Shenandoah Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shenandoah Valley |
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A view across the Shenandoah Valley
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| Floor elevation | 500–1,500 feet (150–460 m) |
| Long-axis direction | Northeast to southwest |
| Geography | |
| Location | Virginia, Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia |
| Population centers | Winchester Harrisonburg Staunton Lexington Martinsburg, West Virginia |
| Borders on | Blue Ridge Mountains (east) Ridge and Valley Appalachians (west) Potomac River (north) James River (south) |
| Traversed by |       I-64 / I-81 / US 11 / US 33 / US 50 / US 250 |
The Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful area in Virginia and West Virginia, in the United States. People sometimes call it "The Big Valley." It's a long valley that stretches from the Potomac River in the north to the James River in the south.
On its eastern side, you'll find the tall Blue Ridge Mountains. To the west are the Appalachian Mountains. The valley is about 200 miles long. It's also home to two well-known universities: James Madison University and Shenandoah University.
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Exploring the Shenandoah Valley's Past
For nearly 11,000 years, Native American people lived in the Shenandoah Valley. They were the first to call this place home.
The first European to visit this area was likely a Jesuit priest in 1632. However, a German doctor named John Lederer is often given credit for exploring the valley in 1669. In the 1600s, English settlers heard about the huge forests here. These forests even had chestnut trees that were incredibly tall, some reaching up to 600 feet!
Geography of the Shenandoah Valley
The valley gets its name from the Shenandoah River, which flows through much of its length. The Shenandoah Valley includes eight counties in Virginia and two counties in West Virginia.
- Frederick County, Virginia
- Clarke County, Virginia
- Warren County, Virginia
- Shenandoah County, Virginia
- Page County, Virginia
- Rockingham County, Virginia
- Augusta County, Virginia
- Rockbridge County, Virginia
- Berkeley County, West Virginia
- Jefferson County, West Virginia
The larger cultural region of the valley also includes five more counties in Virginia:
Near Harpers Ferry, the Shenandoah River flows into the larger Potomac River. The cultural region of the valley also has several independent cities:
Images for kids
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A poultry farm with the Blue Ridge Mountains in background
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A farm in the fertile Shenandoah Valley
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Shenandoah Valley, an oil painting by William Louis Sonntag Sr., from 1859–1860. It's at the Virginia Historical Society.
See also
In Spanish: Valle de Shenandoah para niños
