Vinton

History

By the late 18th century, settlers began moving into the area and in 1797, the Gish family established a gristmill on Glade Creek. Afterward the area would become known as Gish's Mill. As the railroad expanded into the Roanoke Valley, Gish's Mill became a stop for the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad. In the late 1870s and early 1880s, the Gish family led a movement to establish a town around the train depot site. A mass meeting to discuss incorporation was held in 1883 and in 1884 the area was incorporated as the Town of Vinton.

Geography

Vinton is located at (37.277987, −79.895248). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.16 square miles (8.2 km). The town shares a substantial portion of its western border with the neighboring city of Roanoke. Several neighborhoods in this area are bisected by the border between the two communities. Given its proximity and size, the town is considered a bedroom community for Roanoke. The southern border of Vinton consists of 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 3.2 square mile size. The above-mentioned lake is at an elevation of above sea level. The Vinton side of the lake consists of a steep, wooded cliff in vertical height. Vinton's highest point is on Olney Road, at an elevation of , which affords a good view of the adjacent city of Roanoke. While the entirety of the town of Vinton is located in Roanoke County, much of its ZIP Code also covers the western portion of Bedford County.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  15,164
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  13,031
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,977
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  11,394
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  11,016
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  10,294
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,289
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  10,038

Most recent

• M 2.57 — 2023-07-08
  Virginia-North Carolina border region
• M 2.71 — 2023-07-06
  5 km S of Hillsville, Virginia
• M 2.55 — 2023-06-17
  2 km N of Pembroke, Virginia
• M 2.56 — 2021-09-27
  4 km N of Lafayette, Virginia
• M 2.76 — 2021-07-15
  10 km S of Narrows, Virginia
• M 2.54 — 2019-12-11
  21 km W of New Castle, Virginia