The New River Valley is located in the southwestern part of Virginia and includes the counties of Floyd, Giles, Pulaski, and Montgomery. The region lies along the New River, bounded by the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the Appalachian Plateau.
Development in the region first occurred in the early 1 H!h Century, when the area became important to pioneers traveling west. As a result the region has a rich cultural history of early colonial and westward expansion times.
One of the New River Valley's greatest assets is its natural environment. The New River is cited as the second oldest river in the world. The region also encompasses sections of the Jefferson National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, a stand of virgin forest, and one of the two natural lakes in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as several man-made lakes.
The New River Valley is renowned for its innovative technology, and several high-tech businesses have been started by regional entrepreneurs. Small business training and support groups have been developed to foster the growth of entrepreneurial start-ups. In addition, the region benefits from educational institutions such as Virginia Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College. These institutions, combined with a skilled workforce, provide the New River Valley with human resources, quality of life, and training and research facilities.
Over the past 20 years, the region has experienced an ever-widening gap between the urban and rural areas of Virginia. This gap is shown by disparate levels of income, employment, primary education, and growth.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has the largest per capita defense expenditures in the nation. The most recent major event affecting the economy of the New River Valley region was the downsizing at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant (RAAP). Before defense downsizing, RAAP was the largest private employer in the region; it remains the highest wage employer in the New River Valley. The effects of defense downsizing at RAAP have meant the loss of jobs for
more than 3000 workers since 1989 and 334.2 million in lost wages and associated earnings. Non-defense industries have also been affected by the layoffs. The New River Valley region is highly interrelated with 34% of regional residents commuting from their home county to another for work. This is one reason the ripple effect of RAAP layoffs has been extensive. Another massive layoff occurred at the AT&T plant in Pulaski County in 1990 and this plant was ultimately closed. This layoff and closing also had a region-wide impact.
The region has experienced a growth in population, even with relatively high unemployment rates. The region's population is projected to grow by almost 30,000 people between 1990 and 2010 (1990 US Census). Over 24% of the New River Valley population are students at Virginia Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College.
The demographic patterns of land use have been determined by the region's physical features. The New River Valley has become increasingly urban in nature and each year less land is available for development. The soil and slope conditions indicate that the areas most feasible for development are along the New River.
