Blacksburg, some 12,000 acres nestled on a plateau between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains, is special. Home to about 41,700 local residents, the town is considered small by most any standard — but don’t let its size or location fool you.

Because of the town’s award-winning services, reasonable cost of living, safety, moderate climate, and abundant leisure activities, Blacksburg is consistently ranked among the country’s best places to live and has earned a reputation nationwide as a well-managed, stable, and forward-looking community.

   

Established in 1798 and now Virginia’s largest town, Blacksburg lies within Montgomery County, which has a population of some 94,000.

Vibrant and engaging, Blacksburg’s downtown offers more than 150 unique stores, art galleries, and eclectic restaurants. The area’s wide red-brick sidewalks, Victorian street lamps, and park benches encourage foot traffic and make meeting folks easy.

Learn about Blacksburg:

• 10 Interesting Facts about the New River Valley
• Blacksburg nightlife
• Blacksburg history
• The surrounding area
• Why Blacksburg? | Hear first-hand from students

Quick facts

• In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek named Blacksburg the best place in the United States to raise children.

• A 2010 Wall Street Journal report ranked Virginia Tech among the top 25 schools for "best-qualified" graduates.

• A high-tech, professional environment, Blacksburg is one of the most “wired” communities on the planet, offering mobile connection to the Internet from anywhere in town.

• In the National Citizens Survey, Blacksburg residents gave the highest ratings to their town’s appearance, openness, and acceptance, as well as its many cultural opportunities, safety, and low crime rate.

• Blacksburg has been ranked among the nation’s best places to live by Blue Ridge Country Magazine, Men’s Journal, 50 Best Small Southern Towns, The Sporting News, and Retirement Places Rated.

• Outside Magazine ranked Blacksburg a top-10 “dream town” for outdoors enthusiasts because of its proximity to the Appalachian Trail and the Washington-Jefferson National Forest. The area’s natural resources for hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, and climbing are phenomenal.

• The nationally accredited Virginia Tech Police Department operates 24-hours a day and provides full police service to the university community.

• Blacksburg, along with Christiansburg and Radford and including Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski counties, is considered a Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center (CRC) hosts more than 100 technology-based companies, as well as the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, contributing to Blacksburg’s high-tech, professional environment.

• The award-winning Blacksburg Transit (BT), which provides town-wide public transportation at a reasonable cost, also furnishes a game day shuttle for football and basketball games.