Fort Ashby · National Register of Historic Places
Fort Ashby’s story
94 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2010.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1932Fort Ashby is settled
Fort AshbyWV
A town of 1,283, settled in 1932.
Stewart's Tavern · Photo: Generic1139 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,283
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$249K
+5.1% in a year
Household income
$45K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
315
A commuter town
Is Fort Ashby a good place to live?
Fort Ashby’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 1 have a higher July high than Fort Ashby. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns. Among 62 West Virginia towns, just 5 have a higher median age than Fort Ashby. Fort Ashby and Stewart's Tavern is on the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Ashby has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Fort Ashby stand out
Where Fort Ashby beats most towns.
Small town
1,283 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Fort Ashby grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Fort Ashby is from typical.
Jobs & income$45K median household incomeDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthWestern Maryland Regional Medical Center 11.1 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsBeat 66% of West Virginia districts on tests and graduationB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 47 attractions →Flight 93 National Memorial and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fort Ashby. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi National MemorialFlight 93 National Memorial286K visitors a year
30 mi MountainMount Davis
6 mi National Historical ParkChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park4.6M visitors a year
33 mi LakeDeep Creek Lake
11 mi LandmarkFort Cumberland
38 mi MuseumMuseum of the Shenandoah ValleySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Flight 93 National Memorial: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Davis: Wikiuser100, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park: Bonnachoven, CC0 · Deep Creek Lake: Gohens84, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Cumberland: Unknown, Public domain · Museum of the Shenandoah Valley: GustaveCourbet, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Fort Ashby: who provides what
Fort Ashby is unincorporated, so Mineral County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPotomac Edison13.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFrankfort PSD1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMineral CountyMineral County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn West Virginia you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMineral Clerk of the County CommissionMineral County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code2671926719 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fort Ashby.
HousingCost of living grade A−
Fort Ashby’s typical home value is about $249K
The typical Fort Ashby home is worth about $249,000, up 5.1% in a year, 41% above the West Virginia typical home. 84% of households own their home in Fort Ashby, against 68% in West Virginia’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns.
$249KZillow home value
Typical home value
Fort Ashby$249K
West Virginia$177K
+5.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in Fort Ashby
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Fort Ashby.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
24
paid flood claims since 1993
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Fort Ashby’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Fort Ashby for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Fort Ashby grew to 315 in 2023, 191 more than in 2013. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Fort Ashby, close to West Virginia’s towns (16%) and above U.S. towns (9.6%).
4%work in town
| Fort Ashby | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 14% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Fort Ashby4%
Cumberland19%
La Vale2%
Bowling Green2%
Cresaptown2%
11 mi
median commute distance
315
jobs based in Fort Ashby
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 23% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Fort Ashby trails 68% of U.S. towns
Fort Ashby beats the West Virginia average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Fort Ashby. No town among the 62 in West Virginia we compare has a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Fort Ashby.
32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Fort Ashby | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 40% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 44% | 35% |
32 measures vs. West Virginia
14 better18 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Fort Ashby | WV |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.3% | 16.2% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.5% | 19.5% |
Western Maryland Regional Medical Center
11.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Older than West Virginia overall
People 65 and older are 30% of residents (21% statewide); children under 18 are 16% of residents (20% statewide). 21% of Fort Ashby adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
48.6median age · WV 42.7
Fort AshbyWest VirginiaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school44%
Some college17%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 27% and 81% women
The Census survey reached too few of Fort Ashby’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±27.2 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Fort Ashby | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.5% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.7% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.4% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.9% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.3% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 23.5% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.9% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 43.6% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.1% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.3% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.8% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Fort Ashby
Fort Ashby has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 23° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–44°
Spring40–66°
Summer60–86°
Fall43–68°
Oct 24
typical first frost
Apr 15
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC+
0.6% of Fort Ashby is conserved land
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Mineral County Fairgrounds, at 27 acres.
0.6%conserved
| Fort Ashby | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
0.6%
conserved · 12 of 2,133 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mineral County Fairgrounds | — | 27 |
| 2. Dam Site #21 | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fort Ashby
17pages on Fort Ashby
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Fort Ashby
Allegany College of MarylandCommunity college · Public · Cumberland, MD11.3 mi$4,938 in-state tuitionPotomac State College of West Virginia UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Keyser11.8 mi$5,280 in-state tuitionFrostburg State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Frostburg, MD14 mi$10,220 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Fort Ashby residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Fort Ashby for work
Where Fort Ashby’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
315jobs based in Fort Ashby
4%of working residents work in town
11 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Fort Ashby
CDP in the United States
Fort Ashby is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States, along Patterson Creek. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,289 at the 2020 census (down from 1,380 at the 2010 census). The community was originally chartered as Frankfort and then known as Alaska before it took the name of its well-known historic landmark. Fort Ashby is the location of the Mineral County Fair.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 604 ft
- ZIP code
- 26719
Questions about Fort Ashby
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fort Ashby, WV expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.