Harrisonburg, Virginia

Not to be confused with Harrisburg, Virginia.

Harrisonburg, Virginia
Independent city
City of Harrisonburg
Rockingham County Courthouse in Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg
Rockingham County Courthouse in Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg
Official seal of Harrisonburg, Virginia
Seal
Nickname(s): 
The Friendly City, Rocktown, H'burg, The Burg, Friendly by Nature
Harrisonburg enclaved within the Rockingham County
Harrisonburg enclaved within the Rockingham County
Location of Harrisonburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Location of Harrisonburg in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Harrisonburg is located in Virginia
Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg is located in the United States
Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg
Coordinates: 38°26′58″N 78°52′08″W / 38.44944°N 78.86889°W / 38.44944; -78.86889
Country United States
State Virginia
CountyNone (Independent city)
Founded1779
Incorporated1916
Founded byThomas Harrison
Named forThomas Harrison
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager government
 • City ManagerAnde Banks[1]
 • MayorDeanna R. Reed (D)[2]
 • City Council[5]
Council Members
  • Deanna R. Reed (D)
  • Laura Dent (D)
  • Christopher B. Jones (D)
  • Monica Robinson (D)[3]
  • Dany Fleming (D)[4]
 • House DelegateTony Wilt (R)
 • State SenatorMark Obenshain (R)
Area
[6]
 • Total
17.39 sq mi (45.04 km2)
 • Land17.34 sq mi (44.91 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2)
Elevation
1,325 ft (404 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
51,814
 • Density3,000/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
22801–22803, 22807
Area code540
FIPS code51-35624[7]
GNIS feature ID1498489[8]
Websitewww.harrisonburgva.gov

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County,[9] although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2020 census, the population was 51,814.[10] The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Harrisonburg with Rockingham County for statistical purposes into the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 126,562 in 2011.[11]

Harrisonburg is home to James Madison University (JMU), a public research university with an enrollment of over 20,000 students,[12] and Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), a private, Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts university. Although the city has no historical association with President James Madison, JMU was nonetheless named in his honor as Madison College in 1938 and renamed as James Madison University in 1977.[13] EMU largely owes its existence to the sizable Mennonite population in the Shenandoah Valley, to which many Pennsylvania Dutch settlers arrived beginning in the mid-18th century in search of rich, unsettled farmland.[14]

The city has become a bastion of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002.[15] As of 2014, Hispanics or Latinos of any race make up 19% of the city's population.[16] Harrisonburg City Public Schools (HCPS) students speak 55 languages in addition to English, with Spanish, Arabic, and Kurdish being the most common languages spoken.[17] Over one-third of HCPS students are English as a second language (ESL) learners.[18] Language learning software company Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992,[19] and the multilingual "Welcome Your Neighbors" yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016.[15]

  1. ^ Harrisonburg, VA (January 14, 2022). "City Manager search moves forward with selection of firm" (PDF). City of Harrisonburg Press Release. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  2. ^ "Mayor Deanna R. Reed". City of Harrisonburg, VA. December 27, 2016.
  3. ^ "Council Member Monica Robinson". City of Harrisonburg, VA. January 5, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "Council Member Dany Fleming". City of Harrisonburg, VA. January 5, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "City Council | City of Harrisonburg, VA". Harrisonburgva.gov. August 24, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  6. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. ^ "Harrisonburg – Populated Place". Geographic Names Information System. USGS. Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  9. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  10. ^ "Harrisonburg city, Harrisonburg city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  11. ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011". 2011 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original (CSV) on April 27, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012.
  12. ^ "JMU Facts & Figures". James Madison University. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
  13. ^ "JMU Historical Timeline". JMU Centennial Office. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
  14. ^ Schum, Guy (February 14, 2012). "The Plain People". Virginialiving.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Where Did Those 'We're Glad You're Our Neighbor' Signs Come From?". WAMU.org. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  16. ^ USA (April 1, 2000). "Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends". Pewhispanic.org. Archived from the original on September 30, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  17. ^ "ESL Students in HCPS". Harrisonburg.k12.va.us. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  18. ^ "Harrisonburg City Schools - English as a Second Language". Harrisonburg.k12.va.us. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
  19. ^ "Rosetta Stone History". Rosettastone.com. Retrieved September 30, 2017.