Crimora, Virginia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crimora, Virginia
CDP
Location of Crimora, Virginia
Country	United States
State	Virginia
County	Augusta
Area
• Total	3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)
• Land	3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2)
• Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	1,253 ft (382 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,219
• Density	716/sq mi (277.4/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	24431
Area code(s)	540
FIPS code	51-20240
GNIS feature ID	1492825

Crimora is a small community in Augusta County, Virginia, in the United States. It's called a "census-designated place" (CDP) because it's a special area used by the government to collect information about people. In 2020, about 2,219 people lived there. Crimora is part of the larger Staunton–Waynesboro area.

Geography of Crimora

Crimora is located in Virginia. It covers an area of about 3.1 square miles (8.0 square kilometers). All of this area is land, with no large bodies of water.

History of Crimora

Crimora became known because of its large Crimora Manganese Mine. This mine started operating in 1866. Manganese is a mineral that is very important for making steel, a strong metal used in many things.

Mining at Crimora happened off and on until 1946. The mine was huge, about 500 feet wide, 200 feet deep, and half a mile long. It was filled with clay and pieces of manganese ore. At one point, the Crimora mine produced more manganese than any other single mine in the United States. It was even one of the biggest mining operations in the world!

The old mines are near the mountains of the Shenandoah National Park. Today, the mine area has three man-made lakes. These lakes are deep, from 20 to 100 feet, and have underwater tunnels connecting them to other water sources nearby.

Two important historic buildings in Crimora are the Coiner House and the Crimora School. They are both listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means they are important to the country's history.

Getting Around Crimora

Crimora is located about five miles north of Waynesboro. It's on U.S. Route 340, which is also called Eastside Highway. This road is a main highway. A small part of Route 340 in Crimora's center was made wider in 2002. It is now a five-lane road, but only for about 0.6 miles. There are plans to make the northern part of Route 340 even wider in the future.

Fun Places to See

Crimora has several interesting spots:

Turk Mountain

Turk Mountain is a well-known landmark in Crimora. It has a giant boulder at the top of its northern side. You can reach this boulder by walking from the Shenandoah National Park or the Appalachian Trail. From the top, you get amazing views of Crimora and the areas around it. Many new houses in Crimora have been built near Turk Mountain.

Other Landmarks

Other mountains you can see in Crimora include Davis Mountain and Wildcat Ridge. There's also the Crimora Overlook, which is a spot where you can pull off the road in your car. It's located right on the edge of the Shenandoah National Park and offers great views.

The Crimora Community Center is a historic building. It was first built as a school in 1920. Around 2005, a town park was built next to the Community Center, right by the South River.

A unique local landmark is the old Purple Cow Drive-In. This used to be an ice cream stand, but it's empty now. However, its old sign, which is a purple and white cow head on a pole, is still there. This sign even gave its name to a nearby street, Purple Cow Road!

People of Crimora

In 2000, there were 1,796 people living in Crimora. By 2010, the population grew to 2,209, and in 2020, it was 2,219. Most people living in Crimora are White. A small number of people are African American, Native American, or Asian. Some residents are also of Hispanic or Latino background.

Crimora has many families. In 2000, about 31.6% of homes had children under 18 living there. Most homes were made up of married couples. The average household had about 2.48 people.

The population includes people of all ages. In 2000, about 24.1% of residents were under 18 years old. About 11.7% were 65 years or older. The average age of people in Crimora was 38 years.

Famous People From Crimora

• Mac Wiseman – A well-known musician who was added to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor. In 1975, on the TV show Hee Haw, he gave a shout-out to his hometown of Crimora, Virginia.
• Maven Huffman – A former professional wrestler who worked with World Wrestling Entertainment.

See also

In Spanish: Crimora (Virginia) para niños