The Roanoke Region ( ) is the area of the Commonwealth of Virginia surrounding the city of Roanoke. Its usage may refer to the metropolitan statistical area or the Roanoke Valley, but it sometimes includes areas in the Allegheny Mountains and New River Valley which includes Alleghany County, Montgomery County, Covington, Clifton Forge, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford. Bedford County and Floyd County are sometimes included as part of the region. The Roanoke Region, excluding communities in the New River Valley, has a population of 316,802. If including the New River Valley, its population is 475,130. Both the Roanoke Region and the Roanoke MSA are sometimes referred to as the Roanoke Valley (or Greater Roanoke Valley) and are often included in the NewVa region. The Roanoke Valley, however, more accurately describes the geographic depression between the Blue Ridge Mountains where many of the region's communities are located (see Roanoke Valley). Notable places and landmarks in the Roanoke Region include the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Allegheny Mountains, the Roanoke River, Virginia Tech, the Mill Mountain Star, the Booker T. Washington monument, the Fincastle Court House, and Smith Mountain Lake. Definitions and Regional Organizations Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area As defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Roanoke MSA includes four counties, two independent cities, and 21 incorporated towns and census-designated places. Counties Botetourt Craig Franklin Roanoke Cities Roanoke (principal city) Salem Incorporated Towns and Census-designate places Blue Ridge (census-designated place) Boones Mill Buchanan Cave Spring (census-designated place) Cloverdale (census-designated place) Daleville (census-designated place) Eagle Rock (census-designated place) Ferrum (census-designated place) Fincastle Glen Wilton (census-designation place) Henry Fork (census-designated place) Hollins (census-designated place) Laymantown (census-designated place) New Castle North Shore (census-designated place) Penhook (census-designated place) Rocky Mount Troutville Union Hall (census-designated place) Vinton Westlake Corner (census-designated place) Roanoke Region The Roanoke Region is defined by many regional economic, planning, and tourism organizations. The most common definition includes communities located within the Roanoke Valley and Allegheny Mountains. It typically includes The Roanoke Regional Partnership, a regional, nonprofit economic development organization formed by area businesses and local governments, defines the region as including the counties of Roanoke, Botetourt, Franklin, and Alleghany; the cities of Roanoke, Salem, and Covington; and the town of Vinton. The same region is defined by the Commonwealth of Virginia as the Workforce Investment Area III, but also includes Craig County. The LWIA-III service