It is located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley, 8 miles (13 km) west of Cumberland.

Due to its average elevation of 2,000 feet (610 m) above sea level and location near the Allegheny Front, Frostburg has a colder, wetter climate than much of the rest of the state, and falls in USDA hardiness zone 6b.

Due to orographic lift, driving conditions on I-68 and US 40 can be very hazardous despite timely state and local road maintenance services, and the town averages just over 80 inches (200 cm) of snowfall a season; significant falls can occur as early as October and as late as May.

[7] Frostburg had its beginnings back in 1811 when surveying began for the National Pike, a road used to transport crops and raw materials to East Coast markets.

This building was a popular stopping point for celebrities and dignitaries who traveled the National Pike.

[10] Coal mining was the first major economic draw, but the industry faced problems in its early manifestation.

The mountains of western Maryland and Frostburg proved to make transportation of coal very difficult.

[10] In 1898, the Maryland General Assembly authorized State Normal School #2 and a $20,000 appropriation to construct a building, though no money to buy land.

[12] On June 2, 1998, an F4 tornado struck Frostburg and the adjacent Eckhart Mines valley, damaging more than 125 homes and Frost Elementary School.

During prohibition, the Arion band helped the speakeasy in the basement of the Hotel Gunter sneak in booze.

Located on the Frostburg State University campus, the Performing Arts Center (PAC) has regular programs held in one of their three theaters.

The students who are studying dance, music, theater and communication can excel in the Performing Arts Center because it has the basic essentials plus more needed for these majors.

This building also has rehearsal spaces, music practice rooms and electronic labs, shops, offices, classrooms and facilities for the hearing impaired.

[19] The Appalachian Festival occurs every year on the third weekend in September on Frostburg State University's upper quad.

[20] The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs between Cumberland at Canal Place and Frostburg.

The depot at Frostburg was originally designed for the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin and built in 1891.

[21] The train stops at the Frostburg Depot for ninety minutes so passengers may shop or eat lunch.

The locomotive is detached, rotated on the turntable and run around and reattached to the other end of the train[note 1] for its journey back to Cumberland.

These manoeuvers takes about fifteen minutes and attract a lot of attention from the passengers, most of whom are tourists.

The standard train ride departs at 11:30 a.m. from the Cumberland station and lasts approximately 3.5 hours.

[24] Historical Downtown Frostburg was constructed between the years of 1870–1915 when the town was entrenched in the mining and brick making industry.

Former President Truman visited the restaurant shortly after he left office; a framed sign hangs above the booth in which he sat.

[25] The Hotel Gunter, located on Main St across the street from the Princess Restaurant, opened in 1897.

Parks Located on Main Street, the Center for Creative Writing aims to bring creative writers to Frostburg and to expand the writing ability and exposure to literature of the residents and students of Frostburg.

Over 2,200 clips (nearly 30 hrs of video) were shot during a two-week filming period and then edited together in three weeks to make a 30-minute documentary.

The library offers an online catalog of all books and articles in the Maryland state school system.

The Frostburg Library,[28] located at 65 E Main St, offers members of the community 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of books, a children's area, and new technology.

They offer services such as children's, teen, and adult book sections, magazines, music, and more.