Page Valley
Encyclopedia
The Page Valley is a small valley
geographically and culturally associated with the Shenandoah Valley
. The valley is located between the Massanutten
and Blue Ridge
mountain ranges in western Virginia
.
near Luray
, the valley is about 10 miles (16.1 km) wide, while at its narrowest north of Luray near Compton, it is only 3.25 miles (5.2 km). Similarly to the south of Luray, at Ingham, the valley narrows to 3.5 miles (5.6 km) wide.
The valley encompasses primarily the Page County, Virginia
area and the southern portion of Warren County, Virginia
, near the northern terminus, a few miles south of Front Royal, Virginia
.
The South Fork of the Shenandoah River flows down the center of the Page Valley.
runs north-south through the valley, while U.S. Route 211
cuts east-west across the valley from Thornton Gap
in the Blue Ridge, through Luray to New Market Gap in the Massanutten.
, it was known as the Luray Valley since Luray, Virginia (the County seat of Page County) is located in the center of Page Valley. The valley played a significant role in the strategy of Confederate Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
during his Valley Campaign
of 1862 in which he defeated three numerically superior Union
armies.
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
geographically and culturally associated with the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. The valley is located between the Massanutten
Massanutten Mountain
Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia.-Geography:The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just east of Strasburg in Shenandoah County in the north, to its highest peak east of Harrisonburg in Rockingham County in the...
and Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Mountain
Blue Ridge Mountain, also known as Blue Mountain, is the colloquial name of the western most ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia...
mountain ranges in western Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Geography
The valley is approximately 45 miles (72.4 km) long. At its widest, across from New Market GapNew Market Gap
New Market Gap is a wind gap in the Massanutten Mountain in Virginia. The gap is located approximately in the middle of the range, dividing it into north and south sections....
near Luray
Luray, Virginia
Luray is a town in Page County, Virginia, United States, in the Shenandoah Valley of the northern part of the state. It is also the county seat...
, the valley is about 10 miles (16.1 km) wide, while at its narrowest north of Luray near Compton, it is only 3.25 miles (5.2 km). Similarly to the south of Luray, at Ingham, the valley narrows to 3.5 miles (5.6 km) wide.
The valley encompasses primarily the Page County, Virginia
Page County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,177 people, 9,305 households, and 6,634 families residing in the county. The population density was 74 people per square mile . There were 10,557 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
area and the southern portion of Warren County, Virginia
Warren County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,584 people, 12,087 households, and 8,521 families residing in the county. The population density was 148 people per square mile . There were 13,299 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
, near the northern terminus, a few miles south of Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal, Virginia
Front Royal is a town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was 13,589 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Warren County.-Geography:Front Royal is roughly west of Washington, D.C....
.
The South Fork of the Shenandoah River flows down the center of the Page Valley.
Transportation
U.S. Route 340U.S. Route 340
U.S. Route 340 is a spur of US 40. It currently runs for from Greenville, Virginia at US 11 to Frederick, Maryland at US 40. Between those two states, US 340 also passes briefly through West Virginia. In Virginia and West Virginia, it is signed north–south...
runs north-south through the valley, while U.S. Route 211
U.S. Route 211
U.S. Route 211 is a spur of US 11 in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known for most of its length as Lee Highway, the U.S. Highway runs from Interstate 81 and Virginia State Route 211 in New Market east to US 15 Business, US 29 Business, and US 211 Business in Warrenton...
cuts east-west across the valley from Thornton Gap
Thornton Gap
Thornton Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia separating the Shenandoah Valley from the Piedmont region of the state.-History:...
in the Blue Ridge, through Luray to New Market Gap in the Massanutten.
History
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, it was known as the Luray Valley since Luray, Virginia (the County seat of Page County) is located in the center of Page Valley. The valley played a significant role in the strategy of Confederate Major General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
during his Valley Campaign
Valley Campaign
Jackson's Valley Campaign was Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's famous spring 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia during the American Civil War...
of 1862 in which he defeated three numerically superior Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
armies.