Alexandria, Kentucky Facts for Kids

Alexandria is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, in the United States. It's known as a "home rule-class city," which means it has the power to govern itself in many ways. Alexandria is special because it's one of two "county seats" for Campbell County, sharing this role with Newport. A county seat is like the main town where the county government offices are located. In 2020, about 10,341 people lived in Alexandria.

History of Alexandria
Where is Alexandria?
Getting Around Alexandria
Alexandria's Weather
People of Alexandria
Schools in Alexandria
Fun Things to Do
See also

History of Alexandria

Buildings in the historic downtown

It's thought that the area where Alexandria is now was first settled around 1793 by Frank Spilman and his family. They came from Virginia and might have named their new settlement after Alexandria, Virginia. By 1819, the Spilman family was already selling land lots, and the first post office opened that same year. Alexandria officially became a town on February 22, 1834, thanks to a decision by the state government.

In 1840, a new county called Kenton County was created from part of Campbell County. Because of this, the state government decided to move Campbell County's main government office, or "county seat," from Newport to Alexandria. Alexandria was closer to the center of the county after the changes. The people of Alexandria quickly built a courthouse. However, most of the county's population lived in Newport, so many people were not happy about the move. It even took a court order and a visit from the sheriff to get the county clerk to move his office!

Alexandria officially became an incorporated city in 1856. This meant it had its own local government.

Later, in 1883, Newport worked hard to get its own Court House District. This allowed Newport to have its own court offices and other county services, even though Alexandria was still the official county seat. A new courthouse was built in Newport in 1884. So, some county offices were in Newport, and others stayed in Alexandria. It wasn't until 2010 that the county was officially recognized as having two county seats.

Where is Alexandria?

Alexandria is located close to the middle of Campbell County.

The city covers about 18 square kilometers (or 6.96 square miles) in total. Most of this area, about 17.9 square kilometers (6.93 square miles), is land. A very small part, about 0.1 square kilometers (0.03 square miles), is water. Alexandria is about 14 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. You can reach it by following U.S. Route 27. Another important road, Kentucky Route 9, runs along the edge of Alexandria. This four-lane highway goes southeast for about 47 miles to Maysville.

Getting Around Alexandria

One of the oldest roads in Kentucky was the Old State Road. It connected Newport to Winchester, passing through Alexandria. This road was created by the Kentucky government in 1836. Local residents later formed a company to improve the road. They turned it into a "turnpike," which was a road where you had to pay a fee, or "toll," to use it. This improved road, called Alexandria Pike, opened in 1856. There were two toll booths in Alexandria.

In 1921, the county government bought the road. They wanted it to be free for everyone to use, especially for farmers to get their goods to markets. The road then became part of U.S. Route 27.

Because Alexandria is not directly on the Ohio River, it hasn't grown as much as some nearby cities that are right next to the river. Rivers were very important for transportation and trade in the past.

Alexandria's Weather

Alexandria is in a special spot when it comes to weather. It's right on the edge of two different climate types:

The humid subtropical climate from the southeastern United States. This means it can get warm and humid.
The humid continental climate from the Great Lakes region. This means it can have cold winters and warm summers.

So, Alexandria is in a "transition zone," meaning it gets a mix of both climates. The rolling hills, valleys, and the nearby cities of Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport also help to make the weather a bit milder.

People of Alexandria

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	381	—
1880	378	−0.8%
1900	359	—
1910	353	−1.7%
1920	316	−10.5%
1930	424	34.2%
1940	430	1.4%
1950	536	24.7%
1960	1,318	145.9%
1970	3,844	191.7%
1980	4,735	23.2%
1990	5,592	18.1%
2000	8,286	48.2%
2010	8,477	2.3%
2020	10,341	22.0%
2022 (est.)	10,570	24.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

According to the 2000 census, there were 8,286 people living in Alexandria. The city has grown quite a bit over the years. In 1870, there were only 381 people! By 2020, the population had reached 10,341, and it's estimated to be even higher now.

In 2000, about 30.8% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in the city was 33 years.

Schools in Alexandria

Most students in Alexandria go to schools in the Campbell County School District. High school students attend Campbell County High School, which is located nearby in Claryville.

There is also a private Catholic school in Alexandria called Bishop Brossart High School. It welcomes students from Alexandria and other areas.

Alexandria also has a public library. It's a branch of the Campbell County Public Library, where you can find books, computers, and other resources.

Fun Things to Do

The Agricultural Society of Campbell County was started in 1856. This group organizes a fair every year that is very popular with farmers and the community. The fair is famous for its horse show events. These events attract high-quality horses from all over the region and even from other parts of the world!

Alexandria, Kentucky facts for kids

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