Harrisonburg sits in the Shenandoah Valley of Rockingham County, where Interstate 81 runs through the heart of the city connecting it to Staunton to the south and Winchester to the north. Home to James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University, the local economy revolves around higher education, poultry processing through major employers like Cargill and Pilgrim's Pride, and healthcare anchored by Sentara RMH Medical Center. The city serves as the commercial center for the surrounding agricultural valley, with service areas extending from Dayton and Bridgewater to the edges of the George Washington National Forest, drawing a notably diverse population that includes long-established Mennonite communities and more recent immigrant families from Latin America and Africa.