In 1968, the Commonwealth of Virginia authorized the establishment of planning districts under the Virginia Regional Cooperation Act. The Mount Rogers Planning District Commission (MRPDC) is one of 21 PDCs across the State, and is officially known as PDC 3. The overall goal of the MRPDC is to promote an effective approach to regional planning

The purpose of the MRPDC, as set out in the Code of Virginia, Section 15.2-4200, is “…to promote the orderly and efficient development of the physical, social, and economic elements of the district by planning, encouraging, and assisting governmental subdivisions to plan for the future and, if requested by a member governmental subdivision or group of member governmental subdivisions and to the extent the commission may elect to act, assisting the subdivisions by carrying out plans and programs for the improvement and utilization of said elements.”

The MRPDC consists of two cities (Bristol and Galax) and six counties (Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Wythe, and Washington). The Commission also serves the incorporated towns within the district, which are: Abingdon, Chilhowie, Damascus, Fries, Glade Spring, Hillsville, Independence, Marion, Rural Retreat, Saltville, Troutdale, and Wytheville.

The MRPDC staff works for all the localities served by the PDC under the direction of the Executive Director and the 38-member Commission.

The MRPDC is a Census Data Center Affiliate, which means that the PDC receives and maintains data distributed by the U.S. Census Bureau. The MRPDC also collects and disseminates regional statistics from the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia Bureau of Vital Statistics, local governments, and other sources.