Roanoke sits roughly midway between Washington DC and Knoxville on Interstate 81, the main north–south corridor through the western half of Virginia. Driving from Washington takes about four hours; from Charlotte, three; from Raleigh, four. The Blue Ridge Parkway, which has its northern half running close to the city, is the scenic alternative.
Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, just north of the city, has direct daily flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, New York LaGuardia and Washington Dulles on American, Delta and United. Amtrak service was restored to Roanoke in 2017; the daily Northeast Regional runs to Washington, Baltimore and on to New York. The Amtrak platform sits beside the old Hotel Roanoke and is a five-minute walk to the City Market.