Roanoke Valley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roanoke Valley in Southwest Virginia is an area adjacent to and including the Roanoke River. The term may refer to slightly differing areas depending upon the context of its use. Geographically, the Roanoke Valley is the river valley in Montgomery County and Roanoke County (including the two independent cities that it surrounds) formed by the Roanoke River and its southern fork. The valley is about twenty miles long, from Shawsville, Virginia in the west to the Roanoke River gorge near Explore Park in the east, and as much as ten miles wide around the city of Roanoke though the average width is closer to five miles. The Roanoke Valley is part of the valley and ridge province of Virginia, which also includes the Shenandoah Valley to the northeast and the New River Valley to the southwest. These valleys are part of the Great Appalachian Valley, which stretches from Canada to Alabama. The Roanoke Valley is bound to the west by a ridgeline commonly known as Christiansburg Mountain, to the north by a ridgeline formed by Fort Lewis Mountain and Brushy Mountain, and to the southwest by a ridgeline formed by Poor Mountain and adjacent peaks in the Blue Ridge, which also forms the east and southeast boundaries of the valley. However, this area generally features isolated peaks and wide gaps, with the notable exception of the aforementioned gorge, instead of continuous ridgelines. Historically, the Roanoke Valley was an important fork on the Great Wagon Road, with one branch leading to the Carolina Piedmont region and the other branch, the Wilderness Road, leading to Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Roanoke Valley is sometimes synonymous with the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is made up of the political subdivisions of the City of Roanoke, the City of Salem (each independent cities), Roanoke County (including the incorporated town of Vinton), Botetourt County, Franklin County, and Craig County. Adjacent communities such as western Bedford County (part of the Lynchburg MSA) and eastern Montgomery County (part of the New River Valley MSA) are also often considered parts of the Roanoke Valley. More frequently, the Roanoke Valley refers to the core urban and suburban areas, generally Roanoke City, Salem, Roanoke County within the geographic Roanoke Valley, and southern Botetourt County; however, areas of Franklin County and Bedford County near Smith Mountain Lake are becoming increasingly suburban.
In a political context, the Roanoke Valley usually refers collectively to Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Salem. Some governmental functions are consolidated. For example, there is a regional sewer authority and Roanoke Regional Airport is governed by a regional commission. Salem is generally more reluctant to participate in these efforts than Roanoke City and Roanoke County. Botetourt County also participates in some efforts such as the regional library system. Whether more functions should be provided on a consolidated basis, or if the governments should be consolidated, is an ongoing issue. Consolidation referenda in 1969 and 1989 failed because of the opposition of voters in Roanoke County.
