Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

Kentucky County Formation Chart

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CountyFounding DateFounding OrderParent CountyCounty Seat
Jefferson County 1780 1 of 3 original counties Kentucky (Virginia) Louisville
Lincoln County 1780 1 of 3 original counties Kentucky (Virginia) Stanford
Fayette County 1780 1 of 3 original counties Kentucky (Virginia) Lexington
Nelson County 1785 4 Jefferson Bardstown
Bourbon County 1786 5 Fayette Paris
Mercer County 1786 6 Lincoln Harrodsburg
Madison County 1786 7 Lincoln Richmond
Mason County 1789 8 Bourbon Maysville
Woodford County 1789 9 Fayette Versailles
Washington County 1792 10 Nelson Springfield
Scott County 1792 11 Woodford Georgetown
Shelby County 1792 12 Jefferson Shelbyville
Logan County 1792 13 Lincoln Russellville
Clark County 1793 14 Bourbon, Fayette Winchester
Hardin County 1793 15 Nelson Elizabethtown
Green County 1793 16 Lincoln, Nelson Greensburg
Harrison County 1794 17 Bourbon, Scott Cynthiana
Franklin County 1795 18 Mercer, Shelby, Woodford Frankfort
Campbell County 1795 19 Harrison, Mason, Scott Alexandria, Newport
Bullitt County 1797 20 Jefferson, Nelson Sheperdsville
Christian County 1797 21 Logan Hopkinsville
Montgomery County 1797 22 Clark Mount Sterling
Bracken County 1797 23 Campbell, Mason Brooksville
Warren County 1797 24 Logan Bowling Green
Garrard County 1797 25 Lincoln, Madison, Mercer Lancaster
Fleming County 1798 26 Mason Flemingsburg
Pulaski County 1799 27 Green, Lincoln Somerset
Pendleton County 1799 28 Bracken, Campbell Falmouth
Livingston County 1799 29 Christian Smithland
Boone County 1799 30 Campbell Burlington
Henry County 1799 31 Shelby New Castle
Cumberland County 1799 32 Green Burkesville
Gallatin County 1799 33 Franklin, Shelby Warsaw
Muhlenberg County 1799 34 Christian, Logan Greenville
Ohio County 1799 35 Hardin Hartford
Jessamine County 1799 36 Fayette Nicholasville
Barren County 1799 37 Green, Warren Glasgow
Henderson County 1799 38 Christian Henderson
Breckinridge County 1800 39 Hardin Hardinsburg
Floyd County 1800 40 Fleming, Mason, Montgomery Prestonsburg
Knox County 1800 41 Lincoln Barbourville
Nicholas County 1800 42 Bourbon, Mason Carlisle
Wayne County 1801 43 Cumberland, Pulaski Monticello
Adair County 1802 44 Green Columbia
Greenup County 1804 45 Mason Greenup
Casey County 1807 46 Lincoln Liberty
Clay County 1807 47 Floyd, Knox, Madison Manchester
Lewis County 1807 48 Mason Vanceburg
Hopkins County 1807 49 Henderson Madisonville
Estill County 1808 50 Clark, Madison Irvine
Caldwell County 1809 51 Livingston Princeton
Rockcastle County 1810 52 Knox, Lincoln, Madison, Pulaski Mount Vernon
Butler County 1810 53 Logan, Ohio Morgantown
Grayson County 1810 54 Hardin, Ohio Leitchfield
Union County 1811 55 Henderson Morganfield
Bath County 1811 56 Montgomery Owingsville
Allen County 1815 57 Barren, Warren Scottsville
Daviess County 1815 58 Ohio Owensboro
Whitley County 1818 59 Knox Williamsburg
Harlan County 1819 60 Floyd, Knox Harlan
Hart County 1819 61 Green, Hardin Munfordville
Owen County 1819 62 Franklin, Gallatin, Scott Owenton
Simpson County 1819 63 Allen, Logan, Warren Franklin
Todd County 1820 64 Christian, Logan Elkton
Monroe County 1820 65 Barren, Cumberland Tompkinsville
Trigg County 1820 66 Caldwell, Christian Cadiz
Grant County 1820 67 Pendleton Williamstown
Perry County 1821 68 Clay, Floyd Hazard
Lawrence County 1822 69 Floyd, Greenup Louisa
Pike County 1822 70 Floyd Pikeville
Hickman County 1821 71 Caldwell, Livingston Clinton
Calloway County 1821 72 Hickman Murray
Morgan County 1823 73 Bath, Floyd West Liberty
Oldham County 1824 74 Henry, Jefferson, Shelby LaGrange
Graves County 1821 75 Hickman Mayfield
Meade County 1824 76 Breckinridge, Hardin Brandenburg
Spencer County 1824 77 Bullitt, Nelson, Shelby Taylorsville
McCracken County 1821 78 Hickman Paducah
Edmonson County 1825 79 Grayson, Hart, Warren Brownsville
Laurel County 1826 80 Clay, Knox, Rockcastle, Whitley London
Russell County 1826 81 Adair, Cumberland, Wayne Jamestown
Anderson County 1827 82 Franklin, Mercer, Washington Lawrenceburg
Hancock County 1829 83 Breckinridge, Daviess, Ohio Hawesville
Marion County 1834 84 Washington Lebanon
Clinton County 1836 85 Cumberland, Wayne Albany
Trimble County 1837 86 Gallatin, Henry, Oldham Bedford
Carroll County 1838 87 Gallatin, Henry, Trimble Carrollton
Carter County 1838 88 Greenup, Lawrence Grayson
Breathitt County 1839 89 Clay, Estill, Perry Jackson
Kenton County 1840 90 Campbell Covington, Independence
Crittenden County 1842 91 Livingston Marion
Marshall County 1842 92 Calloway Benton
Ballard County 1842 93 Hickman, McCracken Wickliffe
Boyle County 1842 94 Lincoln, Mercer Danville
Letcher County 1842 95 Perry, Harlan Whitesburg
Owsley County 1843 96 Breathitt, Clay, Estill Booneville
Johnson County 1843 97 Floyd, Lawrence, Morgan Paintsville
Larue County 1843 98 Hardin Hodgenville
Fulton County 1845 99 Hickman Hickman
Taylor County 1848 100 Green Campbellsville
Powell County 1852 101 Clark, Estill, Montgomery Stanton
Lyon County 1854 102 Caldwell Eddyville
McLean County 1854 103 Daviess, Muhlenberg, Ohio Calhoun
Rowan County 1856 104 Fleming, Morgan Morehead
Jackson County 1858 105 Clay, Estill, Laurel, Owsley, Madison, Rockcastle McKee
Metcalfe County 1860 106 Adair, Barren, Cumberland, Green, Monroe Edmonton
Boyd County 1860 107 Carter, Greenup, Lawrence Catlettsburg
Magoffin County 1860 108 Johnson, Floyd, Morgan Salyersville
Webster County 1860 109 Henderson, Hopkins, Union Dixon
Wolfe County 1860 110 Breathitt, Morgan, Owsley, Powell Campton
Robertson County 1867 111 Bracken, Harrison, Mason, Nicholas Mount Olivet
Bell County 1867 112 Harlan, Knox Pineville
Menifee County 1869 113 Bath, Montgomery, Morgan, Powell, Wolfe Frenchburg
Elliott County 1869 114 Carter, Lawrence, Morgan Sandy Hook
Lee County 1870 115 Breathitt, Estill, Owsley, Wolfe Beattyville
Martin County 1870 116 Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Pike Inez
Leslie County 1878 117 Clay, Harlan, Perry Hyden
Knott County 1884 118 Breathitt, Floyd, Letcher, Perry Hindman
Carlisle County 1886 119 Ballard Bardwell
McCreary County  1912 120 Pulaski, Wayne, Whitley Whitley City
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