Claim: West Virginia Route 971, the highest numbered state highway, runs through rural areas following the David Branch and Clear Fork
Evidence: From here, the route heads north into a mountainous rural area, following the David Branch. Following the Clear Fork of the Guyandotte River and the Norfolk Southern Railroad, WV 971 continues north into rural terrain. WV 971 has been the highest numbered state highway in West Virginia since July 2017, when WV 972 was decommissioned and absorbed by WV 93. It runs through mountainous, rural terrain, connecting Baileysville and Oceana to the communities of Clear Fork, Lillydale, and Lillyhaven.