Roanoke City Map Poster

About Roanoke

The town first called Big Lick was established in 1852 and chartered in 1874. It was named for a large outcropping of salt which drew the wildlife to the site near the Roanoke River. In 1882 it became the town of Roanoke, and in 1884 it was chartered as the independent city of Roanoke. The name "Roanoke" is said to have originated from an Algonquian word for shell "money".The population has declined slightly since its peak in 1940; however, under current projections that trend is expected to reverse itself within several years due largely to growth associated with increased defense spending at nearby Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base as well as continued growth from private sector industries such as health care (Carilion Clinic), technology (Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services) finance/banking (Bank of America), retailing/wholesale trade, hospitality services(Drury Hotels & Resorts)and manufacturing.(Brashear Manufacturing).