Alleghany

Formed January 5, 1822 (80^th county)

Alleghany County (15,219), Covington (5,744), Clifton Forge (3,549)

The stone Classical Revival courthouse was constructed in 1911.  The facility is on Main Street between Court and Monroe avenues.  Monroe Avenue is United States Highway 60 in this part of the town.  C. A. Robinson provided the courthouse designs.  The courthouse features columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  There were 1822 and 1877 versions earlier in Covington, the only county seat.  Alleghany County was founded on January 5, 1822 from parts of Botetourt, Bath, and Monroe counties as the 80^th county.  It is named for the mountains which is Native American for “fine river.”  The county seat is named for settler Peter Covington.  He is also the namesake for the City of Covington. 

Alleghany County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Supervisors.  Three Circuit Court Judges and Eight District Court Judges serve Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Craig, Highland, and Rockbridge counties and Buena Vista, Covington, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro cities and Fifty-nine Magistrate Court Judges serve Alleghany, Amherst, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Franklin, Henry, Highland, Nelson, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Roanoke, and Rockbridge counties and Buena Vista, Covington, Danville, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, and Waynesboro cities.  The county is on the western border with West Virginia.  Roanoke, Virginia is south and Richmond, Virginia is east of the county.  The county center is 2.9 miles North of Covington.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Bath, Rockbridge, Botetourt, and Craig counties and West Virginia and surrounds the City of Covington. 

The area of the county is 446 square miles.  It is 37 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 98 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 34.1 persons per square mile making it 118 out of 133 in the state.  Alleghany County has 25.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 64 passes east to west in the county from Rockbridge County to West Virginia.  United States Highway 60 is on and off joined with Interstate Highway 64 from Rockbridge County to West Virginia.  United States Highway 220 enters from Bath County, north, and exits to Botetourt County, southeast.  The county looks like a number 9 facing south.  Covington is located in the western third of the county although not technically in the county.  Clifton Forge is in the northeast corner of the county.  Covington is the county seat and Clifton Forge is the largest city.  Clifton Forge is 23.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced AL-LE-GAE-NEE.