TheRoanoke Valley was originally home to members of theSiouan-speakingTutelo tribe. In the 17th and 18th centuries,Scotch-Irish and laterGerman American farmers gradually drove thoseNative Americans out of the area as theAmerican frontier pressed westward. In 1882, theNorfolk and Western Railway (N&W) chose the small town of Big Lick as the site of its corporate headquarters andrailroad shops. Within two years, the town had become the City of Roanoke. In the 1880s, the population grew by 22 times and the young city experienced the advantages and disadvantages of itsboomtown status. During the 20th century, Roanoke's boundaries expanded throughannexations of surroundingRoanoke County, and it became Southwest Virginia's economic and cultural hub. The 1982 decision by N&W to move its headquarters out of the city, along with other manufacturing closures, led Roanoke to a primarilyservice economy. In the 21st century, a robusthealthcare industry and the development and increased marketing of the city's outdoor amenities have helped reversepopulation decline.
Roanoke is known for theRoanoke 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 theHotel Roanoke, a 330-room Tudor Revival structure built by N&W in 1882, theTaubman Museum of Art, designed by architectRandall Stout, and the city'sfarmer's market, the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the state. The Roanoke Valley features 26 miles (42 km) of greenways with bicycle and pedestrian trails, and the city's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains provides access to numerousoutdoor recreation opportunities.
The current site of Roanoke lies near the intersection of theGreat Wagon Road and theCarolina Road, two branches of a network of early colonial roads that developed from Native American trails in theAppalachian region.[7] While the nameRoanoke is said to have originated from a Native American word for shell beads used ascurrency,[8] that word was first used 300 miles (480 km) away, where theRoanoke River empties into the Atlantic Ocean nearRoanoke Island.[9] TheRoanoke Valley itself was originally home to members of theTutelo tribe,[9][10] aSiouan-speaking people who were gradually pushed out of the area by advancing European settlers.[10]
The railroad built its newdepot 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 theCivil War; Roanoke County voted 850–0 in favor ofsecession and lost many of its men in the subsequent fighting.[13]: 53 The burgeoningtobacco trade helped the region's recovery duringReconstruction. 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 theShenandoah Valley Railroad and theNorfolk 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" afterFrederick 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 alsoannexed nearly 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2) of additional land, including the Town of Gainesborough (later shortened toGainsboro), 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-roomHotel Roanoke – designed originally in theQueen Anne style before numerous rebuilds and expansions gave it its currentTudor 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 acity 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 centuryboomtowns.[20] Its infrastructure was essentially nonexistent, and a lack of sewers combined with the area'smarshy terrain contributed to regular outbreaks ofdiphtheria andcholera.[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 theJim 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 admiredHenry 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
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 acasino androller coaster, opened at the foot of the mountain in 1903,[11]: 205 and beginning in 1910 visitors could pay a quarter to ride anincline 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 theCarilion 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 theAmerican Viscose Corporation.[26] That company built aplant in 1917 that by a decade later employed 5,000 and was reportedly the largestrayon producing mill in the world.[13]: 96
The city leased land for an airfield beginning in 1929.[11]: 570 Still, its development into theregion'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 andarmory.[13]: 103 Victory Stadium – optimistically named upon its completion in 1942[27] – played host to the annual Thanksgiving Dayfootball game betweenVirginia Tech andVirginia 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 moresuburban 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]
TheRoanoke Star is the origin of the city's nicknameStar 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 suburbanshopping 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] andValley 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 (nowBerglund Center) as well as aninterstate spur intodowntown Roanoke.[37] Much of the land for these projects was in Northeast Roanoke, a community of primarily African American citizens who had been largelyredlined from the rest of the city.[38] City officials gained the land througheminent 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 theSouthern Railway to form theNorfolk Southern Railway, which then relocated their headquarters from Roanoke toNorfolk, 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 ofRichmond.[46] The group's partnerships with Virginia Tech andRadford University have created two colleges and aresearch facility in what was formerly an industrialbrownfield 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]
Roanoke is the largest city in Virginia west ofRichmond[53] and is located in theBlue Ridge Mountains, a range which is part of the greaterAppalachian Mountains.[54] According to theUnited 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 ofsalamander,[59] and thePoor Mountain Natural Area Preserve in neighboring Roanoke County protects the world's largest collection ofpiratebush, an exceedingly rareparasitic plant endemic to the Appalachians.[60]
A panorama of Roanoke from the Mill Mountain Star overlook with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.
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 ownvillage center, and with theDowntown neighborhood acting as the village center for the city as a whole.[68] TheRaleigh Court neighborhood has been cited as a model for such development, consisting of a variety of residential settings located aroundGrandin 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 nine neighborhoods (or portions thereof) that have been listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[70]
Though located along the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations exceeding 900 ft (270 m), Roanoke lies in thehumid subtropical climate zone (KöppenCfa), with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons.[71] It is located in USDAhardiness 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 asingle 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 ahurricane, drain from surrounding areas to the narrow Roanoke Valley.[78] The most recent significant flood was in the fall of 2018, when the remains ofHurricane Michael dumped over five inches of rain on the area in the span of only a few hours.[79][80] Themost severe flooding in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985, when heavy storms fromHurricane 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 theU.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has limited the damage caused by subsequent storms.[83]
At the 2020census, 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% fromother races, and 5.26% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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 unofficialAmerican Community Survey, themedian 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.
Roanoke's economy was long closely linked to its status as the headquarters for theNorfolk 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 theSouthern Railway created theNorfolk 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 inAltoona, Pennsylvania.[44] With Norfolk Southern's departure, Roanoke's economy has since the mid-1990s shifted to become dominated by the healthcare industry.[90]
As of 2023[update] 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'soutdoor recreation potential.[96] The Roanoke Regional Partnership, aneconomic 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 theBlue Ridge Marathon and the GO Outside Festival.[98]
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]
Center in the Square, an arts and culture organization located near downtown's historic market building andfarmers' 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 theMill Mountain Theatre.[112] It has since expanded to five buildings, providing space to twelve institutions, including theScience Museum of Western Virginia and HopkinsPlanetarium, 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 fromNicholas and Jenny Taubman, whose family had establishedAdvance Auto Parts in Roanoke in the 1930s.[114] As a result, the museum was renamed theTaubman Museum of Art.[115] Theart 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 architectRandall Stout, who earlier in his career worked underFrank Gehry.[113] Though the building'savant-garde design was controversial,[117][118] it has since won international praise for its architecture.[119][120]
Also located downtown is theVirginia Museum of Transportation, which houses many locomotives that were built in Roanoke by the Norfolk & Western Railway, including the1218 and611 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 aUS ArmyJupiter rocket[125] and houses exhibits coveringaviation as well asautomobiles.[126] The museum is located in the former Norfolk and Westernfreight depot which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[127]
The former Norfolk and Western Passenger Station hosts two museums: theO. Winston Link Museum, dedicated to the late steam-era railroad photography ofO. Winston Link, and the History Museum of Western Virginia.[128] Originally built in 1905, the station underwent a 1949 renovation in theModerne style by designerRaymond Loewy, and is one of four contributing structures to theNorfolk and Western Railway Company Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[129]
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 theMiss 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 ofpublic 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. TheTudor 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 historicGainsboro neighborhood razed or relocated.[37][145] The Dumas Hotel hosted such guests asLouis Armstrong,Ethel Waters,Count Basie,Duke Ellington andNat 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 theHenry 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, aregional 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 smallerblack 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 theRoanoke 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]
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 theNational 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, aZoological Association of America-accredited facility housing over 170 animals.[159][160]
TheTexas Tavern has changed little since its establishment in 1930.
TheBasilica 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 isFire Station No. 1, which for a time was the oldest continuously operating station in the state.[166] TheGeorgian Revival structure was listed on the NRHP in 1973,[167] and currently houses a local furniture showroom, restaurant, andboutique hotel.[168] Two blocks west on the same street isTexas Tavern, an "iconic"[169][170] ten-seatgreasy spoon restaurant that the same family has operated since its establishment in 1930.[171]
Roanoke features several annual festivals and events of various types. A parade forSt. Patrick's Day occurs every March,[172] and Pride in the Park is anLGBTQ+ 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. ThisVictorian era-themed event includes a Christmas tree lighting, parade, andhorse-drawn carriage rides through downtown.[180]
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 theBoston Red Sox.[184] Since 1955, neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team, which as of 2023[update] is theSalem Red Sox of the Low-ACarolina League.[184] The team had previously been affiliated with theHouston Astros andColorado 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] TheRoanoke Express of theECHL 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 theUHL'sRoanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season.[186] In 2016, professional ice hockey returned to Roanoke after ten years when theRoanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of theSPHL 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 anyNCAA 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 andthe 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 andthe Virginia Military Institute, first at Maher Field and then in the newly constructed Victory Stadium starting in 1942.[28] The game was moved toThanksgiving 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 theCOVID-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] TheUSA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships were held in the city and surrounding areas in 2022 and 2023,[195] and anIronman 70.3triathlon event brought competitors to the region from 2021–2023.[196]
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 historicOld 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 aJapanese magnolia tree that was acquired byCommodore Matthew Perry during an expedition to Japan and donated in 1857 to the former owner of the park.[198] As of 2023[update] Elmwood holds the city's main library branch as well as an art walk and a 4,000-seatamphitheater.[199]
Roanoke features an extensive network of pavedgreenways for walkers, runners, and cyclists.[200] Though the idea for a publicly owned greenway system can be traced back to a 1907comprehensive 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 (42 km) of greenways have been built across the Roanoke Valley.[203] As of 2023,[update] the longest continuous stretch runs 12 miles (19 km) along the Roanoke River from Salem through Roanoke City toVinton.[204] Roanoke County is also in the planning stages of extending that same stretch westward into Montgomery County.[205] As of 2023,[update] Roanoke contained over 100 miles (160 km) of trails and greenways.[206]
Like most cities in Virginia, Roanoke has acouncil-manager form of government.[208][209] Thecity 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 theRoanoke City Council,[209] though the position wields influence through public appearances and annualState of the City addresses.[210]
The city council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on anat-large basis.[211] A proposal for award-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 thevice 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 one of the few Democratic pockets in the otherwise heavily RepublicanSouthwest Virginia.[223] It has supported theDemocratic Party nominee in every election since 1988 and in all but one election since 1976.[224]
Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities –Roanoke College in the city of Salem,[225] andHollins University inRoanoke County.[226] Virginia Tech and Radford University's main campuses are located in the nearbyNew 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 fromhigh school equivalent degrees todoctorates.[231][232]Virginia Western Community College is located in the city and providesassociate 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]
A prominentparochial school in the city isRoanoke 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]
The city's daily newspaper,The Roanoke Times, has been published since 1886.[242] As of 2023,[update] weekday and Sunday circulation both average around 25,000.[243] In 2013 the paper was sold toBerkshire Hathaway, which in turn sold its BH Media holdings –The Roanoke Times included – toLee Enterprises in 2020.[244]Beth Macy, author of the bestselling bookDopesick which was adapted into a 2021Huluminiseries of the same name, was a reporter atThe Roanoke Times for 25 years.[245]The Roanoke Star andCardinal News are independent digital newspapers that have sought to fill the local news coverage gap resulting from the purchase ofThe Roanoke Times by an out-of-state publisher and its subsequent reduction in staff.[246][247]
The weeklyRoanoke Tribune covers the city's African-American community.[248] The publication was founded in 1939 by theRev. 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-monthlyBlue Ridge Country magazine.[250]
Thereality television showSalvage Dawgs was based out of Roanoke. The show, which ran for 11 seasons on theDIY 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]
Interstate 581, the primary north–south roadway in the city, connects Roanoke toInterstate 81 to the north. Interstate 581 is a concurrency withU.S. Route 220, which continues as the Roy L. Webber Expressway from downtown Roanoke, where the I-581 designation ends, south toState Route 419. Route 220 continues south to connect Roanoke toMartinsville, Virginia, andGreensboro, North Carolina; a proposed extension ofInterstate 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 isU.S. Route 460, named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg to the east andChristiansburg to the west.U.S. Route 11 passes through the city, primarily as Brandon Avenue andWilliamson Road, which was a center of automotive-based commercial development after World War II.[261] Other major roads includeU.S. Route 221,State Route 117 (known as Peters Creek Road) andState Route 101 (known as Hershberger Road). The Blue Ridge Parkway also briefly runs adjacent to the city border.[262]
While Roanoke is known for its rail history, low ridership numbers ledAmtrak 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'sNortheast 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]
DespiteNorfolk Southern's relocation of its corporate headquarters out of the city, Roanoke is still a major hub in the company'sfreight rail system.[90] The railway's Pocahontas Division, consisting of over 2,500 miles (4,000 km) 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]
TheValley Metro providesbus 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 toBlacksburg, Christiansburg and Virginia Tech via its Smart Way service,[273] as well as the Ferrum Express, a free shuttle that runs between downtown Roanoke andFerrum College in nearbyRocky 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 regionaltransportation demand management agency that providescarpool matching,cycling advocacy, transit assistance andremote work assistance to businesses and citizens in the region.[277]
Roanoke is supplied electricity by the Appalachian Power Company, anAmerican Electric Power division. Appalachian Power serves roughly 500,000 people in Western Virginia and another 500,000 inWest Virginia andTennessee.[278] The area's water andwastewater 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 ofwatersheds should determine the management of local resources rather than government boundaries.[279] The Water Authority has since taken on the water-based utilities ofFranklin and Botetourt Counties as well as the towns ofBoones Mill and Vinton.[279]
Roanoke is the primary center for healthcare in Western Virginia, serving an estimated one million people.[280] Carilion Clinic, anon-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 aVeterans Affairs Medical Center serving over 100,000military veterans in the region, also located in Salem.[280]
In February 2023, it was announced that the city was officially pausing its sister city affiliation withPskov, Russia, due to the continuingRussian invasion of Ukraine.[282]
^abcdefghijklmnopWhite, Clare (1982).Roanoke 1740-1982. Roanoke Valley Historical Society.
^abcdefghijklmnoDotson, Rand (2007).Roanoke, Virginia, 1882-1912: Magic City of the New South. The University of Tennessee Press / Knoxville.ISBN978-1-57233-592-9.
^Piedmont, Donlan (1994).Peanut Soup and Spoonbread: An Informal History of Hotel Roanoke. Virginia Tech Real Estate Foundation, Inc. p. 16.ISBN978-0-9617635-1-0.
^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.
^Hammack, Laurence; Hunter, Molly (March 26, 2023). "Past pollution a present concern for Riverdale plans".The Roanoke Times.
^"Colorful Crowd Attends Dedication of Stadium".The Roanoke Times. November 27, 1942. p. 1.
^abcCox, Ray (February 9, 2015). "Military Classic was Thanksgiving fare".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Codispoti, Amanda (September 8, 2013). "Changes under way at Valley View Mall".The Roanoke Times. p. 1.
^Codispoti, Amanda (June 9, 2013). "Making the Star City the right fit".The Roanoke Times. p. 1.
^abcdBishop, Mary (January 29, 1995)."Urban Renewal's Untold Stories".The Roanoke Times & World News. Special Section.Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. RetrievedMay 12, 2023.
^Chittum, Matt (August 14, 2005). "When segregation ruled the streets".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^abc"Editorial: End of an era for Roanoke".The Roanoke Times. May 18, 2020. p. 5A.
^Sturgeon, Jeff (December 21, 2018). "Norfolk Southern to repay grant".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^abRife, Luanne (January 30, 2020). "Economists say Carilion adds $3.2B to Va.'s economy".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^abRife, Luanne (May 3, 2019). "Graduation marks college's evoltion: Jefferson College hosts final graduation before merger with Radford".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^abChittum, Matt (August 30, 2019). "Mayor praises city's ethic of 'hard work'".The Roanoke Times. p. 1D.
^"Editorial: The valley's success story".The Roanoke Times. March 28, 2021. p. 5B.
^"A consequential decade".The Roanoke Times. December 30, 2019. p. 50B.
^"Five lessons from the census".The Roanoke Times. August 17, 2021. p. 7A.
^abcd"Station: Roanoke RGNL AP, VA".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. RetrievedJuly 1, 2021.
^Miller, Kenneth (2000).Norfolk and Western Class J: The Finest Steam Passenger Locomotive. Roanoke Chapter, National Railway Historical Society.ISBN978-0-615-11664-8.
^Allen, Mike (June 14, 2019). "New transportation museum director trades cowboy hat for engineer's cap".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^Allen, Mike (April 1, 2014). "Historic engine 611 to get its old steam back".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Fullilove, Mindy Thompson (2004).Root Shock: how tearing up city neighborhoods hurts America, and what we can do about it. One World/Ballantine Books.ISBN978-0-345-45422-5.
^"Roanoke Valley Area".Blue Ridge Parkway. Asheville: Blue Ridge Parkway Association.Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. RetrievedMay 15, 2023.
^Giles, Leslie A.; Kern, John R. (September 1995)."Hotel Roanoke Final Nomination"(PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. RetrievedDecember 21, 2023.
^"Editorial: The monuments come down".The Roanoke Times. July 3, 2020. p. 11A.
^abcCramer, John D. (May 16, 1999). "A look at the men behind the curtain".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Chittum, Matt (August 19, 2018). "Striking the right balance".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^abcRoanoke City Charter (charter, §4). Virginia General Assembly. 2023."Municode Library". Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. RetrievedJuly 18, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Sturgeon, Jeff (October 3, 2022). "Should council return to ward system? Roanoke City Council candidates on a ward system for council and an elected school board".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^Rife, Luanne (April 23, 2019). "Radford University will seek to double number of nursing students after merger with Jefferson College".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^Jones, Sarah Bruyn (September 28, 2008). "Va. Tech Carilion Medical School taking shape".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A0.
^Wall, Sam (October 12, 2019). "Radford University hires first health sciences provost".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Edwards, John S. (August 19, 2020). "Twenty years of the Roanoke Higher Education Center".The Roanoke Times. p. 51B.
^"About the Center".Roanoke Higher Education Center.Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. RetrievedAugust 4, 2023.
^Adkins, Andrew (February 21, 2019). "Education Notebook: Hollins University, Virginia Western announce guaranteed admission agreements".The Roanoke Times. p. 2B.
^Adkins, Andrew (July 20, 2018). "Virginia Western, Averett reach deal linking criminal justice programs".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Mattingly, Justin (May 22, 2020). "ECPI University reopens campuses, will take temperatures as people enter buildings".The Roanoke Times. p. 2B.
^US Securities and Exchange Commission (September 25, 2022).Lee Enterprises, Inc. Form 10-K (Report). Archived fromthe original on April 14, 2023. RetrievedJuly 19, 2023.".investors.lee.net. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
^Richmond Times-Dispatch (March 27, 2020). "Lee Enterprises completes acquisition of The Roanoke Times and other newspapers".The Roanoke Times. p. 6B.
^Woods, Charlotte Rene (October 20, 2022). "Virginia receives first $67 million from Johnson & Johnson opioid settlement".The Roanoke Times. p. 4A.
^"About us".Cardinal News. September 23, 2021.Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. RetrievedJuly 21, 2023.
^"The Roanoke Star News".The Roanoke Star News. July 20, 2023.Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. RetrievedJuly 21, 2023.
^"Our History". Roanoke Tribune. January 3, 2022.Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. RetrievedJuly 21, 2023.
^Fifer, Jordan (February 2, 2014). "Black women honored for legacy to Roanoke".The Roanoke Times. p. 1B.
^Sturgeon, Jeff (February 9, 2019). "Impasse fueling rail advocates: Rail advocate to try again as I-81 road measures lack support".The Roanoke Times. p. 1C.
^Dehr, Cooper (June 15, 2023). "A 'great day' for transportation: Roanoke's new bus station a 'vision of where transportation is going'".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
^"Home". Roanoke Valley Sister Cities.Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. RetrievedJune 30, 2020.
^Hunter, Molly (February 22, 2023). "Sister City ties on hold: Roanoke's relationship with Russian city paused, flag to be removed".The Roanoke Times. p. 1A.
_from_Mill_Mountain_Star_at_Dusk.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
