Clifton Forge Virginia Map

About Clifton Forge, Virginia

Clifton Forge is a locality in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of approximately 3,447. The population density is 445.2 people per km². Clifton Forge is located at 37.8162°N, 79.8245°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 24422.

Clifton Forge emerges from the rugged topography where the persistent currents of Smith Creek carve a winding path through the deep, narrow defiles of the landscape. It lies 33.5 miles north of Hollins, VA (from Hollins, VA: bearing 11°T), and is situated 9.4 miles east of Covington. High ridges define the horizon, casting long, violet shadows that stretch across the valley floor as the sun dips behind the distant, formidable silhouettes of the Appalachian Mountains. To the east, the terrain rises into dense, timbered slopes, while the local geography is punctuated by the quiet, still surface of the Clifton Forge Reservoir and the hidden, subterranean descent of Rockbury Hollow. The air here holds a crisp, metallic edge, carrying the scent of damp earth and cooling stone, a sensory reminder of the wilderness that presses in from the perimeter of the James River Ranger District. Clifton Forge carries the heavy, rhythmic weight of a locomotive legacy, having been forged in the crucible of iron and steam that once defined the industrial pulse of the region. The echoes of the rail yard seem to linger in the architecture of the downtown streets, where sturdy brick facades stand as witnesses to a period when the economy turned on the turning of steel wheels. Residents find a quiet reprieve within the shaded grounds of Booker T Washington Park, a space that serves as a communal anchor amidst the steep, vertical incline of the surrounding basin. For those seeking the wilder reaches, the Brushy Hollow Trail offers a path into the interior, leading eventually toward the hidden, vertical drop of Blue Suck Falls, where the water fractures against the rock in a perpetual, silver spray.

About This Clifton Forge Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Clifton Forge, Virginia — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 37.816239, -79.824495. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Clifton Forge and Alleghany County.

Detailed location data for Clifton Forge includes the ZIP code (24422), telephone area code (540), county seat of Alleghany County (Covington), and school district assignment (Alleghany Highlands Public Schools). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Clifton Forge is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.