City of Harrisonburg , Virginia

City of Harrisonburg Education, Geography, and History

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 48,914. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes.

Etymology - Origin of City of Harrisonburg Name

Harrisonburg, in Rockingham County, was named for Thomas Harrison, who gave fifty acres for the town site.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: City of Harrisonburg

Harrisonburg City History

Harrisonburg, previously known as Rocktown, is named for Thomas Harrison, a son of English settlers. In 1737, Harrison settled in the Shenandoah Valley, eventually laying claim to over 12,000 acres (49 km²). In 1779, Harrison deeded two and a half acres of his land to the "public good" for the construction of a courthouse. In 1780, Harrison deeded an additional 50 acres (200,000 m2).

This is the area now known as "Historic Downtown Harrisonburg."

In 1849, trustees chartered a mayor-council form of government, although Harrisonburg was not officially incorporated as an independent city until 1916.

Harrisonburg, Virginia was established in 1780. [Virginia Genealogy, Sources & Resources, by Carol McGinnis, Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1993.]

Harrisonburg, Virginia was incorporated as a town in 1849 and incorporated as a city in 1916. Located in Rockingham County, Virginia. Established in 1780. A portion of Rockingham County was annexed in 1982. [Virginia Genealogy, Sources & Resources, by Carol McGinnis, Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1993.]

Harrisonburg, Virginia was incorporated as a city in 1916. It was annexed in 1982. [Virginia Genealogy, Sources & Resources, by Carol McGinnis, Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1993.]

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 17.6 square miles (45.6 km²), of which, 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.17%) is water.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Rockingham County

Education

Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University.

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