Roanoke County, Virginia

Roanoke County is a county in Virginia, United States, in the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Roanoke Valley. It had a population of 96,929 at the 2020 census and covers 251.3 square miles (651 km2), of which 250.6 square miles are land, centred near 37°16′N 80°05′W.

Salem, an independent city entirely surrounded by the county, is the county seat; its postal code is 24153. The county itself contains one incorporated town, Vinton, plus three census-designated places — Cave Spring, Glenvar and Hollins — and dozens of unincorporated neighborhoods spread across five magisterial districts (Catawba, Cave Spring, Hollins, Vinton and Windsor Hills). Roanoke County sits in the Eastern time zone.

Towns & Villages in Roanoke County

Roanoke County has one incorporated town and three census-designated places; nearly everything else on the map below is an unincorporated neighborhood, subdivision or crossroads community recognized by the Census Bureau and U.S. Geological Survey but with no separate population count of its own (shown as Unincorp.). Many share a Roanoke (24018/24019) or Vinton (24179) mailing address even though they sit outside either city’s limits.

A few old-list names duplicated or garbled a single subdivision: “Farmington” and “Farmington Lake” are the same golf-course subdivision off U.S. 220 and are combined into one row; “Brax-Han Court” and “Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs” had no independent trace beyond what looks like a single street name or a conflation of two unrelated names, and are not carried over. Cave Spring, the county’s largest community, should not be confused with the separately incorporated town of Vinton or with the city of Roanoke, whose limits border the CDP on three sides.

ZIP Codes

• 24179 — Vinton (also serves Mount Pleasant, Vinton Heights)
• 24070 — Catawba
• 24059 — Bent Mountain
• 24153 — Salem (covers Hanging Rock and other communities just outside the city line)
• 24018/24019 — Roanoke (covers Cave Spring, Hollins, Glenvar and most of the county’s eastern and southern subdivisions)

Most of the unincorporated subdivisions listed above share one of these ZIP codes with a nearby community rather than carrying a distinct code of their own.

Geography

Roanoke County wraps around the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem in a horseshoe shape, straddling the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Roanoke Valley where the Roanoke River cuts through on its way toward the James River basin. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the county’s southeastern edge, and Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, one of the largest municipally owned nature preserves in the country, sits in the northern part of the county.

The county borders Craig County to the northwest, Botetourt County to the northeast, Bedford County to the east, Franklin County to the southeast, Floyd County to the south, and Montgomery County to the west. The independent cities of Roanoke and Salem sit as enclaves within the county’s boundary rather than as bordering jurisdictions.

Demographics

Roanoke County had 96,929 residents at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 387 people per square mile of land. Cave Spring CDP is the largest single community at 26,755 people, followed by the Town of Vinton at 8,059. The county’s median household income runs above the Virginia median of $89,931, reflecting its mix of professional, retail and healthcare employment concentrated around the Roanoke Valley.

Economy & Local Life

The county’s economy is anchored by retail and service corridors along U.S. 220 and Virginia 419 (Electric Road), healthcare and administrative jobs tied to the Roanoke Valley’s hospital systems, and light manufacturing in industrial parks near Vinton and Glenvar. Roanoke County Public Schools operates the county’s school system separately from the Roanoke City and Salem city systems. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Carvins Cove draw hikers, cyclists and anglers from across the region.

History

Roanoke County was formed on March 30, 1838, from part of Botetourt County, and later gained additional territory from Montgomery County in 1845. It takes its name from the Roanoke River, itself derived from an Algonquian word associated with shell-bead currency used in trade among Native peoples of the region. The county’s growth accelerated after the Norfolk and Western Railway established shops in Roanoke in the 1880s, drawing residential development into the surrounding county through the 20th century, including the postwar subdivisions that now make up most of Cave Spring and Hollins.

Getting There

Interstate 81 and Interstate 581 cross the county, along with U.S. 11, U.S. 220, U.S. 221 and U.S. 460 and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

• Roanoke — adjacent, at the county’s center
• Salem — adjacent, at the county’s center
• Blacksburg — about 35 miles west via I-81
• Lynchburg — about 55 miles east via US 460/US 221

Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA), in the city of Roanoke, is the nearest commercial airport.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Roanoke County, Virginia?
It is in Virginia’s Roanoke Valley, in the southwestern part of the state, surrounding the independent cities of Roanoke and Salem on three sides.

What is the population of Roanoke County?
96,929 at the 2020 census.

How big is Roanoke County?
251.3 square miles (651 km2), of which 250.6 square miles are land.

What is the county seat of Roanoke County?
Salem, an independent city not legally part of the county, serves as the county seat.

How many towns are in Roanoke County?
One incorporated town, Vinton, plus three census-designated places (Cave Spring, Glenvar, Hollins) and numerous unincorporated subdivisions.

What ZIP codes are in Roanoke County?
24179 (Vinton), 24070 (Catawba), 24059 (Bent Mountain), and the Roanoke/Salem ZIPs 24018, 24019 and 24153 that also cover parts of the county.

Is Roanoke City part of Roanoke County?
No. Roanoke, like Salem, is an independent city under Virginia law and is governed separately from the county despite sharing its name and being surrounded by it.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.