Clifton Forge is a town in

Alleghany County, Virginia Alleghany County is an American county located on the far western edge of Commonwealth of Virginia. It is bordered by the Allegheny Mountains, from which the county derives its name, and it is the northernmost part of the Roanoke Region. The c ...

, United States which is part of the greater

Roanoke Region The Roanoke Region ( ) is the area of the Commonwealth of Virginia surrounding the city of Roanoke. Its usage may refer to the metropolitan statistical area or the Roanoke Valley, but it sometimes includes areas in the Allegheny Mountains and New R ...

. The population was 3,555 at the 2020 census. The Jackson River flows through the town, which as a result was once known as Jackson's River Station. Clifton Forge was an

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

during the 2000 census. However, in 2001, Clifton Forge gave up its city status and reverted to a town. In previous decades, the railroad was a major employer. Clifton Forge is known for its mountain views and clear streams.

History

Clifton Forge Commercial Historic District, Clifton Forge Residential Historic District,

Clifton Furnace Clifton Furnace is a historic cold blast charcoal furnace located near Clifton Forge, Alleghany County, Virginia. It was built in 1846 of large, rough-hewn, rectangular stones. It measures 34 feet square at the base and the sides and face taper ...

, Jefferson School, and

Longdale Furnace Historic District Longdale Furnace is an unincorporated community located east of Clifton Forge in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States. Much of the community was designated a national historic district and added to the National Register of Historic Places ...

are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

Transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

, the national passenger rail service, provides service to the Clifton Forge station with the Cardinal route. Also Clifton Forge serves a major locomotive fuel facility for

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

and is home to the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society and C&O Railway Heritage Center. Clifton Forge is serviced by three major highways,

Interstate 64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at Interstate 70 in Missouri, I-70, U.S. Route 40 in Missouri, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61 in Missouri, ...

, US Route 60, and US Route 220.

Geography

Clifton Forge is located at (37.819801, -79.823584). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the town had a total area of , all land. Portions of the town were built upon a bridge, elevating the town above a stream.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 3,884 people, 1,701 households, and 982 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 1,252.9 people per square mile (485.5/km²). There were 2,004 housing units at an average density of 646.5 per square mile (225.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.4%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 11.8%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population. There were 1,701 households, out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. 37.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,256, and the median income for a family was $53,547. Males had a median income of $38,500 versus $29,630 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $20,833. About 14.3% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 33.4% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Clifton Forge has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

In popular culture

* ''Mama'' (2013 horror film) Although the film was produced in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, it is set in Clifton Forge. *The 1985

video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

for "

Driver 8 "Driver 8" is the second single from American musical group R.E.M.'s third album, '' Fables of the Reconstruction''. Released in September 1985, the song peaked at number 22 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was not rele ...

" by R.E.M. was partly filmed in and around the C&O (Chessie System) yards. * Dopesick (miniseries), based on the book by Beth Macy, was filmed in several different areas of Clifton Forge.

Notable people

Natives

People born in Clifton Forge: * Gary Ray Bowles (1962-2019) - serial killer * Dana Brunetti (born 1973) - media executive * Bray Cary (born 1948) - politician * Lisa Disbrow (born 1962) - US Air Force secretary *

Oscar L. Heltzen Oscar Leonard Heltzen (August 4, 1882 – February, 1968) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of Rhode Island from 1929 to 1930. He was born in Clifton Forge, Virginia, to Charles Leonard Heltzen and Anna Mathilde Johnson. ...

(1882-1968) - lawyer * Richard L. Hoffman (1927-2012) - zoologist * Johnny Humphries (1915-1965) - baseball pitcher * Trudi Lacey, basketball player and coach * Nancy Massie Meadows (1912-1986) - governor * Nathan Moore (born 1970) - musician known as "Percy Byrd" *

William Overstreet Jr. William Bruce "Bill" Overstreet Jr. (April 10, 1921 – December 29, 2013) was an American fighter pilot and a veteran of the 357th Fighter Group, 363rd Fighter Squadron of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He is best kno ...

(1921-2013) - WW2 pilot * Ira De Augustine Reid (1901-1968) - sociologist * Denny Riddleberger (born 1945) - baseballer *

Bryan Stinespring Bryan Stinespring (born October 12, 1963) is an American football coach. He is the Activities Director for Alleghany High School in Covington Virginia. He was the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at the University of Delaware, as we ...

(born 1963) - football coach *

James T. Turner James Thomas Turner (born March 12, 1938) is a senior judge of the United States Claims Court (now named the United States Court of Federal Claims). Education and career Turner received his Bachelor of Arts from Wake Forest College in 1960 ...

(born 1938) - senior judge * Roger Arliner Young (1899-1964) - scientist

Politics

References

External links

Town of Clifton Forge

Travel & Tourism
{{authority control Towns in Virginia Towns in Alleghany County, Virginia Populated places on the James River (Virginia) Railway towns in Virginia