The New River Valley is situated between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the south and the Appalachian Mountains to the north, and is home to the nation's oldest river, the New River, thus giving the region its name. The residents of the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski, and the City of Radford call the New River Valley home.

The area is home to Virginia's largest university, Virginia Tech and is ranked as one of the best engineering colleges in the nation. Radford University provides strong programs in business, nursing, communications, and education. Additionally, New River Community College is dedicated to training and retraining the region's labor force.

The New River Valley also offers many facilities to help businesses grow. The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center provides the opportunity for innovative high-tech companies to bring their ideas to market and the New River Valley Business Center is a business incubator in the Pulaski Business Technology Park.

In 2011, Business Week named Blacksburg the “Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids.”