Shaft Maryland Map

About Shaft, Maryland

Shaft is a locality in Allegany County, Maryland, United States. It is a small community with a population of 285. The population density is 146.3 people per km². Shaft is located at 39.6306°N, 78.9295°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. ZIP code: 21532.

Shaft rests in a fold of Allegany County, where rolling hills surrender to the insistent embrace of the Appalachian Mountains. It lies 16.9 miles west of Allegany, MD (from Allegany, MD: bearing 271°T), and is situated 9.0 miles west of Cumberland. The land here is a study in textures: the rough bark of ancient oaks, the smooth, cool stones of creek beds, and the yielding earth of fields that seem to exhale the scent of damp soil and pine. Sunlight, when it breaks through the canopy, falls in broad, golden shafts, illuminating patches of ferns and moss-covered logs, and lending a hushed reverence to the dense woodlands that hem the scattered clearings. The air itself carries a crispness, a clean, wild perfume that speaks of elevation and the slow, steady pulse of nature’s enduring rhythm. The history of Shaft is a quiet one, etched not in grand pronouncements but in the persistent labor of generations who found their sustenance in this rugged terrain. Once, the whisper of coal dust hung heavy in the air, a testament to the industry that drew families to these valleys and fueled an economy rooted in the earth’s dark heart. Though the mines have long since fallen silent, the legacy remains, a memory held in the stoic faces of the older residents and the sturdy, unadorned architecture that still graces the landscape. Today, agriculture and the timber industry offer a gentler livelihood, their presence marked by the orderly rows of farmland and the distant hum of chainsaws, weaving a continuity with the past that defines the enduring character of Shaft.

About This Shaft Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Shaft, Maryland — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 39.630631, -78.929542. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Shaft and Allegany County.

Detailed location data for Shaft includes the ZIP code (21532), telephone area code (410, 443), county seat of Allegany County (Cumberland), and school district assignment (Allegany County Public Schools). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Shaft is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.