Kyle Reeder | Politics and Local Government Reporter
Montgomery County, located in the foothills of Southwest Virginia, celebrates its 250th anniversary after its establishment in 1776. The county is home to Virginia Tech, the Blue Ridge mountains, and the New River Valley outdoor tourism.
Recently elected Blacksburg Mayor Michael Sutphin took to city hall in November 2025. Sutphin’s role as Mayor in a college town where populations, issues, and demands fluctuate throughout the year, has proven to be busy.
After serving on town council for 14 years, Mayor Sutphin is confident in his mayoral duties, and as a former Hokie, is excited to work closely with the university again. His race was a close win after an 18-vote difference with his opponent Pete Macedo.
Geographically, Montgomery County is located between the cities of Radford and Roanoke, and is often missed by interstate travelers on I-81. The county is home to two towns, Christiansburg and Blacksburg, and home to a combined population of 98,000. The growth of Montgomery County continues to climb each year, accumulating over 30,000 new residents over the past 50 years.
Of the many mayors to be elected in the town of Blacksburg, Mayor Sutfin is the youngest, and is only one of few Blacksburg mayors who is still living. This year, as the United States celebrated their 250th anniversary, Montgomery County did the same. Mayor Sutfun shared insight on the celebration, some upcoming events across the county, and local history.
Can you speak a little bit about the 250th anniversary of Montgomery County?
We are one of two localities in Virginia celebrating our 250th anniversary. The other is Washington County. The United States is celebrating their 250th anniversary too, so our celebration coincides with that. It’s something that Montgomery County in Blacksburg and Christiansburg are celebrating this year.
Why are other counties nearby not celebrating 250, but Montgomery is?
Some of the counties predate the United States and they incorporated before the US did. Montgomery was created out of what was called Fincastle County in 1776. There is a document called the Fincastle Resolutions which was passed and it broke up our counties.
The Virginia General Assembly divided Fincastle County in 1776 into three counties: Montgomery, Washington, and Kentucky. Neighboring counties like Roanoke County were officially established in 1838 and Radford County was established in 1892.
What is Montgomery County doing to celebrate?
A couple years ago, the Montgomery County Board of supervisors set up a VA250 committee that was tasked with finding ways for the community to celebrate. So, they set up a mobile museum with pop-up events in the area. The Montgomery Museum in Christiansburg has displays about the history. There is a 5k race for awareness, a community time capsule project happening, and the original Montgomery County courthouse bell, they restored it and did a commemoration event for it.
In Virginia, there’s a strong tradition of cities being separate from counties. Blacksburg is a town, within Montgomery County, so both the Montgomery and Blacksburg governments have to work very closely together to accomplish all the goals. They each provide different services.
What could you tell us about Montgomery history?
The earliest European settlement was in the 1740s, and there was a strong native population before that. Some of our earliest areas were in places called Drapers Meadow, Hans Meadow, which then turned into the modern day Christiansburg and Blacksburg.
What are Montgomery County’s biggest economic drivers?
Education is probably the biggest. Within Montgomery County, the biggest employer is Virginia Tech. It’s one of the biggest draws to the community. The second largest employer is the Montgomery County School System. So, education really is our huge driver in this community. We also have a whole host of different technologies and manufacturers who are building expertise and spinning them off into companies.
What sets Montgomery County apart from other counties in Virginia?
It’s in a great location, right off the I-81 corridor, we have a straight shot up to northern Virginia or further south. We’re by the blue ridge mountains, so we have a very idyllic, beautiful location, but we also have a vibrant university and community.
So you’re celebrating 250 years now… but what do you hope to see in Montgomery county in the next 50, 100 years?
I think Montgomery county will continue to grow, but as we do, I hope we are able to hold onto what makes us special. Our character, and our history as well. I think in the next 50 years, people will still recognize us as Montgomery County for who we are. We are always thinking of what’s next. We have the Amtrak coming in in the fall of 2027, which will help Montgomery County grow.
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