Vinton, Virginia

Vinton, Virginia
—  Town  —
Downtown Vinton
Location in Virginia
Coordinates: 37°16′41″N 79°53′43″W
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Roanoke
Founded	1884
Government
• Mayor	Bradley E. Grose
Area
• Total	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
• Land	3.2 sq mi (8.2 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	925 ft (282 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	8,098
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	24179
Area code(s)	540
FIPS code	51-81280
GNIS feature ID	1500260
Website	http://www.vintonva.gov

Vinton is a town in Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,098 at the 2010 census. It hosted teams by three names in the ECHL in a custom built facility known as the LancerLot; after the roof collapsed during the Blizzard of 1993, the franchise moved to the Roanoke Civic Center.

Vinton is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Roanoke Region of Virginia.

Vinton's official newspaper is the Vinton Messenger, although it is operated from Salem and not actually based in the town of Vinton. In 2009, the Vinton Voice, a weekly alternative located on Poplar Street in Vinton, was launched but closed its doors in May 2010. Vinton also shortly had its own weekly magazine, Phoenix Magazine in 2011. Vinton's only other publication is The Vinton Image, a magazine sporadically released by the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce. The last of which was released in December 2010.

Geography

Vinton is located at 37°16′41″N 79°53′43″W (37.277987, -79.895248).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²), all of it land.

The southern border of Vinton consists of 1.5 miles of lakefront in the Roanoke River Gorge. This lake, however, which was created by the 1904 construction of the hydroelectric Niagara (so-called) dam, is not visible from any inhabited part of the town, is difficult to reach, and is little used.

Vinton has varied topography, considering its small size. The above-mentioned lake is at an elevation of 890'. The Vinton side of the lake consists of a steep, wooded cliff 150' in vertical height. Vinton's highest point is on Olney Rd., at an elevation of 1265', which affords a good view of the adjacent city of Roanoke, at least for people with houses favorably positioned.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,782 people, 3,327 households, and 2,179 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,451.4 people per square mile (947.8/km²). There were 3,471 housing units at an average density of 1,093.4 per square mile (422.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.35% White, 3.35% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.66% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 3,327 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,620, and the median income for a family was $40,701. Males had a median income of $27,070 versus $22,950 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,817. About 6.9% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.3% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

• David Huddleston- Actor
• David R. Goode- Railroad Executive