Alleghany County, Virginia: History and Information

Alleghany County, Virginia

Alleghany County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Covington
Year Organized: 1822
Square Miles: 446

Court House:

9213 Winterberry Ave. Suite C
County Courthouse
Covington, VA 24426-6239

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Allegheny, which is an old Indian word meaning "endless," was used to describe the mountains range known as the Applachians. It has been used to describe one specific range, starting in north central Pennsylvania and running south-southwest into the western part of Virginia. Part of the crest of this mountain forms the boundary line between the state of West Virginia and The Old Dominion. Allegheny has been spelled a number of ways when taken from the Indian pronunciation, and used for counties, cities, towns, rivers and mountains

Demographics:

History

It was formed from Bath, Botetout and Monroe (West Virginia) Counties on January 5, 1822, and additional parts of Bath (1823) and Monroe (1843) were added. It area is 444 square miles, and the county seat is Covington. The former independent city of Clifton Forge reverted to the county in 2001. [Virginia Counties: Those Resulting from Virginia Legislation, by Morgan Poitiaux Robinson, originally published as Bulletin of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9, January, April, July 1916, reprinted 1992 by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD.]

Alleghany County was named for the Allegheny Mountains, although it has a variant spelling. It was formed from Bath, Botetout and Monroe (West Virginia) Counties in 1822, and additional parts of Bath (1823) and Monroe (1843) were added. It area is 444 square miles, and the county seat is Covington. The former independent city of Clifton Forge reverted to the county in 2001. The population is 12,926 according to the 2000 census.

Allegheny, which is an old Indian word meaning "endless," was used to describe the mountains range known as the Applachians. It has been used to describe one specific range, starting in north central Pennsylvania and running south-southwest into the western part of Virginia. Part of the crest of this mountain forms the boundary line between the state of West Virginia and The Old Dominion.

Allegheny has been spelled a number of ways when taken from the Indian pronunciation, and used for counties, cities, towns, rivers and mountains. The only spelling using the second a is in the State of Virginia, and the county that borders the West Virginia border. This county and town (once found in the county on the railroad) lay claim to be the only ones spelled Alleghany.

Neighboring Counties:

Ashe County, NC to the west

Carroll County, VA to the northeast

Grayson County, VA to the north

Surry County, NC to the east

Wilkes County, NC to the south

Cities and Towns:

- Iron Gate

town

Incorporated Area

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

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Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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