[6] The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to become Front Royal was annexed and claimed for hunting by the Iroquois Confederation during the later Beaver Wars, by 1672.

The Iroquois formally sold their entire claim east of the Alleghenies to the Virginia Colony at the Treaty of Lancaster in 1744.

[7] Front Royal, originally settled in 1754, had been known to European explorers as early as the 1670s, and the nearby settlement of Chester's Ferry was in existence by 1736.

Lumber, agriculture, manufacturing and grain mills provided employment in the region for decades after the Civil War.

The American Viscose rayon plant, once Front Royal's principal employer, with 3,000 workers at its peak, operated between the 1930s and 1989.

[11] A second account holds that when local militia were stationed around the town during the American Revolution, the sentry would call out "Front", to which the required entry password was to respond "Royal".

[9][12] A third version holds that, in early decades of European settlement, the area was referred to in French as "le front royal", meaning the British frontier.

French settlers, trappers, and explorers in the Ohio Country of the mid-18th century were referring to the land grant made by King Charles II, then in control of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, Baron of Cameron.

Front Royal is the home of Randolph-Macon Academy (founded 1892) which features an Air Force JROTC program.

[22] The plant, which was built by the American Viscose Corporation in the 1930s and at one time employed nearly 3,500 workers, was closed in 1989 after being cited for more than 2,000 environmental violations over five years, including emissions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Shenandoah River.

Bing Crosby helped raise funds for the building of the original stadium by arranging for his film Riding High to have its world premiere in Front Royal on April 1, 1950.

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia, he went on to Front Royal where he sang on the courthouse steps as part of a concert to help raise money for a new stadium.

Park Theater was the venue for the official world premiere of Riding High at 8:30 p.m. where Crosby entertained the audience with several songs.

During his appearance at the Park Theater, Bing wrote out a personal check for $3,595 to bring the gross receipts of the day to $15,000.

[30] The mayor is Lori Cockrell, and members of the town council are Glenn Wood, Bruce Rappaport, Joshua Ingram, Amber Morris, Wayne Sealock (Vice-Mayor), and Melissa DeDemonico-Payne.

Virginia Regional Transit operates the Front Royal Trolley, which provides local bus service.

[42] Ride Smart Northern Shenandoah Valley provides commuter bus service between Front Royal and the DC area.

[43] The state-operated Virginia Breeze intercity bus provides service between Blacksburg and DC and stops in Front Royal.