Everything about the Shenandoah Valley totally explained
The
Shenandoah Valley region of western
Virginia and
West Virginia is bounded by the
Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the
Appalachian and
Allegheny Plateaus to the west. It is located within the
Ridge and Valley region and is a portion of the
Great Appalachian Valley.
Geography
Named for the river which stretches much of its length, the Shenandoah Valley encompasses seven counties in Virginia (
Frederick County,
Clarke County,
Warren County,
Shenandoah County,
Page County,
Rockingham County, and
Augusta County) as well as two counties in West Virginia (
Berkeley County and
Jefferson County). Between
Roanoke in the south and
Harpers Ferry in the north, where the Shenandoah River joins the
Potomac, the Valley contains municipalities of various sizes like
Staunton,
Harrisonburg,
Winchester,
Lexington,
Waynesboro, and
Front Royal. The northern section of the Shenandoah Valley is split in half by the
Massanutten Mountain range.
Notable caves
The Valley contains a number of geologically and historically significant limestone caves:
History
The word
Shenandoah was derived from a
Native American expression for "Beautiful Daughter of the Stars." The
Valley Pike (or Valley Turnpike) began as a migratory trail for tribes such as the
Delaware and
Catawba and became the major thoroughfare of
wagons and in time, motor vehicles. By the
20th century, the Valley Turnpike was a
toll road, eventually being acquired by the
Commonwealth of Virginia and becoming
U.S. Highway 11. For much of the length, the newer
Interstate 81 parallels the old Valley Pike.
The Shenandoah Valley is a productive agricultural region. Despite the great promise of the rich farmland of the Valley, the
Blue Ridge Mountains, crossed by Governor
Alexander Spotswood's legendary
Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition at
Swift Run Gap in
1716, were a major obstacle to colonial expansion from the east. Instead, the Valley was first settled by
German and then by
Scots-Irish immigrants from
Pennsylvania in the
1730s. The former were known as "Shenandoah
Deitsch." Both stocks came south into the Valley from the
Potomac River, in contrast to the largely English settlement of the Virginia
Tidewater and
Piedmont regions.
The Shenandoah Valley was known as the breadbasket of the Confederacy during the
American Civil War and as such, was major site of battle between Union and Confederate forces. It is also the location of the Shenandoah Valley
American Viticultural Area.
Transportation
Front Royal Area Transit
(FRAT) provides weekday transit for the town of Front Royal.
Page County TransitThe People Movers provides weekday transit for the town of Luray and weekday service between Luray and Front Royal.
Winchester Transit provides weekday transit for the city of Winchester.
Shenandoah Valley Commuter Bus Service offers weekday commuter bus service from Northern Shenandoah Valley including Shenandoah County and Warren County to Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. including Arlington County and Fairfax County. Origination points in Shenandoah County include Woodstock. Origination points in Warren County include Front Royal and Linden.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Shenandoah Valley'.
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