Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 241.
80% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Clifton, where Virginia’s towns sit at 44% and U.S. towns at 29%. Among 254 Virginia towns, just 1 have a higher share of households owning their home than Clifton. Clifton’s trail density is 3.5 miles per square mile, above both Virginia’s towns (0.7) and U.S. towns (0.4). Clifton Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Clifton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Clifton beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 94 in 1880, 243 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1861 and 7 maps from 1915 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clifton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw20 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw18 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw19 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw21 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw20 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a yearWhite House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clifton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Clifton.
The typical Clifton home is worth about $992,000, up 1.8% in a year, more than twice the Virginia typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Clifton for work: only 2% work in town. Clifton’s median household income is $233,000. Jobs based in Clifton grew to 307 in 2023, 186 more than in 2013.
| Clifton | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $233,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 17% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Clifton has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 26° and about 21 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15% of adults get no exercise outside work in Clifton. Clifton beats the Virginia average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 7% of adults smoke cigarettes in Clifton.
| Clifton | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 23% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Clifton | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 2.5% | 11.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.6% | 13.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clifton Creek Trail Park | 0.3 mi | 9 |
| 2. Harriet and William Harris Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clifton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
9 within 15 miles of the center of Clifton
About 4 of every 100 Clifton residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Where Clifton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Clifton.
Town in Virginia, United States
Clifton is an incorporated town located in southwestern Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 243 at the time of the 2020 census. Incorporated by the General Assembly on March 9, 1902, Clifton is one of only three towns in the county, the other two being the much more populous Vienna and Herndon. Clifton's history begins pre-colonially, when the area was used as hunting grounds by the local Dogue Native American tribe. A railroad siding was constructed here during the Civil War, and the area became titled as Devereux Station. A nearby neighborhood on the outskirts of the Clifton ZIP code has this name. Development of a village at the siding began in 1868 when a railr…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Clifton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Clifton has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 5 notable people were born here, including Griffin Yow and Justin Skule.
