An image forming apparatus includes an intermediate transfer belt, a driving roller, a driven roller, a belt cleaning device, and a counter roller. Toner images formed on image carriers are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt. The driving and driven rollers rotatably stretch the intermediate transfer belt. The belt cleaning device has a cleaning blade that removes residual toner adhered to the intermediate transfer belt. The counter roller is disposed facing the cleaning blade with the intermediate transfer belt interposed therebetween. The belt cleaning device is disposed at a position that is downstream of the driving roller in a rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt but is upstream of the driven roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt. A leading end edge portion of the cleaning blade is disposed upstream of a top of the counter roller in the rotation direction of the intermediate transfer belt.