History of Roanoke, Virginia
The Star City
|motto =
|image_skyline = Roanoke, Virginia at night.jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|image_caption = Roanoke, Virginia as seen at night from the Mill Mountain Star.
|image_flag =
|image_seal = City Seal of Roanoke, VA.jpg
|image_map = VAMap-doton-Roanoke.PNG|Location of Roanoke, Virginia
|mapsize = 250px
|map_caption = Location in Virginia
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_type1 = State
|subdivision_type2 = County
|subdivision_name = United States
|subdivision_name1 = Virginia
|subdivision_name2 = Independent city
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Nelson Harris
|established_title =
|established_date =
|area_magnitude =
|TotalArea_sq_mi = 43
|area_total =
|LandArea_sq_mi =
|area_land =
|WaterArea_sq_mi =
|area_water =
|UrbanArea_sq_mi =
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|population_as_of = 2005
|population_note =
|population_total = 92631
|population_metro = 295700
|population_urban =
|population_density =
|population_density_mi2 =
|timezone = Eastern (EST)
|utc_offset = -5
|timezone_DST = EDT
|utc_offset_DST = -4
|latd = 37
|latm = 16
|lats = 15
|latNS = N
|longd = 79
|longm = 56
|longs = 30
|longEW = W
|elevation_m = 269-530
|elevation_ft = 883-1740
|elevation_footnotes = http://www.dgif.state.va.us/vbwt/site.asp?trail=2&loop=MSC&site=MSC08
http://www.cohp.org/va/Roanoke_City_1.html
|website = [http://www.roanokeva.gov RoanokeVA.gov]
|footnotes =
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Roanoke is an independent city located in the U.S. state|Commonwealth of Virginia. The City of Roanoke is adjacent to the city of Salem, Virginia|Salem and the town of Vinton, Virginia|Vinton and is otherwise surrounded by, but politically separate from, Roanoke County, Virginia|Roanoke County. As of the United States Census 2000|2000 census, the city had a total population of 94,911. By 2006, the city's population is estimated to be 92,328; if the population trends of the past six years continue, the city will have a smaller population than Roanoke County in the 2010 census.[http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/51/5168000.html]
The United States Census Bureau includes in Roanoke's metropolitan area the counties of Botetourt County, Virginia|Botetourt, Franklin County, Virginia|Franklin, Craig County, Virginia|Craig and Roanoke, and the cities of Salem, Virginia|Salem and Roanoke. The metropolitan area's population in the past three censuses has been reported to be:
*1980 --- 220,393
*1990 --- 224,477
*2000 --- 235,932
*2005 (estimate) --- 292,983
Please note that the figures through 2000 do not include Franklin County (50,345 est. 2005 population) and Craig County (5,154 est. 2005 population) which were recently added to the Roanoke MSA, which is the fourth largest in Virginia (behind the Greater Richmond, Virginia|Richmond area, Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads) and the largest outside of the eastern half of the state.
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