Clarke County is a county in Virginia, United States, along the state’s northern border, about
55 miles west of Washington, D.C. It had a population of 14,783 at the 2020 census, an estimated
15,609 by 2025, and covers 176 square miles (460 km2) centred near 39°07′N 78°00′W.
Berryville is the county seat and the county’s largest town; its postal code is 22611. The
county holds 2 incorporated towns, 1 census-designated place and 20 unincorporated communities,
and it runs on Eastern Time. Its FIPS code is 51043.
Towns & Villages in Clarke County
Clarke County has 23 named places on record: 2 incorporated towns, 1 census-designated place
(CDP) and 20 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. Most of the
unincorporated communities are crossroads hamlets with a handful of houses, a church and a store
at most — Clarke is Virginia’s third-smallest county by area, and it has never had more
than two incorporated towns.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berryville | Town · seat | 4,574 | 22611 |
| Boyce | Town | 749 | 22620 |
| Shenandoah Retreat | CDP | 549 | 20135 |
| Millwood | Unincorp. | — | 22646 |
| White Post | Unincorp. | — | 22663 |
| Berrys | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Bethel | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Briggs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Care Free Acres | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Castlemans Ferry | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Double Tollgate | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Frogtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Gaylord | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greenway Court | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lewisville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pigeon Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saratoga | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Swimley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wadesville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Waterloo | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Webbtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wickliffe | Unincorp. | — | — |
Berryville was originally known as Battletown, for a string of tavern brawls near the site
before Benjamin Berry laid out the town in 1798 — it is not a separate community. Shenandoah
Farms, a large recreational subdivision on the Shenandoah River, is mostly across the line in
Warren County; only a small sliver reaches into Clarke, so it is not listed here as a Clarke
County place. A long list of gated subdivisions and residential developments — Apple Glen,
Ashby Gap Estates, Blue Ridge Downs, Care Free Acres’ own neighboring Chilly Hollow Estates,
Keeneland, Longmarsh Acres, Vista Estates and similar names among them — are private
developments inside these communities’ boundaries, not distinct settlements with their own
history, so they are not given separate rows.
ZIP Codes
- 22611 — Berryville (also serves 22650, a Berryville PO box ZIP)
- 22620 — Boyce
- 20135 — Shenandoah Retreat (shared with neighboring Bluemont, Loudoun County)
- 22646 — Millwood
- 22663 — White Post
Berrys, Bethel, Briggs, Castlemans Ferry, Double Tollgate, Frogtown, Gaylord, Greenway Court,
Lewisville, Pigeon Hill, Pine Grove, Saratoga, Swimley, Wadesville, Waterloo, Webbtown and
Wickliffe have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under Berryville’s or
Boyce’s code depending on which crossroads is closer.
Geography
Clarke County sits at the northern tip of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, between the Blue
Ridge Mountains on its eastern edge and the Shenandoah River, which forms most of its western
boundary. Of its 178 total square miles, 176 are land and 2.2 are water, about 1.2 percent.
Castlemans Ferry marks a historic crossing point of the Shenandoah River, and the Burwell-Morgan
Mill at Millwood, built in 1785, still sits on Spout Run.
Loudoun County borders Clarke to the east, Warren County to the southwest, Fauquier County to
the southeast, Frederick County to the west, and Jefferson County, West Virginia, to the north.
Loudoun County,
Virginia all border Clarke directly.
Demographics
Clarke County had a population of 14,783 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 15,609 residents. Berryville and Boyce are the two largest incorporated communities,
though most residents live outside either town, spread across the county’s farms and
subdivisions. Median household income runs $117,111, well above Virginia’s statewide figure
of $89,931 (2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 84 people per square mile of
land, low for Northern Virginia, reflecting the county’s large share of protected farmland
and historic estates.
Economy & Local Life
Professional, scientific and technical services is the county’s largest employment sector,
about 963 workers, followed by construction at 826 and health care and social assistance at 746.
Holy Cross Abbey, a Trappist monastery near Berryville, is a longstanding local institution.
Clarke County’s farmland is known for horse breeding and cattle raising, a legacy visible in
Boyce’s early-20th-century wealth from that trade, and the county carries a working landscape
of orchards and vineyards along the Blue Ridge foothills. Project HOPE, an international health
organization, is headquartered at Carter Hall in Millwood.
History
The Virginia General Assembly formed Clarke County in 1836, carving it out of Frederick County,
and named it for Revolutionary War officer George Rogers Clark. Berryville, laid out on 20 acres
by Benjamin Berry in 1798 and originally called Battletown, became the county seat. Boyce was
incorporated in 1910 after the Norfolk & Western Railway reached the area in 1881, and was
named for Colonel Upton L. Boyce, who helped route the line through the county.
During the Civil War, Confederate General Jubal Early made Berryville a headquarters during the
1864 Valley Campaigns. On September 3–4, 1864, Confederate troops under Joseph B. Kershaw
attacked a Union division near the town in the Battle of Berryville, an inconclusive engagement
that cost roughly 314 Union and 295 Confederate casualties before Early withdrew behind Opequon
Creek the next morning.
Getting There
No interstate crosses Clarke County. U.S. Route 340 runs north–south through Berryville and
White Post, U.S. Route 522 crosses the county’s south end near Double Tollgate, and State
Route 7 runs east–west from Berryville toward the Blue Ridge and Loudoun County.
- Winchester — about 10 miles west
- Front Royal — about 15 miles southwest
- Leesburg — about 25 miles east
- Washington, D.C. — about 55 miles east
Dulles International Airport, roughly 45 miles east, is the nearest major commercial airport.
Winchester Regional Airport, about 12 miles west, handles general aviation. Amtrak does not serve
Clarke County; the nearest station is in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Clarke County located?
It sits at the northern tip of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, about 55 miles west of
Washington, D.C., bordered by Loudoun, Warren, Fauquier and Frederick counties and Jefferson
County, West Virginia.
What is the population of Clarke County?
14,783 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 15,609.
How big is Clarke County?
178 square miles (460 km2), of which 176 square miles are land — Virginia’s
third-smallest county by area.
What is the county seat of Clarke County?
Berryville, laid out in 1798 and originally called Battletown, is the county seat and largest
town.
How many towns are in Clarke County?
Two incorporated towns, Berryville and Boyce, plus the Shenandoah Retreat CDP and 20
unincorporated communities such as Millwood, White Post and Double Tollgate.
What ZIP codes does Clarke County use?
22611 for Berryville, 22620 for Boyce, 20135 for Shenandoah Retreat, 22646 for Millwood and
22663 for White Post.
What is Clarke County known for?
Its horse-country farmland and historic estates, Holy Cross Abbey near Berryville, and the 1864
Battle of Berryville during the Civil War’s Valley Campaigns.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Virginia.