Lexington is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. Situated within the Shenandoah Valley, the city is positioned approximately 57 miles east of the West Virginia border and about 50 miles north of Roanoke.
First settled in 1778, Lexington serves as the county seat of Rockbridge County. While the city and the county are separate jurisdictions, they are combined for statistical purposes by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The city is notably recognized as the home of both Washington and Lee University and the Virginia Military Institute.