Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States which is part of the greater Roanoke Region. 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, Jefferson School, and Longdale Furnace Historic District are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

Geography

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

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Clifton Forge has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 3,555 people residing in the town. There were 1,988 housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 82.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 11.7% African American or Black, 0.2% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.6% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

2010 census

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

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 2,004 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.4% White, 11.8% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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.

Government

Clifton Forge operates a Mayor–council form of government. Clifton Forge Town Council is composed of five council members who are elected at-large and serve overlapping four year terms. A Mayor and Vice Mayor are selected by the Council out of its membership.

Education

Clifton Forge is served by Alleghany Highlands Public Schools. Public school students residing in Clifton Forge are zoned to attend Mountain View Elementary School, Clifton Middle School (until 2023), and Alleghany High School. Mountain Gateway Community College is located west of the town.

Infrastructure

Public safety

Law enforcement is provided by the Clifton Forge Police Department. Fire protection is provided by the Clifton Forge Fire Department which operates a fire station within the town. Emergency medical services are provided by the Clifton Forge Fire Department and Clifton Forge Rescue Squad.

Transportation

Air

Ingalls Field, located near

Hot Springs A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

, is the closest

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airport to the town. The Greenbrier Valley Airport and Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport are the closest airports with commercial service.

Roads

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, I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and U.S. Route 61, US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern ter ...

, U.S. Route 60, and U.S. Route 220.

Rail

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

, the national passenger rail service, provides service to the Clifton Forge station with the

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

route. Clifton Forge also serves a major locomotive fuel facility for

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

and is home to the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society and C&O Railway Heritage Center.

In popular culture

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

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, 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" 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 Beth Macy (born ) is an American journalist and non-fiction writer. She is the author of four published books, including national bestsellers ''Factory Man'' (2014) and ''Dopesick'' (2018). Early life The daughter of a factory worker, Sarah 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 (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. (1921–2013) – WW2 pilot * Ira De Augustine Reid (1901–1968) – sociologist * Denny Riddleberger (born 1945) – baseballer * Bryan Stinespring (born 1963) – football coach * James T. Turner (born 1938) – senior judge * Roger Arliner Young (1899–1964) – scientist

Politics

References

External links

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