 |pages=}}</ref>{{rp|3}} They were followed by significant numbers of Germans from [[Pennsylvania]] via the Great Wagon Road.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=3}}<ref name=Kagey /> By 1838, the area was populated enough that [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County]] was created out of parts of [[Botetourt County, Virginia|Botetourt]] and [[Montgomery County, Virginia|Montgomery]] Counties,<ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Roanoke County, VA - Official Website |url=https://www.roanokecountyva.gov/805/History |access-date=May 24, 2023 |website=www.roanokecountyva.gov |archive-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524190942/https://www.roanokecountyva.gov/805/History |url-status=live}}</ref> and the area's first railroad, the [[Virginia and Tennessee Railroad|Virginia and Tennessee]], arrived in 1852.<ref name="White-1982">{{Cite book |last=White |first=Clare |title=Roanoke 1740-1982 |publisher=Roanoke Valley Historical Society |year=1982 |pages=}}</ref>{{rp|49}}
===Colonial influence===
During colonial times, the site of Roanoke was an important hub of trails and roads. The [[Great Indian Warpath]], which later merged into the colonial [[Great Wagon Road]], was one of the most heavily traveled roads of 18th-century America. It ran from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley to the future site of Roanoke, where the [[Roanoke River]] passed through the Blue Ridge. The [[Carolina Road]] branched off in [[Cloverdale, Virginia]], to [[Boones Mill, Virginia]], and on to the [[Yadkin River]] Valley. The Roanoke Gap proved a useful route for immigrants to settle the Carolina Piedmont region. At Roanoke Gap, another branch of the Great Wagon Road, the [[Wilderness Road]], continued southwest to Tennessee.


The railroad built its new [[Train station|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.{{r|White-1982|p=49}}{{r|Dotson|p=2}} Gainesborough increasingly became referred to as Big Lick (and later as Old Lick) once development drifted farther south towards the depot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill Studio |date=February 2004 |title=Historic Architectural Survey of and National Register Nominations for Roanoke Downtown Historic District |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/RN-086_Histoirc_AH_Survey_RoanokeDowntownHD_2004_HILL_report.pdf |access-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-date=May 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531171008/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/pdf_files/SpecialCollections/RN-086_Histoirc_AH_Survey_RoanokeDowntownHD_2004_HILL_report.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Growth in the area was stalled by the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]; Roanoke County voted 850–0 in favor of [[secession]] and lost many of its men in the subsequent fighting.{{r|White-1982|p=53}} The burgeoning [[Tobacco industry|tobacco trade]] helped the region's recovery during [[Reconstruction era|Reconstruction]]. Within a decade of the war's end, there were no fewer than six tobacco factories near the Big Lick Depot.{{r|White-1982|p=58}}
===Railroads and coal===
In the 1850s, Big Lick became a stop on the [[Virginia and Tennessee Railroad]] (V&T) which linked [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]] with [[Bristol, Virginia|Bristol]] on the Virginia-Tennessee border.


In 1874, the community surrounding the depot applied for and received a town charter, and the Town of Big Lick was formally established.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=71}} Eight years later, efforts by town boosters succeeded in securing Big Lick as the junction of the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (1867–1890)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]] and the [[Norfolk and Western Railway]] (N&W).{{r|White-1982|p=65}} The two companies also relocated their respective headquarters to the town (the two lines would officially merge in 1890).{{r|White-1982|p=70}}{{r|Barnes-1968|p=204}} Big Lick's relatively small size compared to the nearby county seat, [[Salem, Virginia|Salem]], worked in its favor as a draw for the companies. Big Lick's ample farmland and nearby water sources were well suited to the railroads' goal of building much of the town from scratch, including railroad shops, offices, a hotel, and suitable housing for their many employees.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=86}}{{r|Dotson|p=8}}
After the [[American Civil War]] (1861–1865), [[William Mahone]], a [[civil engineer]] and hero of the [[Battle of the Crater]], was the driving force in the linkage of three railroads, including the V&T, across the southern tier of Virginia to form the [[Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad|Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad]] (AM&O), a new line extending from [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]] to [[Bristol, Virginia]] in 1870. However, the [[Financial Panic of 1873]] wrecked the AM&O's finances. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone's role as a railroad builder ended in 1881 when northern financial interests took control. At the foreclosure auction, the AM&O was purchased by [[E.W. Clark & Co.]], a private banking firm in [[Philadelphia]] which controlled the [[Shenandoah Valley Railroad (N&W)|Shenandoah Valley Railroad]] then under construction up the valley from [[Hagerstown, Maryland|Hagerstown]], Maryland. The AM&O was renamed [[Norfolk and Western Railway]] (N&W).
[[File:Roanoke_Hotel_1910.jpg|left|thumb|251x251px|[[Hotel Roanoke]] as it appeared in 1910. N&W ordered an expansion to the hotel before the original structure was completed.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Piedmont |first=Donlan |title=Peanut Soup and Spoonbread: An Informal History of Hotel Roanoke |publisher=Virginia Tech Real Estate Foundation, Inc. |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-9617635-1-0 |page=16}}</ref>]]
[[File:Young spinner in Roanoke Cotton Mills. Said 14 years old, but it is doubtful. Roanoke, Va. - NARA - 523433.jpg|thumb|right|[[Child labour|Child laborer]] at Roanoke Cotton Mills, 1911. Photo by [[Lewis Hine]].]]
In the early 1880s, 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.{{r|Dotson|p=10}} Kimball turned down the honor, saying, "On the Roanoke River in Roanoke County – name it Roanoke."{{r|Barnes-1968|p=90}} The town obliged, officially becoming the Town of Roanoke on February 3, 1882.{{r|White-1982|p=65}} The new charter also [[Municipal annexation|annexed]] nearly two and a half square miles of additional land, including the Town of Gainesborough (later shortened to [[Gainsboro, Roanoke, Virginia|Gainsboro]]), which by that point had already become the center of the area's African American community.<ref>{{Cite web |last=City of Roanoke Planning Building and Development |title=Gainsboro Neighborhood Plan - History |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1232/Gainsboro |access-date=May 26, 2023 |website=Roanoke Document Center |archive-date=May 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531171010/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1232/Gainsboro |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shareef |first=Reginald |title=The Roanoke Valley's African American Heritage: A Pictorial History |publisher=The Donning Company |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-89865-962-7}}</ref>{{rp|153}} Kimball chose a wheat field north of the railroad tracks and east of Gainsboro for the N&W's new hotel,{{r|White-1982|p=66}} and the 69-room [[Hotel Roanoke]] – designed originally in the [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne]] style before numerous rebuilds and expansions gave it its current [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor Revival]] appearance – opened its doors in 1882.{{r|Dotson|p=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.{{r|White-1982|p=71}} That milestone made the town eligible for a [[Municipal charter|city charter]], and on January 31, 1884, the town became the City of Roanoke.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=135}}
[[Frederick J. Kimball]], a civil engineer and partner in the Clark firm, headed the new line and the new Shenandoah Valley Railroad. For the junction for the Shenandoah Valley and the Norfolk and Western roads, Kimball and his board of directors selected the small Virginia village called Big Lick, on the [[Roanoke River]]. Although the grateful citizens offered to rename their town "Kimball", at his suggestion, they agreed to name it Roanoke after the river. As the N&W brought people and jobs, the Town of Roanoke quickly became an independent city in 1884. In fact, Roanoke became a city so quickly that it earned the nickname "Magic City".


With a population that ballooned from under 700 residents in 1880 to over 16,000 in 1890<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951t00383932e |title=Census of Population:1950 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |hdl=2027/umn.31951t00383932e |access-date=August 2, 2023}}</ref> {{endash}} and earning itself the nickname "The Magic City" in the process{{r|Dotson|p=1}} {{endash}} Roanoke suffered many of the same difficulties that affected other 19th century [[boomtown]]s.<ref name=Dybdahl>{{cite news |last=Dybdahl |first=Pete |date=December 19, 2007 |title=Growing Pains |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref> Its infrastructure was essentially nonexistent, and a lack of sewers combined with the area's [[Marsh|marshy terrain]] contributed to regular outbreaks of [[diphtheria]] and [[cholera]].{{r|Dotson|p=37}} [[Municipal bond|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{{r|Dotson|p=105}} – opposed the measures because the money would only be used to improve white neighborhoods.{{r|Dotson|p=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.{{r|Dotson|p=108}} The local press, for its part, stoked the white population's fears and anxiety with near-constant reports of African American "savagery".{{r|Dotson|p=125}}<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 2, 1901 |title=Crime of the Century |work=The Roanoke Times |page=4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 13, 1896 |title=Men Worse Than Apes |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 1, 1894 |title=Brutal Work at Staunton |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref>
Kimball's interest in geology was instrumental in the development of the [[Pocahontas coalfield]]s in western [[Virginia]] and [[West Virginia]]. He pushed N&W lines through the wilds of West Virginia, north to [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], Ohio and [[Cincinnati]], Ohio, and south to [[Durham, North Carolina]], and [[Winston-Salem, North Carolina]]. This gave the railroad the route structure it was to use for more than 60 years.


In September 1893, tensions boiled over when a white woman was allegedly robbed and beaten by an African-American man, Thomas Smith, near the city's market.{{r|White-1982|p=78}} Smith was held in the city jail; a mob of hundreds surrounded the building and demanded "[[Lynching|lynch justice]]".{{r|Dotson|p=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]],{{r|Dotson|p=134}} who had vowed protection of the prisoner.{{r|White-1982|p=79}} The rioting mob was eventually successful in gaining control of Smith. They 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.{{r|Dotson|p=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.{{r|Dotson|p=145}}
The [[Virginian Railway]] (VGN), an engineering marvel of its day, was conceived and built by [[William N. Page|William Nelson Page]] and [[Henry H. Rogers|Henry Huttleston Rogers]]. Following the Roanoke River, the VGN was built through the City of Roanoke early in the 20th century. It merged with the N&W in 1959.


=== 20th century {{Endash}} present ===
The opening of the coalfields made N&W prosperous and Pocahontas [[bituminous coal]] world-famous. Transported by the N&W and neighboring Virginian Railway (VGN), local coal-fueled half the world's navies. Today it stokes steel mills and power plants all over the globe.
Despite these and other setbacks, the city grew through the early 20th century, both in area and population.{{r|White-1982|p=84}}<ref name="Smith-1985">{{cite thesis |last=Smith |first=Leslie F. |date=August 5, 1985 |title=The Political Geography of Annexation--Roanoke, Virginia |url=https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/45738 |journal=Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertations |access-date=June 7, 2023 |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722003303/https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/45738 |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to the land gained in its 1882 town charter, relatively unopposed annexations occurred five more times by 1926, though Roanoke County would become less agreeable to later attempts.{{r|Smith-1985}} Mill Mountain became a popular entertainment locale for early residents; an observation tower and the Rockledge Inn each opened atop the mountain in 1892.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=250}} Mountain Park, an early amusement center complete with a [[casino]] and [[roller coaster]], opened at the foot of the mountain in 1903,{{r|Barnes-1968|p=205}} and beginning in 1910 visitors could pay a quarter to ride an [[Mill Mountain Incline|incline railway]] to the top of Mill Mountain and back.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=473}}


Another mainstay at the base of the mountain was Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Completed in 1900 as Roanoke Hospital,{{r|Barnes-1968|p=341}} the building has undergone many expansions and today is the flagship of the [[Carilion Clinic]] healthcare group.<ref name=Chittum1>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=December 9, 2018 |title=Research district transforms Roanoke $50 million gift bolsters health campus that was years in the making |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=Hammack1>{{cite news |last1=Hammack |first1=Laurence |last2=Hunter |first2=Molly |date=March 26, 2023 |title=Past pollution a present concern for Riverdale plans |work=The Roanoke Times |pages=}}</ref> That company built a [[American Viscose Plant Historic District|plant]] in 1917 that by a decade later employed 5,000 and was reportedly the largest [[rayon]] producing mill in the world.{{r|White-1982|p=96}}
The Norfolk & Western was famous for manufacturing [[steam locomotive]]s in-house. It was N&W's [[Roanoke Shops]] that made the company known industry-wide for its excellence in steam power. The Roanoke Shops, with its workforce of thousands, is where the famed classes A, J, and Y6 locomotives were designed, built, and maintained. New steam locomotives were built there until 1953, long after [[diesel-electric locomotive|diesel-electric]] had emerged as the motive power of choice for most North American railroads. About 1960, N&W was the last major railroad in the United States to convert from steam to diesel power. When N&W converted to diesel power, 2,000 railroad workers were laid off.<ref>[http://www3.roanoke.com/roatimes/special_sections/southeast/day2_side.html] {{dead link|date=April 2017|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>


The city leased land for an airfield beginning in 1929.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=570}} Still, its development into the [[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport|region's primary airport]] did not begin until its designation as a defense project provided federal funding in 1940.{{r|White-1982|p=103}} That same year, N&W donated the fairground, Maher Field, to the city to build a stadium and [[Arsenal|armory]].{{r|White-1982|p=103}} [[Victory Stadium]] {{Endash}} optimistically named upon its completion in 1942<ref name=Colorful>{{Cite news |date=November 27, 1942 |title=Colorful Crowd Attends Dedication of Stadium |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref> {{Endash}} played host to the annual Thanksgiving Day [[American football|football]] game between [[Virginia Tech]] and [[Virginia Military Institute]] for years afterward.<ref name="Cox1">{{cite news |last=Cox |first=Ray |date=February 9, 2015 |title=Military Classic was Thanksgiving fare |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref>
The presence of the railroad also made Roanoke attractive to manufacturers. [[Avtex Fibers|American Viscose]] opened a large [[rayon]] plant in Southeast Roanoke in October 1917.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oldchesterpa.com/viscose.htm |title=American Viscose Corp., Marcus Hook, PA |website=OldChesterPa |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627044430/http://www.oldchesterpa.com/viscose.htm |archive-date=June 27, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This plant closed in 1958, leaving 5,000 workers unemployed.


By the mid-20th century, Roanoke was increasingly losing population and businesses to a Roanoke County that had become less rural and more [[Suburbanization|suburban]] in nature and consequently more resistant to annexation attempts by the city.{{r|White-1982|p=109}}{{r|Smith-1985}} 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.{{r|Smith-1985}} The county won immunity from further annexations in 1980, but by then, the city had grown from its original size of {{Convert|0.5|sqmi|km2|1}} to {{Convert|42.9|sqmi|km2|1}}.{{r|Smith-1985}}
==Geography==
[[File:Roanoke Star (wide view).jpg|right|thumb|The [[Roanoke Star]] is the origin of the city's nickname ''Star City of the South.''|205x205px]]In 1949, the local merchants association erected an {{Convert|88.5|ft||adj=mid|-tall}} [[Roanoke Star|illuminated star]] at the top of Mill Mountain in celebration of the upcoming Christmas shopping season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Star in Virginia's Blue Ridge |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/attractions/roanoke-star/ |access-date=June 12, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=June 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230612202756/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/attractions/roanoke-star/ |url-status=live}}</ref> 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".<ref name=Berrier1>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=November 23, 2014 |title=Our star turns 65 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> Despite the popularity boost for the merchants association, shopping habits in Roanoke were becoming more fractured as suburban [[shopping center]]s drew patrons away from an increasingly vacant downtown.<ref name=Valentine>{{cite news |author=The Roanoke Times Editorial Board |date=February 14, 2017 |title=A valentine for an astronaut |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5B}}</ref> Crossroads Mall, the first enclosed shopping center in Virginia,<ref name=Fabris1>{{cite news |last=Fabris |first=Casey |date=January 2, 2021 |title=Roanoke developer dies at 93 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> and Towers Mall, at the time one of the largest shopping centers in the state,<ref name=Firms>{{Cite news |date=October 8, 1961 |title=Two Firms Will Share Managing Duties |work=The Roanoke Times |page=58}}</ref> were each completed in 1961.<ref name=Valentine /> In later years, [[Tanglewood Mall]] (1973)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cockerham |first=Amy |date=April 7, 2023 |title=Roanoke County's Tanglewood Mall under new ownership |url=https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/07/roanoke-countys-tanglewood-mall-under-new-ownership/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=WSLS |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722003306/https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/07/roanoke-countys-tanglewood-mall-under-new-ownership/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Valley View Mall (Roanoke, Virginia)|Valley View Mall]] (1985)<ref name=Codispoti2>{{cite news |last=Codispoti |first=Amanda |date=September 8, 2013 |title=Changes under way at Valley View Mall |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref> contributed to Roanoke's status as the region's retail hub.<ref name=Codispoti1>{{cite news |last=Codispoti |first=Amanda |date=June 9, 2013 |title=Making the Star City the right fit |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref>
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|42.9|sqmi|1}}, of which {{convert|42.5|sqmi|1}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi|1}} (0.8%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=April 23, 2011|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>


Mid-century change to the city came in the form of a massive "[[urban renewal]]" effort that saw the construction of both the Roanoke Civic Center (now [[Berglund Center]]) as well as an [[Interstate 581|interstate spur]] into [[downtown Roanoke]].<ref name="Bishop" /> Much of the land for these projects was in Northeast Roanoke, a community of primarily African American citizens who had been largely [[Redlining|redlined]] from the rest of the city.<ref name=Chittum2>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=August 14, 2005 |title=When segregation ruled the streets |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> City officials gained the land through [[eminent domain]] and proceeded to clear over 1,000 buildings, often through widescale burning.<ref name="Bishop" /> 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.<ref name="Bishop" /><ref name=Adams1>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Mason |date=August 31, 2008 |title=Troubled legacy |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref><ref name=Campagna>{{cite news |last=Campagna |first=Mary E. |date=July 26, 2017 |title=Sale of Dumas is a stab wound to the heart |work=The Roanoke Times |page=9B}}</ref><ref name=Adams2>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Mason |date=August 8, 2008 |title=Residents argue for renewal program |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5B}}</ref>
Roanoke is located in the [[Ridge-and-valley Appalachians|valley and ridge province]] of Virginia immediately west of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] and east of the [[Allegheny Mountains]].


The second half of the 20th century ushered in a change of identity for Roanoke.<ref name="Lowe-1999">{{cite news |last=Lowe |first=Cody |date=November 7, 1999 |title=Our past 100 years |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref> In 1982, the N&W completed a merger with the [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]] to form the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]], which then relocated their headquarters from Roanoke to [[Norfolk, Virginia]].<ref name="Lowe-1999" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Railroad company Norfolk Southern is moving its headquarters from Norfolk to Atlanta |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2018/12/12/railroad-company-norfolk-southern-is-moving-its-headquarters-from-norfolk-to-atlanta/6672445007/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208044037/https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2018/12/12/railroad-company-norfolk-southern-is-moving-its-headquarters-from-norfolk-to-atlanta/6672445007/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The company closed their regional headquarters in Roanoke in 2015, and in 2020 shuttered the locomotive shops.<ref name=Era>{{cite news |date=May 18, 2020 |title=Editorial: End of an era for Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5A}}</ref><ref name=Sturgeon1>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=December 21, 2018 |title=Norfolk Southern to repay grant |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The railroad's departure and a string of manufacturing plant closures left a hole in the city's economic base.<ref name="Lowe-1999" />
Within the city limits is [[Mill Mountain Star|Mill Mountain]], which stands detached from surrounding ranges. Its summit features the Roanoke Star, Mill Mountain Zoo, the Discovery Center interpretive building, and an overlook of the [[Roanoke Valley]]. The [[Appalachian Trail]] runs through the northern section of [[Roanoke County]] several miles north of the city, while the [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] runs just to the south of the city. [[Carvins Cove Natural Reserve|Carvins Cove]], the second-largest municipal park in America at {{convert|12700|acre|km2|adj=on}}, lies in northeast [[Roanoke County]] and southwest [[Botetourt County]].<ref>[http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/ccpe_100LargestCityParks.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221758/http://www.tpl.org/content_documents/ccpe_100LargestCityParks.pdf|date=March 26, 2009}}</ref> [[Smith Mountain Lake]] is several miles southeast of the city. The [[Jefferson National Forest]] is nearby. Roanokers and visitors to the area enjoy hiking, mountain biking, cross-country running, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing and other outdoor pursuits.


In 1987, however, the merger of two of the area's largest hospitals created the forerunner of Carilion Clinic, a medical group that is the largest employer in the state west of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref name=Rife1 /> The group's partnerships with Virginia Tech and [[Radford University]] have created two colleges and a [[Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute|research facility]] in what was formerly an industrial [[Brownfield land|brownfield]] area, but has since been termed the city's "innovation corridor".<ref name=Rife2 /><ref name=Chittum3 /> 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,<ref name=Success>{{cite news |date=March 28, 2021 |title=Editorial: The valley's success story |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5B}}</ref><ref name=Decade>{{cite news |date=December 30, 2019 |title=A consequential decade |work=The Roanoke Times |page=50B}}</ref> and in 2020 Roanoke's population passed 100,000 for the first time since 1980.<ref name=Lessons>{{cite news |date=August 17, 2021 |title=Five lessons from the census |work=The Roanoke Times |page=7A}}</ref>
The city is located in the [[North Fork of Roanoke AVA|North Fork of Roanoke]] [[winemaking]] region. The "North Fork of Roanoke" [[appellation]] is a designated [[American Viticultural Area]], recognizing the unique grape growing conditions present in the area. [[Valhalla Vineyards]] is located just outside the city limits of Roanoke.


==Geography==
The [[Roanoke River]] flows through the city of Roanoke. Some stretches of the river flow through parks and natural settings, while others flow through industrial areas. Several [[tributaries]] join the river in the city, most notably Peters Creek, Tinker Creek and Mud Lick Creek.
[[File:Grayson Highlands is a park with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. (28393123321).jpg|alt=A photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains taken from an overlook|left|thumb|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] get their distinctive color from [[isoprene]] produced by the trees.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |title=Frequently Asked Questions - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/blri/faqs.htm |access-date=August 3, 2023 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en |archive-date=August 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803182740/https://www.nps.gov/blri/faqs.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
Roanoke is the largest city in Virginia west of [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]<ref name=Williamson>{{cite news |last=Williamson III |first=John B. |date=April 22, 2004 |title=Move Roanoke forward, not backward |work=The Roanoke Times |page=9B}}</ref> and is located in the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], a range which is part of the greater [[Appalachian Mountains]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/blri/learn/nature/mountains.htm |title=Mountains - Blue Ridge Parksway |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=January 14, 2021 |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|42.9|sqmi|1}}, of which {{convert|42.5|sqmi|1}} is land and {{convert|0.3|sqmi|1}} (0.8%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=April 23, 2011 |date=February 12, 2011 |title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990 |archive-date=August 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824085937/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |url-status=live}}</ref> It is located in the center of the greater Roanoke Valley and is bisected by the Roanoke River, which flows west-to-east through the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke River Greenway – Greenways |url=https://greenways.org/trails/roanoke-river-greenway/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=June 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621232252/https://greenways.org/trails/roanoke-river-greenway/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Within the city limits is Mill Mountain, a {{Convert|1700|ft||adj=mid|-tall}} mountain and 500-acre municipal park which stands detached from the surrounding ranges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mill Mountain Park (including Star Trail) |url=https://dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/sites/mill-mountain-park-including-star-trail/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=dwr.virginia.gov |language=en |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131065728/https://dwr.virginia.gov/vbwt/sites/mill-mountain-park-including-star-trail/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Roanoke's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it proximate to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife.<ref name=HollandR>{{cite news |last=Holland |first=Rebecca |date=August 21, 2014 |title=Naturefest |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> The area is home to at least 43 species of [[salamander]],<ref name=Chumney1>{{cite news |last=Chumney |first=Richard |date=August 27, 2018 |title=Annual NatureFest celebrates biodiversity at Peaks of Otter |work=The Roanoke Times |page=4C}}</ref> and the [[Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve]] in neighboring Roanoke County protects the world's largest collection of [[Buckleya distichophylla|piratebush]], an exceedingly rare [[parasitic plant]] endemic to the Appalachians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Poor Mountain Natural Area Preserve |url=https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/poormt |access-date=June 23, 2023 |website=www.dcr.virginia.gov |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623154527/https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/poormt |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Roanoke,VA from Mill Mountain Star.jpg|alt=A panorama of Roanoke from the Mill Mountain Star overlook with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.|middle|thumb|A panorama of Roanoke from the Mill Mountain Star overlook with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.]]

Roanoke is the largest city along both the [[Appalachian Trail]], which runs through Roanoke County just north of the city,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hiking the Appalachian Trail |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/appalachian-trail/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=June 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616133801/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/appalachian-trail/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Blue Ridge Parkway]], which runs just south of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Mountain Blue Ridge Parkway VA {{!}} Blue Ridge Parkway Overlooks |url=http://www.blueridgeparkwayoverlooks.com/blue-ridge-parkway-highlights-in-nc-va/blue-ridge-parkway-highlights-in-va/roanoke-mountain-blue-ridge-parkway-va/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |language=en |archive-date=July 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230722003304/http://www.blueridgeparkwayoverlooks.com/blue-ridge-parkway-highlights-in-nc-va/blue-ridge-parkway-highlights-in-va/roanoke-mountain-blue-ridge-parkway-va/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Carvins Cove Natural Reserve|Carvins Cove]], the third-largest municipal park in America at {{convert|12700|acre|km2|adj=off}}, lies in northeast Roanoke County and southwest [[Botetourt County]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 100 Largest City Parks in the US (Update for 2022) {{!}} Infoplease |url=https://www.infoplease.com/us/cities/100-largest-city-parks |access-date=June 8, 2023 |website=www.infoplease.com |language=en |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603162115/https://www.infoplease.com/us/cities/100-largest-city-parks |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Smith Mountain Lake]] is several miles southeast of the city,<ref>{{Cite web |title=» Smith Mountain Lake |url=https://roanokeoutside.com/water/lakes/smith-mountain-lake/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=roanokeoutside.com |archive-date=June 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608223357/https://roanokeoutside.com/water/lakes/smith-mountain-lake/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[George Washington and Jefferson National Forests]] are nearby.<ref>{{Cite web |title=George Washington & Jefferson National Forests - Virginia's Blue Ridge |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/george-washington-jefferson-national-forests/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529230726/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/george-washington-jefferson-national-forests/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Outdoor pursuits in the region include hiking, [[mountain biking]], cross-country running, canoeing, [[kayaking]], fly fishing, and [[disc golf]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Outdoor Adventures in Virginia's Blue Ridge |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507054301/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


===Neighborhoods===
===Neighborhoods===
{{Main|List of neighborhoods in Roanoke, Virginia}}
{{Main|List of neighborhoods in Roanoke, Virginia}}
[[File:Grandin Theatre, Roanoke, Virginia.jpg|alt=A nighttime photo of the exterior of the Grandin Theatre|thumb|The Grandin Theatre located in [[Grandin Road Commercial Historic District|Grandin Village]]]]
Within its boundaries, Roanoke is divided into 49 individually defined neighborhoods.
Roanoke is divided into 49 separate neighborhoods.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roanoke City Planning |date=June 23, 2023 |title=About Our City |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2841/About-Our-City?bidId= |format=PDF |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623202026/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2841/About-Our-City?bidId= |url-status=live}}</ref> The city has incorporated into its comprehensive plan the goal of developing these neighborhoods into "villages", each with their own [[Town centre|village center]], and with the [[Downtown Roanoke|Downtown]] neighborhood acting as the village center for the city as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roanoke City Planning |date=June 23, 2023 |title=Roanoke, Virginia Comprehensive Plan Vision 2001-2020 |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9716/Roanoke-Vision-2001-2020-Comprehensive-Plan |format=PDF |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623202021/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9716/Roanoke-Vision-2001-2020-Comprehensive-Plan |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Raleigh Court, Roanoke, Virginia|Raleigh Court]] neighborhood has been cited as a model for such development, consisting of a variety of residential settings located around [[Grandin Road Commercial Historic District|Grandin Village]], an active commercial hub anchored by the Grandin Theatre, the city's only surviving historic theater.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Planning Building and Economic Development |first=Roanoke City |date=May 21, 2007 |title=Greater Raleigh Court Neighborhood Plan |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1246/Raleigh-Court |format=PDF |access-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-date=June 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230623202022/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1246/Raleigh-Court |url-status=live}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historic Registers Archive |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |website=DHR |language=en-US |archive-date=May 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230513234129/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


===Climate===
===Climate===
Though located along the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] at elevations exceeding {{convert|900|ft|-1|abbr=on}}, Roanoke lies in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons; it is located in USDA [[hardiness zone]] 7b, with the suburbs falling in zone 7a.<ref>{{cite web |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |author=United States Department of Agriculture |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |access-date=February 19, 2015 |author-link=United States Department of Agriculture |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303152208/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |archive-date=March 3, 2015 }}</ref> Extremes in temperature have ranged from {{convert|105|°F}} as recently as August 21, 1983, down to {{convert|−12|°F|0}} on December 30, 1917, though neither {{convert|100|°F|0}} nor {{convert|0|°F|0}} is reached in most years; the most recent occurrence of each is [[Summer 2012 North American heat wave|July 8, 2012]] and February 20, 2015.<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]| access-date = July 1, 2021}}</ref> More typically, the area records an average of 6.1 days where the temperature stays at or below freezing and 30.5 days with {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs annually.<ref name = NOAA/><ref name = NCEI/> The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from {{convert|37.9|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|77.8|°F|1}} in July.<ref name = NOAA/><ref name= NCEI/>
Though located along the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations exceeding {{cvt|900|ft|-1}}, Roanoke lies in the [[humid subtropical climate]] zone ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Cfa''), with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 22, 2022 |title=Roanoke, Virginia |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/roanoke-virginia.html |access-date=June 26, 2023 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US |archive-date=June 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230626153934/https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/roanoke-virginia.html |url-status=live}}</ref> It is located in USDA [[hardiness zone]] 7b, with the suburbs falling in zone 7a.<ref>{{cite web |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |author=United States Department of Agriculture |publisher=[[United States National Arboretum]] |url=http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |access-date=February 19, 2015 |author-link=United States Department of Agriculture |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303152208/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hzm-ne1.html |archive-date=March 3, 2015}}</ref> Extremes in temperature have ranged from {{convert|105|°F}} (as recently as August 21, 1983) down to {{convert|−12|°F|0}} on December 30, 1917. However, neither {{convert|100|°F|0}} nor {{convert|0|°F|0}} are reached in most years; the most recent occurrence of each is July 20, 2020, and February 20, 2015, respectively.<ref name="NOAA">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk |title=NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=July 1, 2021 |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722235732/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=rnk |url-status=live}}</ref> More typically, the area records an average of 6.1 days where the temperature stays at or below freezing and 30.5 days with {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs annually.<ref name="NOAA" /><ref name="NCEI" /> The monthly mean temperature ranges from {{convert|37.9|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|77.8|°F|1}} in July.<ref name="NOAA" /><ref name="NCEI" />

Based on the 1991−2020 period, the city averages {{convert|14.8|in|cm|0}} of snow per winter.<ref name = NCEI/> Roanoke experienced something of a snow drought in the 2000s until [[North American blizzard of 2009|December 2009]] when {{convert|17|in|cm}} of snow fell on Roanoke in a single storm.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ballisty |first=Tim |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/winter-storm-aiming-for-mid-atlantic_2009-12-17 |title=Snow Totals Adding Up from Blizzard 2009 |website=weather.com |date=January 14, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611210750/http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/winter-storm-aiming-for-mid-atlantic_2009-12-17 |archive-date=June 11, 2013 }}</ref> Winter snowfall has ranged from trace amounts in 1918–19 and 1919–20 to {{convert|62.7|in|cm|0}} in 1959–60;<ref name = NOAA/> unofficially, the largest single storm dumped approximately three feet (0.9&nbsp;m) from December 16−18, 1890.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.roanoke.com/weather/columns_and_blogs/columns/weather_journal/snowstorm-one-of-biggest-events-in-roanoke-s-weather-history/article_afc97fd9-7dd2-55c3-8811-6378c3953087.html|title=1890 snowstorm one of biggest events in Roanoke's weather history|newspaper=www.roanoke.com|access-date=January 24, 2017}}</ref>


Based on the 1991−2020 period, the city averages {{convert|14.8|in|cm|0}} of snow per winter.<ref name="NCEI" /> Roanoke experienced a mild snow drought in the 2000s, which ended in December 2009 when {{convert|17|in|cm}} of snow fell on Roanoke in a [[December 2009 North American blizzard|single storm]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Ballisty |first=Tim |url=http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/winter-storm-aiming-for-mid-atlantic_2009-12-17 |title=Snow Totals Adding Up from Blizzard 2009 |website=weather.com |date=January 14, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130611210750/http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/winter-storm-aiming-for-mid-atlantic_2009-12-17 |archive-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> Winter snowfall has ranged from trace amounts in 1918–19 and 1919–20 to {{convert|62.7|in|cm|0}} in 1959–60;<ref name="NOAA" /> unofficially, the largest single storm dumped approximately three feet (0.9&nbsp;m) from December 16−18, 1890.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.roanoke.com/weather/columns_and_blogs/columns/weather_journal/snowstorm-one-of-biggest-events-in-roanoke-s-weather-history/article_afc97fd9-7dd2-55c3-8811-6378c3953087.html |title=1890 snowstorm one of biggest events in Roanoke's weather history |newspaper=www.roanoke.com |access-date=January 24, 2017 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126054050/https://roanoke.com/weather/columns_and_blogs/columns/weather_journal/snowstorm-one-of-biggest-events-in-roanoke-s-weather-history/article_afc97fd9-7dd2-55c3-8811-6378c3953087.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
Flooding is the primary weather-related hazard faced by Roanoke. Heavy rains, most frequently from remnants of a [[hurricane]], drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley. The most recent significant flood was in the fall of 2004, caused by the remains of [[Hurricane Ivan]]. The most severe<ref>[https://www.roanoke.com/weather/what-was-the-worst-hurricane-to-affect-southwest-virginia/article_bd8fff72-233c-11e4-9414-0017a43b2370.html "What was the worst hurricane to affect Southwest Virginia"], ''Roanoke.com'', November 4, 2015</ref> flooding in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when heavy storms from the remnants of [[Hurricane Juan (1985)|Hurricane Juan]] stalled over the area. Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley and others were saved by rescue personnel.


Historically, flooding has been the primary weather-related hazard faced by Roanoke.<ref name=Myatt1>{{cite news |last=Myatt |first=Kevin |date=September 24, 2014 |title=Last big Roanoke flood was decade ago |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3B}}</ref> Heavy rains, most frequently from the remnants of a [[hurricane]], drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley.<ref name=Myatt2>{{cite news |last=Myatt |first=Kevin |date=May 23, 2020 |title=It rained a long time, but not all that hard |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3A}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Myatt3>{{cite news |last=Myatt |first=Kevin |date=October 14, 2020 |title=Wettest year to date likely won't uproot 2018 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=Myatt4>{{cite news |last=Myatt |first=Kevin |date=January 2, 2019 |title=Soggy year sets high-water mark |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The [[1985 Election Day floods|most severe flooding]] in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when heavy storms from [[Hurricane Juan (1985)|Hurricane Juan]] stalled over the area.<ref name=Myatt5>{{Cite news |last=Myatt |first=Kevin |date=August 14, 2014 |title=What was the worst hurricane to affect Southwest Virginia? |work=The Roanoke Times |page= |url=https://roanoke.com/weather/what-was-the-worst-hurricane-to-affect-southwest-virginia/article_bd8fff72-233c-11e4-9414-0017a43b2370.html |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref> Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley and others were saved by rescue personnel.<ref name=Beagle1>{{cite news |last=Beagle |first=Ben |date=November 5, 1995 |title=When the waters killed - The flood of '85 lives on in the memories of those who survived |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1G}}</ref> That incident prompted a major flood reduction effort completed in 2012 by the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers|U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]], which has limited the damage caused by subsequent storms.<ref name=Chittum4>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=September 13, 2018 |title=Rains to test flood reduction plan |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>
Many residents complain that they are prone to allergies because of [[pollen]] from trees in the surrounding mountains. Most famously, the family of [[Wayne Newton]] moved from Roanoke to the dry climate of [[Phoenix, Arizona]], because of his childhood [[asthma]] and allergies.<ref>[http://waynenewton.com/biography2.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015195946/http://waynenewton.com/biography2.html|date=October 15, 2007}}</ref> However, there have not been clinical studies to establish that these conditions are more prevalent in Roanoke than in other cities with similar vegetation and climate.


{{Weather box
{{Weather box
|location = [[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport]], Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present)
| location = [[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport]], Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present)
|single line = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 81
| Jan record high F = 81
| Feb record high F = 84
| Feb record high F = 84
Line 302: Line 246:
| Dec record low F = −12
| Dec record low F = −12
| year record low F = -12
| year record low F = -12
|precipitation colour = green
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.17
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.17
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.89
| Feb precipitation inch = 2.89
Line 357: Line 301:
| Dec snow days = 1.3
| Dec snow days = 1.3
| year snow days = 7.1
| year snow days = 7.1
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA/><ref name = NCEI>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013741&format=pdf |title=Station: Roanoke RGNL AP, VA |work=U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date=July 1, 2021 |archive-date=November 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122213802/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013741&format=pdf |url-status=live}}</ref>
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA/><ref name = NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00013741&format=pdf
| title = Station: Roanoke RGNL AP, VA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = July 1, 2021}}</ref>
}}
}}


==Demographics==
==Demographics==
{{US Census population
{{US Census population
|1880= 669
| 1880 = 669
|1890= 16159
| 1890 = 16159
|1900= 21495
| 1900 = 21495
|1910= 34874
| 1910 = 34874
|1920= 50842
| 1920 = 50842
|1930= 69206
| 1930 = 69206
|1940= 69287
| 1940 = 69287
|1950= 91921
| 1950 = 91921
|1960= 97110
| 1960 = 97110
|1970= 92115
| 1970 = 92115
|1980= 100220
| 1980 = 100220
|1990= 96397
| 1990 = 96397
|2000= 94911
| 2000 = 94911
|2010= 97032
| 2010 = 97032
|2020= 100011
| 2020 = 100011
|align-fn=center
| align-fn = center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref><br />1790-1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> 1900-1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/va190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref><br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> 2010-2012<ref name="QF" />
| footnote = Sources: 1880{{endash}}1950<ref name="DecennialCensus"/><br />1960{{endash}}1980<ref>{{cite web |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078833822&seq=19 |title=Census of Population: 1980 |publisher=US Census Bureau |access-date=August 2, 2023 |archive-date=August 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230806025108/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015078833822&seq=19 |url-status=live}}</ref> <br />1990-2000<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 6, 2014 |archive-date=December 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}
}}
At the 2000 [[census]],<ref name="GR8">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> there were 94,911 people, 42,003 households and 24,235 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,213.2 per square mile (854.6/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 45,257 housing units at an average density of 1,055.3 per square mile (407.5/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 69.38% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 26.74% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.20% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.15% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.72% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.78% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.48% of the population.


===2020 census===
There were 42,003 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 16.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86.
At the 2020 [[census]], there were 100,011 people residing in 44,411 households in the city, 21,199 of which housed families. The population density was {{convert|2,352.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 55.94% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 27.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.21% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.46% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.52% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 5.26% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 8.48% of the population.<ref name="2020CensusP2"/>


22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.3 males.
Among the city's households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 30.4% were married couples living together, while 37.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. In total, 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.<ref name="2020CensusP2"/>


The [[median household income]] was $30,719 and the median family income was $37,826. Males had a median income of $28,465 and females $21,591. The per capita income was $18,468. About 12.9% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
According to the unofficial [[American Community Survey]], the [[median household income]] in Roanoke 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=S0601: Selected Characteristics of the Total and Native Populations of the United States - Roanoke city, Virginia |url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S0601?g=160XX00US5168000 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=December 20, 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Roanoke city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''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 may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Roanoke city, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=1600000US5168000&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Roanoke city, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US5168000&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Roanoke city, Virginia|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=1600000US5168000&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=February 25, 2024}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|65,256
|60,042
|style='background: #ffffe6; |55,951
|68.75%
|61.88%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |55.94%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|25,220
|27,256
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27,077
|26.57%
|28.09%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27.07%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|178
|198
|style='background: #ffffe6; |211
|0.19%
|0.20%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.21%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|1,088
|1,676
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,462
|1.15%
|1.73%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.46%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|21
|36
|style='background: #ffffe6; |42
|0.02%
|0.04%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.04%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|185
|199
|style='background: #ffffe6; |523
|0.19%
|0.21%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.52%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|1,558
|2,280
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,261
|1.64%
|2.35%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.26%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,405
|5,345
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,484
|1.48%
|5.51%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.48%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''94,911'''
|'''97,032'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100,011'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}


==Economy==
==Economy==
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2009}}
[[File:Grandin Road Commercial Historic District.jpg|thumb|right|[[Grandin Village]]]]
Roanoke's economy developed around the Norfolk and Western Railroad, with a strong emphasis on manufacturing. Roanoke's economic history also includes [[Sun Belt]] characteristics as it was once a center for the [[garment industry]]. Surrounding areas have relied on traditional industries of the rural South such as textiles and furniture manufacturing, which have lost jobs to [[offshore outsourcing]]. Despite Virginia's being a [[Right-to-work law|right to work]] state, [[Trade union|unions]] have traditionally represented workers at many large employers in the Roanoke area and southwest Virginia.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}


Roanoke was formerly the headquarters of [[Norfolk and Western Railway]] until its merger with the [[Southern Railway (US)|Southern Railway]] created the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] in 1982. [[Norfolk Southern]] continues to operate maintenance facilities and a rail yard in Roanoke but moved its marketing department out and closed its downtown office building in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/news/norfolk-southerntocloseroanokeofficebuildingrelocateemployees.html|title=Norfolk Southern to close Roanoke office building, relocate employees|website=Norfolk Southern|access-date=2019-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623193308/http://nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/news/norfolk-southerntocloseroanokeofficebuildingrelocateemployees.html|archive-date=June 23, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Wachovia Bank]], then known as First Union, acquired Roanoke-based Dominion Bank in 1993 and maintains an operations and customer service center in Roanoke. Other firms have been acquired by companies headquartered elsewhere, including such as Roanoke Electric Steel and architectural and engineering firm Hayes, Seay, Mattern and Mattern, (HSMM) which has been acquired by the multi-national conglomerate [[AECOM]]. Roanoke's rates of economic and population growth have been less than the state and national averages since the 1960s. The immediate Roanoke area has a low unemployment rate, but a [[brain drain]] of workers unable to find satisfactory employment and [[underemployment]] are sometimes cited as explanations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr2002/sept02/roanoke.shtml |title=No mountain retreat |website=Virginia Business Online |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071016160916/http://gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr2002/sept02/roanoke.shtml |archive-date = October 16, 2007}}</ref>
Roanoke's economy was long closely linked to its status as the headquarters for the [[Norfolk and Western Railway]].<ref name="Dotson">{{Cite book |last=Dotson |first=Rand |title=Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South |publisher=The University of Tennessee Press / Knoxville |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-57233-592-9 |pages=}}</ref> As time progressed, manufacturing and mining businesses contributed to the region's growth.<ref name=Sturgeon5>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=March 29, 2020 |title=Roanoke region will see sharp but short economic decline, economist predicts |work=The Roanoke Times |page=E}}</ref> After the N&W's merger with the [[Southern Railway (US)|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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/news/norfolk-southerntocloseroanokeofficebuildingrelocateemployees.html |title=Norfolk Southern to close Roanoke office building, relocate employees |website=Norfolk Southern |access-date=June 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190623193308/http://nscorp.com/content/nscorp/en/news/norfolk-southerntocloseroanokeofficebuildingrelocateemployees.html |archive-date=June 23, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=Era/> With Norfolk Southern's departure, Roanoke's economy has since the mid-1990s shifted to become dominated by the healthcare industry.<ref name=Sturgeon5 /> [[File:Carilion_Roanoke_Memorial_Hospital.jpg|thumb|[[Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital]] has been expanded many times since its opening in 1900.]]
{{As of|2023}} the city's top employer {{endash}} and the largest private employer west of Richmond<ref name=Rife1>{{cite news |last=Rife |first=Luanne |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Economists say Carilion adds $3.2B to Va.'s economy |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>{{endash}} is Carilion Clinic, which developed from the 1987 merger of two of the area's largest hospitals.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Piester |first=Rick |date=2013 |title=The History of Healthcare in the Roanoke Valley |url=https://issuu.com/ourhealthvirginia/docs/rnrv_historyiii2013 |magazine=Our Health |location=Salem, Virginia |publisher=McClintic Media, Inc. |access-date=December 20, 2023}}</ref> 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)<ref>{{Cite web |title=The First Ten Years |url=https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/content/medicine_vtc_vt_edu/en/about/history.html |access-date=May 8, 2023 |website=medicine.vtc.vt.edu |language=en |archive-date=May 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508192708/https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/content/medicine_vtc_vt_edu/en/about/history.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and Radford University (Radford University Carilion).<ref name=Rife2>{{cite news |last=Rife |first=Luanne |date=May 3, 2019 |title=Graduation marks college's evoltion: Jefferson College hosts final graduation before merger with Radford |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref><ref name=":16" /> The clinic's expansions have spurred considerable development in the former brownfields located south of Roanoke's downtown,<ref name=Rife3>{{cite news |last=Rife |first=Luanne |date=October 22, 2017 |title=The catalyst for innovation |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> turning the once-abandoned industrial sites into an area called the "innovation corridor" by the city.<ref name=Chittum3>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=August 30, 2019 |title=Mayor praises city's ethic of 'hard work' |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1D}}</ref>


Another driving factor in the region's economy has been a push during the 21st century to market the area's [[outdoor recreation]] potential.<ref name=Codispoti3>{{cite news |last=Codispoti |first=Amanda |date=March 25, 2012 |title=Marketing the great outdoors |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=» About |url=https://roanokeoutside.com/about/ |access-date=May 9, 2023 |website=roanokeoutside.com |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510154816/https://roanokeoutside.com/about/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The organization also puts on annual events such as the [[Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway|Blue Ridge Marathon]] and the GO Outside Festival.<ref name=Eshelman>{{cite news |last1=Eshelman |first1=Pete |last2=Marston |first2=Brett |date=June 12, 2021 |title=Ironman shows region's success |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2B}}</ref>
The City of Roanoke has created initiatives to address the brain drain of the region such as a database to match job seekers who wish to reside in the Roanoke area with employers looking for candidates. Additionally, a career and lifestyle fair has been held shortly after Christmas in recent years to show the professional and social opportunities in the area to those visiting family for the holidays.
Also, organizations of young professionals such as Valley Forward and Newva Connects have emerged.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}


Other areas of strength in the region's economy include manufacturing and retail, each comprising over ten percent of the valley's industry.<ref name="Roanoke Regional Partnership">{{Cite web |title=Leading Employers |url=https://roanoke.org/data/workforce/leading-employers/ |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=Roanoke Regional Partnership |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510205214/https://roanoke.org/data/workforce/leading-employers/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Transportation manufacturers such as [[Yokohama Rubber Company|Yokohama Tire]],<ref name=Petska1>{{cite news |last=Petska |first=Alicia |date=October 1, 2022 |title=Yokohama Tire union in Salem ratifies a new contract |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref> [[Volvo]],<ref name=Volvo>{{cite news |date=April 13, 2022 |title=Volvo plant builds more electric trucks |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1K}}</ref> [[Mack Trucks]],<ref name=Fabris2>{{cite news |last=Fabris |first=Casey |date=January 31, 2020 |title=Truck manufacturing plant coming to Roanoke County |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Metalsa,<ref name=Petska2>{{cite news |last=Petska |first=Alicia |date=October 23, 2022 |title=Manufacturer now zero-waste facility |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1C}}</ref> and Altec<ref name=Adams3>{{cite news |last=Adams |first=Duncan |date=June 19, 2014 |title=Altec expansion to add 200 jobs |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8A}}</ref> contribute to the thousands of people employed in that field regionally.<ref name="Roanoke Regional Partnership" /> [[Night-vision device]] makers [[Elbit Systems]]<ref name=Wall1>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=April 27, 2022 |title=Roanoke County plant to play key role in night vision innovation |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3E}}</ref> and the [[Optical fiber|fiber optics]] company [[Luna Innovations]]<ref name=Petska3>{{cite news |last=Petska |first=Alicia |date=April 10, 2022 |title=Business Intel: Luna Innovations |work=The Roanoke Times |page=4C}}</ref> are among the advanced manufacturers in the area.<ref name="Roanoke Regional Partnership" />
Roanoke's economy has areas of strength. The city is the health care and retail hub of a large area, driving the expansion of [[Carilion Clinic]] and [[Valley View Mall (Roanoke, Virginia)|Valley View Mall]]. [[Advance Auto Parts]] is headquartered in Roanoke and has expanded through the acquisition of other chains to become one of the largest auto parts retailers in the country. Norfolk Southern remains a major employer. [[FreightCar America]] hired several hundred persons to assemble rail cars in shops leased from Norfolk Southern and has closed a plant in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]] in part because of the lower costs for the Roanoke facility. Recently though, the company laid off its Roanoke employees and said it plans to temporarily close the plant.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glgroup.com/News/FreightCar-America-to-halt-production-at-its-second-shop-in-two-months-37595.html |title=FreightCar America to halt production at its second shop in two mont |website=GLG News |publisher=GLG Group |date=April 16, 2009 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525172928/http://www.glgroup.com/News/FreightCar-America-to-halt-production-at-its-second-shop-in-two-months-37595.html |archive-date=May 25, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The corporate offices of [[Virginia Transformer Corporation]] and utility company [[RGC Resources]] are situated in this city. [[General Electric]] and [[TMEIC]] manufacture large drive systems for electrical generation stations and factories at their joint facility in Salem. Elbit Systems of America manufactures [[night vision goggles]] at its plant in Roanoke County, and some of its former employees have started other firms such as [[Optical Cable Corporation]]. The proximity of automotive assembly plants in the South has attracted manufacturers including Dynax, Koyo, Metalsa and [[Yokohama Tire Company|Yokohama]], formerly Mohawk Tire. Roanoke's location allows for delivery within one day to most markets in the southeast, northeast, mid-atlantic, and [[Ohio Valley]], which has made it a distribution center for such companies as [[Orvis]], [[Elizabeth Arden]], and Hanover Direct. [[United Parcel Service]] (UPS) maintains a major facility at the Roanoke Regional Airport. While the city of Roanoke has lost population, suburbs in Roanoke County, southern Botetourt County, and areas of Bedford County and Franklin County near [[Smith Mountain Lake]] have grown.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}

[[Kroger]] operates its Mid-Atlantic regional offices at 3631 Peter's Creek Road NW in Roanoke.<ref>[http://www.kroger.com/company_information/careers/Pages/contact_us.aspx "Contact Us"], [[Kroger]]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422164703/http://www.kroger.com/company_information/careers/Pages/contact_us.aspx |date=April 22, 2009 }}. Retrieved on April 30, 2009.</ref>


===Top employers===
===Top employers===
According to Roanoke's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/4423DB667651C8E085257976006CA5EF/$File/cafr2011.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629033649/http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/vwContentByKey/4423DB667651C8E085257976006CA5EF/%24File/cafr2011.pdf|url-status=dead|title=City of Roanoke CAFR|archive-date=June 29, 2014}}</ref> the top employers in the city are:
According to Roanoke's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2023 |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19460/FY23-Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-ACFR |access-date=July 24, 2024 |website=roanokeva.gov |publisher=City of Roanoke |archive-date=July 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724154000/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19460/FY23-Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-ACFR |url-status=live}}</ref> the top employers in the city are:


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
Line 426: Line 442:
|-
|-
|3
|3
| Carilion Services
| City of Roanoke
| 1,000+
| 1,000+
|-
|-
|4
|4
| City of Roanoke
| Carilion Professional Service
| 500 to 999
| 1,000+
|-
|-
|5
|5
Line 438: Line 454:
|-
|-
|6
|6
| [[Walmart]]
| Healthmarc
| 500 to 999
| 250 to 499
|-
|-
|7
|7
| [[United States Postal Service]]
| [[Walmart]]
| 500 to 999
| 250 to 499
|-
|-
|8
|8
| [[Virginia Western Community College]]
| [[Virginia Transformer Corporation]]
| 500 to 999
| 250 to 499
|-
|-
|9
|9
| [[YMCA]]
| [[Anthem (company)|Anthem]], member of [[Blue Cross Blue Shield Association]]
| 500 to 999
| 250 to 499
|-
|-
|10
|10
| [[Elevance Health|Anthem]], member of [[Blue Cross Blue Shield Association]]
| [[United States Postal Service]]
| 500 to 999
| 250 to 499
|}
|}


==Arts and culture==
==Arts and culture==
Serving as a hub for arts and culture in Southwest Virginia, 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.<ref name=Allen1>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=July 12, 2019 |title=Arts & Extras: Building a frame for Roanoke's arts programs |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref><ref name=Trinkle>{{cite news |date=February 12, 2016 |title=Trinkle supports the arts |work=The Roanoke Times |page=7B}}</ref><ref name=Morrill1>{{cite news |last=Morrill |first=Chris |date=April 8, 2012 |title=A vibrant city evolves purposefully |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref>
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2022}}
EventZone was created in 2003 by the merger of various existing event organizers. EventZone is charged with assisting in the creation of new festivals and activities in the downtown Roanoke "event zone," defined as bounded by Williamson Road, 6th Street, SW, the Roanoke Civic Center and Rivers Edge Park.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eventzone.org/|title=Eventzone homepage|website=eventzone.org|access-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Roanoke_Local_Colors_Festival_with_Kenya_Represented_in_Photo.jpg|thumb|Parade of Nations at the Local Colors Festival]]

Roanoke's festivals and cultural events include the Chili Cook-Off,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://roanoke.com/news/annual-chili-cook-off-turns-up-the-heat/article_984db8ea-f9a6-11e3-840d-0017a43b2370.amp.html|title=Annual Chili cook-off turns up the heat|last=McCallum|first=Annie|date=June 21, 2014|website=[[The Roanoke Times]]|access-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref> Festival in the Park, Local Colors Festival,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://localcolors.org|title=Local Colors of Western Virginia|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://roanoke.com/entertainment/arts-extras-a-taste-of-southwest-virginias-local-colors-returns-to-roanoke/article_4475099a-adf8-11eb-87f8-270950df7a8a.html|title=Arts & Extras: A taste of Southwest Virginia's Local Colors returns to Roanoke|last=Allen|first=Mike|date=May 21, 2021|website=[[The Roanoke Times]]|access-date=January 26, 2022}}</ref> Henry Street Festival, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Big Lick Blues Festival, Strawberry Festival, and the large red, white, and blue illuminated [[Mill Mountain Star]] (formerly illuminated in red following drunk driving fatalities in the Roanoke Valley; temporarily illuminated in white on April 22, 2007, in remembrance of the [[Virginia Tech Massacre]] of April 16, 2007) on Mill Mountain, which is visible from many points in the city and surrounding valley.


===Museums===
===Museums===
[[File:Taubman Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|The [[Taubman Museum of Art]]|alt=An exterior photo of the underside of a museum building balcony]]
Center in the Square was opened in downtown Roanoke on December 9, 1983, near the city market as part of the city's downtown revitalization effort. The Center, a converted warehouse, houses the History Museum of Western Virginia, which contains exhibits and artifacts related to the area's history and has a library of materials available to scholars and the public. The Center also houses the [[Science Museum of Western Virginia]] and the Hopkins [[Planetarium]]. The Science Museum maintains a permanent installation of [[neon sign]] art featuring the work of local Mark Jamison, the subject of [[Slash Coleman]]'s [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] special "The Neon Man and Me".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Amacker|first=Walt|date=16 November 2008|title='Neon Man and Me' to air on television|work=Knight-Rider/Tribune Business News|url-status=live}}</ref>
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.<ref name=Allen2>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=January 19, 2008 |title=Center of attention |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="Square">{{Cite web |last=Square |first=Center in the |title=Center in the Square |url=https://centerinthesquare.org/our-story |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=Center in the Square |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510225608/https://centerinthesquare.org/our-story |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Square" />
[[File:Taubman Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|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.<ref name=Kittredge1 /> The move was made with the help of a $15.2 million donation from [[Nicholas F. Taubman|Nicholas and Jenny Taubman]], whose family had established [[Advance Auto Parts]] in Roanoke in the 1930s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Advance Auto Parts, Inc. - Our Story |url=https://corp.advanceautoparts.com/our-story/default.aspx#history |access-date=May 10, 2023 |website=corp.advanceautoparts.com |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510233257/https://corp.advanceautoparts.com/our-story/default.aspx#history |url-status=live}}</ref> As a result, the museum was renamed the [[Taubman Museum of Art]].<ref name=Kittredge2>{{cite news |last=Kittredge |first=Kevin |date=February 7, 2008 |title=New art museum to carry Taubman name |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> The [[art museum]] features 19th and 20th century American art, contemporary and modern art, decorative arts, and works on paper.<ref name=Taubman>{{cite news |date=October 7, 2022 |title=Editorial: New art show brings choice masterworks to Southwest Virginia |work=The Roanoke Times |page=7A}}</ref> The {{convert|75000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility was designed by Los Angeles-based architect [[Randall Stout]], who earlier in his career worked under [[Frank Gehry]].<ref name=Kittredge1>{{cite news |last=Kittredge |first=Kevin |date=November 2, 2008 |title=Could art museum prompt a downtown transformation? |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Though the building's [[avant-garde]] design was controversial,<ref name=Schultz1>{{cite news |last=Schultz |first=Robert |date=July 20, 2008 |title=Inside the art museum |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Podger |first1=Pamela J. |title=With Bold Museum, a Virginia City Aims for Visibility |id={{ProQuest|433734189}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/us/29roanoke.html |work=The New York Times |date=December 29, 2007 |access-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-date=May 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520155401/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/29/us/29roanoke.html |url-status=live}}</ref> it has since won international praise for its architecture.<ref name=Allen3>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=October 15, 2009 |title=Architect wins award for Taubman |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8A}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Heilman |first=Christian |date=August 28, 2018 |title=Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke named best designed museum in Virginia |url=https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Taubman-Museum-of-Art-in-Roanoke-named-best-designed-museum-in-Virginia-491926781.html |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=WDBJ7 |language=en |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518152718/https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Taubman-Museum-of-Art-in-Roanoke-named-best-designed-museum-in-Virginia-491926781.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
Formerly housed in Center in the Square, the [[Taubman Museum of Art]] has now vacated the Center and opened a new facility at 110 Salem Avenue SE. 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. The new {{convert|75000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility was designed by Los Angeles-based architect Randall Stout, who earlier in his career worked under [[Frank Gehry]]. The new space opened on November 8, 2008. The facility's design sparked debate in the community between those who feel it is a bold, refreshing addition to Roanoke and those who feel its unusual, irregular design featuring sharp angles contrasts too strongly with the existing buildings. Some are also concerned about the facility's cost at a time when many Roanoke area artistic organizations face financial challenges. The Taubman Family, which established [[Advance Auto Parts]] contributed $15.2 million to the project. As a result, the museum was renamed The Taubman Museum of Art.


[[File:Outside the Virginia Museum of Transportation, Roanoke, Virginia (49461012956).jpg|left|thumb|[[PGM-19 Jupiter|Jupiter Rocket]] outside the [[Virginia Museum of Transportation]]|alt=An exterior photo of an upright rocket standing outside of a brick building]]
The [[Virginia Museum of Transportation]] houses many locomotives that were built in Roanoke, including the [[Norfolk and Western 611|Norfolk and Western J class#611]] and [[Norfolk & Western 1218]] steam engines, and other locomotives and [[rolling stock]]. The museum also houses exhibits covering aviation, automobiles and [[buses]].
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 [[Norfolk & Western 1218|1218]] and [[Norfolk and Western 611|611]] steam engines.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Kenneth |title=Norfolk and Western Class J: The Finest Steam Passenger Locomotive |publisher=Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-615-11664-8}}</ref><ref name=Allen4>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=June 14, 2019 |title=New transportation museum director trades cowboy hat for engineer's cap |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> A 2013 fundraising campaign led to the engine's refurbishment,<ref name=Allen5>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=April 1, 2014 |title=Historic engine 611 to get its old steam back |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> and it now does tourist excursion runs when not home at the museum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VMT - Norfolk & Western J Class #611 |url=https://www.vmt.org/attractions/611 |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=www.vmt.org |language=en |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610063908/https://www.vmt.org/attractions/611 |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition to its rail exhibits, the museum also displays a [[United States Army|US Army]] [[PGM-19 Jupiter|Jupiter rocket]]<ref name=Jackson1>{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Todd |date=December 19, 1998 |title=Ex-Wasena Park rocket to land downtown |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> and houses exhibits covering [[aviation]] as well as [[Car|automobiles]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Virginia Museum of Transportation |url=https://www.vmt.org/about |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=www.vmt.org |language=en |archive-date=May 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511152926/https://www.vmt.org/about |url-status=live}}</ref> The museum is located in the former Norfolk and Western [[Transport hub|freight depot]] which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="NatRegFreight">{{cite web |author=Henry, Geoffrey B. |date=April 2012 |title=Norfolk & Western Railway Freight Station Final Nomination |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-6162_Norfolk-Western_Railway_Freight_Station_2012_NRHP_FINAL.pdf |access-date=December 20, 2023 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref>


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.<ref name=Koomen1>{{cite news |last=Koomen |first=Christina |date=March 21, 2023 |title=The Art of Place features railroad line, local artists |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> Originally built in 1905, the station underwent a 1949 renovation in the [[Moderne architecture|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.<ref name="NatRegHD">{{cite web |last1=Harnesberger |first1=Douglas J. |last2=Kraus |first2=Nancy |date=July 1998 |title=Norfolk & Western Railway Company Historic District Final Nomination |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-5432_N&W_Railroad_HD_1999_Final_Nomination.pdf |access-date=December 21, 2023 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref>
Roanoke's landmark former passenger rail station hosts the [[O. Winston Link Museum]] dedicated to the late steam-era railroad photography of [[O. Winston Link]] since 2004.

The Harrison Museum of African-American Culture is dedicated to the history and culture of Roanoke's African-American community and is currently located at a former school in the Gainsboro section of Roanoke. Gainsboro, originally Gainesborough for founder Major Kemp Gaines, was originally a separate community that petitioned for township status in 1835.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/CurrentBaseLink/N25YVLRL466FGUREN |title=Gainsboro Neighborhood Plan |website=Roanokeva.gov |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703131644/http://www.roanokeva.gov/85256A8D0062AF37/CurrentBaseLink/N25YVLRL466FGUREN |archive-date=July 3, 2009 }}<br />- {{cite web |url=http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-1113103-100724/unrestricted/Dotson_Jr_dis.pdf |title="MAGIC CITY" CLASS, COMMUNITY, AND REFORM IN ROANOKE, VIRGINIA, 1882–1912 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325033642/http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-1113103-100724/unrestricted/Dotson_Jr_dis.pdf |archive-date=March 25, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Harrison Museum will move to Center in the Square after the Center's remodeling is completed.


===Arts===
===Arts===
The Berglund Performing Arts Theatre is a 2,150-seat venue within the larger Berglund Center complex.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://berglundcenter.live/about/about-us |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Berglund Center |language=en |archive-date=July 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716005708/https://berglundcenter.live/about/about-us |url-status=live}}</ref> It regularly hosts concerts,<ref name=Dickens1>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=January 11, 2023 |title=Old Crow Medicine Show returns to Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3A}}</ref><ref name=Dickens2>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=May 27, 2021 |title=From the lips of the Berglund: Hinder returning to Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref> touring Broadway theatre performances,<ref name=Helms-Beckner>{{cite news |last=Helms-Beckner |first=Alexis |date=April 11, 2022 |title=Out & About: 'Cats' at Berglund theater |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref><ref name=Allen6>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=May 19, 2019 |title=Cornershot: Broadway in Roanoke unveils 2019-20 performance season |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> stand-up comedy shows,<ref name=Dickens3>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=July 7, 2022 |title=Brian Regan, Scythian, Paul thorn, 4848 Fest Top Tickets |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref><ref name=Comedy>{{cite news |date=July 19, 2022 |title=Comedy double-bill set for Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> and the [[Miss Virginia]] pageant.<ref name=Mouketo1>{{cite news |last=Mouketo |first=Julia |date=June 27, 2022 |title=Ashburn woman wins Miss Virginia crown |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref><ref name=MissVa>{{cite news |date=June 24, 2017 |title=Miss Virginia names more preliminary winners |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref> The city's first permanent artwork funded by the Percent for Art ordinance {{endash}} a law stating that the city must set aside 1% of its capital improvements budget for the purchasing of [[public art]]<ref name=Allen1/> {{endash}} stands before the theater. Dedicated in 2008 to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary,<ref>{{Cite web |title=In My Hands |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/gallery.aspx?PID=183 |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=Roanoke, VA |language=en |archive-date=May 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511192637/https://www.roanokeva.gov/gallery.aspx?PID=183 |url-status=live}}</ref> the {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands", is one of over 160 public works of art in Roanoke.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Arts Commission |url=https://roanokearts.org/ |access-date=August 8, 2023 |website=Roanoke Arts Commission |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810225227/https://roanokearts.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2022}}
[[File:Jefferson Center in Roanoke Virginia.jpg|thumb|The Jefferson Center as it appeared in 2023. The [[Tudor Revival architecture|Tudor Revival]] building opened as Jefferson High School in 1924.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jefferson Center - Roanoke's Premier Performing Arts and Cultural Center |url=https://www.jeffcenter.org/about |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=www.jeffcenter.org |language=en |archive-date=August 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230830165245/https://www.jeffcenter.org/about |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
[[Berglund Center]] auditorium and theatre, now known as the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre, has hosted concerts, touring Broadway theatre performances, and the Miss Virginia pageant. The city's first permanent artwork funded by the Percent for Art ordinance stands before the theater. Dedicated in 2008, the {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands", is one of more than 100 works in the city's public art catalogue.
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.<ref name=Kittredge3>{{cite news |last=Kittredge |first=Kevin |date=April 29, 2001 |title=Curtain up! |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Jefferson Center - Roanoke's Premier Performing Arts and Cultural Center |url=https://www.jeffcenter.org/facilities |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=www.jeffcenter.org |language=en |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512150646/https://www.jeffcenter.org/facilities |url-status=live}}</ref>


In 2006, the former Dumas Hotel was reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development.<ref name=Hutkin1>{{cite news |last=Hutkin |first=Erinn |date=November 5, 2006 |title=Music revives Dumas |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> 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 Historic District|Gainsboro]] neighborhood razed or relocated.<ref name="Bishop">{{Cite news |last=Bishop |first=Mary |date=January 29, 1995 |title=Urban Renewal's Untold Stories |at=Special Section |work=The Roanoke Times & World News |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1532/Street-by-Street-Block-by-Block |access-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512154755/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1532/Street-by-Street-Block-by-Block |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fullilove |first=Mindy Thompson |title=Root Shock: how tearing up city neighborhoods hurts America, and what we can do about it |publisher=One World/Ballantine Books |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-345-45422-5}}</ref> The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests as [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Ethel Waters]], [[Count Basie]], [[Duke Ellington]] and [[Nat King Cole]] when they performed in Roanoke.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lewis |first=Annette |date=May 1, 2017 |title=Why Sell The Dumas, A Valuable Piece Of History |url=https://tapintohope.org/2017/05/01/why-sell-the-dumas-a-valuable-piece-of-history/ |access-date=May 11, 2023 |website=TAP |language=en-US |archive-date=May 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230511183733/https://tapintohope.org/2017/05/01/why-sell-the-dumas-a-valuable-piece-of-history/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The renovated Dumas Center features an auditorium with more than 200 seats,<ref name=Hutkin1 /> and the building is a contributing structure to the [[Henry Street Historic District]], listed in 2004 to the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name="NatRegHenry">{{cite web |author=Blanton, Alison |date=June 2004 |title=Henry Street Historic District Final Nomination |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-5764_Henry_Street_HD_2004_Final_Nomination.pdf |access-date=December 21, 2023 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref>
The Shaftman Performance Hall, which opened in May 2001 and is located at the Jefferson Center, hosts a concerts, performances, entertainment events, and lectures. The Jefferson Center&mdash;formerly Jefferson High School&mdash;also houses offices and display spaces for cultural organizations.


Since 1964, the Roanoke Valley has hosted performances by the Mill Mountain Theatre, a [[Regional theater in the United States|regional theatre]] that has been located in Center in the Square since its original home atop Mill Mountain burned down in 1976.<ref name=Kittredge4>{{cite news |last=Kittredge |first=Kevin |date=April 16, 2010 |title=Mona Black was life of Mill Mountain Theatre |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A0}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Allen7>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=October 17, 2018 |title=Mill Mountain Theatre announces 2019 season |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref>
In 2006, the former Dumas Hotel was reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development. The hotel is located on a segment of First Street NW commonly known as Henry Street. Located across the railroad tracks from the center of downtown Roanoke, Henry Street served as the commercial and cultural center of Roanoke's African American community prior to [[desegregation]]. The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests as [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Ethel Waters]], [[Count Basie]], [[Duke Ellington]] and [[Nat King Cole]] when they performed in Roanoke. The renovated Dumas Center houses an auditorium with more than 180 seats, the Downtown Music Lab: a recording studio and music education center for teens, the Dumas Drama Guild and the offices of Opera Roanoke.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}


Roanoke has been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre since 1951,<ref name=Allen8>{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=June 26, 2020 |title=Showtimers to explore new ways to reach out after canceling 70th season |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref> and since 2008, the Virginia Children's Theatre has presented shows aimed at a younger audience, often based on children's literature.<ref name=Allen9>P{{cite news |last=Allen |first=Mike |date=August 18, 2019 |title=Roanoke Children's Theatre opens new chapter |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Allen9 />
====Virginia's Theater City====
[[Roanoke Children's Theatre]] is Roanoke's professional children's theatre. It can be found within the new [[Taubman Museum of Art]] in downtown Roanoke. The theatre delivers four shows a year that are geared towards a family audience. The theatre extends their programming in various arts outreach programs throughout the valley and surrounding areas.


[[Opera Roanoke]] is Southwest Virginia's only professional opera company, established in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society.<ref name=Opera>{{cite news |date=October 28, 2021 |title=Opera Roanoke scores a US premiere |work=The Roanoke Times |page=6A}}</ref> It has performed under its current name since 1991, and its official orchestra since 2004 has been the [[Roanoke Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Opera Roanoke |url=https://www.virginia.org/listing/opera-roanoke/15208/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=www.virginia.org |language=en-us |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512190559/https://www.virginia.org/listing/opera-roanoke/15208/ |url-status=live}}</ref> That group was established in 1953.<ref name="Staplefoote-2018">{{Cite web |last=Staplefoote |first=Liz |date=September 4, 2018 |title=Roanoke Has a Lot to Celebrate |url=https://theroanoker.com/enwiki/api/content/d8d1ba9c-abcc-11e8-9d62-120bd63a0354/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=TheRoanoker.com |language=en-us |archive-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218213309/https://theroanoker.com/magazine/features/roanoke-has-a-lot-to-celebrate/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The orchestra performs out of the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre, Salem Civic Center, and Shaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Venues & Locations |url=https://rso.com/venues-locations/ |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=Roanoke Symphony Orchestra |language=en-US |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512183801/https://rso.com/venues-locations/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Mill Mountain Theatre]], a [[Regional theater in the United States|regional theatre]], is located on the first floor of Center in the Square. As the name implies, the theatre was originally located on Mill Mountain from 1964 until 1976 when its original facility was destroyed by fire. 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.


===Points of interest===
The Grandin Theatre in the [[Grandin Village]] of Southwest Roanoke regularly screens art house films, family features, and mainstream movies. The Grandin Theatre was the home of Mill Mountain Theatre from 1976 until 1983.
Roanoke is the largest metropolitan area on the Blue Ridge Parkway,<ref>{{Cite web |location=Asheville |publisher=Blue Ridge Parkway Association |title=Roanoke Valley Area |url=https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/communities/roanoke-valley-area/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=Blue Ridge Parkway |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191009/https://www.blueridgeparkway.org/communities/roanoke-valley-area/ |url-status=live}}</ref> a 469-mile-long scenic road that is the most-visited element of the [[National Park Service|National Park System]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/blue-ridge-parkway/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191010/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/blue-ridge-parkway/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Mill Mountain Parkway exit off of the Blue Ridge Parkway leads to the Roanoke Star, an {{Convert|88.5|ft||adj=mid|-tall}} illuminated star sitting atop a mountain inside the city's limits.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dashiell |first=Joe |date=May 10, 2023 |title=Roanoke considers restoration or replacement of Mill Mountain Star |url=https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/05/10/roanoke-considers-restoration-or-replacement-mill-mountain-star/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=WDBJ7 |language=en |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191010/https://www.wdbj7.com/2023/05/10/roanoke-considers-restoration-or-replacement-mill-mountain-star/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Also on the mountain's summit is Mill Mountain Zoo, a [[Zoological Association of America]]-accredited facility housing over 170 animals.<ref name=Berrier2>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=March 15, 2019 |title=Mill Mountain Zoo earns accreditation from national zoo association |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3B}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mill Mountain Zoo {{!}} Roanoke, VA 24014 |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/listings/mill-mountain-zoo/5600/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191008/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/listings/mill-mountain-zoo/5600/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Texas Tavern in downtown Roanoke, Virginia.jpg|alt=A photo of the Texas Tavern restaurant at night|left|thumb|The [[Texas Tavern]] has changed little since its establishment in 1930.]]
The [[Basilica of St. Andrew (Roanoke, Virginia)|Basilica of St. Andrew]] rests on a hill overlooking downtown and has been called "one of Virginia's foremost examples of the High Victorian Gothic".<ref name="NatRegAndrews">{{cite web |author=Weidman, Gregory |date=May 1972 |title=St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church Final Nomination |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-0030_Saint_Andrew's_Roman_Catholic_Church_1973_Final_Nomination.pdf |access-date=December 21, 2023 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref> The church dates to 1900, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1973.<ref name="NatRegAndrews"/> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=128-0025 Hotel Roanoke |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-0025/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.dhr.virginia.gov |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516192510/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-0025/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Nicknamed the "Grand Old Lady",<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Our Southwest Virginia Hotel {{!}} Historic Downtown Hotel Roanoke |url=https://www.hotelroanoke.com/southwest_va_hotel/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.hotelroanoke.com |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191009/https://www.hotelroanoke.com/southwest_va_hotel/ |url-status=live}}</ref> the hotel was listed on the NRHP in 1995.<ref name="NatRegHotel">{{cite web |last1=Giles |first1=Leslie A. |last2=Kern |first2=John R. |date=September 1995 |title=Hotel Roanoke Final Nomination |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/128-0025_Hotel_Roanoke_1996_Final_Nomination.pdf |access-date=December 21, 2023 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of the Market {{!}} Farmer's Market {{!}} Explore {{!}} Downtown Roanoke |url=https://www.downtownroanoke.org/explore/farmers-market/history-of-the-market |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.downtownroanoke.org |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191009/https://www.downtownroanoke.org/explore/farmers-market/history-of-the-market |url-status=live}}</ref> Near the terminus of the market is [[Fire Station No. 1 (Roanoke, Virginia)|Fire Station No. 1]], which for a time was the oldest continuously operating station in the state.<ref name=Struzzi1>{{cite news |last=Struzzi |first=Diane |date=June 16, 1994 |title=Things look up for firehouse |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1C}}</ref> The [[Georgian architecture|Georgian Revival]] structure was listed on the NRHP in 1973,<ref>{{Cite web |title=128-0033 Fire Station No. 1 |url=https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-0033/ |access-date=May 15, 2023 |website=www.dhr.virginia.gov |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516191009/https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/128-0033/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and currently houses a local furniture showroom, restaurant, and [[boutique hotel]].<ref name=Petska4>{{cite news |last=Petska |first=Alicia |date=September 24, 2022 |title=First Station No. 1, downtown Roanoke historic landmark, has new calling |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Two blocks west on the same street is [[Texas Tavern]], an "iconic"<ref name=Berrier3>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=November 12, 2020 |title=Texas Tavern sign auction raised $5,085 for Tudor House |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=Friedenberger1>{{cite news |last=Friedenberger |first=Amy |date=October 8, 2015 |title=Roanoke Valley aids flood victims in S.C. |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> ten-seat [[greasy spoon]] restaurant that the same family has operated since its establishment in 1930.<ref name=Nair1>{{cite news |last=Nair |first=Lindsey |date=June 4, 2008 |title=The best of Burger Nation |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1}}</ref>
Virginia Western Theatre has performances in Whitman Auditorium at [[Virginia Western Community College]], and has been performing original and well known theatrical productions since 1968.


===Festivals===
Roanoke has also been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.showtimers.org/history/|title=Showtimers Community Theatre - History|date=October 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003013740/https://www.showtimers.org/history/|archive-date=October 3, 2018}}</ref> since 1951. Showtimers was formed in the summer of 1950, by a group of people who wanted to present a summer season of amateur productions. Over the years, Showtimers has produced over 300 different shows, from standard, classic theatre pieces to the modern and avant-garde; from comedies designed solely to entertain to serious 'think pieces' on social issues; from small, intimate musicals to large shows made famous on Broadway. Showtimers presents six shows per year.
[[File:Roanoke_Local_Colors_Festival_with_Kenya_Represented_in_Photo.jpg|thumb|Parade of Nations at the Local Colors Festival]]
Roanoke features several annual festivals and events of various types. A parade for [[Saint Patrick's Day|St. Patrick's Day]] occurs every March,<ref name=Sampson1>{{cite news |last=Sampson |first=Anne |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Hooves o' the Irish: Budweiser Clydesdales to march in St. Patrick's Day Parade |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2T}}</ref> and Pride in the Park is an [[LGBT|LGBTQ+]] community celebration that draws thousands of visitors every April.<ref name=Sturgeon6>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=April 15, 2018 |title=Thousands show Pride, colors at spring festival |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1C}}</ref> Several events occur in May, including the Local Colors festival celebrating the cultures of the area's diverse ethnicities,<ref name=Weir1>{{cite news |last=Weir |first=Luke |date=May 22, 2022 |title=Flags, food downtown for Local Colors Festival |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> the city's Strawberry Festival,<ref name=Strawberry>{{cite news |date=May 3, 2018 |title=Standouts include Strawberry Festival, Great Strides fundraiser |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1D}}</ref> the Down by Downtown music festival which coincides with the Blue Ridge Marathon,<ref name=Dickens4>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=April 7, 2019 |title=Down by Downtown, Blue Ridge Marathon celebrate 10 years next week |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> and Memorial Day weekend's Festival in the Park, which brings music and vendors to downtown Elmwood Park.<ref name=Dickens5>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=April 28, 2023 |title=For boomers about to rock: Festival in the Park goes the all-tribute route for '23 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref>


Later in the year, Elmwood Park hosts the Henry Street Heritage Festival, the primary fundraiser for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.<ref name=Mouketo2>{{cite news |last=Mouketo |first=Julia |date=September 16, 2022 |title=Henry Street Festival returns to Elmwood in full force |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> The event's popularity necessitated the move from its eponymous location.<ref name=Mouketo2 /> 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,<ref name=Wall2>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=September 21, 2021 |title=GO Fest ready to rock, roll at new downtown location |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> 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 [[Carriage|horse-drawn carriage]] rides through downtown.<ref name=Berrier4>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=December 3, 2021 |title=Dickens of a Christmas returning to downtown |work=The Roanoke Times |page=10B}}</ref>
The [[Star City Playhouse]] is well known in Roanoke. "The owners have over 50 years of combined experience working in and around theater on Broadway in New York and maintain an impressive array of costumes and extensive set pieces that have been donated over the years through Marlow's contacts from New York."<ref>[http://theroanokestar.com/2016/12/20/star-city-playhouse-making-move-to-vinton/ "Star City Playhouse Making Move To Vinton"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223061711/http://theroanokestar.com/2016/12/20/star-city-playhouse-making-move-to-vinton/ |date=December 23, 2016 }}, ''[[Roanoke Star]]'', December 20, 2016.</ref>

====Music====
[[Opera Roanoke]] was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society, Opera Roanoke has collaborated with the finest talent in our region, across the state and from cultural centers around the nation. Under the direction of Victoria Bond, Craig Fields, Steven White and Scott Williamson, Opera Roanoke has maintained a reputation for presenting outstanding productions featuring some of the finest singers in the opera world. Metropolitan Opera stars Eleanor Steber and Irene Dalis were among the company's earliest artistic advisors. Although they did not perform, they mentored many young artists in the company's fledgling years as a community organization.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

The [[Roanoke Symphony Orchestra]] (RSO) was established in 1952. It has special youth and student activities. The Roanoke Youth Symphony has three ensembles: The Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra (RYSO); the String Ensemble and the Flute Ensemble. The Roanoke Symphony Chorus was established in 1999 under the direction of Dr. John Hugo. There was a previous organization called the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, mentioned in the ''Roanoke Times'' in February 1942: "Something unique in theatrical circles of the nation is the Civic Theatre of Roanoke, formed from five organizations — Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera company, the Academy Players, the Civic Chorus, the Community's Children's Theatre and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra — for the purpose of the better production of entirely local plays and concerts."{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}

===Landmarks and points of interest===
[[File:roanokefirestation1.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Fire Station No. 1 (Roanoke, Virginia)|Fire Station No. 1]] opened in 1907 and is the oldest operating firehouse in Virginia]]

* [[Blue Ridge Parkway]]
* [[Grandin Village]]
* [[Fire Station No. 1 (Roanoke, Virginia)|Historical Fire Station#1]]
* [[Hollins University]]
* [[Hotel Roanoke]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/roacuqq-the-hotel-roanoke-and-conference-center/?SEO_id=GMB-QQ-ROACUQQ&y_source=1_MTM3Mjc1My03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24uZ29vZ2xlX3dlYnNpdGVfb3ZlcnJpZGU%3D|title=The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton|website=Hilton.com|access-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Mill Mountain Zoo]]
* [[O. Winston Link Museum]]
* [[Roanoke Star]]
* [[St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church (Roanoke, Virginia)|St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church]], State and National Landmark
* [[Taubman Museum of Art]]
* [[Texas Tavern]] restaurant
* [[Virginia's Explore Park]]

===Festivals===
Roanoke and surrounding communities host the annual Commonwealth Games of Virginia, an Olympic-style amateur sports festival. Beginning in 2010, the [[Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway]] is scheduled to be held in the city.<ref>Jenny Kincaid Boone, "New marathon rising in Roanoke", ''The Roanoke Times'', August 13, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.</ref>


==Sports==
==Sports==
The 1971–1972 [[Virginia Squires]] of the [[American Basketball Association (1967-1976)|American Basketball Association]] were the only [[Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada|major league]] sports team to play home games in Roanoke regularly. During that season, the Squires split home games between Richmond, [[Norfolk, VA|Norfolk]], [[Hampton Roads]] and Roanoke.<ref name=Squires>{{cite news |date=February 5, 2021 |title=Editorial: Our NBA dreams 50 years ago |work=The Roanoke Times |page=6A}}</ref> [[Julius Erving]] played his professional rookie season with the Squires that year before being sent to the [[Brooklyn Nets|New York Nets]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldaper |first=Sam |date=August 1, 1973 |title=Nets Get Erving From Squires for Carter, Cash and…Dr. J Coming Home To Do His Aerial Act |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/01/archives/nets-get-erving-from-squires-for-carter-cash-and-dr-jis-coming-home.html |access-date=May 5, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505150655/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/01/archives/nets-get-erving-from-squires-for-carter-cash-and-dr-jis-coming-home.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
===Professional===
[[File:Salem Memorial Ballpark Blue Ridge.jpg|thumb|The [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] viewed from [[Salem Memorial Ballpark]]]]
The 1971–1972 [[Virginia Squires]] of the [[American Basketball Association (1967-1976)|ABA]] were the only [[Major professional sports leagues of the United States and Canada|major league]] sports team to regularly play home games in Roanoke. During the 1971–1972 season, the Squires split home games between Richmond, [[Norfolk, VA|Norfolk]], Hampton Roads and Roanoke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.remembertheaba.com/Virginia-Squires.html |title=Virginia Squires |website=Remember the ABA |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223331/http://www.remembertheaba.com/Virginia-Squires.html |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref> [[Julius Erving]] played his professional rookie season with the Squires in 1971–1972.
[[Minor league baseball]] has had a long history in the Roanoke Valley.<ref name=McFarling1>{{cite news |last=McFarling |first=Aaron |date=June 19, 2017 |title=Salem salutes baseball bond |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roanoke was home to a class B farm team of the [[Boston Red Sox]].<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Salem Baseball History |url=https://www.milb.com/salem/team/salem-baseball-history |access-date=June 28, 2023 |website=MiLB.com |language=en |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628230552/https://www.milb.com/salem/team/salem-baseball-history |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1955, neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team, which {{as of|2023|lc=y}} is the [[Salem Avalanche|Salem Red Sox]] of the Low-A [[Carolina League]].<ref name=":6" /> 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.<ref name=Berman1>{{cite news |last=Berman |first=Mark |date=March 2, 2022 |title=Former Salem baseball team owner Kelvin Bowles dies at 82 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3E}}</ref>


The history of minor league hockey in the Roanoke Valley goes back to 1967.<ref name=Berman2>{{cite news |last=Berman |first=Mark |date=October 21, 2015 |title=Star City slap shot |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The [[Roanoke Express]] of the [[ECHL]] built a loyal following in the mid-1990s,<ref name=Hockey>{{cite news |date=July 21, 2004 |title=Pro Hockey in the Roanoke Valley |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5A}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Hockey /><ref name=Waugh1>{{cite news |last=Waugh |first=Katrina |date=July 21, 2004 |title=ECHL ends Express franchise |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> An attempt at a revival in 2005–06 by the [[United Hockey League|UHL]]'s [[Roanoke Valley Vipers]] failed after one season.<ref name="Berman2" /> In 2016, professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when the [[Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs]] of the [[SPHL]] began to play,<ref name="Berman2" /> and the team won its first-ever President's Cup title in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Sordelett |first=Damien |date=May 2, 2023 |title=Jansen's overtime winner lifts Rail Yard Dawgs to President's Cup title |url=https://roanoke.com/sports/local/jansens-overtime-winner-lifts-rail-yard-dawgs-to-presidents-cup-title/article_4bc7d0f2-e955-11ed-a66f-8735bc871180.html |access-date=May 3, 2023 |website=The Roanoke Times |language=en |archive-date=May 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230503213141/https://roanoke.com/sports/local/jansens-overtime-winner-lifts-rail-yard-dawgs-to-presidents-cup-title/article_4bc7d0f2-e955-11ed-a66f-8735bc871180.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Minor league baseball]] has been more successful in building and maintaining a fan base than have the Roanoke Valley's other minor league sports teams. In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roanoke was home to a class B farm team of the [[Boston Red Sox]]. Since 1955, neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team, currently the [[Salem Avalanche|Salem Red Sox]] of the high Class A [[Carolina League]]. 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 in 2007, for the 2009 season.


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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Men's Basketball History vs University of Virginia |url=https://hokiesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history/virginia/381 |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Virginia Tech Athletics |language=en |archive-date=April 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421104928/https://hokiesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history/virginia/381 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2000 the schools started holding these games in campus facilities.<ref name=Bogaczyk1>{{cite news |last=Bogaczyk |first=Jack |date=January 25, 2000 |title=Campus sites will heat up state rivalry |work=The Roanoke Times |page=6B}}</ref>
Minor league hockey has a history in the Roanoke Valley dating to the 1960s. It reached a zenith of popularity in the mid- to late-1990s with the [[Roanoke Express]] of the [[ECHL]]. The team's attendance declined due to a lack of post-season success and management turmoil. The Express folded after the 2003–04 season.


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.<ref name="Cox1" /> The game was moved to [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day]] beginning in the early 1920s and was a holiday mainstay in the city until 1971.<ref name="Cox1" /><ref name=Ayers1>{{cite news |last=Ayers |first=Glenn |date=November 26, 2009 |title=A Roanoke Thanksgiving that is no more |work=The Roanoke Times |page=25A}}</ref>
The 2005–06 revival by the [[United Hockey League|UHL]]'s [[Roanoke Valley Vipers]] failed after one season. The team had a losing record and the midwestern-based league was unable to rekindle the interest of the local fanbase. The team was formed to provide a travel partner for a UHL franchise in Richmond which also folded after the 2005–06 season.


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]]),<ref name=Wall3>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=April 17, 2022 |title=Running back into its old form: Roanoke marathon circles back to pre-pandemic form, crowds |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> the Roanoke Outside Foundation has put on the Blue Ridge Marathon, which is regarded as difficult due to its considerable elevation changes.<ref name=Wall3 /><ref name=Boone1>{{cite news |last=Boone |first=Jenny Kincaid |date=August 13, 2009 |title=New marathon rising in Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The [[USA Cycling]] Amateur Road National Championships were held in the city and surrounding areas in 2022 and 2023,<ref name=Wall4>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=June 18, 2023 |title=USA Cycling national championships close in downtown Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=3A}}</ref> and an [[Ironman 70.3]] [[triathlon]] event brought competitors to the region from 2021{{Endash}}2023.<ref name=Sturgeon7>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=June 5, 2023 |title=Final splash for Ironman? Ironman athletes swim, bike, and run across the Roanoke Valley |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>
In 2016, professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when the [[Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs]] of the [[Southern Professional Hockey League]] began play.


==Parks and recreation==
The [[Roanoke Dazzle]] of the [[National Basketball Development League]] (NBDL) and the [[Roanoke Steam]] of the [[af2]] (arena football) folded after never developing consistent followings. The Dazzle's attendance was similar to other inaugural franchises in the league. It was one of the last two teams to remain in its original city. Over the years, Roanoke has also had teams in soccer and men's and women's semi-professional [[American football|football]].
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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roanoke Parks and Recreation |title=About Us |url=https://www.playroanoke.com/about-us/ |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=Roanoke Parks And Recreation |language=en-US |archive-date=July 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703205718/https://www.playroanoke.com/about-us/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Highland Park in the historic [[Old Southwest, Roanoke, Virginia|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.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=370}} Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke became the city's second in 1911.{{r|Barnes-1968|p=370}} It features a [[Magnolia liliiflora|Japanese magnolia]] tree that was acquired by [[Matthew C. Perry|Commodore Matthew Perry]] during an expedition to Japan and donated in 1857 to the former owner of the park.<ref name=Bradburn1>{{cite news |last=Bradburn |first=Bridget |date=March 28, 2011 |title=Magnolia in Elmwood has Japanese heritage |work=The Roanoke Times |page=5B}}</ref> {{As of|2023}} Elmwood holds the city's main library branch as well as an art walk and a 4,000-seat [[Amphitheatre|amphitheater]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roanoke Parks and Recreation |title=Elmwood Park |url=https://www.playroanoke.com/parks-facilities/elmwood-park/ |access-date=July 3, 2023 |website=Roanoke Parks And Recreation |language=en-US |archive-date=July 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703205718/https://www.playroanoke.com/parks-facilities/elmwood-park/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


Roanoke features an extensive network of paved [[Greenway (landscape)|greenways]] for walkers, runners, and cyclists.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Valley Greenways |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/greenways/ |publisher=Virginia's Blue Ridge |access-date=May 4, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505142656/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/outdoor-adventure/greenways/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Though the idea for a publicly owned greenway system can be traced back to a 1907 [[Comprehensive planning|comprehensive plan]] for the city,<ref>{{cite report |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/710/1907-Roanoke-Comprehensive-Plan |title=Remodeling Roanoke: A report to the committee on civic improvement by John Nolen, Landscape Architect |last=Nolen |first=John |year=1907 |access-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505142654/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/710/1907-Roanoke-Comprehensive-Plan |url-status=live}}</ref> it was not until 1995 that an intergovernmental committee was formed to plan and develop the project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History – Greenways |url=https://greenways.org/about-the-greenways/history/ |publisher=Pathfinders for Greenways |website=greenways.org |access-date=May 5, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505142657/https://greenways.org/about-the-greenways/history/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Since that time, 26 miles of greenways have been built across the Roanoke Valley.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Valley Greenways |url=https://www.virginia.org/listing/roanoke-valley-greenways/6743/ |access-date=May 5, 2023 |website=www.virginia.org |language=en-us |archive-date=May 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230505142654/https://www.virginia.org/listing/roanoke-valley-greenways/6743/ |url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2023, the longest continuous stretch runs 12 miles along the Roanoke River from Salem through Roanoke City to [[Vinton, Virginia|Vinton]].<ref name=Dehr1>{{cite news |last=Dehr |first=Cooper |date=July 29, 2023 |title='Bridge the Gap' connects Roanoke greenway to Salem |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Roanoke County is also in the planning stages of extending that same stretch westward into Montgomery County.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Roanoke County to hold meetings on extending greenway; more . . . |url=http://cardinalnews.org/2022/10/19/roanoke-county-to-hold-meetings-on-extending-greenway-more/ |access-date=May 5, 2023 |website=Cardinal News |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510181040/https://cardinalnews.org/2022/10/19/roanoke-county-to-hold-meetings-on-extending-greenway-more/ |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, Roanoke contained over {{convert|100|mi|km}} of trails and greenways.<ref name=Shipley>{{Cite web |last=Shipley |first=Kaylee |date=August 26, 2023 |title=Roanoke Parks & Recreation to host a celebration on National Public Lands Day |url=https://wset.com/news/local/roanoke-parks-recreation-virginia-celebrating-over-100-miles-of-trails-greenways-on-national-public-lands-day-august-2023 |access-date=December 21, 2023 |website=wset.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
===College===
For a number of years, Roanoke, with Richmond and Norfolk, was one of the nominally neutral sites for the annual basketball game between the [[Virginia Cavaliers]] and [[Virginia Tech Hokies]]. During most of the 1970s and 1990s, the [[University of Virginia]] dominated the rivalry and as such tended to have significantly greater fan representation, despite Roanoke's closer proximity to [[Virginia Tech]]'s home in [[Blacksburg, VA|Blacksburg]]. In the late 1990s, the schools started holding these games in their own campus facilities.

Roanoke served as the home for the [[Big South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament]] and Women's Basketball Tournament in 2001 and 2002.

The [[Virginia Tech Hokies]] [[ice hockey]] team has used the Roanoke Civic Center as its regular season home venue, from 2006 to the present season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icehockey.org.vt.edu/directions.htm |title=ROANOKE CIVC CENTER |access-date=January 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225121006/http://www.icehockey.org.vt.edu/directions.htm |archive-date=February 25, 2007 }}</ref> In 2010, the [[Roanoke College]] ice hockey team began using the Roanoke Civic Center as its home venue as well.<ref>[http://roanoke.edu/Student_Life/Sports_and_Recreation/Campus_Recreation/Club_Sports/Hockey_Club.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004195442/http://roanoke.edu/Student_Life/Sports_and_Recreation/Campus_Recreation/Club_Sports/Hockey_Club.htm|date=October 4, 2011}}</ref>

From the 1940s to the late 1960s, Roanoke's [[Victory Stadium]] hosted an annual [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day]] game between [[Virginia Tech]] and the [[Virginia Military Institute]] and other high-profile college football games. From 1946 to 1950, Victory Stadium also hosted the [[South's Oldest Rivalry (UNC-Virginia)|South's Oldest Rivalry]] between the [[Virginia Cavaliers football|University of Virginia]] and the [[North Carolina Tarheels football|University of North Carolina]].

==Parks and recreation==
The [[Roanoke Valley Chess Club]] was formed in 1947 in Roanoke, and is the oldest continuing chess club in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The club has served to bring and sustain chess activities to the region, and holds regular events. These events include [[United States Chess Federation]] Grand Prix tournaments. The club also holds volunteer annual outreach events during Roanoke's Festival in the Park, Grandin Court Block Party, Tons of Fun, and more.


==Government==
==Government==
{{See also|List of mayors of Roanoke, Virginia}}
{{See also|List of mayors of Roanoke, Virginia}}
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" align="center" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="float:right; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|+ '''Presidential Elections Results'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2020|2020]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.0% ''15,607''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.8%''' ''26,773''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% ''943''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2016|2016]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.5% ''14,789''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''56.5%''' ''22,286''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.1% ''2,391''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2012|2012]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.3% ''14,991''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.1%''' ''24,134''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% ''1,030''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2008|2008]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|37.8% ''15,394''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.2%''' ''24,934''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.1% ''444''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2004|2004]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.3% ''16,661''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.4%''' ''18,862''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.3% ''477''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 2000|2000]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.8% ''14,630''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.6%''' ''17,920''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% ''892''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1996|1996]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.4% ''12,283''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.0%''' ''17,282''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.7% ''2,451''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1992|1992]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.2% ''13,443''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''50.4%''' ''17,724''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.4% ''4,014''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1988|1988]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.9% ''15,389''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.4%''' ''17,185''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.7% ''239''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1984|1984]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''52.1%''' ''19,008''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|47.4% ''17,300''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% ''184''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1980|1980]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.4% ''15,164''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.9%''' ''18,139''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.7% ''1,643''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1976|1976]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|41.0% ''14,738''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.6%''' ''20,696''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% ''515''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1972|1972]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.7%''' ''18,541''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|33.1% ''9,498''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% ''632''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1968|1968]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.2%''' ''15,368''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.9% ''9,281''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|17.9% ''5,359''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1964|1964]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.2% ''13,164''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.7%''' ''15,314''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% ''18''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1960|1960]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''62.3%''' ''15,229''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.5% ''9,175''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% ''49''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1956|1956]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''69.4%''' ''16,708''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.0% ''6,751''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.6% ''623''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1952|1952]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''66.0%''' ''15,673''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|33.9% ''8,042''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% ''32''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1948|1948]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''49.6%''' ''6,542''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|40.5% ''5,343''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.0% ''1,315''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1944|1944]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|40.9% ''5,095''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''58.8%''' ''7,322''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.3% ''34''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1940|1940]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|33.7% ''3,553''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''65.9%''' ''6,942''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% ''47''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1936|1936]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.0% ''3,363''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''67.5%''' ''7,087''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.5% ''54''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1932|1932]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|33.5% ''3,195''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''65.2%''' ''6,215''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% ''130''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1928|1928]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.7%''' ''6,471''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|38.3% ''4,018''
| style="text-align:center;|
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1924|1924]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|27.2% ''1,747''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.1%''' ''3,930''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.8% ''758''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1920|1920]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.6% ''2,329''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''66.0%''' ''4,715''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% ''100''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1916|1916]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|20.7% ''610''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''76.1%''' ''2,246''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.2% ''94''
|-
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Virginia, 1912|1912]]'''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|9.8% ''268''
| style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''69.7%''' ''1,913''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|20.5% ''562''
|}


{{PresHead|place=Roanoke, Virginia|source=<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |website=uselectionatlas.org |access-date=November 20, 2020 |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222105145/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |url-status=live}}</ref>}}
Roanoke has a [[weak mayor]]-city manager form of government. 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. The mayor has little, if any, executive authority and essentially is the "first among equals" on the [[Roanoke City Council]]. The mayor, however, has a [[bully pulpit]] as Roanoke media frequently cover the mayor's appearances and statements. The current mayor of Roanoke is Sherman Lea and the current city manager is Robert S. Cowell. The city council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on an at-large basis. A proposal for a ward-based council, in which the mayor and vice mayor would continue to be elected at-large, 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. The four-year terms of city council members are staggered, so there are biennial elections. The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the vice mayor for the following two years.
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|15,787|25,737|790|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|15,607|26,773|943|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|14,789|22,286|2,391|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|14,991|24,134|1,030|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|15,394|24,934|444|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|16,661|18,862|477|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|14,630|17,920|892|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|12,283|17,282|2,451|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|13,443|17,724|4,014|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|15,389|17,185|239|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|19,008|17,300|184|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|15,164|18,139|1,643|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|14,738|20,696|515|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|18,541|9,498|632|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|15,368|9,281|5,359|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|13,164|15,314|18|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|15,229|9,175|49|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|16,708|6,751|623|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|15,673|8,042|32|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|6,542|5,343|1,315|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|5,095|7,322|34|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|3,553|6,942|47|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|3,363|7,087|54|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|3,195|6,215|130|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|6,471|4,018|0|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|1,747|3,930|758|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|2,329|4,715|100|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|610|2,246|94|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|268|1,913|562|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|593|1,408|5|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|506|1,268|45|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,120|1,761|105|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|1,697|2,005|91|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|1,870|2,707|106|Virginia}}
{{PresRow|1888|Democratic|535|719|67|Virginia}}
{{PresFoot|1884|Democratic|568|621|0|Virginia}}


Like most cities in Virginia, Roanoke has a [[Council–manager government|council-manager]] form of government.<ref name=Monuments>{{cite news |date=July 3, 2020 |title=Editorial: The monuments come down |work=The Roanoke Times |page=11A}}</ref><ref name=Cramer1>{{cite news |last=Cramer |first=John D. |date=May 16, 1999 |title=A look at the men behind the curtain |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> The [[city manager]] maintains the day-to-day operation of the city's government and has the authority to hire and fire city employees.<ref name=Cramer1 /> The mayor has little executive authority and is essentially the "first among equals" on the [[Roanoke City Council]],<ref name=Cramer1 /> though the position wields influence through public appearances and annual [[State of the City address|State of the City]] addresses.<ref name=Chittum5>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=August 19, 2018 |title=Striking the right balance |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>
Independent candidate David A. Bowers, a former Democrat, defeated incumbent Democrat [[Nelson Harris]] for Mayor in the May 2008 election with 53% of the vote. In both the 2000 election, Republican [[Ralph K. Smith]] and in the 2004 election Nelson Harris won with less than 40% of the vote in competitive three-way races.


The city council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on an [[at-large]] basis.<ref name=":12">{{cite act |type=charter |date=2023 |article=§4 |legislature=Virginia General Assembly |title=Roanoke City Charter |url=https://library.municode.com/va/roanoke/codes/code_of_ordinances |language=English}} {{Cite web |url=https://library.municode.com/va/roanoke/codes/code_of_ordinances |title=Archived copy |access-date=July 18, 2023 |archive-date=July 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718195410/https://library.municode.com/va/roanoke/codes/code_of_ordinances |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref> A proposal for a [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|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.<ref name="Sturgeon8">{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=October 3, 2022 |title=Should council return to ward system? Roanoke City Council candidates on a ward system for council and an elected school board |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The four-year terms of city council members are staggered, with three members elected every two years.<ref name=":12" /> The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the [[Deputy mayor|vice mayor]] for the following two years.<ref name=":12" />
In the May 2008 council elections, Democrats Court Rosen, Anita Price, and Sherman Lea defeated a slate of loosely allied independent city council candidates including incumbent Brian Wishneff. In the May 2006 council elections, a slate of three former Democrats running on an independent slate backed by Harris defeated the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. This election ended the city's long-running debate about the fate of [[Victory Stadium]].


On June 27, 2016, Sherman P. Lea Sr. took the office of mayor,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sherman Lea sworn in as Roanoke's mayor |website=Go Dan River |url=http://www.godanriver.com/news/danville/sherman-lea-sworn-in-as-roanoke-s-mayor/article_e0ea302c-3d44-11e6-9d65-fbd194d4e5cc.html |access-date=May 8, 2017 |archive-date=November 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126054050/https://godanriver.com/news/danville/sherman-lea-sworn-in-as-roanoke-s-mayor/article_e0ea302c-3d44-11e6-9d65-fbd194d4e5cc.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and he was re-elected to the same position in 2020.<ref name=Berrier5>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=November 4, 2020 |title=Lea wins second term as Roanoke mayor |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> The current city manager, Bob Cowell, has been in that position since 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City Manager {{!}} Roanoke, VA |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/561/City-Manager |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=www.roanokeva.gov |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705231156/https://www.roanokeva.gov/561/City-Manager |url-status=live}}</ref> Joseph L. Cobb is serving his second term as the city's vice mayor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Joseph L. Cobb {{!}} Roanoke, VA |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/1007/Joseph-L-Cobb |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=www.roanokeva.gov |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705231158/https://www.roanokeva.gov/1007/Joseph-L-Cobb |url-status=live}}</ref>
On June 27, 2016, Sherman P. Lea, Sr. took the office of mayor.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sherman Lea sworn in as Roanoke's mayor|url=http://www.godanriver.com/news/danville/sherman-lea-sworn-in-as-roanoke-s-mayor/article_e0ea302c-3d44-11e6-9d65-fbd194d4e5cc.html|access-date=May 8, 2017|website=Go Dan River}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Budget Development {{!}} Roanoke, VA |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/1837/Budget-Development |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=www.roanokeva.gov |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162508/https://www.roanokeva.gov/1837/Budget-Development |url-status=live}}</ref> Local taxes, including real estate, personal property, and sales taxes, are the government's largest source of revenue at over 70% of its intake.<ref>{{cite report |author=City of Roanoke |date=June 20, 2023 |title=FY 2023-2024 Adopted Budget Document |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18607/FY24-ADOPTED-BUDGET-DOCUMENT |format=PDF |page=22 |access-date=July 6, 2023 |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707161954/https://www.roanokeva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/18607/FY24-ADOPTED-BUDGET-DOCUMENT |url-status=live}}</ref>
Roanoke is represented by two members of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]], [[Sam Rasoul]] (D-11th) and [[Chris Head (politician)|Chris Head]] (R-17th), and one member of the [[Virginia Senate]], [[John S. Edwards (Virginia)|John Edwards]] (D-21st). Former Roanoke mayor [[Ralph K. Smith|Ralph Smith]] won the 2007 election in the neighboring 22nd Senate district after defeating incumbent [[Brandon Bell (Virginia politician)|Brandon Bell]] for the Republican nomination in the primary election and Democrat Michael Breiner in the general election.


Roanoke is represented by two members of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]], [[Sam Rasoul]] (D-11th) and [[Chris Head (politician)|Chris Head]] (R-17th), and one member of the [[Virginia Senate]], [[John S. Edwards (Virginia)|John Edwards]] (D-21st).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings |url=https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=h0237 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=virginiageneralassembly.gov |archive-date=July 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705233418/https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=h0237 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Senate of Virginia |url=https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/memberpage.php?id=S45 |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=apps.senate.virginia.gov |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709043200/https://apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/memberpage.php?id=S45 |url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2023, Edwards announced his intention to retire after 28 years in the state senate.<ref name=Hammack2>{{cite news |last=Hammack |first=Laurence |date=February 28, 2023 |title=John Edwards decides not to seek another term as Roanoke senator |work=The Roanoke Times |page= |url=https://roanoke.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/john-edwards-decides-not-to-seek-another-term-as-roanoke-senator/article_e5915036-b6f2-11ed-814d-27907d67cb5a.html |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref> The city lies within {{ushr|VA|6}}, which also includes Lynchburg and much of the [[Shenandoah Valley]]. Since 2019 the district has been represented by Republican [[Ben Cline]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2021 |title=About |url=http://cline.house.gov/about |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=Congressman Ben Cline |publisher=US House of Representatives |language=en |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721013840/https://cline.house.gov/about |url-status=live}}</ref>
The City of Roanoke lies within {{ushr|VA|6}}, which also includes Lynchburg and much of the [[Shenandoah Valley]] and is represented by Republican [[Ben Cline]]. {{ushr|VA|9}}, represented by Republican [[Morgan Griffith]] of neighboring Salem, has traditionally covered southwest Virginia but has expanded into parts of Salem, Roanoke County and counties to the north of Roanoke to make up for population losses in the rest of the district. Republican [[Bob Good]] represents much of the area to south and east of Roanoke, including nearby Franklin County, in {{ushr|VA|5}} which also stretches north to [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]].


Roanoke is one of the few Democratic pockets in heavily Republican [[Southwest Virginia|southwestern Virginia]]. It has supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] nominee in every election since 1988, and in all but one election since 1976. In statewide elections, Roanoke is often one of the few areas west of [[Charlottesville, Virginia|Charlottesville]] to vote Democratic.
Roanoke is one of the few Democratic pockets in the otherwise heavily Republican [[Southwest Virginia]].<ref name=Chittum6>{{cite news |last=Chittum |first=Matt |date=March 4, 2020 |title=Roanoke and Blacksburg voters 'make some changes' |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> It has supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] nominee in every election since 1988 and in all but one election since 1976.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |access-date=July 5, 2023 |website=uselectionatlas.org |archive-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222105145/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/ |url-status=live}}</ref>


==Education==
==Education==
Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities – [[Roanoke College]] in the city of Salem,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.roanoke.edu/ |title=Roanoke College |website=Roanoke.edu |access-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719121529/https://www.roanoke.edu/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Hollins University]] in [[Roanoke County]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollins.edu/who-we-are/why-hollins/hollins-at-a-glance/ |title=Hollins University: Hollins At A Glance |website=hollins.edu |access-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629003929/https://hollins.edu/who-we-are/why-hollins/hollins-at-a-glance/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=5 |title=Virginia Tech, Carilion will create joint medical school in Roanoke |publisher=Virginia Tech |website=Vtnews.vt.edu |date=January 3, 2007 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602030607/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=5 |archive-date=June 2, 2010}}</ref><ref name=Rife4>{{cite news |last=Rife |first=Luanne |date=April 23, 2019 |title=Radford University will seek to double number of nursing students after merger with Jefferson College |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute was founded in 2007,<ref name=JonesS1>{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Sarah Bruyn |date=September 28, 2008 |title=Va. Tech Carilion Medical School taking shape |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A0}}</ref> and Radford University Carilion was established in 2019.<ref name=Wall5>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=October 12, 2019 |title=Radford University hires first health sciences provost |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> The Roanoke Higher Education Center opened in 2000 in the former Norfolk and Western General Office Building{{Endash}}North, and provides over 150 programs ranging from [[General Educational Development|high school equivalent]] degrees to [[doctorate]]s.<ref name=Edwards1>{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=John S. |date=August 19, 2020 |title=Twenty years of the Roanoke Higher Education Center |work=The Roanoke Times |page=51B}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Center |url=https://www.education.edu/about-rhec/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |website=Roanoke Higher Education Center |language=en-US |archive-date=August 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804155017/https://www.education.edu/about-rhec/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Virginia Western Community College]] is located in the city and provides [[associate degree]]s as well as facilitated transfers to many four-year colleges in the area.<ref name=Adkins1>{{cite news |last=Adkins |first=Andrew |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Education Notebook: Hollins University, Virginia Western announce guaranteed admission agreements |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2B}}</ref><ref name=Adkins2>{{cite news |last=Adkins |first=Andrew |date=July 20, 2018 |title=Virginia Western, Averett reach deal linking criminal justice programs |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> [[ECPI University]], a private for-profit institution, also has a campus located in Roanoke.<ref name=Mattingly1>{{cite news |last=Mattingly |first=Justin |date=May 22, 2020 |title=ECPI University reopens campuses, will take temperatures as people enter buildings |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2B}}</ref>
The local [[Public school (government funded)|public school]] [[School division#United States|division]] is Roanoke City Public Schools.
The two general enrollment public high schools in Roanoke City are [[Patrick Henry High School (Roanoke, Virginia)|Patrick Henry High School]], located in the Raleigh Court area, and [[William Fleming High School]], located in Northwest Roanoke. The six public middle schools in Roanoke City are Woodrow Wilson, [[James Madison Middle School, Roanoke|James Madison Middle School]] and John P. Fishwick<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.roanoke.com/news/education/stonewall-jackson-middle-school-renamed-after-former-railroad-leader/article_c5c15267-3a53-50cc-be2a-b7ed4defae11.html| title = Stonewall Jackson Middle School renamed after former railroad leader {{!}} Education {{!}} roanoke.com}} </ref> that feed into Patrick Henry High School, and Lucy Addison, William Ruffner and James Breckinridge, that feed into William Fleming High School.<ref>[http://www.rcps.info/schools/school_list.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309044128/http://www.rcps.info/schools/school_list.htm|date=March 9, 2007}}</ref> The [[Noel C. Taylor]] learning academy is a combined middle and high school that serves students with individual educational needs.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}


Private non-parochial schools in Roanoke City include Community High School, that provides classes from ninth to 12th grade, and New Vista Montessori, that provides classes from third to ninth grade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/CurrentBaseLink/N25ZEK7D670LBASEN |title=Private Secular Schools |website=Roanokeva.gov |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521100635/http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/CurrentBaseLink/N25ZEK7D670LBASEN |archive-date=May 21, 2009 }}</ref> Private non-parochial schools outside of Roanoke City, but in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area, include North Cross School,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northcross.org |title=North Cross School - North Cross School |publisher=Northcross.org |access-date=June 12, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715103622/http://www.northcross.org/ |archive-date=July 15, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which provides education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northcross.org/podium/default.aspx?t=47115 |title=North Cross School ~ School Mission, Facts & Stats |publisher=Northcross.org |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727130345/http://www.northcross.org/podium/default.aspx?t=47115 |archive-date=July 27, 2011 }}</ref>
The local [[Public school (government funded)|public school]] [[School division#United States|division]] is Roanoke City Public Schools.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rcps.info/ |title=Official website of Roanoke City Public Schools |website=rcps.info |access-date=July 19, 2022 |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722130331/https://www.rcps.info/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The two general enrollment public high schools in the city are [[Patrick Henry High School (Roanoke, Virginia)|Patrick Henry High School]], located in the Raleigh Court area,<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2023 |title=Patrick Henry High |url=https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/patrick-henry-high-2 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=Virginia School Quality Profiles |language=en-US |archive-date=August 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814174218/https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/patrick-henry-high-2 |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[William Fleming High School]], located in Northwest Roanoke.<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 28, 2023 |title=William Fleming High |url=https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/william-fleming-high |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=Virginia School Quality Profiles |language=en-US |archive-date=August 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814174220/https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/william-fleming-high |url-status=live}}</ref>


Private parochial schools in Roanoke City include North Cross and Roanoke Catholic,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanokecatholic.com/main/index.php |title=Roanoke Catholic School – Mission Statement |website=Roanokecatholic.com |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318132014/http://roanokecatholic.com/main/index.php |archive-date=March 18, 2009 }}</ref> that provide classes from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and Roanoke Adventist Preparatory, that provides classes from kindergarten to eighth grade.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/CurrentBaseLink/N25ZEK4S071LBASEN |title=Private Parochial Schools |website=Roanokeva.gov |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521100630/http://www.roanokeva.gov/WebMgmt/ywbase61b.nsf/CurrentBaseLink/N25ZEK4S071LBASEN |archive-date=May 21, 2009 }}</ref> Private parochial schools outside of Roanoke City, but in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area, include Roanoke Valley Christian Schools, Faith Christian School, Mineral Springs Christian School, Parkway Christian Academy and Life Academy, all in Roanoke County.
A prominent [[parochial school]] in the city is [[Roanoke Catholic School|Roanoke Catholic]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Roanoke Catholic School – Mission Statement |url=http://www.roanokecatholic.com/main/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090318132014/http://roanokecatholic.com/main/index.php |archive-date=March 18, 2009 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |website=Roanokecatholic.com}}</ref> which dates to 1889 and shares its campus with the Basilica of St. Andrew.<ref name=Hammack3>{{cite news |last=Hammack |first=Laurence |date=April 24, 2015 |title=School celebrates 125 years of being 'a light on the hill' |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> Private non-parochial schools in Roanoke include Community High School of Arts and Academics. The school was first housed in the Jefferson Center before moving to its current location in downtown Roanoke in 2011.<ref name=McCallum1>{{cite news |last=McCallum |first=Annie |date=March 20, 2013 |title=Roanoke school halves its tuition fee |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>

Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities – [[Roanoke College]] in the city of [[Salem, Virginia|Salem]], and [[Hollins University]] in [[Roanoke County]]. [[Virginia Tech]] and [[Radford University]]'s main campuses are located the nearby [[New River Valley]], but [[Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute]] opened in 2007 and Virginia Tech also operates a satellite campus for higher education in downtown Roanoke. The medical school is in cooperation with [[Carilion Clinic]], the regional nonprofit health care organization based in Roanoke.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=5 |title=Virginia Tech, Carilion will create joint medical school in Roanoke |publisher=Virginia Tech|website=Vtnews.vt.edu |date=January 3, 2007 |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602030607/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/story.php?relyear=2007&itemno=5 |archive-date=June 2, 2010 }}</ref> [[Virginia Western Community College]] is located in the city of Roanoke, as is the [[Jefferson College of Health Sciences]].


==Media==
==Media==
===Print===
The city's daily newspaper, ''[[The Roanoke Times]]'', has been published since 1886. Weekday circulation averages a little over 90,000 with Sunday circulation around 103,000. In 2002, it was designated the best-read daily newspaper in the country by the 2002 Scarborough Report. Of 162 newspapers in top US metropolitan areas, ''The Roanoke Times'' ranked first in the percentage of adults who read their daily newspaper. It ranked first again in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.roanoke.com/newsservices/wb/xp-59765 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20070314011830/http%3A//www.roanoke.com/newsservices/wb/xp%2D59765 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 14, 2007 |title=The Roanoke Times ranks best-read weekday newspaper in the country |website=Roanoke.com |date=March 13, 2007 |access-date=August 27, 2009 }}</ref> ''The Roanoke Times'' established a web site in 1995 and has developed a [[web portal]] at Roanoke.com.


The city's daily newspaper, ''[[The Roanoke Times]]'', has been published since 1886.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McClenney |first=Elizabeth G. |title=Research Guides: Virginia Newspapers: Home |url=https://libguides.roanoke.edu/c.php?g=737947&p=5275554 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=libguides.roanoke.edu |language=en |archive-date=July 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719231558/https://libguides.roanoke.edu/c.php?g=737947&p=5275554 |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, weekday and Sunday circulation both average around 25,000.<ref name=SEC>{{cite report |author=US Securities and Exchange Commission |date=September 25, 2022 |title=Lee Enterprises, Inc. Form 10-K |url=https://investors.lee.net/static-files/c82f89e9-ce07-41a1-b8dd-3898ff82e831 |access-date=July 19, 2023 |archive-date=April 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414022411/https://investors.lee.net/static-files/c82f89e9-ce07-41a1-b8dd-3898ff82e831 |url-status=dead }}". ''investors.lee.net''. Retrieved July 19, 2023.</ref> In 2013 the paper was sold to [[Berkshire Hathaway]], which in turn sold its BH Media holdings {{Endash}} ''The Roanoke Times'' included {{Endash}} to [[Lee Enterprises]] in 2020.<ref name=RTD>{{cite news |last=Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=March 27, 2020 |title=Lee Enterprises completes acquisition of The Roanoke Times and other newspapers |work=The Roanoke Times |page=6B}}</ref> [[Beth Macy]], author of the bestselling book ''[[Dopesick (book)|Dopesick]]'' which was adapted into a 2021 [[Hulu]] [[Dopesick (miniseries)|miniseries of the same name]], was a reporter at ''The Roanoke Times'' for 25 years.<ref name="Woods1">{{cite news |last=Woods |first=Charlotte Rene |date=October 20, 2022 |title=Virginia receives first $67 million from Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement |page=4A |work=The Roanoke Times}}</ref> ''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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About us |url=http://cardinalnews.org/about-us/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801045208/https://cardinalnews.org/about-us/ |archive-date=August 1, 2023 |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=Cardinal News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=July 20, 2023 |title=The Roanoke Star News |url=https://theroanokestar.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521200808/https://theroanokestar.com/ |archive-date=May 21, 2020 |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=The Roanoke Star News |language=en-US}}</ref>
''The Roanoke Times'' formerly published ''Blue Ridge Business Journal'' which served the business community in Roanoke and the surrounding region. However, it ceased freestanding publication in 2010<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/268563|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909045517/http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/268563|archive-date=September 9, 2012|url-status=dead|title=Blue Ridge Business Journal to cease publication - Roanoke.com|access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref> and was folded into the newspaper's Sunday Business Publication as ''The Ticker''. ''Valley Business Front'' is a monthly publication that targets the business community in the region. The weekly ''[[Roanoke Tribune]]'' was founded in 1939 by [[Fleming Alexander]] and covers the city's African-American community. Main Street Newspapers publishes weekly newspapers for surrounding communities such as Salem, Vinton, southwest Roanoke County and Botetourt County. ''Play by Play'' is a monthly publication dedicated to local and regional sports.


The weekly ''[[Roanoke Tribune]]'' covers the city's African-American community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our History |date=January 3, 2022 |url=https://theroanoketribune.org/our-history/ |publisher=Roanoke Tribune |access-date=July 21, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721152443/https://theroanoketribune.org/our-history/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The publication was founded in 1939 by the [[Fleming Alexander|Rev. Fleming Alexander]] and since 1971 has been owned and edited by his daughter.<ref name="Fifer1">{{cite news |last=Fifer |first=Jordan |date=February 2, 2014 |title=Black women honored for legacy to Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref> ''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.<ref name="Boone2">{{cite news |last=Boone |first=Jenny Kincaid |date=February 9, 2008 |title=Selling Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8C}}</ref>
''The Roanoke Star-Sentinel'' is a weekly newspaper which covers the city of Roanoke. ''The South Roanoke Circle'' is an independent monthly newspaper for the neighborhood of South Roanoke.


Roanoke and [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]] are grouped in the same television market, which {{as of|2022|lc=y}} ranks #71 in the United States with 456,390 households.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nielsen DMA Rankings 2023 |url=https://ustvdb.com/seasons/2022-23/markets/ |access-date=July 20, 2023 |website=ustvdb.com |archive-date=June 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605234252/https://ustvdb.com/seasons/2022-23/markets/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The city has affiliates for all major networks including [[NBC]] affiliate [[WSLS-TV|WSLS 10]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wsls.com/ |title=WSLS 10 News |website=wsls.com |publisher=WSLS |access-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622024134/https://www.wsls.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[CBS]] affiliate [[WDBJ|WDBJ 7]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wdbj7.com/ |title=WDBJ: Virginia Local News, Weather, Sports |website=WDBJ7.com |publisher=WDBJ |access-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-date=June 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623235936/https://www.wdbj7.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Fox Network|Fox]] affiliate [[WFXR|WFXR Fox]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wfxrtv.com/ |title=WFXR News Homepage |website=WFXRtv.com |access-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-date=June 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220621230247/https://www.wfxrtv.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] affiliate [[WBRA|WBRA-TV]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.blueridgepbs.org/ |access-date=July 20, 2023 |website=Blue Ridge PBS |language=en |archive-date=July 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707040149/https://www.blueridgepbs.org/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[ION Television]] affiliate [[WPXR-TV]].<ref>Berrier, Jr., Ralph. "Jones Broadcasting moving to Roanoke." ''Roanoke Times, The (VA)'', July 21, 2012: A8.</ref> The Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market has a population of 451,600 and is ranked number 122 in the United States {{as of|2022|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Radio Market Survey Population, Rankings & Information |url=https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Radio-Market-Populations-Fall-2022.pdf |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=Nielsen |publisher=The Nielsen Company |archive-date=November 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108164906/https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Radio-Market-Populations-Fall-2022.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> [[iHeartMedia]] owns many stations in the area, including [[WROV-FM|WROV]], [[WJJS (FM)|WJJS]], [[WYYD]], and [[WSTV]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Stations {{!}} iHeartMedia Stations {{!}} iHeartMedia |url=https://www.iheartmedia.com/stations?market=ROANOKE-VA |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=www.iheartmedia.com |language=en |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721180238/https://www.iheartmedia.com/stations?market=ROANOKE-VA |url-status=live}}</ref>
''The Roanoker'' is the area's bi-monthly lifestyle magazine and is published by Leisure Publishing, which also publishes the bi-monthly ''Blue Ridge Country'' magazine.


The [[reality television]] show ''[[Salvage Dawgs]]'' was based out of Roanoke. The show, which ran for 11 seasons on the [[Magnolia Network|DIY Network]], followed the owners and employees of the architectural salvage company Black Dog Salvage as they located and acquired pieces for their store.<ref name=Fabris3>{{cite news |last=Fabris |first=Casey |date=July 28, 2020 |title=Black Dog Salvage owners leave the TV limelight after 11 seasons of 'Salvage Dawgs' |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Some of the company's projects in Roanoke itself were highlighted on the show, including their part in the renovation of Fire Station No. 1.<ref name=Fabris3/>
===Broadcast===
====Television====
Roanoke and [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]] are grouped in the same television market, which currently ranks #67 in the United States with 440,398 households. There are affiliates for all networks as well as independent stations. Stations in this market that are located in Roanoke include [[Fox Network|Fox]] affiliate [[WFXR|WFXR Fox 21/27]] in Roanoke, [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] affiliate [[WBRA|WBRA-15]] in Roanoke, and [[ION Television]] affiliate [[WPXR-TV|WPXR-38]] in Roanoke.{{cn|date=January 2022}}


====Radio====
==Infrastructure==
The Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market has a population of 449,800 and is ranked #115 in the United States as of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Radio Market Survey Population, Rankings & Information|url=https://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/07/radio-market-survey-population-rankings-information.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=May 12, 2021|website=Nielsen|publisher=The Nielsen Company}}</ref>


===Transportation===
{| class="wikitable"
{{Main|Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport|Roanoke station (Virginia)}}
|-
[[Interstate 581]], the primary north–south roadway in the city, connects Roanoke to [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]] to the north. Interstate 581 is a concurrency with [[U.S. Route 220 in Virginia|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 (Virginia)|State Route 419]]. Route 220 continues south to connect Roanoke to [[Martinsville, Virginia]], and [[Greensboro, North Carolina]]; a proposed extension of [[Interstate 73 in Virginia|Interstate 73]] into Roanoke from North Carolina, running partially concurrent with and parallel to US 220, has long been stalled due to funding issues.<ref name=Sturgeon9>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=June 20, 2019 |title=Diverging-diamond interchange planned for Tanglewood exit in 2028 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1B}}</ref>
! colspan=5 | [[FM broadcasting|FM]] stations located in Roanoke
|-
|Call Letters || Frequency || Format || Location || Owner
|-
|[[WVTF]] || 89.1 || Public Radio || Roanoke || Virginia Tech Foundation
|-
|[[WRXT]] || 90.3 || Christian Contemporary || Roanoke || Positive Alternative Radio
|-
|[[WXLK-FM|WXLK]] || 92.3 || Top-40 Radio || Roanoke || Wheeler Broadcasting
|-
|[[WSLC-FM|WSLC]] || 94.9 || Country || Roanoke || Wheeler Broadcasting
|-
|[[WROV-FM|WROV]] || 96.3 || Classic Rock || Martinsville/Roanoke || iHeart Media
|-
|[[WSLQ]] || 99.1 || Adult Contemporary || Roanoke || Wheeler Broadcasting
|-
|[[WLRX (FM)|WLRX]] || 106.1 || Contemporary Christian || Roanoke || Educational Media Foundation
|}


The primary east–west roadway through the city is [[U.S. Route 460 in Virginia|U.S. Route 460]], named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg to the east and [[Christiansburg, Virginia|Christiansburg]] to the west. [[U.S. Route 11 in Virginia|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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McDaniel |first=Brenda |date=June 30, 2016 |title=Williamson Road: Roanoke's Historic Strip |url=https://theroanoker.com/enwiki/api/content/ce5e9bf8-3ef9-11e6-8ee1-120dcefc1e29/ |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=TheRoanoker.com |language=en-us |archive-date=December 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218213420/https://theroanoker.com/magazine/departments/williamson-road-roanoke-s-historic-strip/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Other major roads include [[U.S. Route 221 in Virginia|U.S. Route 221]], [[State Route 117 (Virginia)|State Route 117]] (known as Peters Creek Road) and [[State Route 101 (Virginia)|State Route 101]] (known as Hershberger Road). The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/blri/vamap.htm |title=Parkway in Virginia |website=Nps.gov |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-date=September 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901074809/http://www.nps.gov/archive/blri/vamap.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.jpg|thumb|[[Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport]] terminal building|212x212px]]
{| class=wikitable
|-
! colspan=5 | [[AM broadcasting|AM]] stations located in Roanoke
|-
|Call Letters || Frequency || Format || Owner
|-
|[[WPLY (AM)|WPLY]] || 610 || Sports || Wheeler Broadcasting
|-
|[[WFJX]] || 910 || News/Talk || Perception Media
|-
|[[WFIR]] || 960 || News/talk || Wheeler Broadcasting
|-
|[[WGMN]] || 1240 || News/talk || 3 Daughters Media
|-
|[[WRTZ]] || 1410 || Oldies/classic hits || Metromark Media
|}


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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.flyroa.com/history |title=About us – Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport |website=flyroa.com |date=May 12, 2014 |access-date=January 16, 2022 |archive-date=January 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116142228/https://www.flyroa.com/history |url-status=live}}</ref> The airport is served by [[American Airlines]], [[United Airlines]], [[Delta Air Lines|Delta]] and [[Allegiant Air]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Roanoke Blacksburg Regional Airport {{!}} Roanoke Transportation |url=https://www.visitroanokeva.com/plan/transportation/air-travel/ |access-date=July 21, 2023 |website=www.visitroanokeva.com |language=en-us |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721204005/https://www.visitroanokeva.com/plan/transportation/air-travel/ |url-status=live}}</ref> 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 [[Air Force Two|Two]] when the nation's leaders are aboard.<ref name=Kojima1>{{cite news |last=Kojima |first=Emi |date=May 5, 2002 |title=Roanoke's patriotic duty - Air Force pilots sharpen skills at Roanoke Regional Airport |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>
==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
====Roads====
[[Interstate 581 (Virginia)|Interstate 581]] is the primary north-south roadway through the city. It is also the only interstate highway as [[Interstate 81 (Virginia)|Interstate 81]] passes north of the city limits. Interstate 581 is a concurrency with [[U.S. Route 220 (Virginia)|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 (Virginia)|State Route 419]]. Route 220 connects Roanoke to [[Martinsville, Virginia|Martinsville]], Virginia and [[Greensboro, North Carolina|Greensboro]], North Carolina. The proposed [[Interstate 73 (Virginia)|Interstate 73]] would generally parallel Route 220 between Roanoke and Greensboro and would likely be a concurrency with I-581 through the city. The primary east-west roadway is [[U.S. Route 460 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 460]], named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]]. [[U.S. Route 11 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 11]] passes through the city, primarily as Brandon Avenue and [[Williamson Road (Roanoke, Virginia)|Williamson Road]], which was a center of automotive-based commercial development after World War II. Other major roads include [[U.S. Route 221 (Virginia)|U.S. Route 221]], [[State Route 117 (Virginia)|State Route 117]] (known as Peters Creek Road) and [[State Route 101 (Virginia)|State Route 101]] (known as Hershberger Road). The [[Blue Ridge Parkway]] also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/blri/vamap.htm |title=Parkway in Virginia |website=Nps.gov |access-date=August 27, 2009}}</ref>


While Roanoke is known for its rail history, low ridership numbers led [[Amtrak]] to discontinue passenger rail service to the city in 1979.<ref name=Sturgeon10>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=July 22, 2008 |title=Can passenger rail return to Roanoke? |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Sturgeon11>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=October 31, 2017 |title=Amtrak is back: Amtrak returns to Roanoke |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/roanoke/roanoke-celebrates-inaugural-amtrak-ride |title=Roanoke celebrates inaugural Amtrak ride |last=Wickline |first=Alison |website=www.wsls.com |access-date=December 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013235/https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/roanoke/roanoke-celebrates-inaugural-amtrak-ride |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The service has been successful enough that a second daily train to Roanoke was added in 2022.<ref name=Sturgeon12>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=July 12, 2022 |title=Roanoke Amtrak expansion rolling: Significant ridership increase predicted |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>
Roanoke is divided into four [[Address (geography)#Quadrants|quadrants]]: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southwest (SW) and Southeast (SE). The mailing address for locations in Roanoke includes the two letter quadrant abbreviation after the street name. For example, the Center in the Square<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.centerinthesquare.org/index.php |title=Center in the Square |publisher=Center in the Square |access-date=June 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731085827/http://www.centerinthesquare.org/index.php |archive-date=July 31, 2013 }}</ref> complex in downtown Roanoke has the address "1 Market Square SE".
[[File:611 at Roanoke.jpg|left|thumb|The [[Norfolk and Western 611|N&W 611]] waiting at [[Roanoke station (Virginia)|Roanoke station]] in 2017]]
Despite [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]]'s relocation of its corporate headquarters out of the city, Roanoke is still a major hub in the company's [[Rail freight transport|freight rail]] system.<ref name=Sturgeon5/> The railway's Pocahontas Division, consisting of over 2,500 miles of track, is headquartered just outside of downtown Roanoke,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Greg |date=January 13, 2016 |title=Norfolk Southern consolidates Pocahontas Division moving headquarters to Roanoke, Va. |url=https://www.bdtonline.com/news/norfolk-southern-consolidates-pocahontas-division-moving-headquarters-to-roanoke-va/article_0a4e4e24-b9a8-11e5-9711-7baa62ab3f87.html |access-date=July 25, 2023 |website=Bluefield Daily Telegraph |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725205945/https://www.bdtonline.com/news/norfolk-southern-consolidates-pocahontas-division-moving-headquarters-to-roanoke-va/article_0a4e4e24-b9a8-11e5-9711-7baa62ab3f87.html |archive-date=July 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Era/><ref name=Sturgeon13>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=February 9, 2019 |title=Impasse fueling rail advocates: Rail advocate to try again as I-81 road measures lack support |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1C}}</ref>


The [[Valley Metro (Roanoke)|Valley Metro]] provides [[Public transport bus service|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.<ref name=Dehr2>{{cite news |last=Dehr |first=Cooper |date=June 15, 2023 |title=A 'great day' for transportation: Roanoke's new bus station a 'vision of where transportation is going' |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> Valley Metro also offers bus service to [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]], Christiansburg and Virginia Tech via its Smart Way service,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Smart Bus {{!}} Smart Way Bus |url=https://smartwaybus.com/smartway.html |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=smartwaybus.com |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724155644/https://smartwaybus.com/smartway.html |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the Ferrum Express, a free shuttle that runs between downtown Roanoke and [[Ferrum College]] in nearby [[Rocky Mount, Virginia|Rocky Mount]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Transportation {{!}} Rocky Mount, VA |url=https://va-rockymount.civicplus.com/188/Transportation |access-date=July 24, 2023 |website=va-rockymount.civicplus.com |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724140631/https://va-rockymount.civicplus.com/188/Transportation |url-status=live}}</ref>
====Airports====
{{Main|Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport}}
[[File:Roanoke Regional Airport.jpg|right|thumb|Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport terminal building]]
The [[Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport]] is located in the northern part of the city and is the primary passenger and cargo airport for [[Southwest Virginia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flyroa.com/history|title=About us – Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport|website=flyroa.com|access-date=January 16, 2022}}</ref>


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.<ref name=Casey1>{{cite news |last=Casey |first=Dan |date=September 22, 2022 |title=New safe-cycling group rolls out |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2A}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Ruhlen1>{{cite news |last=Ruhlen |first=Rachel |date=June 27, 2021 |title=Less traffic, more crashes |work=The Roanoke Times |page=6B}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Holland |first=Monique |date=March 12, 2023 |title=Shared transportation: RIDE Solutions connects carpoolers, van-users and more |url=https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/shared-transportation-ride-solutions-connects-carpoolers-van-users-and-more/article_bafd7400-bf65-11ed-a7ff-23738a4f8426.html |access-date=July 26, 2023 |website=Martinsville Bulletin |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230312052024/https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/shared-transportation-ride-solutions-connects-carpoolers-van-users-and-more/article_bafd7400-bf65-11ed-a7ff-23738a4f8426.html |archive-date=March 12, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
====Rail====
{{Main|Roanoke station (Virginia)}}
The city was known for its rail history. Into the 1960s the [[Norfolk and Western]] and [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Southern Railway]] ran three trains a day toward [[New York City]]; the trains went to different destinations to the west and south: [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]], [[Nashville]] and [[New Orleans]]. From October 1, 1979, to October 31, 2017, Roanoke did not have passenger rail service.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/wb/170238 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909093206/http://www.roanoke.com/news/wb/170238 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 9, 2012 |title=Can passenger rail return to Roanoke? |website=Roanoke.com |access-date=August 27, 2009 }}</ref> In August 2013, it was announced that [[Amtrak]] service as part of their ''[[Northeast Regional]]'' would be extended from [[Kemper Street station|Lynchburg]] to Roanoke by 2017. Construction of a platform for this new service began in fall 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke/building-of-roanoke-s-amtrak-platform-expected-to-start-this/article_de0bcc63-8479-55c1-b053-1d483e576bed.html |title=Building of Roanoke's Amtrak platform expected to start this fall, state says |newspaper=Roanoke Times |date=May 23, 2016 |first=Jeff |last=Sturgeon |access-date=July 15, 2016}}</ref> On October 31, 2017, after nearly 40 years without passenger rail service, Amtrak resumed service to Roanoke.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/roanoke/roanoke-celebrates-inaugural-amtrak-ride|title=Roanoke celebrates inaugural Amtrak ride|last=Wickline|first=Alison|website=www.wsls.com|access-date=December 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107013235/https://www.wsls.com/news/virginia/roanoke/roanoke-celebrates-inaugural-amtrak-ride|archive-date=November 7, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Before passenger rail service resumed, a bus service, the Smart Way Connector, aligned with the Amtrak schedule to connect riders to the Kemper Street Station in Lynchburg.


=== Utilities ===
Roanoke is a major hub in [[Norfolk Southern]]'s freight rail system. In 2006, the railroad announced plans to construct an [[Intermodal freight transport|intermodal rail yard]] in the community of [[Elliston-Lafayette, Virginia|Lafayette, Virginia]] of neighboring Montgomery County; however, opposition by local residents prompted Norfolk Southern to consider other potential sites. In 2007, the former Roanoke mayor [[David A. Bowers]] urged Roanoke to offer a site for the yard. Shortly thereafter, neighboring Salem proposed a site in an industrial area of the city. In 2008, Norfolk Southern determined that the Lafayette location was the only practical site. The Commonwealth of Virginia may also upgrade Norfolk Southern's rail line parallel to Interstate 81 from Roanoke through the [[Shenandoah Valley]] to encourage more freight to be shipped by rail.
Roanoke is supplied electricity by the Appalachian Power Company, an [[American Electric Power]] division. Appalachian Power serves roughly 500,000 people in Western Virginia and another 500,000 in [[West Virginia]] and [[Tennessee]].<ref name=Hammack4>{{cite news |last=Hammack |first=Laurence |date=September 24, 2022 |title=APCO appoints a new president |work=The Roanoke Times |page=9B}}</ref> 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 [[Drainage basin|watersheds]] should determine the management of local resources rather than government boundaries.<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |title=History of the Authority {{!}} Western Virginia Water Authority |url=https://www.westernvawater.org/about-us/general-information/history-and-development |access-date=July 26, 2023 |website=www.westernvawater.org |language=en |archive-date=July 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726232500/https://www.westernvawater.org/about-us/general-information/history-and-development |url-status=live}}</ref> The Water Authority has since taken on the water-based utilities of [[Franklin County, Virginia|Franklin]] and Botetourt Counties as well as the towns of [[Boones Mill, Virginia|Boones Mill]] and Vinton.<ref name=":14" />


====Buses====
=== Healthcare ===
Roanoke is the primary center for healthcare in Western Virginia, serving an estimated one million people.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |title=Health Care {{!}} Roanoke County Economic Development, VA |url=https://www.yesroanoke.com/144/Health-Care |access-date=July 31, 2023 |website=www.yesroanoke.com |archive-date=July 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731161035/https://www.yesroanoke.com/144/Health-Care |url-status=live}}</ref> Carilion Clinic, a [[Non-profit hospital|non-profit]] healthcare group, is the region's largest provider with over 750 physicians spread across eight hospitals.<ref name=":16">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 {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230731161036/https://www.carilionclinic.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/carilion_ar_2020_factsheet_210601_0_0.pdf |date=July 31, 2023 }}. Retrieved July 31, 2023.</ref> 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,<ref name=":15" />{{r|Kagey|p=309}} as well as a [[Veterans Health Administration|Veterans Affairs Medical Center]] serving over 100,000 [[Veteran|military veterans]] in the region, also located in Salem.<ref name=":15" />
The [[Valley Metro (Roanoke)|Valley Metro]] bus system serves the city of Roanoke and surrounding areas. Nearly all routes originate or terminate at the Campbell Court bus station in downtown Roanoke, which is also served by [[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]]. Valley Metro also offers bus service to [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]], [[Christiansburg, Virginia|Christiansburg]], [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]] and [[Virginia Tech]] via the Smart Way and Smart Way Connector services. In addition, several free shuttles connect local colleges to downtown Roanoke. The Ferrum Express runs between [[Ferrum College]] in nearby [[Rocky Mount, Virginia|Rocky Mount]] and downtown Roanoke, while the Hollins Express connects to [[Hollins University]] in [[Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County]].

===Transportation demand management===
Roanoke City is served by RIDE Solutions, a regional [[transportation demand management]] agency that provides carpool matching, bicycle advocacy, transit assistance and telework assistance to businesses and citizens in the region.


==Notable people==
==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Roanoke, Virginia}}
Born in Roanoke:
* [[Tony Atlas]], wrestler
* [[Ronde Barber]], [[National Football League|NFL]] player
* [[Tiki Barber]], NFL player
* [[Beth A. Brown]], NASA astrophysicist
* [[George E. Bushnell]], Michigan Supreme Court justice
* [[Tai Collins]], model and actress
* [[Henry H. Fowler]], U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
* [[Dorothy Gillespie]], artist, sculptor
* [[Antoinette Hale]], painter
* [[Boris Zhukov|Jim Harrell]], professional wrestler
* [[K. J. Hippensteel (tennis)|K. J. Hippensteel]], tennis player
* [[Louis A. Johnson]], United States Secretary of Defense
* [[Danny Karbassiyoon]], [[Arsenal FC]] soccer player
* [[Henrietta Lacks]], medical patient<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wdbj7.com/2021/10/13/who-honors-henrietta-lacks-roanoke-native-whose-cells-served-science/|title=WHO honors Henrietta Lacks, Roanoke native whose cells served science|website=WDBJ7.com|access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref>
* [[George Lynch (basketball)|George Lynch]], [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] player
* [[John C. Mather]], [[Astrophysicist]] and [[Nobel laureate]]
* [[John Alan Maxwell]], artist
* [[Walter Muir]], International Master of Correspondence Chess
* [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]], actor
* [[Don Pullen]], [[jazz]] pianist
* [[Billy Sample]], [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] outfielder
* [[John St. Clair]], NFL player
* [[Curtis Staples]], basketball player
* [[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]], [[National Hockey League|NHL]] defenseman

Raised in Roanoke:
* [[George Canale]], MLB player
* [[Wayne LaPierre]], CEO of the [[National Rifle Association]]
* [[John McAfee]], founder of [[McAfee]]
* [[Wayne Newton]], singer
* [[JJ Redick|J. J. Redick]], NBA player<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://roanoke.com/sports/high-school/former-cave-spring-star-j-j-redick-retires-from-the-nba/article_21b5f808-1af7-11ec-a95c-2b7728d6c745.html|title=Former Cave Spring star J.J. Redick retires from the NBA|last=Berman|first=Mark|date=September 21, 2021|website=Roanoke.com|access-date=September 21, 2021}}</ref>

One-time resident:
* [[Fleming Alexander]], minister, businessman and publisher of the ''[[Roanoke Tribune]]''
* [[Nelson S. Bond]], author
* [[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
* [[Curtis Turner]], [[NASCAR]] legend, pioneer and Hall of Famer
* [[Bill White (neo-nazi)|Bill White]], neo-Nazi, American National Socialist Workers' Party Commander

==Nicknames==
[[File:Roanoke star.jpg|right|thumb|The Roanoke Star is the origin of the city's nickname ''Star City'']]
Many businesses and organizations have adopted "Star City" in their names, after the [[Mill Mountain Star]]. The older "Magic City"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calea.org/Online/newsletter/No89/aw54.htm |title=Accreditation Works No 54 |website=Calea.org |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070728210201/http://www.calea.org/Online/newsletter/No89/aw54.htm |archive-date = July 28, 2007}}</ref> is still used, most prominently by Roanoke's [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] dealership.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.magiccityford.com/ |title=Magic City Ford |publisher=Magic City Ford |access-date=August 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821202539/http://www.magiccityford.com/ |archive-date=August 21, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The city's original name of "Big Lick" is often used in whimsical contexts.

Roanoke's status as the largest city in a mountainous area led to the nickname "Capital of the Blue Ridge".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefairfaxroanoke.com/location.html |title=The Fairfax: Location |publisher=Thefairfaxroanoke.com |access-date=August 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215164205/http://www.thefairfaxroanoke.com/location.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009 }}<br />- {{cite news |author=Joe Kennedy |url=http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/kennedy/wb/119607 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201175713/http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/kennedy/wb/119607 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 21, 2013 |title=Tide can turn even for elite of Roanoke |website=Roanoke.com |date=June 6, 2007 |access-date=August 27, 2009 }}</ref>


==Sister cities==
==Sister cities==
Roanoke has seven [[sister cities]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=Home|url=https://www.rvsci.us/|publisher=Roanoke Valley Sister Cities|access-date=2020-06-30}}</ref>
Roanoke has six [[sister cities]]:<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.rvsci.us/ |publisher=Roanoke Valley Sister Cities |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001233100/http://www.rvsci.us/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Florianópolis]], Brazil
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Florianópolis]], Brazil
*{{flagicon|KEN}} [[Kisumu]], Kenya
* {{flagicon|KEN}} [[Kisumu]], Kenya
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Lijiang]], China
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Lijiang]], China
*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Opole]], Poland
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Opole]], Poland
*{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Pskov]], Russia
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Lô]], France
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Saint-Lô]], France
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Wonju]], South Korea
*{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Wonju]], South Korea
{{div col end}}
{{div col end}}

In February 2023, it was announced that the city was officially pausing its sister city affiliation with [[Pskov|Pskov, Russia]] due to the continuing [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name=Hunter1>{{cite news |last=Hunter |first=Molly |date=February 22, 2023 |title=Sister City ties on hold: Roanoke's relationship with Russian city paused, flag to be removed |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Virginia}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Roanoke, Virginia]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Roanoke, Virginia]]
* [[USS Roanoke|USS ''Roanoke'']], 7 ships


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Bibliography==
<!--arrange in chronological order-->
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Citation |location = Richmond |editor = Richard Edwards |title = Statistical Gazetteer of the State of Virginia |date = 1855
|chapter= Big Lick
|chapter-url= https://www.archive.org/stream/statisticalgazet00edwa#page/178/mode/2up
}}
* {{cite book |title= Synopsis of Roanoke and Her Wonderful Prosperity |author= F.P. Smith |publisher= W. M. Yager and Co., Real Estate Brokers |url= https://www.roanokeva.gov/1323/Digital-Collections |year= 1891 |access-date= August 25, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170317234516/https://www.roanokeva.gov/1323/Digital-Collections |archive-date= March 17, 2017 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}
* {{citation |title=Reports of the City of Roanoke, Virginia |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008607782 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825232530/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008607782 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=dead }} circa 1893-
* {{cite book |title=Picturesque Roanoke |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009567362 |year=1902 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825234248/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009567362 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Roanoke (city) |volume= 23 | pages = 394&ndash;395 }}
* {{cite book |title=History of Roanoke County; History of Roanoke City |author1=George S. Jack |author2=E.B. Jacobs |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009786101 |year=1912 |ref={{harvid|Jack and Jacobs|1912}} |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825233513/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009786101 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=dead }}
* {{citation |title=Public and Private Welfare, Roanoke, Virginia |author=Frank William Hoffer |publisher=Roanoke City Planning and Zoning Commissions |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006855541 |year=1928 |ref={{harvid|Hoffer|1928}} |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825234230/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006855541 |archive-date=August 25, 2017 |url-status=dead }} (Fulltext)
* {{Citation |title = Virginia: a Guide to the Old Dominion |publisher = Oxford University Press |author = [[Federal Writers' Project]] |date = 1941 |series = [[American Guide Series]] |chapter = Roanoke |pages = 301–306 |isbn = 9780403021956 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PBBAaN0aDicC |via = Google Books |ref = {{harvid|Federal Writers' Project|1941}} }}
* {{citation |title=Journal of the Roanoke Historical Society |journal=Journal of the Roanoke Valley Historical Society |issn=0278-2936 }} circa 1964-
* {{Citation |publisher = [[E.P. Dutton]] |location = New York |title = Encyclopedia of American Cities |url = https://archive.org/stream/encyclopediaofam00unib |ol = 4120668M |editor = Ory Mazar Nergal |date = 1980 |chapter = Roanoke, VA |ref = {{harvid|Nergal|1980}} }}
* {{citation |title=Street by Street, Block by Block: How Urban Renewal Uprooted Black Roanoke |work=Roanoke Times |author=Mary Bishop |url=https://www.roanokeva.gov/1323/Digital-Collections |via=Roanoke Public Libraries |date=January 29, 1995 |access-date=August 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317234516/https://www.roanokeva.gov/1323/Digital-Collections |archive-date=March 17, 2017 |url-status=dead }} (Fulltext)
* {{cite book
|author=Paul T. Hellmann
|title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States
|year=2006
|publisher=Taylor & Francis
|isbn=1-135-94859-3
|chapter=Virginia: Roanoke
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aFyDLBIjJ8C
|ref={{harvid|Hellmann|2006}}
}}
* {{cite book|author=Rand Dotson|title=Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZYyNJ6I33IC|year=2008|publisher=University of Tennessee Press|isbn=978-1-57233-643-8|ref={{harvid|Dotson|2008}}}}
{{refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{Sister project links|Roanoke, Virginia|voy=Roanoke}}
{{Sister project links|Roanoke, Virginia|voy=Roanoke}}
<!-- add new links below -->
<!-- add new links below -->
*{{Official website|https://www.roanokeva.gov}}
* {{Official website|https://www.roanokeva.gov}}
* [https://www.visitroanokeva.com/ Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge]
* [http://www.roanokefire.com The History of the Roanoke Fire Department in progress from the 1880s to present, with current news and links]
* [https://downtownroanoke.org/ Downtown Roanoke]
* [http://www.roanokecwrt.com/roundtableroanoke.html Brief history and modern panoramic photos from the Roanoke Civil War Round Table]
* [https://roanoke.org/ Roanoke Regional Partnership]
* {{cite web |url= http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/local/results_all.asp?CountyID=VA770 |publisher=[[Library of Virginia]] |location= Richmond |work=County and City Records |title= City of Roanoke }}
* [https://roanokeoutside.com/ Roanoke Outside]
* [http://dp.la/search?utf8=✓&page_size=100&q=roanoke+virginia Items related to Roanoke, Virginia], various dates (via [[Digital Public Library of America]])

{{Coord|37|16|N|79|56|W|type:city(100,000)_region:US-VA|display=title}}


{{Roanoke neighborhoods}}
{{Roanoke neighborhoods}}

Latest revision as of 19:39, 1 January 2025

Roanoke, Virginia
Flag of Roanoke, Virginia
Official seal of Roanoke, Virginia
Official logo of Roanoke, Virginia
Nickname(s): 
The Star City of The South, Magic City, Star City
Roanoke is located in Virginia
Roanoke
Roanoke
Location in Virginia
Roanoke is located in the United States
Roanoke
Roanoke
Roanoke (the United States)
Coordinates: 37°16′14″N 79°56′33″W / 37.27056°N 79.94250°W / 37.27056; -79.94250
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
Named forRoanoke River
Government
 • TypeCouncil–manager
 • MayorJoseph L. Cobb
 • Vice mayorTerry McGuire
Area
42.85 sq mi (110.99 km2)
 • Land42.52 sq mi (110.13 km2)
 • Water0.33 sq mi (0.86 km2)
Elevation974 ft (297 m)
Population
 (2020)
100,011
 • 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[4]
GNIS feature ID1499971[5]
Websitewww.roanokeva.gov

Roanoke (/ˈr.əˌnk/ ROH-ə-nohk) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is located in Southwest Virginia along the Roanoke River, in the Blue Ridge range of the greater Appalachian Mountains. Roanoke is 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 most-populous city in Virginia west of the state capital Richmond.[6] It is the primary population center of the Roanoke metropolitan area, which had a population of 315,251 in 2020.

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. In 1882, 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's boundaries expanded through multiple annexations from the surrounding Roanoke County, and it became Southwest Virginia's economic and cultural hub. The 1982 decision by N&W to relocate their headquarters out of the city, combined with other manufacturing closures, led 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.[7] While the name Roanoke is said to have originated from a Native American word for shell beads used as currency,[8] that word was first used 300 miles (480 km) away, where the Roanoke River empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Roanoke Island.[9] The Roanoke Valley itself was originally home to members of the Tutelo tribe,[9][10] a Siouan-speaking people who were gradually pushed out of the area by advancing European settlers.[10]

Many of those settlers were Scotch-Irish who arrived in the region during the 18th and early 19th centuries following the Plantation of Ulster.[11]: 3  They were followed by significant numbers of Germans from Pennsylvania via the Great Wagon Road.[11]: 3 [9] By 1838, the area was populated enough that Roanoke County was created out of parts of Botetourt and Montgomery Counties,[12] and the area's first railroad, the Virginia and Tennessee, arrived in 1852.[13]: 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.[13]: 49 [14]: 2  Gainesborough increasingly became referred to as Big Lick (and later as Old Lick) once development drifted farther south towards the depot.[15] 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.[13]: 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.[13]: 58 

In 1874, the community surrounding the depot applied for and received a town charter, and the Town of Big Lick was formally established.[11]: 71  Eight years later, 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).[13]: 65  The two companies also relocated their respective headquarters to the town (the two lines would officially merge in 1890).[13]: 70 [11]: 204  Big Lick's relatively small size compared to the nearby county seat, Salem, worked in its favor as a draw for the companies. Big Lick's ample farmland and nearby water sources were well suited to the railroads' goal of building much of the town from scratch, including railroad shops, offices, a hotel, and suitable housing for their many employees.[11]: 86 [14]: 8 

Hotel Roanoke as it appeared in 1910. N&W ordered an expansion to the hotel before the original structure was completed.[16]

In the early 1880s, 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.[14]: 10  Kimball turned down the honor, saying, "On the Roanoke River in Roanoke County – name it Roanoke."[11]: 90  The town obliged, officially becoming the Town of Roanoke on February 3, 1882.[13]: 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.[17][18]: 153  Kimball chose a wheat field north of the railroad tracks and east of Gainsboro for the N&W's new hotel,[13]: 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.[14]: 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.[13]: 71  That milestone made the town eligible for a city charter, and on January 31, 1884, the town became the City of Roanoke.[11]: 135 

With a population that ballooned from under 700 residents in 1880 to over 16,000 in 1890[19] – and earning itself the nickname "The Magic City" in the process[14]: 1  – Roanoke suffered many of the same difficulties that affected other 19th century boomtowns.[20] 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.[14]: 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[14]: 105  – opposed the measures because the money would only be used to improve white neighborhoods.[14]: 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.[14]: 108  The local press, for its part, stoked the white population's fears and anxiety with near-constant reports of African American "savagery".[14]: 125 [21][22][23]

In September 1893, tensions boiled over when a white woman was allegedly robbed and beaten by an African-American man, Thomas Smith, near the city's market.[13]: 78  Smith was held in the city jail; a mob of hundreds surrounded the building and demanded "lynch justice".[14]: 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,[14]: 134  who had vowed protection of the prisoner.[13]: 79  The rioting mob was eventually successful in gaining control of Smith. They 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.[14]: 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.[14]: 145 

20th century – present

[edit]

Despite these and other setbacks, the city grew through the early 20th century, both in area and population.[13]: 84 [24] In addition to the land gained in its 1882 town charter, relatively unopposed annexations occurred five more times by 1926, though Roanoke County would become less agreeable to later attempts.[24] Mill Mountain became a popular entertainment locale for early residents; an observation tower and the Rockledge Inn each opened atop the mountain in 1892.[11]: 250  Mountain Park, an early amusement center complete with a casino and roller coaster, opened at the foot of the mountain in 1903,[11]: 205  and beginning in 1910 visitors could pay a quarter to ride an incline railway to the top of Mill Mountain and back.[11]: 473 

Another mainstay at the base of the mountain was Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Completed in 1900 as Roanoke Hospital,[11]: 341  the building has undergone many expansions and today is the flagship of the Carilion Clinic healthcare group.[25] 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.[26] That company built a plant in 1917 that by a decade later employed 5,000 and was reportedly the largest rayon producing mill in the world.[13]: 96 

The city leased land for an airfield beginning in 1929.[11]: 570  Still, its development into the region's primary airport did not begin until its designation as a defense project provided federal funding in 1940.[13]: 103  That same year, N&W donated the fairground, Maher Field, to the city to build a stadium and armory.[13]: 103  Victory Stadium – optimistically named upon its completion in 1942[27] – played host to the annual Thanksgiving Day football game between Virginia Tech and Virginia Military Institute for years afterward.[28]

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.[13]: 109 [24] 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.[24] 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 42.9 square miles (111.1 km2).[24]

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.[29] 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".[30] 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.[31] Crossroads Mall, the first enclosed shopping center in Virginia,[32] and Towers Mall, at the time one of the largest shopping centers in the state,[33] were each completed in 1961.[31] In later years, Tanglewood Mall (1973)[34] and Valley View Mall (1985)[35] contributed to Roanoke's status as the region's retail hub.[36]

Mid-century change to the city came in the form of 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.[37] 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.[38] City officials gained the land through eminent domain and proceeded to clear over 1,000 buildings, often through widescale burning.[37] 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.[37][39][40][41]

The second half of the 20th century ushered in a change of identity for Roanoke.[42] 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.[42][43] The company closed their regional headquarters in Roanoke in 2015, and in 2020 shuttered the locomotive shops.[44][45] The railroad's departure and a string of manufacturing plant closures left a hole in the city's economic base.[42]

In 1987, however, the merger of two of the area's largest hospitals created the forerunner of Carilion Clinic, a medical group that is the largest employer in the state west of Richmond.[46] 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".[47][48] 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,[49][50] and in 2020 Roanoke's population passed 100,000 for the first time since 1980.[51]

Geography

[edit]
A photo of the Blue Ridge Mountains taken from an overlook
The Blue Ridge Mountains get their distinctive color from isoprene produced by the trees.[52]

Roanoke is the largest city in Virginia west of Richmond[53] and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a range which is part of the greater Appalachian Mountains.[54] 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.[55] It is located in the center of the greater Roanoke Valley and is bisected by the Roanoke River, which flows west-to-east through the city.[56] 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.[57]

Roanoke's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains makes it proximate to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife.[58] The area is home to at least 43 species of salamander,[59] 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.[60]

A panorama of Roanoke from the Mill Mountain Star overlook with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.
A panorama of Roanoke from the Mill Mountain Star overlook with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

Roanoke is the largest city along both the Appalachian Trail, which runs through Roanoke County just north of the city,[61] and the Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs just south of the city.[62] Carvins Cove, the third-largest municipal park in America at 12,700 acres (51 km2), lies in northeast Roanoke County and southwest Botetourt County.[63] Smith Mountain Lake is several miles southeast of the city,[64] and the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are nearby.[65] Outdoor pursuits in the region include hiking, mountain biking, cross-country running, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, and disc golf.[66]

Neighborhoods

[edit]
A nighttime photo of the exterior of the Grandin Theatre
The Grandin Theatre located in Grandin Village

Roanoke is divided into 49 separate neighborhoods.[67] 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.[68] 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 theater.[69] 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.[70]

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.[71] It is located in USDA hardiness zone 7b, with the suburbs falling in zone 7a.[72] 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. However, neither 100 °F (38 °C) nor 0 °F (−18 °C) are reached in most years; the most recent occurrence of each is July 20, 2020, and February 20, 2015, respectively.[73] 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.[73][74] The monthly mean temperature ranges from 37.9 °F (3.3 °C) in January to 77.8 °F (25.4 °C) in July.[73][74]

Based on the 1991−2020 period, the city averages 14.8 inches (38 cm) of snow per winter.[74] Roanoke experienced a mild snow drought in the 2000s, which ended in December 2009 when 17 inches (43 cm) of snow fell on Roanoke in a single storm.[75] Winter snowfall has ranged from trace amounts in 1918–19 and 1919–20 to 62.7 inches (159 cm) in 1959–60;[73] unofficially, the largest single storm dumped approximately three feet (0.9 m) from December 16−18, 1890.[76]

Historically, flooding has been the primary weather-related hazard faced by Roanoke.[77] Heavy rains, most frequently from the remnants of a hurricane, drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley.[78] 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.[79][80] The most severe flooding in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when heavy storms from Hurricane Juan stalled over the area.[81] Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley and others were saved by rescue personnel.[82] 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.[83]

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)
Mean daily maximum °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)
Mean daily minimum °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[73][74]

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[19]
1960–1980[84]
1990-2000[85] 2010[86] 2020[87]

2020 census

[edit]

At the 2020 census, 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.[87]

Among the city's households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 30.4% were married couples living together, while 37.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. In total, 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.[87]

According to the unofficial American Community Survey, the median household income in Roanoke 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.[88]

Roanoke city, Virginia – Racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[89] Pop 2010[86] Pop 2020[87] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 65,256 60,042 55,951 68.75% 61.88% 55.94%
Black or African American alone (NH) 25,220 27,256 27,077 26.57% 28.09% 27.07%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 178 198 211 0.19% 0.20% 0.21%
Asian alone (NH) 1,088 1,676 2,462 1.15% 1.73% 2.46%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 21 36 42 0.02% 0.04% 0.04%
Other race alone (NH) 185 199 523 0.19% 0.21% 0.52%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 1,558 2,280 5,261 1.64% 2.35% 5.26%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,405 5,345 8,484 1.48% 5.51% 8.48%
Total 94,911 97,032 100,011 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Economy

[edit]

Roanoke's economy was long closely linked to its status as the headquarters for the Norfolk and Western Railway.[14] As time progressed, manufacturing and mining businesses contributed to the region's growth.[90] 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.[91] 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.[44] With Norfolk Southern's departure, Roanoke's economy has since the mid-1990s shifted to become dominated by the healthcare industry.[90]

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[46]– is Carilion Clinic, which developed from the 1987 merger of two of the area's largest hospitals.[92] 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)[93] and Radford University (Radford University Carilion).[47][94] The clinic's expansions have spurred considerable development in the former brownfields located south of Roanoke's downtown,[95] turning the once-abandoned industrial sites into an area called the "innovation corridor" by the city.[48]

Another driving factor in the region's economy has been a push during the 21st century to market the area's outdoor recreation potential.[96] 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.[97] The organization also puts on annual events such as the Blue Ridge Marathon and the GO Outside Festival.[98]

Other areas of strength in the region's economy include manufacturing and retail, each comprising over ten percent of the valley's industry.[99] Transportation manufacturers such as Yokohama Tire,[100] Volvo,[101] Mack Trucks,[102] Metalsa,[103] and Altec[104] contribute to the thousands of people employed in that field regionally.[99] Night-vision device makers Elbit Systems[105] and the fiber optics company Luna Innovations[106] are among the advanced manufacturers in the area.[99]

Top employers

[edit]

According to Roanoke's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[107] 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 City of Roanoke 500 to 999
5 United Parcel Service 500 to 999
6 Walmart 250 to 499
7 United States Postal Service 250 to 499
8 Virginia Transformer Corporation 250 to 499
9 YMCA 250 to 499
10 Anthem, member of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association 250 to 499

Arts and culture

[edit]

Serving as a hub for arts and culture in Southwest Virginia, 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.[108][109][110]

Museums

[edit]
An exterior photo of the underside of a museum building balcony
The Taubman Museum of Art

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.[111] 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.[112] 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.[112]

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.[113] 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.[114] As a result, the museum was renamed the Taubman Museum of Art.[115] The art museum features 19th and 20th century American art, contemporary and modern art, decorative arts, and works on paper.[116] 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.[113] Though the building's avant-garde design was controversial,[117][118] it has since won international praise for its architecture.[119][120]

An exterior photo of an upright rocket standing outside of a brick building
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.[121][122] A 2013 fundraising campaign led to the engine's refurbishment,[123] and it now does tourist excursion runs when not home at the museum.[124] In addition to its rail exhibits, the museum also displays a US Army Jupiter rocket[125] and houses exhibits covering aviation as well as automobiles.[126] The museum is located in the former Norfolk and Western freight depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[127]

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.[128] 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.[129]

Arts

[edit]

The Berglund Performing Arts Theatre is a 2,150-seat venue within the larger Berglund Center complex.[130] It regularly hosts concerts,[131][132] touring Broadway theatre performances,[133][134] stand-up comedy shows,[135][136] and the Miss Virginia pageant.[137][138] 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[108] – stands before the theater. Dedicated in 2008 to celebrate the city's 150th anniversary,[139] the 30-foot (9.1 m) stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands", is one of over 160 public works of art in Roanoke.[140]

The Jefferson Center as it appeared in 2023. The Tudor Revival building opened as Jefferson High School in 1924.[141]

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.[142][143]

In 2006, the former Dumas Hotel was reopened as the Dumas Center for Artistic and Cultural Development.[144] 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.[37][145] The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests as Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Nat King Cole when they performed in Roanoke.[146] The renovated Dumas Center features an auditorium with more than 200 seats,[144] and the building is a contributing structure to the Henry Street Historic District, listed in 2004 to the National Register of Historic Places.[147]

Since 1964, the Roanoke Valley has hosted 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.[148] 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.[149]

Roanoke has been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre since 1951,[150] and since 2008, the Virginia Children's Theatre has presented shows aimed at a younger audience, often based on children's literature.[151] 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.[151]

Opera Roanoke is Southwest Virginia's only professional opera company, established in 1976 as the Southwest Virginia Opera Society.[152] It has performed under its current name since 1991, and its official orchestra since 2004 has been the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.[153] That group was established in 1953.[154] The orchestra performs out of the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre, Salem Civic Center, and Shaftman Performance Hall at Jefferson Center.[155]

Points of interest

[edit]

Roanoke is the largest metropolitan area on the Blue Ridge Parkway,[156] a 469-mile-long scenic road that is the most-visited element of the National Park System.[157] 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.[158] Also on the mountain's summit is Mill Mountain Zoo, a Zoological Association of America-accredited facility housing over 170 animals.[159][160]

A photo of the Texas Tavern restaurant at night
The Texas Tavern has changed little since its establishment in 1930.

The Basilica of St. Andrew rests on a hill overlooking downtown and has been called "one of Virginia's foremost examples of the High Victorian Gothic".[161] The church dates to 1900, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1973.[161] 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.[162] Nicknamed the "Grand Old Lady",[163] the hotel was listed on the NRHP in 1995.[164]

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.[165] Near the terminus of the market is Fire Station No. 1, which for a time was the oldest continuously operating station in the state.[166] The Georgian Revival structure was listed on the NRHP in 1973,[167] and currently houses a local furniture showroom, restaurant, and boutique hotel.[168] Two blocks west on the same street is Texas Tavern, an "iconic"[169][170] ten-seat greasy spoon restaurant that the same family has operated since its establishment in 1930.[171]

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,[172] and Pride in the Park is an LGBTQ+ community celebration that draws thousands of visitors every April.[173] Several events occur in May, including the Local Colors festival celebrating the cultures of the area's diverse ethnicities,[174] the city's Strawberry Festival,[175] the Down by Downtown music festival which coincides with the Blue Ridge Marathon,[176] and Memorial Day weekend's Festival in the Park, which brings music and vendors to downtown Elmwood Park.[177]

Later in the year, Elmwood Park hosts the Henry Street Heritage Festival, the primary fundraiser for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.[178] The event's popularity necessitated the move from its eponymous location.[178] 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,[179] 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.[180]

Sports

[edit]

The 1971–1972 Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association 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.[181] Julius Erving played his professional rookie season with the Squires that year before being sent to the New York Nets.[182]

The Blue Ridge Mountains viewed from Salem Memorial Ballpark

Minor league baseball has had a long history in the Roanoke Valley.[183] In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roanoke was home to a class B farm team of the Boston Red Sox.[184] 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.[184] 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.[185]

The history of minor league hockey in the Roanoke Valley goes back to 1967.[186] The Roanoke Express of the ECHL built a loyal following in the mid-1990s,[187] 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.[187][188] An attempt at a revival in 2005–06 by the UHL's Roanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season.[186] In 2016, professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL began to play,[186] and the team won its first-ever President's Cup title in 2023.[189]

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.[190] In 2000 the schools started holding these games in campus facilities.[191]

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.[28] The game was moved to Thanksgiving Day beginning in the early 1920s and was a holiday mainstay in the city until 1971.[28][192]

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),[193] the Roanoke Outside Foundation has put on the Blue Ridge Marathon, which is regarded as difficult due to its considerable elevation changes.[193][194] The USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships were held in the city and surrounding areas in 2022 and 2023,[195] and an Ironman 70.3 triathlon event brought competitors to the region from 2021–2023.[196]

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.[197] 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.[11]: 370  Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke became the city's second in 1911.[11]: 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.[198] As of 2023 Elmwood holds the city's main library branch as well as an art walk and a 4,000-seat amphitheater.[199]

Roanoke features an extensive network of paved greenways for walkers, runners, and cyclists.[200] Though the idea for a publicly owned greenway system can be traced back to a 1907 comprehensive plan for the city,[201] it was not until 1995 that an intergovernmental committee was formed to plan and develop the project.[202] Since that time, 26 miles of greenways have been built across the Roanoke Valley.[203] As of 2023, the longest continuous stretch runs 12 miles along the Roanoke River from Salem through Roanoke City to Vinton.[204] Roanoke County is also in the planning stages of extending that same stretch westward into Montgomery County.[205] As of 2023, Roanoke contained over 100 miles (160 km) of trails and greenways.[206]

Government

[edit]
United States presidential election results for Roanoke, Virginia[207]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 15,787 37.31% 25,737 60.82% 790 1.87%
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%
1928 6,471 61.69% 4,018 38.31% 0 0.00%
1924 1,747 27.15% 3,930 61.07% 758 11.78%
1920 2,329 32.60% 4,715 66.00% 100 1.40%
1916 610 20.68% 2,246 76.14% 94 3.19%
1912 268 9.77% 1,913 69.74% 562 20.49%
1908 593 29.56% 1,408 70.19% 5 0.25%
1904 506 27.82% 1,268 69.71% 45 2.47%
1900 1,120 37.51% 1,761 58.98% 105 3.52%
1896 1,697 44.74% 2,005 52.86% 91 2.40%
1892 1,870 39.93% 2,707 57.80% 106 2.26%
1888 535 40.50% 719 54.43% 67 5.07%
1884 568 47.77% 621 52.23% 0 0.00%

Like most cities in Virginia, Roanoke has a council-manager form of government.[208][209] The city manager maintains the day-to-day operation of the city's government and has the authority to hire and fire city employees.[209] The mayor has little executive authority and is essentially the "first among equals" on the Roanoke City Council,[209] though the position wields influence through public appearances and annual State of the City addresses.[210]

The city council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on an at-large basis.[211] 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.[212] The four-year terms of city council members are staggered, with three members elected every two years.[211] The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the vice mayor for the following two years.[211]

On June 27, 2016, Sherman P. Lea Sr. took the office of mayor,[213] and he was re-elected to the same position in 2020.[214] The current city manager, Bob Cowell, has been in that position since 2017.[215] Joseph L. Cobb is serving his second term as the city's vice mayor.[216]

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.[217] Local taxes, including real estate, personal property, and sales taxes, are the government's largest source of revenue at over 70% of its intake.[218]

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).[219][220] In February 2023, Edwards announced his intention to retire after 28 years in the state senate.[221] 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.[222]

Roanoke is one of the few Democratic pockets in the otherwise heavily Republican Southwest Virginia.[223] It has supported the Democratic Party nominee in every election since 1988 and in all but one election since 1976.[224]

Education

[edit]

Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities – Roanoke College in the city of Salem,[225] and Hollins University in Roanoke County.[226] 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.[227][228] Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute was founded in 2007,[229] and Radford University Carilion was established in 2019.[230] 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.[231][232] 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.[233][234] ECPI University, a private for-profit institution, also has a campus located in Roanoke.[235]

The local public school division is Roanoke City Public Schools.[236] The two general enrollment public high schools in the city are Patrick Henry High School, located in the Raleigh Court area,[237] and William Fleming High School, located in Northwest Roanoke.[238]

A prominent parochial school in the city is Roanoke Catholic,[239] which dates to 1889 and shares its campus with the Basilica of St. Andrew.[240] Private non-parochial schools in Roanoke include Community High School of Arts and Academics. The school was first housed in the Jefferson Center before moving to its current location in downtown Roanoke in 2011.[241]

Media

[edit]

The city's daily newspaper, The Roanoke Times, has been published since 1886.[242] As of 2023, weekday and Sunday circulation both average around 25,000.[243] 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.[244] 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.[245] 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.[246][247]

The weekly Roanoke Tribune covers the city's African-American community.[248] The publication was founded in 1939 by the Rev. Fleming Alexander and since 1971 has been owned and edited by his daughter.[249] 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.[250]

Roanoke and Lynchburg are grouped in the same television market, which as of 2022 ranks #71 in the United States with 456,390 households.[251] The city has affiliates for all major networks including NBC affiliate WSLS 10,[252] CBS affiliate WDBJ 7,[253] Fox affiliate WFXR Fox,[254] PBS affiliate WBRA-TV,[255] and ION Television affiliate WPXR-TV.[256] The Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market has a population of 451,600 and is ranked number 122 in the United States as of 2022.[257] iHeartMedia owns many stations in the area, including WROV, WJJS, WYYD, and WSTV.[258]

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.[259] Some of the company's projects in Roanoke itself were highlighted on the show, including their part in the renovation of Fire Station No. 1.[259]

Infrastructure

[edit]

Transportation

[edit]

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.[260]

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.[261] 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.[262]

Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport terminal building

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.[263] The airport is served by American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta and Allegiant Air.[264] 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.[265]

While Roanoke is known for its rail history, low ridership numbers led Amtrak to discontinue passenger rail service to the city in 1979.[266] 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.[267] 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.[268] The service has been successful enough that a second daily train to Roanoke was added in 2022.[269]

The N&W 611 waiting at Roanoke station in 2017

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.[90] The railway's Pocahontas Division, consisting of over 2,500 miles of track, is headquartered just outside of downtown Roanoke,[270] 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.[44][271]

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.[272] Valley Metro also offers bus service to Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Virginia Tech via its Smart Way service,[273] as well as the Ferrum Express, a free shuttle that runs between downtown Roanoke and Ferrum College in nearby Rocky Mount.[274]

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.[275] 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.[276] 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.[277]

Utilities

[edit]

Roanoke is supplied electricity by the Appalachian Power Company, an American Electric Power division. Appalachian Power serves roughly 500,000 people in Western Virginia and another 500,000 in West Virginia and Tennessee.[278] 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.[279] 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.[279]

Healthcare

[edit]

Roanoke is the primary center for healthcare in Western Virginia, serving an estimated one million people.[280] Carilion Clinic, a non-profit healthcare group, is the region's largest provider with over 750 physicians spread across eight hospitals.[94] 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,[280][9]: 309  as well as a Veterans Affairs Medical Center serving over 100,000 military veterans in the region, also located in Salem.[280]

Notable people

[edit]

Sister cities

[edit]

Roanoke has six sister cities:[281]

In February 2023, it was announced that the city was officially pausing its sister city affiliation with Pskov, Russia due to the continuing Russian invasion of Ukraine.[282]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Roanoke Virginia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  6. ^ "QuickFacts Roanoke city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Rouse, Jr., Parke (1973). The Great Wagon Road: From Philadelphia to the South. McGraw-Hill Book Company. ISBN 978-0-07-054101-6.
  8. ^ Otto, Paul (2017). ""This is that which...they call Wampum" Europeans Coming to Terms With Native Shell Beads". Faculty Publications - Department of History, Politics, and International Studies (77).
  9. ^ a b c d Kagey, Deedie (1988). When Past is Prologue: A History of Roanoke County. Roanoke County Sesquicentennial Committee. p. 7.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "History | Roanoke County, VA - Official Website". www.roanokecountyva.gov. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Hill Studio (February 2004). "Historic Architectural Survey of and National Register Nominations for Roanoke Downtown Historic District" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  16. ^ Piedmont, Donlan (1994). Peanut Soup and Spoonbread: An Informal History of Hotel Roanoke. Virginia Tech Real Estate Foundation, Inc. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-9617635-1-0.
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  18. ^ Shareef, Reginald (1996). The Roanoke Valley's African American Heritage: A Pictorial History. The Donning Company. ISBN 978-0-89865-962-7.
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  20. ^ Dybdahl, Pete (December 19, 2007). "Growing Pains". The Roanoke Times. p. 1.
  21. ^ "Crime of the Century". The Roanoke Times. February 2, 1901. p. 4.
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  23. ^ "Brutal Work at Staunton". The Roanoke Times. May 1, 1894. p. 1.
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  25. ^ Chittum, Matt (December 9, 2018). "Research district transforms Roanoke $50 million gift bolsters health campus that was years in the making". The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
  26. ^ Hammack, Laurence; Hunter, Molly (March 26, 2023). "Past pollution a present concern for Riverdale plans". The Roanoke Times.
  27. ^ "Colorful Crowd Attends Dedication of Stadium". The Roanoke Times. November 27, 1942. p. 1.
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  36. ^ Codispoti, Amanda (June 9, 2013). "Making the Star City the right fit". The Roanoke Times. p. 1.
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  38. ^ Chittum, Matt (August 14, 2005). "When segregation ruled the streets". The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
  39. ^ Adams, Mason (August 31, 2008). "Troubled legacy". The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
  40. ^ Campagna, Mary E. (July 26, 2017). "Sale of Dumas is a stab wound to the heart". The Roanoke Times. p. 9B.
  41. ^ Adams, Mason (August 8, 2008). "Residents argue for renewal program". The Roanoke Times. p. 5B.
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