“The City of Roanoke offers something unique—unexpected balance. Roanoke has the amenities that you’d expect from a dynamic urban center, without losing the charming feeling of a smaller place. Roanoke is a city that encourages you to make things happen because it’s big enough to provide multiple opportunities, but small enough so you can make an impact.”
-City Manager Darlene L. Burcham

Roanoke, Virginia is a thriving 21st century community nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s an intriguing mix of “big city” and urban village. Located halfway between New York and Atlanta, Roanoke is the vibrant economic engine and cultural center for the entire southwestern part of Virginia. Known historically as the “Capital of the Blue Ridge,” Roanoke continues to be the region’s crossroads for commerce. Its revitalized downtown core is all big-city bustle with an impressive array of arts, recreation and cultural amenities as well as an aggressive economic strategy to ensure that the city continues to develop and attract high-tech and manufacturing businesses in its burgeoning biotechnology, optics, information technology and transportation sectors.

Roanoke is a city of charming tree-lined neighborhoods and arresting mountain views that make it feel less like a big city and more like home. From almost any street in Roanoke, you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a view guaranteed to refresh your mind and energize your soul. Some of the best hiking, camping and back-country experiences anywhere along the Appalachian Trail can be found in the Roanoke area, and tourists and residents alike take advantage of the incomparable natural and recreational experiences the region has to offer. Home to more than 60 parks and wilderness areas, Roanoke makes stewardship of the local and regional environment one of its top priorities.

It’s this careful balance between the built and natural environment, the dynamic energy of the city’s emerging technologies combined with its stunning beauty and exceptional amenities, that makes Roanoke such an exciting and welcoming place to be.