As the district's name implies, all the schools are located in the central part of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, along Interstate 81.
The Staunton area schools (Fort Defiance, Lee, Rockbridge County, Stuarts Draft, and Waynesboro) formed the AA Southern Valley District.
In 2010, the VHSL reestablished the Valley District, with a few modifications from the prior configuration.
Fort Defiance, Robert E. Lee, Spotswood, and Waynesboro are participants of VHSL Division 3, while Broadway, Harrisonburg, and Turner Ashby are participants of VHSL Division 4.
[1] The current district lineup was approved by the VHSL for the 2023-2027 cycle.