Living in the Roanoke Region

The Roanoke metropolitan area serves as the medical center for the region and Southwest Virginia. Anchored by Carilion Clinic, one of the largest health care companies in Virginia and the region’s largest employer, the life science sector is one of Roanoke’s strongest clusters, and residents have access to leading-edge medical care.

The region’s diverse communities can feel small and friendly while being bustling urban centers. Roanoke is the cultural and recreational hub, boasting the world-class Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and museums like the renowned Taubman Museum of Art, Center in the Square in the midst of the open-air farmers market downtown, and the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

The Roanoke Region has been named a top outdoor location by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. It is bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway and crossed by the Appalachian Trail. The area has 600 miles of trails, 22 miles of urban greenways, 24 rivers and creeks, 300,000 acres of national forest, and the second-largest municipal park in the United States for families to enjoy.