Rockingham County Sheriff's Office

The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office is a full service, fully accredited law enforcement agency. Our service area includes Rockingham County, the independent City of Harrisonburg and the incorporated towns of Bridgewater, Broadway, Dayton, Elkton, Grottoes, Mt. Crawford and Timberville. The Rockingham - Harrisonburg area covers 871 square miles of land and is the home to about 115,100 persons. The County, formed in 1778 from Augusta County, is bounded on the west by the Allegheny Mountains and on the east by the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The County is situated at the headwaters of the Shenandoah River and is bisected by Interstate 81. The Rockingham/Harrisonburg area is approximately 110 miles north of Roanoke, 125 miles west of Richmond, 125 miles southwest of Washington D.C., and 68 miles south of the Virginia Inland Port. Approximately 32.6 percent of Rockingham County is protected by the Federal Government as National Forest and National Park land. Rockingham County Sheriff's Deputies patrol 159 miles of primary roads and 885 miles of secondary roads. There are approximately 69,148 license drivers in the Rockingham - Harrisonburg area. In addition, James Madison University, Eastern Mennonite University and Bridgewater College are within Rockingham County and significantly increase the number of persons using our primary and secondary roads. Rockingham County once considered an exclusively farming and rural area, is now one of Virginia's fastest growing areas where diversity provides an economic foundation not easily shaken. The Shenandoah Valley is where business and agriculture meet and each adds to our growing, thriving community. Major manufacturing centers ship to clients along the East Coast and into the Midwest - supplying food, auto parts, consumer goods, books and much more. Visitors and residents alike enjoy recreational opportunities provided by areas of the National Forest, Massanutten Resort, two public golf courses, one private golf course and one municipal golf course. Other popular recreational areas include Lake Shenandoah, fishing and canoeing on the Shenandoah River, Riven Rock Park west of the City of Harrisonburg, and Endless Caverns near historical New Market. The Rockingham/Harrisonburg area enjoys mild winters and warm summers with an average annual temperature of 53 degrees Fahrenheit and an average annual precipitation of 35 inches.