Roanoke

Roanoke (ROH--nohk) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 100,011, making it the 8th most populous city in Virginia. The name Roanoke is said to have originated from an Algonquian word for "shell money" The city grew frequently via annexation through the middle of the 20th century. It is the largest municipality in Southwest Virginia, and is the principal municipality of the Roanke Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which had a 2020 population of 315,251. The city is the commercial and cultural hub of much of Southwest Virginia and portions of Southern West Virginia. It was established in 1852 and chartered in 1874. In 1884, it was chartered as the independent city of Roanokes. The Great Indian Warpath, which later merged into the colonial Great Wagon Road, was one of the most heavily traveled roads of 18th-century America. It ran from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley between Maryland and Tennessee. The location in the Blue Ridge Mountains made it the transportation hub of western Virginia and contributed to its rapid growth. It became a stop on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad (V&T) which linked Lynchburg with Bristol on theVirginia-Tennessee border. In the 1850s, Big Lick was the junction for the new Shenandoa Valley Railroad. For the new line the new village was called "Big Lick" The town became a city so quickly that it earned the nickname "Magic City".

History

Roanoke is the primary city name, but also Cave Spring are acceptable city names or spellings, Poages Mill on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Roanoke, Virginia. First called Big Lick, the town was established in 1852 and chartered in 1874. The name Roanoke is said to have originated from an Algonquian word for "shell money" The city grew frequently via annexation through the middle of the 20th century. The last annexation was in 1976, and the state legislature has since prohibited cities from annexing land from adjacent counties. The city's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains made it the transportation hub of western Virginia and contributed to its rapid growth. The opening of the Pocahontas coalfields made the N&W prosperous and Huttleston the Virginian Railway the world-famous Trans-VGNian Railway. It merged with the N &W in 1959 to form the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) The city was once known as the "Magic City" due to its reputation as a coal-mining hub. It is now the home of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1881. The museum is located in the town of Roanokesville, Virginia, and is open to the public. It has a museum collection of more than 2,000 items, including a collection of 19th-century maps of the area. It also has a public library, which opened in 1882. The town is home to a museum of natural history, which is open for the public to view. It was also the site of the first public library in the United States, opening in 1872.

Geography

Roanoke is located in the valley and ridge province of Virginia immediately west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and east of the Allegheny Mountains. Within the city limits is Mill Mountain, which stands detached from surrounding ranges. Roanokers and visitors to the area enjoy hiking, mountain biking, cross-country running, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing and other outdoor pursuits. 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. The Appalachian Trail runs through the northern section of Roanoke County several miles north of the city. Carvins Cove, the second-largest municipal park in America at 12,700-acre (51 km²), lies in northeast Roanokes County and southwest Botetourt County. Valhalla Vineyards is located just outside the city Limits of RoAnoke. The city is located on the North Fork of Roansburg, which is a designated American Viticultural Area, recognizing the unique grape growing conditions present in the region. It is in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa) with four distinct, but generally mild, seasons. 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. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 37.9°F (3.3 °C) in January to 77.8 °F in July.

Demographics

At the 2000 census, there were 94,911 people, 42,003 households and 24,235 families residing in the city. There were 45,257 housing units at an average density of 1,055.3 per square mile (407.5/km²) 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, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population. The median household income was $30,719 and the median family income was$37,826. About 12.9% of families were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 11.3% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size is 2.86. For every 100 females, there are 88.3 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 84.3 Males. The city has a population density of 2,213.2 per square inch (854.6/km 2) The city's population is 1,816,000 (59.9%) and the population density is 2,215.2. The U.S. Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category.

Economy

Roanoke was formerly the headquarters of Norfolk and Western Railway until its merger with the Southern Railway created the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982. Norfolk Southern continues to operate maintenance facilities and a rail yard in Roanoke but moved its marketing department out and closed its downtown office building in 2015. The city is the health care and retail hub of a large area, driving the expansion of Carilion Clinic and Valley View Mall. The proximity of automotive assembly plants in the South has attracted manufacturers including Dynax, Koyo, Metalsa and Yokohama, formerly Mohawk Tire. The top employers in the city are: Kroger, General Electric, TMEIC, United Parcel Service (UPS) and Virginia Transformer Corporation. The rate of economic and population growth have been less than the state and national averages since the 1960s. The immediate area has a low unemployment rate, but a brain drain of workers unable to find satisfactory employment and underemployment are sometimes cited as explanations. The City of Roanokes has created initiatives to address the brain drain and has created a database to match job seekers who wish to reside in the area with employers looking for candidates. The area has lost population, but suburbs in southern Botetourt County, and areas of Bedford County and Franklin County near Smith Mountain Lake have grown. It is located within one day of most markets in the southeast, northeast, mid-atlantic, and Ohio Valley, which has made it a distribution center for such companies as Orvis.

Arts and culture

EventZone was created in 2003 by the merger of various existing event organizers. Roanoke's festivals and cultural events include the Chili Cook-Off, Festival in the Park, Local Colors Festival, Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Big Lick Blues Festival, Strawberry Festival, and the large red, white, and blue illuminated Mill Mountain Star. The History Museum of Western Virginia contains exhibits and artifacts related to the area's history and has a library of materials available to scholars and the public. The Science Museum maintains a permanent installation of neon sign art featuring the work of local Mark Jamison, the subject of Slash Coleman's PBS special "The Neon Man and Me". The Taubman Museum of Art 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 Harrison Museum of African-American Culture is dedicated to the history and culture of Roanokes' African- American community and is currently located at a former school in the Gainsboro section of the city. The city's first permanent artwork funded by the Percent for Art ordinance stands before the theater, the 30-foot (9.1 m) stainless steel sculpture, "In My Hands", is one of more than 100 works in the city's public art catalogue. In 2006, The Jefferson Art Center reopened as the former Jefferson High School. The Dumas Hotel houses offices and display spaces for cultural organizations. The renovated Dumas Music Lab houses an auditorium with more than 180 seats.

Sports

The 1971-1972 Virginia Squires of the ABA were the only major league sports team to regularly play home games in Roanoke. Since 1955, neighboring Salem has hosted the local minor league baseball team, currently the Salem Red Sox of the Low-A Carolina League. In the 1940s and early 1950s, Roan Brooke was home to a class B farm team of the Boston Red Sox. The Roanke Dazzle of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and the Roanokes Steam of the af2 (arena football) folded after never developing consistent followings. The Virginia Tech Hokies ice hockey team has used theRoanoke Civic Center as its regular season home venue, from 2006 to the present season. In 2010, the roanoke College ice Hockey team began using the Roonoke Civic center as its home venue as well. From 1946 to 1950, Victory Stadium hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day game between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute and other high-profile college football games. The stadium also hosted the South's Oldest Rivalry between the University of Virginia and the North Carolina. During most of the 1970s and 1990s, the Virginia Cavaliers and Virginia Hokies dominated the rivalry and as such tended to have significantly greater fan representation in the city. The city was one of the nominally neutral sites for the annual basketball game between the Cavaliers and Hokies in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2001 and 2002, the city served as the home for the Big South Conference men's basketball tournament and women's basketball tournaments.

Parks and recreation

The Roanoke Valley Chess Club was formed in 1947. It is the oldest continuing chess club in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The club has served to bring and sustain chess activities to the region, and holds regular events. These events include United States Chess Federation Grand Prix tournaments. It also holds volunteer annual outreach events during Roanokes Festival in the Park, Grandin Court Block Party, Tons of Fun, and more. It was founded to promote chess in the region. It has been in existence since 1947, and is one of the oldest chess clubs in the U.S., along with the Virginia Chess Club and the Richmond Chess Club. It holds regular tournaments and other events, including United States Chess Federation Grand Prix tournaments, as well as other community outreach events.

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 Roanoke City Council. The current mayor is Sherman Lea and the current city manager has been Robert S. Cowell for the past three years. Roanke is one of the few Democratic pockets in heavily Republican southwestern Virginia. It has supported the Democratic Party nominee in every election since 1988, and in all but one election since 1976. In statewide elections, Roan Brooke is often one of. the few areas west of Charlottesville to vote Democratic. It lies within Virginia's 6th congressional district, which also includes Lynchburg and much of the Shenandoah Valley and is represented by Republican Ben Cline. Virginia's 9th district has traditionally covered southwest Virginia but has expanded into parts of Salem and Roanokes County to make up for population losses in the rest of the district. It is also part of Virginia's 5th district which also stretches north to Charlottesville and includes Franklin County, including nearby Franklin County. It's in Virginia's 22nd congressional district which stretches north and east to Charlottesville. It also includes parts of Franklin County and parts of neighboring Salem, which are part of the neighboring Salem County and have a population of less than 1,000. It was home to the U.S. Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg.

Education

The local public school division is Roanoke City Public Schools. The two general enrollment public high schools are Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School. The Noel C. Taylor learning academy is a combined middle and high school that serves students with individual educational needs. Two four-year private institutions are situated in neighboring localities. Virginia Tech and Radford University's main campuses are located the nearby New River Valley, but Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute opened in Roanokes City in 2007. The medical school is in cooperation with Carilion Clinic, the regional nonprofit health care organization based inRoanoke. Virginia Western Community College and Jefferson College of Health Sciences are located in the city of Roankes. Roanke College is located in Salem, and Hollins University is situated in Roansburg. The city is home to the University of Virginia, which has a satellite campus in the downtown area. The university's main campus is in Charlottesville, but it also has satellite campuses in the cities of Blacksburg and Roanokersville. The town is also home to several private non-parochial schools, including North Cross School, which provides education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade, and New Vista Montessori, that provides classes from third to ninth grade. It is also the home of the Roanoking County School District, which offers classes from kindergarten to twelfth grade. The school district also has a private parochial school that provides kindergarten to eighth grade.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Roanoke, Roanoke City, Virginia = 54.1. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 79. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Roanoke = 4.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 100,011 individuals with a median age of 40.3 age the population dropped by -1.93% in Roanoke, Roanoke City, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,300 residents per square mile of area (900/km²). There are average 2.14 people per household in the 42,192 households with an average household income of $38,824 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.50% of the available work force and has dropped -3.02% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.46%. The number of physicians in Roanoke per 100,000 population = 324.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Roanoke = 40.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 23.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 118. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 211. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 27 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Roanoke, Roanoke City, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 51.66%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 49 years with median home cost = $112,660 and home appreciation of 1.78%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.41 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,704 per student. There are 13.2 students for each teacher in the school, 439 students for each Librarian and 240 students for each Counselor. 6.19% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.01% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.53% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).