Roanoke, city, United States
Roanoke (rō`ənōk), city (1990 pop. 96,397), independent and in no co., SW Va., on the Roanoke River; settled c.1740, inc. 1882. It is situated between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mts., at the southern end of the Shenandoah valley. A tiny village until the coming of the railroad in 1882, Roanoke has since developed into the region's commercial, transportation, and industrial center. It contains railroad shops and factories that manufacture machinery; chemicals; metal, concrete, and plastic products; foods and beverages; fixtures; electronic equipment; apparel; and furniture. Hollins Univ. is there and Roanoke College is nearby. The city is headquarters for the Jefferson National Forest. Of interest are transportation, science, and art museums and a planetarium.Roanoke, river, United States
Roanoke, river, c.410 mi (660 km) long, rising in SW Va. and flowing generally southeast across the Blue Ridge Mts. and into Albemarle Sound, NE N.C. The lower river is navigable for small craft. A comprehensive flood-control and hydroelectric-power scheme has been initiated on the river. Among a series of constructed dams, John H. Kerr Dam impounds one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Roanoke, Va., is the chief city on the river.Roanoke
City (pop., 2000: 94,911), western Virginia, U.S. It is located on the Roanoke River at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley. Settled in 1740, it developed after 1882 when it became a rail junction and outlet for Virginia and West Virginia coal. Chartered in 1874 as the town of Big Lick, it was renamed Roanoke (1882) after either the Indian term for shell money or a nearby salt marsh. Manufactures now include metal and steel products, clothing, chemicals, and furniture.
Roanoke, VA 24011
Phone: (540) 853-2000
Fax: (540) 853-1138
www.roanokeva.gov
In south-central VA, southwest of Lynchburg. Established in 1852 as Big Lick, for the large salt marsh where deer fed; incorporated in 1874. Name changed to Roanoke in 1882, became a city 1884. Convention and railroad center. Name Origin: From an Indian name applied to an island, possibly meaning '(place to find) shells that are used for money' or 'place where white shells are found.'
Area (sq mi): 42.91 (land 42.88; water 0.03). Pop per sq mi: 2160.20.
Pop 2005: 92,631. State rank: 18. Pop change: 2000-20005 -2.40%; 1990-2000 -1.50%. Pop 2000: 94,911 (White 68.80%; Black or African American 26.70%; Hispanic or Latino 1.50%; Asian 1.20%; Other 2.70%). Foreign born: 3.10%. Median age: 37.60.
Income 2000: per capita $18,468; median household $30,719; Pop below poverty level: 15.90%. *Personal per capita income 2000-2003: $24,698-$28,814.
Unemployment 2004: 4.60%. Change from 2000: 1.00%. Median travel time to work: 19.30 minutes. Working outside county of residence: 38.00%.
Cities with population over 10,000:
 (92,352) |
See other counties in Virginia.
Roanoke
a city in the southeastern USA, in Virginia, on the Roanoke River. Population, 91,000 (1974; 220,000 including suburbs).
Roanoke is a railroad junction. It produces man-made fibers—it has one of the largest factories in the country—and electrical equipment. The city also has furniture, clothing, and food-processing industries. As of 1973, Roanoke’s industries employed 21,000 people.
Roanoke
a river in the eastern USA. Length, 725 km; basin area, approximately 25,000 sq km.
The Roanoke originates on the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Appalachian system, passes through the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and flows into Albemarle Sound on the Atlantic coast. The river’s average flow rate is 230 cu m per sec; maximum flow is in late spring, and minimum flow is in early autumn. Hydroelectric power plants are located on the Roanoke. The river is navigable for small boats in its lower course.
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