Roanoke Rapids is in just the right spot to capitalize on the tourist dollar! Located on Interstate 95 eight miles south of the Virginia line, we make for a terrific stop-over point as we are midway between New York City and Florida.

I-95 has a tremendous impact on Roanoke Rapids. Over 35,000 interstate vehicles pass through the area each day. Seeking to lure these visitors off the interstate, the Halifax County Tourism Development Authority promotes the Roanoke Valley as a tourist destination. Since its inception in 1987, tourism spending in Halifax County has increased $15.6 million, a 42% rise.

The following is a breakdown of estimated travel expenditures for the area.

1980	$23,076,000
1985	$32,674,000	Increase: 41.6%
1990	$43,769,000	Increase: 34.0%
1994	$49,000,000	Increase: 12.0%

Much of this spending can be accounted for by the overnight hotel stays in Roanoke Rapids and Weldon. Just off I-95 at Exits 173 and 176, some 940 hotel rooms are available to the traveler. Among the hotels to be found are:

The Halifax County Tourism Authority promotes overnight stays in these hotels as well as visits to Historic Halifax, Medoc Mountain, Roanoke Canal Trail, the many restaurants in the area, Lake Gaston, and the Roanoke Valley as a whole.

Roanoke Rapids has the destinction and advantage of being the first full service stop in North Carolina for the southbound traveler. We are just minutes away from the busiest welcome center in the state, located on I-95 just eight miles north of Roanoke Rapids. Over two million visitors annually stop at this welcome center to obtain information on various cities in North Carolina, including Roanoke Rapids.

In addition, we are located just three hours south of Washington, DC and just 90 minutes from Richmond, VA and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina, making Roanoke Rapids a great stop-over point.