Harrisonburg, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| City of Harrisonburg | |
 Rockingham County Courthouse in Court Square inDowntown Harrisonburg | |
 Seal | |
| Nicknames: The Friendly City, Rocktown, H'burg, The Burg, Friendly by Nature | |
_bordering_Rockingham_County.svg) Harrisonburg enclaved within Rockingham County | |
 Location of Harrisonburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia | |
  Harrisonburg  Harrisonburg | |
| Coordinates:38°26′58″N78°52′08″W / 38.44944°N 78.86889°W /38.44944; -78.86889 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| County | Rockingham |
| Founded | 1779 |
| Incorporated | 1916 |
| Founded by | Thomas Harrison |
| Named after | Thomas Harrison |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council-manager government |
| • City Manager | Ande Banks[1] |
| • Mayor | Deanna R. Reed (D)[2] |
| • City Council[5] | |
| • House Delegate | Tony Wilt (R) |
| • State Senator | Mark Obenshain (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.39 sq mi (45.04 km2) |
| • Land | 17.34 sq mi (44.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0.050 sq mi (0.13 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,325 ft (404 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 51,814 |
| • Density | 2,988/sq mi (1,154/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 22801–22803, 22807 |
| Area code | 540 |
| FIPS code | 51-35624[7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498489[8] |
| Website | www.harrisonburgva.gov |
Harrisonburg is anindependent city in theShenandoah Valley region of theCommonwealth ofVirginia, United States. It is also thecounty seat of the surroundingRockingham County,[9] although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the2020 census, the population was 51,814.[10] TheBureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into theHarrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 126,562 in 2011.[11]
Harrisonburg is home toJames Madison University (JMU), a publicresearch university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[12] andEastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private,Mennonite-affiliatedliberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association withPresidentJames Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[13] EMU largely owes its existence to the sizableMennonite population in theShenandoah Valley, to which manyPennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[14]
The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[15] As of 2014,Hispanics orLatinos of any race make up 19% of the city's population.[16]Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition toEnglish, withSpanish,Arabic, andKurdish being the most common languages spoken.[17] Over one-third of HCPS students areEnglish as a second language (ESL) learners.[18]Language learning software companyRosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[19] and the multilingual "Welcome Your Neighbors" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[15]
The earliest documented English exploration of the area prior to settlement was theKnights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition, led by Lt. Gov.Alexander Spotswood, who reachedElkton, and whose rangers continued and in 1716 likely passed through what is now Harrisonburg.
Harrisonburg, previously known as "Rocktown," was named forThomas Harrison, a son of English settlers.[21] In 1737, Harrison settled in theShenandoah Valley, eventually laying claim to over 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) situated at the intersection of the Spotswood Trail and the mainNative American road through the valley.[22]
In 1779, Harrison deeded 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) of his land to the "public good" for the construction of a courthouse. In 1780, Harrison deeded an additional 50 acres (20 ha).[23]This is the area now known as "Historic Downtown Harrisonburg".
In 1849, trustees chartered amayor–council form of government, although Harrisonburg was not officially incorporated as an independent city until 1916. Today, acouncil–manager government administers Harrisonburg.[24]
On June 6, 1862, anAmerican Civil War skirmish took place at Good's Farm, Chestnut Ridge near Harrisonburg between the forces of theUnion and the forces of theConfederacy at which the C.S. Army Colonel,Turner Ashby (1828–1862), was killed.
The city has expanded in size over the years.[25]
When enslaved peoples in the Shenandoah Valley were freed in 1865, they established a town called Newtown near modern-day Harrisonburg.[26] This town was eventually annexed by the independent city of Harrisonburg some years later, probably around 1892. Today, the old city of Newtown is in the Northeast section of Harrisonburg in the area referred to as Downtown Harrisonburg.[27] It remains the home of the majority of Harrisonburg's predominantly Black churches, such as First Baptist and Bethel AME. The modern Boys and Girls Club of Harrisonburg is located in theold Lucy Simms schoolhouse that was used for Black students in the days ofsegregation.[28]
A large portion of this Black neighborhood was dismantled in the 1960s when – in the name ofurban renewal – the city government used federal redevelopment funds from theHousing Act of 1949 to force Black families out of their homes and then bulldozed the neighborhood. This effort, called "Project R-4", focused on the city blocks east of Main, north of Gay, west of Broad, and south of Johnson. This area makes up 32.5 acres. "Project R-16" is a smaller tag on project which focused on the 7.5 acres south of Gay Street.[29][27][30][31][32]
According to Bob Sullivan, an intern working in the city planner's office in 1958, the city planner at the time, David Clark, convinced the city council that Harrisonburg had slums. Newtown, a low socioeconomic status housing area, was declared a slum. Federal law mandated that the city needed to have a referendum on the issue before R-4 could begin. The vote was close with 1,024 votes in favor and 978 against R-4. In 1955, following the vote, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment and Housing Authority was established to carry out the project. All of the group's members were White men. Invoking the power of eminent domain, the government forced people in Newtown to sell their homes.[33] Residents were offered payments for their homes far below their true real estate value. Many people could not afford a new home and had to move into public housing projects. Other families left Harrisonburg. It is estimated between 93 and 200 families were displaced.[30][29]
In addition to families, many of the businesses of Newtown that were bought out could not afford to reestablish themselves. Locals say many prominent Black businesses like the Colonnade, which served as a pool hall, dance hall, community center, and tearoom, were unable to reopen.[34] Kline's, a White-owned business, was one of the few businesses in the area that was able to reopen. The city later made $500,000 selling the seized property to redevelopers. Before the project, the area brought in $7000 in taxes annually. By 1976, the areas redeveloped in R-4 and R-16 were bringing in $45,000 in annual taxes. These profit gains led Lauren McKinney to regard the project as "one of only two 'profitable' redevelopment schemes in the state of Virginia".[29]
Cultural landmarks were also influenced by the projects. Although later rebuilt, the Old First Baptist Church of Harrisonburg was demolished.[34][35] Newtown Cemetery, a Historic African American Cemetery, was also impacted. Although it appears that no burials were destroyed, the western boundary was paved over and several headstones now touch the street.[36][34]
_in_Harrisonburg%2c_Virginia.jpg)
Major highways in Harrisonburg includeInterstate 81, the main north–south highway in western Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Other significant roads serving the city includeU.S. Route 11,U.S. Route 33,Virginia State Route 42,Virginia State Route 253 andVirginia State Route 280.
In early 2002, the Harrisonburg community discussed the possibility of creating a pedestrian mall downtown. Public meetings were held to discuss the merits and drawbacks of pursuing such a plan. Ultimately, the community decided to keep its Main Street open to traffic. From these discussions, however, a strong voice emerged from the community in support of downtown revitalization.
On July 1, 2003, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance[37] was incorporated as a501(c)(3)nonprofit organization with the mission of rejuvenating the downtown district.[38]
In 2004, downtown was designated as theHarrisonburg Downtown Historic District on theNational Register of Historic Places and a designated Virginia Main Street Community,[39] with the neighboringOld Town Historic District residential community gaining historic district status in 2007. Several vacant buildings have been renovated and repurposed for new uses, such as the Hardesty-Higgins House and City Exchange, used for the Harrisonburg Tourist Center and high-end loft apartments, respectively.
In 2008, downtown Harrisonburg spent over $1 million in cosmetic and sidewalk infrastructure improvements (also called streetscaping and wayfinding projects). The City Council appropriated $500,000 for custom street signs to be used as "wayfinding signs" directing visitors to areas of interest around the city. Another $500,000 were used to upgrade street lighting, sidewalks, and landscaping along Main Street and Court Square.[40]
In 2014, Downtown Harrisonburg was named a Great American Main Street by the National Main Street Association and downtown was designated the first culinary district in the commonwealth of Virginia.
Norfolk Southern also owns a small railyard in Harrisonburg. The Chesapeake and Western corridor fromElkton to Harrisonburg has very high volumes of grain and ethanol.The railroad serves two major grain elevators inside the city limits. In May 2017Norfolk Southern 51T derailed in Harrisonburg spilling corn into Blacks Run. No one was injured.
Shenandoah Valley Railroad interchanges with the NS on south side of Harrisonburg and withCSX andBuckingham Branch Railroad in NorthStaunton.
Harrisonburg Transit provides public transportation in Harrisonburg. Virginia Breeze provides intercity bus service betweenBlacksburg, Harrisonburg, andWashington, D.C.[41]
Harrisonburg has won several awards[42] in recent years, including "#6 Favorite Town in America" by Travel + Leisure in 2016,[43] the "#15 Best City to Raise an Outdoor Kid" by Backpacker in 2009,[44] and the "#3 Happiest Mountain Town" by Blue Ridge Country Magazine in 2016.[45]
Harrisonburg holds the title of "Virginia's first Culinary District" (awarded in 2014).[46] The "Taste of Downtown" (TOD) week-long event takes place annually to showcase local breweries and restaurants.[47] Often referred to as "Restaurant Week," theTOD event offers a chance for culinary businesses in downtown Harrisonburg to create specials, collaborations, and try out new menus.[48]
Thecreative class of Harrisonburg has grown alongside the revitalization of the downtown district. The designation of "first Arts & Cultural District in Virginia" was awarded to Downtown Harrisonburg in 2001.[49] Contributing to Harrisonburg's cultural capital are a collection of education and art centers, residencies, studios, and artist-facilitated businesses, programs, and collectives.
Some of these programs include:
The modern city of Harrisonburg grew up around this modest stone house, which until recently was thought to have been erected for Thomas Harrison ca. 1750. But new research and a dendrochronology study completed by James Madison University in 2018 has determined that it was built ca. 1790; Harrison died in 1785. Harrison laid out the town that was to bear his name on fifty acres of his holdings and was also instrumental in having Harrisonburg established as the Rockingham County seat in 1780. Prior to confirmation of the date of construction, it was believed that the first courts were held in this building, which is also associated with Bishop Francis Asbury, a pioneer leader of the Methodist Episcopal church, who often visited Harrison and conducted some of the county's first Methodist services. While the original Thomas Harrison house no longer exists, this building remains an early example of stone vernacular architecture in the Shenandoah Valley, and a contributing building in the Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District. Its window architraves are cut from solid walnut timbers. This house remained in the Harrison family until 1870, which is probably why it was long-thought to have been Thomas Harrison's.[58][59]
Home to Harrisonburg's first mayor Isaac Hardesty, the house bears his name and the name of the physician, Henry Higgins, who began construction in 1848. Isaac Hardesty was born in 1795 and became the city's first Mayor by charter on March 16, 1849, incorporating the town of Harrisonburg. Hardesty completed construction of the home by 1853 and lived in the house with his wife, Ann, and two children. He was a successful business man, apothecary, and merchant, and he served on the board of directors of the Valley Turnpike Company.[60]
Isaac Hardesty supported the Union and moved from Harrisonburg during the early part of the Civil War. The Strayer sisters occupied the house and, during their stay, the sisters hosted Union General Nathaniel Banks. The house served as an inn after the war and was home to the Virginia Craftsman, makers of handcrafted furniture, from the 1920s to the 1980s.[60]
The approximately 100 acreHarrisonburg Downtown Historic District[61] embraces the historic commercial and institutional core of the city. The principal axis of the district is Main Street, which runs approximately north–south through the district. Another principal thoroughfare is Liberty Street, which parallels Main Street. The principal cross axis is Market Street (US Highway 33), which intersects with Main Street on the east side of Court Square.[62] The Romanesque Revival/Renaissance Revival 1896-97 Rockingham County Courthouse commands the square, and surrounding blocks arc densely developed with early twentieth century high-rise bank buildings and other commercial buildings from the 1870s through the 1950s. Most residential buildings dates to after the Civil War, when South Main Street developed as Harrisonburg's elite residential avenue. Notable houses from the period include Victorian/Queen Anne masterpieces such as Ute 1890 Joshua Wilton House and rarities such as the late 1880s Octagon House. Several fine Gothic Revival churches date to the early years of the twentieth century. Industrial buildings and warehouses date largely to the first half of the twentieth century and include the 1908 City Produce Exchange, a poultry shipping plant, and the late 1920s Maphis Chapman Co. gas storage tank factory. A complex of mid-twentieth century cinder block warehouses clusters near the 1913 Chesapeake Western Railway Station and the 1920-21 Rockingham Milling Co. roller mill on Chesapeake Avenue. Alter World War I automobile dealerships appeared in the downtown area. An outstanding example is the 1920 Rockingham Motor Co., an inspired Tudor Revival/Art Deco design. Architectural modernism achieved popularity in the 1940s and early 1950s at the end of the period of significance. Harrisonburg's downtown experienced a number of losses during the late twentieth century, but the recent rehabilitation of several key buildings demonstrates a growing commitment to the preservation of the district's historic character.[62]
In addition to the Thomas Harrison House, Hardesty-Higgins House, Harrisonburg Downtown Historic District, and Old Town Historic District, theAnthony Hockman House,Rockingham County Courthouse,Lucy F. Simms School,Whitesel Brothers, andJoshua Wilton House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[63]
Harrisonburg is home to a local television station, several local radio stations, newspapers and independent online news organizations. Local media organizations include:
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45.1 km2), of which 17.3 square miles (44.8 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) (0.3%) is water.[64] The City of Harrisonburg comprises six watersheds, with Blacks Run being the primary watershed with 8.67 miles of stream and a drainage area of over 9000 acres. The city also drains into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Harrisonburg is in the western part of the Shenandoah Valley, a portion of the Valley and Ridge physiographic province.[65] Generally, the area is a rolling upland with local relief between 100 and 300 feet.[65]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,023 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,036 | 99.0% | |
| 1880 | 2,831 | 39.0% | |
| 1890 | 2,792 | −1.4% | |
| 1900 | 3,521 | 26.1% | |
| 1910 | 4,879 | 38.6% | |
| 1920 | 5,875 | 20.4% | |
| 1930 | 7,232 | 23.1% | |
| 1940 | 8,768 | 21.2% | |
| 1950 | 10,810 | 23.3% | |
| 1960 | 11,916 | 10.2% | |
| 1970 | 14,605 | 22.6% | |
| 1980 | 19,671 | 34.7% | |
| 1990 | 30,707 | 56.1% | |
| 2000 | 40,468 | 31.8% | |
| 2010 | 48,914 | 20.9% | |
| 2020 | 51,814 | 5.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 51,164 | −1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[66] 1790-1960[67] 1900-1990[68] 1990-2000[69] 2010[70] 2020[71] | |||
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2010[70] | Pop 2020[71] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 35,391 | 31,454 | 72.35% | 60.71% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,911 | 3,906 | 5.95% | 7.54% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 67 | 71 | 0.14% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,705 | 2,089 | 3.49% | 4.03% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 54 | 20 | 0.11% | 0.04% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 112 | 196 | 0.23% | 0.38% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 1,009 | 2,033 | 2.06% | 3.92% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7,665 | 12,045 | 15.67% | 23.25% |
| Total | 48,914 | 51,814 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[72] of 2010, 48,914 people, 15,988 households, and 7,515 families resided in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,811.1/sq mi (1,085.4/km2). The 15,988 housing units averaged 918.9 units per square mile (354.8 units/km2). Theracial makeup of the city was 78.4% White, 6.4% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.2% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 15.7% of the population, up from 8.85% according to the census of 2000.
Of the 15,988 households, 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.7% weremarried couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.0% were not families. About 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59, and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was distributed as 15.0% under the age of 18, 48.9% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males.
Themedian income for a household in the city was $37,850, and for a family was $53,642. Theper capita income for the city was $16,992. About 11.5% of families and 31.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.6% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1916 | 319 | 47.61% | 346 | 51.64% | 5 | 0.75% |
| 1920 | 704 | 53.86% | 594 | 45.45% | 9 | 0.69% |
| 1924 | 631 | 49.69% | 624 | 49.13% | 15 | 1.18% |
| 1928 | 1,037 | 62.73% | 616 | 37.27% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1932 | 665 | 39.30% | 995 | 58.81% | 32 | 1.89% |
| 1936 | 894 | 38.92% | 1,390 | 60.51% | 13 | 0.57% |
| 1940 | 1,000 | 40.31% | 1,462 | 58.93% | 19 | 0.77% |
| 1944 | 1,302 | 50.04% | 1,292 | 49.65% | 8 | 0.31% |
| 1948 | 1,377 | 58.55% | 751 | 31.93% | 224 | 9.52% |
| 1952 | 2,238 | 77.82% | 635 | 22.08% | 3 | 0.10% |
| 1956 | 2,265 | 78.29% | 571 | 19.74% | 57 | 1.97% |
| 1960 | 2,172 | 72.04% | 836 | 27.73% | 7 | 0.23% |
| 1964 | 1,820 | 50.70% | 1,765 | 49.16% | 5 | 0.14% |
| 1968 | 2,859 | 65.69% | 1,036 | 23.81% | 457 | 10.50% |
| 1972 | 3,626 | 77.26% | 992 | 21.14% | 75 | 1.60% |
| 1976 | 3,376 | 63.01% | 1,803 | 33.65% | 179 | 3.34% |
| 1980 | 3,388 | 58.45% | 1,896 | 32.71% | 512 | 8.83% |
| 1984 | 5,221 | 68.15% | 2,384 | 31.12% | 56 | 0.73% |
| 1988 | 5,376 | 64.86% | 2,799 | 33.77% | 113 | 1.36% |
| 1992 | 4,935 | 51.24% | 3,414 | 35.44% | 1,283 | 13.32% |
| 1996 | 4,945 | 55.33% | 3,346 | 37.44% | 646 | 7.23% |
| 2000 | 5,741 | 57.65% | 3,482 | 34.97% | 735 | 7.38% |
| 2004 | 6,165 | 55.89% | 4,726 | 42.85% | 139 | 1.26% |
| 2008 | 6,048 | 41.21% | 8,444 | 57.54% | 183 | 1.25% |
| 2012 | 6,565 | 42.10% | 8,654 | 55.50% | 374 | 2.40% |
| 2016 | 6,262 | 34.81% | 10,212 | 56.77% | 1,513 | 8.41% |
| 2020 | 5,591 | 32.72% | 11,022 | 64.51% | 473 | 2.77% |
| 2024 | 6,266 | 36.15% | 10,641 | 61.40% | 425 | 2.45% |
Like most of the Shenandoah Valley, Harrisonburg was among the first areas of Virginia where old-lineSouthern Democrats began splitting their tickets. The city wentRepublican at every presidential election from1944 to2004. In2008, however,Barack Obama carried the city by a margin of 16 percent—slightly larger than the 14-point margin by whichGeorge W. Bush carried it four years earlier. The city has votedDemocratic in every presidential election since then, and has become one of the few Democratic mainstays in this more conservative part of Virginia. In most elections, it is one of the few areas west of Charlottesville carried by Democrats.
 | It has been suggested that portions of this section besplit out into another article titledList of mayors of Harrisonburg, Virginia. (Discuss)(July 2024) |
| Harrisonburg city government in the 20th century | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Manager | Mayor | Vice-Mayor | |||||
| Term | Name | Term | Name | Party | Term | Name | Party |
| Sep 1946– Aug 1948[74] | Bernard Denton | ||||||
| Sep 1948– Aug 1950[74] | Lawrence Loewner | ||||||
| Sep 1950– Aug 1952[74] | |||||||
| Sep 1952– Aug 1954[74] | |||||||
| Sep 1954– Aug 1956[74] | Walter Green | Sep 1954– Aug 1956[75] | Dan L. Logan | R | |||
| Sep 1956– Aug 1958[74] | Frank C. Switzer | Sep 1956– Aug 1958[75] | |||||
| Sep 1958– Aug 1960[74] | Sep 1958– Aug 1960[75] | ||||||
| Sep 1960– Aug 1962[74] | Sep 1960– Aug 1962[75] | ||||||
| Sep 1962– Aug 1964[74] | Sep 1962– Aug 1964[76] | ||||||
| Sep 1964– Aug 1966[74] | |||||||
| Sep 1966– Aug 1968[74] | Jun 1966[77] | Joseph Mintzer | D | ||||
| Sep 1968– Aug 1970[74] | Roy Hjalmar Erickson | R | Sep 1968– | Royal Kincheloe | |||
| 1969–1974 | Marvin B. Milam | ||||||
| Sep 1970– Aug 1972[74] | Sep 1970– Aug 1972[74] | Edgar Warren Denton Jr. | |||||
| Sep 1974– Aug 1976[79] | Sep 1974– Aug 1976[79] | Sep 1974– Aug 1976[79] | |||||
| Sep 1976– Aug 1978[80] | Sep 1976– Aug 1978[80] | Sep 1976– Aug 1978[80] | |||||
| Sep 1978– Aug 1980[81] | Sep 1978– Aug 1980[81] | Sep 1978– Aug 1980[81] | Walter Franklin Green III. | ||||
| Sep 1980– Aug 1982[82] | Sep 1980– | Sep 1980– | |||||
| Sep 1982– Jun 1984 | Sep 1982– Jun 1983 | Sep 1982– Jun 1983 | |||||
| Jul 1983– Jun 1984[84] | Walter Franklin Green III. | Jul 1983– Jun 1984[84] | Raymond C. Dingledine Jr. | ||||
| Jul 1984– Jun 1986[85] | Jul 1984– Jun 1986[85] | Jul 1984– Jun 1986[85] | |||||
| Jul 1986– Jun 1988[86] | Jul 1986– Jun 1988[86] | Jul 1986– Jun 1988[86] | |||||
| Jul 1988– Jun 1990[87] | Jul 1988– Jun 1990[87] | Jul 1988– Jun 1990[87] | |||||
| Jul 1990[88]– Sep 1991 | Jul 1990– Jun 1992[88] | Jul 1990– Jun 1992[88] | Elon W. Rhodes | ||||
| Oct 1991– Oct 1992[88] | Roger D. Baker (acting) | ||||||
| Jul 1992– Jun 1994[89] | C. Robert Heath | Jul 1992– Jun 1994[89] | John N. Neff | ||||
| Nov 1992– Jun 1994[89] | Steven E. Stewart | ||||||
| Jul 1994[90]– 1997 | Jul 1994– Jun 1996[90] | John N. Neff | Jul 1994– Jun 1996[90] | Emily R. Dingledine | |||
| Jul 1996– Jun 1998[91] | Rodney L. Eagle | I | Jul 1996– Jun 1998[91] | Hugh. J. Lantz | R | ||
| 1997–Sep 2000 | |||||||
| Jul 1998– Jun 2000[92] | Jul 1998– Jun 2000[92] | ||||||
| Harrisonburg city government in the 21st century | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Manager | Mayor | Vice-Mayor | |||||
| Term | Name | Term | Name | Party | Term | Name | Party |
| 1997–Sep 2000 | Steven E. Stewart | Jul 1998– Jun 2000[92] | Rodney L. Eagle | I | Jul 1998– Jun 2000[92] | Hugh. J. Lantz | R |
| Jul 2000– Jun 2002[93] | Carolyn W. Frank | I | Jul 2000– Jun 2002[93] | Dorn W. Peterson | |||
| Sep 2000– Jun 2004[94] | Roger Baker | ||||||
| Jul 2002– Jun 2004[95] | Joseph Gus Fitzgerald | D | Jul 2002– Jun 2004[95] | Larry M. Rogers | D | ||
| Jul 2004– | Jul 2004– Jun 2006[96] | Larry M. Rogers | D | Jul 2004– Jun 2006[96] | Rodney L. Eagle | I | |
| Jul 2006– Dec 2008[98] | Rodney L. Eagle | I | Jul 2006– Dec 2008[98] | George W. Pace | |||
| Jul 2007– Dec 2010[99] | Kurt D. Hodgen | ||||||
| Jan 2009– Dec 2010[100] | Kai Degner | D | Jan 2009– Dec 2010[100] | Richard A. Baugh | D | ||
| Jan 2011–Oct 31, 2017[101] | Jan 2011– 2012[101] | Richard A. Baugh | D | Jan 2011– 2012[101] | Ted Byrd | R | |
| Jan 2013– Dec 2014[102] | Ted Byrd | R | Jan 2013– Dec 2014[102] | Charles R. Chenault | I | ||
| Jan 2015– Dec 2016[103] | Christopher B. Jones | D | Jan 2015– Dec 2016[74] | Richard Baugh | D | ||
| Jan 3, 2017– Jan 1, 2019[104] | Deanna R. Reed | D | Jan 3, 2017– Jan 1, 2019[105] | ||||
| Nov 1, 2017 – Jan 15, 2018[106] | Ande Banks(acting) | ||||||
| Jan 16, 2018 – Dec 31, 2021[107] | Eric Campbell | ||||||
| Jan 2, 2019– Jan 3, 2021[108] | Jan 2, 2019– Jan 3, 2021[108] | Sal Romero | D | ||||
| Jan 4, 2021– Jan 2, 2023[109] | Jan 4, 2021– Jan 2, 2023[109] | ||||||
| Jan 1, 2022 – Jan 2, 2023[1] | Ande Banks(acting) | ||||||
| Jan 3, 2023–Jan 1, 2025[110] | Ande Banks | Jan 3, 2023–Jan 1, 2025[110] | Jan 3, 2023–Jan 1, 2025[110] | Laura Dent | D | ||
| Jan 2, 2025–incumbent[111] | Jan 2, 2025–incumbent[111] | Jan 2, 2025–incumbent[111] | Dany Fleming | D | |||
Serving 6,830 students (K–12) as of fall 2024,[112]Harrisonburg City Public Schools comprises six elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools.Eastern Mennonite School, a private school, serves grades K–12 with an enrollment of about 386 students.[113]
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally cool to cold winters. Harrisonburg has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps according to theKöppen climate classification, but has four clearly defined seasons that vary significantly, if not having brief changes from summer to winter.[116] The USDA hardiness zone is 6b, which means average minimum winter temperature of −5 to 0 °F (−21 to −18 °C).
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