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Roanoke, Virginia

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Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia as seen at night from the Mill Mountain Star.
Roanoke, Virginia as seen at night from the Mill Mountain Star.
Official seal of Roanoke, Virginia
Seal
Nickname: 
The Star City of the South
Location in Virginia
Location in Virginia
CountryUnited States
StateVirginia
CountyIndependent City
Government
 • MayorNelson Harris
Elevation
1,175 ft (358 m)
Population
 (2005)
 • City
92,631
 • Metro
295,700
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
WebsiteRoanokeVA.gov

Roanoke (The Star City of the South) is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The City of Roanoke is adjacent to the city of Salem and the town of Vinton and is otherwise surrounded by, but politically separate from, Roanoke County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,911.

The United States Census Bureau includes in Roanoke's metropolitan area the counties of Botetourt, Franklin, Craig and Roanoke, and the cities of Salem and Roanoke. The metropolitan area's population in the past three censuses has been reported to be:

  • 1980 --- 220,393
  • 1990 --- 224,477
  • 2000 --- 235,932
  • 2005 (estimate) --- 292,983

Please note that the figures through 2000 do not include Franklin County (50,345 est. 2005 population) and Craig County (5,154 est. 2005 population) which were recently added to the Roanoke MSA.

History

Incorporation

The town of Big Lick was established in 1852 and chartered in 1874. It was named for a large outcropping of salt which drew the wildlife to the site near the Roanoke River.[1] It became the town of Roanoke in 1882 and was chartered as the independent city of Roanoke in 1884. The name Roanoke is said to have originated from an Algonquin word for shell "money",[2] but the town was almost certainly renamed for the river that bisected it and the county that had surrounded it since 1838.[3] It grew frequently through annexation through the middle of the 20th century.[4] However, the last annexation was in 1976 and Virginia cities are currently prohibited from annexing land from adjacent counties. Its 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.

Colonial influence

During colonial times the site of Roanoke was an important hub of trails and roads. The Great Wagon Road, one of the most heavily travelled roads of 18th century America, ran from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley to the future site of the City of Roanoke, where the Roanoke River passed through the Blue Ridge. 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 and Kentucky.

Railroads and coal

In the 1850s, Big Lick became a stop on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad (V&T) which linked Lynchburg with Bristol on the Virginia-Tennessee border.

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 3 railroads, including the V&T, across the southern tier of Virginia to form the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a new line extending from 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 and Co., a private banking firm in Philadelphia which controlled the Shenandoah Valley Railroad then under construction up the valley from Hagerstown, Maryland. The AM&O was renamed Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W).

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", on his suggestion, they agreed to go with 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."

Kimball, whose interest in geology was responsible for the opening of the Pocahontas coalfields in western Virginia and West Virginia, pushed N&W lines through the wilds of West Virginia, north to 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.

The Virginian Railway (VGN), an engineering marvel of its day, was conceived and built by William Nelson Page and Henry Huttleston Rogers. Following the Roanoke River, the VGN was built through the City of Roanoke early in the 20th century. It was merged with the N&W in 1959.

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), it fueled half the world's navies and today stokes steel mills and power plants all over the globe. The N&W was famous for manufacturing steam locomotives in-house. It was Norfolk & Western'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, and new steam locomotives were built there until 1953, long after diesel-electric had emerged as the motive power of choice for most North American railroads. Around 1960, N&W was the last major railroad in the United States to convert from steam to diesel motive power.

Cultural hub

Today, Roanoke is known for its Chili Cook-Off, Strawberry Festival, and the large red, white, and blue illuminated Mill Mountain Star on Mill Mountain, which is visible from many points in the city and surrounding valley. At the top of Mill Mountain is a small zoo which features animals that require the cool mountaintop temperatures and atmosphere.

Notable residents

Born in Roanoke:

Raised in Roanoke:

One-time resident:

Government

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 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 Nelson Harris and the current city manager is Darlene Burcham. City council has six members, not counting the mayor, all of whom are elected on an at-large basis. The four year terms of city council members are staggered, so there are biannual elections. The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the vice mayor for the following two years. Some residents 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 city's African-American and professional class voting blocs have made the Democratic Party the leading party in recent years. However, the working class vote has tended increasingly towards the Republican Party. A slate of three Democrats, running on an independent ticket dubbed "For the City" against the nominees of the Democrat and Republican parties, won seats on Roanoke's city council in the May 2006 election. Roanoke's past two mayoral elections, in 2000 and 2004, have also been competitive three way races in which independent Delvis "Mac" McCadden, who previously served on city council as a Republican, ran against the nominees of the major parties.

Roanoke and the immediate area are represented by three members of the Virginia House of Delegates and two members of the Virginia Senate.

The city of Roanoke lies within the 6th Congressional District of Virginia, which also includes Lynchburg and much of the Shenandoah Valley. Current representative Bob Goodlatte resides in Roanoke as have most of those who have held the seat. Virgil Goode resides in nearby Franklin County and represents most of the area to south and east of Roanoke in the 5th Congressional District of Virginia, which also stretches north to Charlottesville. The 9th Congressional District of Virginia, represented by Rick Boucher, has traditionally covered southwest Virginia but has expanded into parts of Roanoke County and counties to the north of Roanoke to make up for population losses in the rest of the district. Given that the Virginia General Assembly is currently held by Republicans, Goodlatte and Goode will likely keep their traditional territories in the next redistricting cycle. However, once one or both leave office or if Democrats gain control of redistricting, the lines of the three districts could be significantly redrawn to account for rapid growth in the northern parts of the 5th and 6th districts and slower growth in the southern parts of the districts and population loss in much of the 9th.

Geography and climate

Roanoke is located in the valley and ridge province of Virginia immediately west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Location of Roanoke, Virginia
Location of Roanoke, Virginia

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 111.1 km² (42.9 mi²). 111.1 km² (42.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.07%) is water.

Within the city limits is Mill Mountain, which stands detached from surrounding ranges. Its summit features the Roanoke Star, Mill Mountain Zoo, and an overlook of the Roanoke Valley.

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.

Roanoke has a temperate climate with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons. Temperatures may reach over 100°F (38°C) in summer or dip below 0°F (-18°C) in winter, but neither occur in a typical year. Roanoke's all time record high of 105°F (40.5°C) occurred on August 21, 1985, and the all time record low of -11°F (-23.9°C) occurred on January 21, 1985.

The city averages 23.0 inches of snow per winter; however, in something of an aberration, much of the central part of Virginia between Roanoke and Richmond have not received one foot of snow in a single storm since the blizzard of 1996. The area had a long stretch of many snowy winters in the 1960s and, to a lesser extent, through much of the 1970s and early 1980s, but snowy winters have been much more sporadic since then. Roanoke's snowiest winter on record occurred in 1986-1987 when 72.9" (185 cm) fell. The largest single storm dumped approximately three feet from December 16, 1890 through December 18, 1890.

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 flooding in the city's history occurred on November 4, 1985 when heavy storms from the remnants of Hurricane Juan stalled over the area. Ten people drowned in the Roanoke Valley, and others were saved by rescue personnel.

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.[6] However, there have not been clinical studies to establish that these conditions are more prevalent in Roanoke than other cities with similar vegetation and climate.

The following table shows Roanoke's average monthly temperatures and rainfall totals.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high °F 43.8 47.3 57.8 67.3 75.7 82.9 86.4 85.3 78.5 68.1 58.0 47.6
66.6
Avg low temperature °F 25.0 27.2 35.7 43.8 52.5 60.2 64.8 63.8 56.8 44.8 37.0 28.9
45.0
Rainfall in. 2.6 3.0 3.5 3.2 4.0 3.2 3.9 4.2 3.5 3.9 3.2 3.0
41.1
Source: Climate-Zone

Transportation

Roads

Interstate 581 is the primary north-south roadway through the city. It is also the only interstate highway as Interstate 81 passes north of the city limits. Interstate 581 is a multiplex 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 connects Roanoke to Martinsville, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina. The proposed Interstate 73 would generally parallel Route 220 between Roanoke and Greensboro and would likely be a multiplex with I-581 through the city. The primary east-west roadway is U.S. Route 460, named Melrose Avenue and Orange Avenue. Route 460 connects Roanoke to Lynchburg. U.S. Route 11 passes through the city, primarily as Brandon Avenue and Williamson Road, which may be the best-known road in the city. 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. [7]

Roanoke is divided into four 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 complex in downtown Roanoke has the address "1 Market Square SE."

Airports

Roanoke Regional Airport is located in the northern part of the city and is the primary airport for Southwest Virginia.

Rail

Ironically for a city known for its rail history, Roanoke has not had passenger rail service since the early 1980s. Amtrak offers a shuttle bus service from Roanoke to the station in Clifton Forge, Virginia. Amtrak also stops in Lynchburg. Roanoke would be a stop in the proposed Transdominion Express passenger rail system currently under study by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Roanoke remains a major hub in Norfolk Southern's freight rail system. Plans were also recently announced for an intermodal rail yard in the community of Lafayette, Virginia of neighboring Montgomery County. 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.

Buses

The 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. Valley Metro also offers bus service to Blacksburg, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 94,911 people, 42,003 households, and 24,235 families residing in the city. The population density was 854.6/km² (2,213.2/mi²). There were 45,257 housing units at an average density of 407.5/km² (1,055.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 69.38% White, 26.74% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.

There were 42,003 households out 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.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.6% 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.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,719, and the median income for a family was $37,826. Males had a median income of $28,465 versus $21,591 for females. The per capita income for the city 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.

Two high schools in Roanoke are Patrick Henry, located in the Raleigh Court area, and William Fleming located in North Roanoke. Other public high schools include Cave Spring High School, Glenvar High School, Hidden Valley High School, Northside High School, and William Byrd High School. North Cross, Roanoke Catholic and Roanoke Valley Christian are private schools which all go through high school. The six middle schools in Roanoke are Woodrow Wilson(PH), James Madison(PH), Lucy Addison(WF), William Ruffner(WF), James Breckenridge(WF), and Stonewall Jackson(PH).

Economy

Although Roanoke is part of the South both geographically and culturally, its economy developed around the Norfolk and Western Railroad and heavy manufacturing. Roanoke's economic history has more in common with cities in the Rust Belt than the Sun Belt.[8] Surrounding rural areas depend on textiles and furniture manufacturing, which have lost jobs to foreign competition and technological change. Parts of southwest Virginia reliant on coal mining have lost jobs as mines employ fewer workers than in the past. Unions in many industries have made southwest Virginia less attractive to firms looking to expand or relocate than most of the South. Other negative factors often cited are limited air service, the lack of a major university in the Roanoke Valley (although Virginia Tech is located in neighboring Montgomery County), and the fractured nature of local government. Several Roanoke based firms including Dominion Bank, Norfolk and Western Railroad, and Roanoke Electric Steel have been acquired by companies headquartered elsewhere. Roanoke's rates of economic and population growth have lagged 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 jobs and underemployment are often cited as explanations.[9]

Nonetheless, Roanoke's economy has some areas of strength. The city is the health care and retail hub of a large area, driving the expansion of Carilion Health System and 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. General Electric and Toshiba manufacture large drive systems for electrical generation stations and factories at their joint facility in Salem. ITT manufactures night vision goggles at its plant in Roanoke County, and some of its 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, and Yokohama. 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.

In early 2006, the New York Times reported that a location "near Roanoke" was one of four sites that Toyota is considering for its next automotive assembly plant in North America.[10] However, the site may be in Augusta County, Virginia, about 80 miles north of Roanoke in the Shenandoah Valley, where local rumors of Toyota's interest have been circulating and local government officials are reported to be considering potentials sites for a major industrial prospect.[11]

Media

Roanoke is the media hub for much of Southwestern Virginia and parts of Southern West Virginia. Roanoke and Lynchburg are grouped in the same television market, which currently ranks #68 in the United States with 440,398 households. There are affiliates for all networks as well as independent stations. Local CBS affiliate WDBJ-7, led by its 6 PM newscast, has been the traditional ratings leader, regardless of the national ratings for CBS, although local NBC affiliate WSLS-10 has gained ratings in recent years. While WDBJ-7 and WSLS-10 are in Roanoke, local ABC affiliate WSET-13 is in Lynchburg and its news coverage focuses on the eastern portion of the market.

The city's daily newspaper, The Roanoke Times, has been published for 120 years and edited for many years in the 20th century by famed editor John W. Eure. The newspaper's current owner is Landmark Communications. Weekday circulation averages a little over 100,000 with Sunday circulation around 110,000. In 2002, it was designated the best-read daily newspaper in the country, according to the 2002 Scarborough Report. Of 162 newspapers in top U.S. metropolitan areas, The Roanoke Times ranked first in the percentage of adults who read their daily newspaper. It ranked first again in 2006. The Roanoke Times established a web site around 1996 and has developed a web portal at Roanoke.com.

The Roanoke Times also recently purchased the Blue Ridge Business Journal which publishes 25 issues per year that focus on the business community in Roanoke and the surrounding region. The weekly Roanoke Tribune 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.

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.

Radio stations in Roanoke include Mel Wheeler's WXLK-FM, WSLC-FM, WSLQ-FM, and WFIR-AM.

Arts, history & culture in Roanoke

Roanoke is the home to several artistic, cultural, and historical organizations.

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.

Mill Mountain Theatre, a 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. The best known events are an annual festival of new plays and the "No Shame Theatre" every Friday at 11 PM which is open to any performance that is "original, five minutes or less, and doesn’t break anything – people, the space, or laws." Mill Mountain Theatre has an atelier for visiting actors in a former downtown hotel.

The Center's other prominent tenant is the Art Museum of Western Virginia. 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 art museum has begun construction of a new 75,000 square foot facility designed by Los Angeles architect Randall Stout, who worked under Frank Gehry. The facility's design has sparked debate in the community between those who feel it would be 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 cost at a time when many Roanoke area artistic organizations face financial challenges.

Roanoke's best known museum is the Virginia Museum of Transportation which houses many locomotives which were built in Roanoke, most prominently the Norfolk and Western J class #611 and A class #1218 steam engines, and other locomotives and rolling stock. As the name implies, however, the museum also covers the whole scope of transportation including aviation, automobiles, and buses.

Roanoke's landmark former passenger rail station has hosted the O. Winston Link Museum dedicated to the 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 was originally a separate community and was founded before Big Lick. The Harrison Museum will move to Center in the Square when the Art Museum of Western Virginia occupies its new facility.

The most prominent recent addition to Roanoke's performing arts scene is the Shaftman Performance Hall, which opened in May 2001 and is located at the Jefferson Center, which formerly served Roanoke as Jefferson High School. Shaftman Hall hosts a regular season of concerts and other performances from the fall through the spring as well as other entertainment events and lectures.

In November 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 literally 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.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra has performances at Shaftman Hall, the Salem Civic Center, and the Roanoke Civic Center. Current conductor David Wiley and his predecessor Victoria Bond have made the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra nationally respected.

The Roanoke Civic Center's auditorium and newly renovated theatre, now known as the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre, host concerts, touring Broadway theatre performances, the Miss Virginia pageant, and other events.

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. The Buchanan Theatre recently reopened in Buchanan and both screens films and holds concerts and other live events.

Roanoke has also been home to the Showtimers Community Theatre since 1951. Attic Productions is located in Fincastle and opened a new facility in November 2006. The Star City Playhouse plans to begin performances in late 2006 at its theatre on Williamson Road.

Sports in Roanoke

The Virginia Squires of the ABA were the highest level sports team ever in Roanoke. During the 1971-1972 season, the Squires split home games between Richmond, Norfolk, and Roanoke. Fans were able to watch the early career of Julius Erving.

Minor league baseball has been more successful in building and maintaining a fan base than 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 of the high Class A Carolina League.

Minor league hockey also has a history in the Roanoke Valley dating to the 1960s and reached a zenith of popularity in the mid to late 1990s with the Roanoke Express of the ECHL. The team's attendance eventually declined due to a lack of postseason success and management turmoil which led to the Express folding after the 2003-2004 season. A revival in 2005-2006 by the UHL's Roanoke Valley Vipers failed after one season due to a losing record and a general disconnect between the local fan base and the midwestern based league and owners. The team was formed in part to provide a travel partner for a UHL franchise in Richmond which also folded after the 2005-2006 season. The southeastern based Southern Professional Hockey League, nearly all of whose teams are located in cities with former ECHL teams, is a candidate to bring hockey back to the Roanoke Valley in the future.

The Roanoke Dazzle of the NBDL and the Roanoke Steam of the af2 (Arena Football) folded after never developing consistent followings, although the Dazzle's attendance was similar to the other inaugural franchises in the league and 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 football.

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 through 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. In the late 1990s, the schools started holding these games in their on campus facilities.

From the 1940s through the late 1960s, Roanoke's Victory Stadium hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute and other high profile college football games. High school football, basketball, and other athletics remain moderately popular in Roanoke and the surrounding area, and a number of prominent college and professional athletes have come from the Roanoke Valley.

The city has planned to build separate football stadiums at Patrick Henry and William Fleming High Schools to replace Victory Stadium, which was demolished in summer 2006. However, exact plans have not been approved because of budgetary reasons and concerns by neighbors of Patrick Henry.

The Salem Football Stadium is located in neighboring Salem and hosts the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA championship game in Division III. Salem also hosts the NCAA Division III championships in softball, volleyball, and men's basketball.

Roanoke and surrounding communities host the annual Commonwealth Games of Virginia, an Olympic-style amateur sports festival.

Economic statistics: Roanoke MSA

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

The Roanoke, VA MSA is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) in Virginia as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as of June, 2003.

Note: Since a state constitutional change in 1871, all cities in Virginia are independent cities and they are not legally located in any county. The OMB considers these independent cities to be county-equivalents for the purpose of defining MSAs in Virginia. Each MSA is listed by its counties, then cities, each in alphabetical order, and not by size.

The Roanoke, VA MSA includes:

Nicknames

Many businesses and organizations have Star City in their names. The older Magic City is still used, most prominently by Roanoke's Ford dealership. 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 has led to the nickname Capital of the Blue Ridge. In recent years, Roanoke's young people have taken to calling the city Noke/ the Noke or Noketown.

The odd Algonquin name and the meter of the pronunciation has led to a wide variety of colloquial nicknames for the city. Many derogatory nicknames, often affectionately so, end in "joke", like the straightforward "Roajoke".[12] Others, presuming that Roanoke holds a special place in the area's, the state's, or the country's marijuana traffic or supply, play on the word "toke", like the straightforward "Roatoke" or the imaginative "Roll-and-toke" or "Roll-a-toke".[13]

Sister cities

Roanoke has seven sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

Landmarks & points of interest

Roanoke's Historical Fire Station #1: The Firehouse opened in 1907 and is the oldest operating Firehouse in Virginia.

Specialty Histories about Roanoke

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