City of Salem, VA

Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 24,802. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Salem with Roanoke County for statistical purposes. Salem is bordered by the city of Roanoke a... nd is included in the Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located approximately 120 miles (190 km) from Charlottesville, 104 miles (167 km) from Greensboro, North Carolina, and 250 miles (400 km) from Knoxville, Tennessee. Salem annexed South Salem in 1953 and also an eastern tract in 1960, giving it a population of 16,058 making it Virginia's largest town at the time. Salem officially became a city on December 31, 1967, to avoid the possibility of annexation into the city of Roanoke. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.5 square miles (37.6 km2), of which 14.4 square miles (37.3 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2) (0.7%) is water.Read More