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About Us

Rockingham County is located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The beauty and ambience of the Valley is fostered by the Shenandoah National Park and George Washington National Forest and the agricultural heritage and keen sense of stewardship of the environment within the community. Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Alleghenies on the west, the County is located along the Interstate 81 corridor and only a 2-hour drive to Washington, DC. Rockingham County is the third largest county in Virginia and encompasses the Harrisonburg-Rockingham metropolitan area.  In addition, Rockingham County has seven incorporated towns.The County’s emphasis on promoting diversity in attracting the types of industries which locate to the region helps to sustain the economic vitality of the area, and enhances the quality of life.

Formed from Augusta County in 1778 and named for the Marquis of Rockingham, a British statesman sympathetic with the American Revolution, Rockingham County is the third largest county in Virginia, encompassing 853 square miles of diverse terrain. There are five election districts and seven incorporated towns within the County. The Ashby District includes the towns of Bridgewater, Dayton, and Mt. Crawford. The towns of Elkton and Grottoes are located in the Stone-wall District, while Timberville and Broadway are both situated in the Plains District. Harrisonburg is the only independent city. Named in honor of Thomas Harrison, who deeded two and one-half acres of his plantation to the County for a courthouse in 1779, Harrisonburg was founded in 1780. It was recognized by the Virginia General Assembly as a town in 1849 and incorporated as a city in 1916. In 1794, Bishop Francis Asbury, the first Methodist Bishop in America, organized conferences in the Harrison house and eventually started a school in the area. "Stonewall" Jackson's Civil War Valley Campaign ended in Port Republic in 1862. Seven years later the railroad was completed between Washington, D.C., and Harrisonburg. Harrisonburg became the focal point for the poultry industry with the completion of the railroad and the development of one of the nation's first incubators in the nearby community of Dayton in 1884.

The County's mission is to implement an economic strategy of attracting new business and industry that are compatible with the way of life in the Shenandoah Valley and to assist in the retention and expansion of existing companies.

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