* During the Civil War, Clifton was known as Devereux Station.
* In 1868, it was called Clifton Station.
* By charter from the General Assembly, on March 10, 1902, Clifton Station officially became a town.
* Established in 1871, the Clifton Primitive Baptist Church was Fairfax County's first black church.
* Susan Riviere Hetzel, one of the original founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution, lived in Clifton.
* Presidents Garfield, Grant and Hayes visited the Clifton Hotel (now The Hermitage Inn restaurant).
* In 1905, Clifton became Fairfax County's first municipality with electricity.
* The county's first high school opened in Clifton in 1909.
* The opening scene of the movie, "Broadcast News," was shot in Clifton.
* Jeff Arch wrote the screenplay for the movie, "Sleepless in Seattle," in his Clifton home. When he later moved to California, he left a message for the new homeowners, saying, "There's water in the basement, but magic in the walls."
* Oscar Woody, postal clerk of the White Star Lines, which launched the Titanic, went down with the Titanic in 1910.
* Clifton's Heart in Hand was one of former First Lady Nancy Reagan's favorite restaurants.
* Clifton was the summer home of legendary actress Helen Hayes.
* In 2002, the residents gathered to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Clifton's incorporation as a town.