Danville, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Danville, Kentucky
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City
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Downtown Danville
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| Nickname(s):
"The City of Firsts"; "Birthplace of the Bluegrass"; "Title Town"
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Location of Danville in Boyle County, Kentucky.
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| Country | United States | ||||
| State | Kentucky | ||||
| County | Boyle | ||||
| Settled | 1783 | ||||
| Incorporated | 1787 | ||||
| Government | |||||
| • Type | Council–manager | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 17.28 sq mi (44.76 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 17.18 sq mi (44.50 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2) | ||||
| Elevation | 958 ft (292 m) | ||||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 17,234 | ||||
| • Estimate
(2022)
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17,303 | ||||
| • Density | 1,003.1/sq mi (387.29/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | ||||
| ZIP codes |
40422-40423
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| Area code(s) | 859 | ||||
| FIPS code | 21-19882 | ||||
| GNIS feature ID | 2404185 | ||||
Danville is a city in Kentucky, United States. It is the main city of Boyle County, Kentucky. In 2020, about 17,236 people lived there. Danville is also the biggest city in the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area. This area includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties.
Danville has won awards for its downtown area. In 2011, Money magazine said it was the fourth-best place to retire in the U.S. Centre College in Danville has hosted U.S. vice-presidential debates twice.
Contents
History of Danville
Danville is known as the "City of Firsts" in Kentucky. This means many important things happened there first:
- It had the first courthouse in Kentucky.
- The first constitution (set of rules) for Kentucky was written and signed here.
- It was Kentucky's first capital city.
- It had the first U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains.
- It is home to the first state-supported school for the deaf.
- In 1809, Ephraim McDowell performed the first successful surgery to remove an ovarian tumor. He did this without anesthesia (medicine to stop pain).
- Centre College has the oldest college building and campus west of the Allegheny Mountains.
Danville was first settled around 1774. It was known as Crow's Station. Walker Daniel, Kentucky's first district attorney, bought land here in 1783. The city was named after him. The government officially created Danville on December 4, 1787.
From 1784 to 1792, people met in Danville many times. They wanted Kentucky to be its own state, separate from Virginia. In 1786, the Danville Political Club was formed. Members met every Saturday to talk about politics and other important issues. After Kentucky became a state in 1792, Danville was not as important statewide.
Many colleges started in Danville. Transylvania University began here in 1783. It later moved to Lexington. Centre College was founded in 1819. Other schools for women and religious studies also started here.
In 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, famous explorers, visited Danville. They were on their way to Washington, D.C., to report on their journey to the Pacific Coast.
Around 1840, Willis Russell, a formerly enslaved person, started the first school for African-American children in Danville. He used a log house given to him by his former owner.
In 1842, Boyle County was created. Danville became its county seat, which means it's where the county government is located.
In the 1850s, Danville supported building a railroad. A fire in 1860 destroyed many buildings in the city. The county courthouse was rebuilt in 1862.
During the American Civil War, after the Battle of Perryville in 1862, Union soldiers used many Danville buildings as hospitals. In 1864, about 250 enslaved and free African-American men marched from Danville to Camp Nelson. They were the first group to join the Union Army there.
Danville was also important for growing hemp. By 1889, Boyle County produced a lot of the hemp in the U.S. It was a major crop until the early 1900s.
For many years, Danville had a busy African-American business area. This area was later removed in the 1970s to expand Constitution Square Historic Site.
In 2000 and 2012, Centre College hosted debates for the U.S. Vice President candidates.
Geography of Danville
Danville is located in the eastern part of Boyle County.
The city covers about 17.28 square miles (44.76 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.
Transportation in Danville
Bus Service
Danville has a local bus service called DanTran. It also connects Danville to nearby towns like Lexington and Stanford.
Roads
Several U.S. and Kentucky routes pass through Danville:
U.S. Route 127 goes from northwest to south.
U.S. Route 150 goes from west to southeast.- There are also bypass routes for U.S. 127 and U.S. 150 that go around the city.
- Other routes include
Kentucky Route 33, 
Kentucky Route 34, 
Kentucky Route 37, 
Kentucky Route 52, and 
Kentucky Route 2168.
Air Travel
Stuart Powell Field is Danville's local airport for small planes. For bigger flights, people use Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, which is about 35 miles away.
Rail Service
The Norfolk Southern Railway has a freight rail yard in Danville. This is where trains carry goods.
Climate in Danville
Danville has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has warm summers and winters that are not too cold. It gets a good amount of rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for Danville, Kentucky (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1933–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
79 (26) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
95 (35) |
107 (42) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
104 (40) |
96 (36) |
83 (28) |
78 (26) |
107 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 64.1 (17.8) |
68.0 (20.0) |
75.8 (24.3) |
82.0 (27.8) |
87.9 (31.1) |
92.6 (33.7) |
94.2 (34.6) |
93.9 (34.4) |
91.3 (32.9) |
83.9 (28.8) |
73.9 (23.3) |
66.0 (18.9) |
96.3 (35.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 42.7 (5.9) |
47.1 (8.4) |
56.3 (13.5) |
67.5 (19.7) |
75.4 (24.1) |
83.4 (28.6) |
86.5 (30.3) |
86.0 (30.0) |
80.2 (26.8) |
68.6 (20.3) |
55.8 (13.2) |
46.1 (7.8) |
66.3 (19.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
36.4 (2.4) |
44.8 (7.1) |
55.5 (13.1) |
64.7 (18.2) |
72.4 (22.4) |
75.9 (24.4) |
74.8 (23.8) |
68.5 (20.3) |
56.7 (13.7) |
44.9 (7.2) |
37.1 (2.8) |
55.4 (13.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 23.3 (−4.8) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
33.3 (0.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
54.1 (12.3) |
61.4 (16.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
63.7 (17.6) |
56.8 (13.8) |
44.8 (7.1) |
34.0 (1.1) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
44.5 (6.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 3.7 (−15.7) |
9.1 (−12.7) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
39.6 (4.2) |
49.6 (9.8) |
57.4 (14.1) |
55.2 (12.9) |
42.9 (6.1) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
19.2 (−7.1) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
−0.2 (−17.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) |
−18 (−28) |
−6 (−21) |
17 (−8) |
27 (−3) |
41 (5) |
47 (8) |
42 (6) |
32 (0) |
21 (−6) |
−3 (−19) |
−18 (−28) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.68 (93) |
3.69 (94) |
4.61 (117) |
4.21 (107) |
4.42 (112) |
4.66 (118) |
5.00 (127) |
3.18 (81) |
3.72 (94) |
3.47 (88) |
3.01 (76) |
4.20 (107) |
47.85 (1,215) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.2 | 10.9 | 11.7 | 11.1 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 9.0 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 9.2 | 11.5 | 123.1 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Danville (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 270 | — | |
| 1810 | 432 | 60.0% | |
| 1830 | 849 | — | |
| 1840 | 1,223 | 44.1% | |
| 1850 | 2,150 | 75.8% | |
| 1860 | 4,962 | 130.8% | |
| 1870 | 2,542 | −48.8% | |
| 1880 | 3,074 | 20.9% | |
| 1890 | 3,766 | 22.5% | |
| 1900 | 4,285 | 13.8% | |
| 1910 | 5,420 | 26.5% | |
| 1920 | 5,699 | 5.1% | |
| 1930 | 6,729 | 18.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,734 | 0.1% | |
| 1950 | 8,686 | 29.0% | |
| 1960 | 9,010 | 3.7% | |
| 1970 | 11,542 | 28.1% | |
| 1980 | 12,942 | 12.1% | |
| 1990 | 12,420 | −4.0% | |
| 2000 | 15,477 | 24.6% | |
| 2010 | 16,218 | 4.8% | |
| 2020 | 17,234 | 6.3% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 17,303 | 6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, Danville had 16,218 people. There were 6,405 households (groups of people living together). Most people (83.2%) were White. About 10.9% were African American. About 25.7% of households had children under 18. The average age in Danville was 39.4 years old.
Education in Danville
Public Schools
Danville Schools runs several schools in the city:
- Mary G. Hogsett Primary School
- Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School
- John W. Bate Middle School
- Danville High School
Boyle County Schools serves other parts of Danville and Boyle County.
- Woodlawn Elementary School
- Junction City Elementary School
- Perryville Elementary School
- Boyle County Middle School
- Boyle County High School
The Kentucky School for the Deaf teaches deaf and hard-of-hearing children from all over Kentucky.
Private Schools
Danville has two private schools:
- Danville Christian Academy
- Danville Montessori School
Colleges and Universities
Centre College is a well-known college in Danville. Other colleges have also been in Danville:
- Bluegrass Community and Technical College
- Kentucky College for Women (now part of Centre College)
- Transylvania University (moved to Lexington)
Public Library
The Boyle County Public Library is a place where people can borrow books and learn.
Culture in Danville
In 2010, Danville voted to allow the sale of alcohol.
Places to Visit
- Art Center of the Bluegrass: A place for local artists in a beautiful old building.
- Centre College: A top college that hosted Vice Presidential debates.
- Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge: A large nature area with 160 acres.
- Constitution Square: A park with old buildings where Kentucky's first constitution was written.
- Crow-Barbee House: The oldest stone building west of the Allegheny Mountains.
- Danville National Cemetery: A cemetery where Union soldiers from the Civil War are buried.
- Ephraim McDowell House Museum: The home of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, who performed a famous surgery.
- Great American Dollhouse Museum: A museum with tiny miniature scenes showing history.
- Jones Visual Arts Center: A gallery and studio for glass artist Stephen Rolfe Powell.
- Millennium Park: A big park with walking trails, sports fields, playgrounds, and a skateboard park.
- Perryville Battlefield: A park that protects a major Civil War battle site.
- Wilderness Trail Distillery: A place that makes bourbon and other drinks from local grains.
Theater and Shows
Danville has five places for plays and performances:
- Norton Center for the Arts: A modern place for shows and art events.
- Pioneer Playhouse: Kentucky's oldest outdoor theater, known for summer plays.
- West T. Hill Community Theatre: A local theater with talented actors.
- Gravely Hall Performing Arts Center: Located at Danville High School, it hosts school performances.
- Boyle County Performing Arts Center: Located at Boyle County Middle School, it hosts school and community events.
Yearly Events
- The Great American Brass Band Festival (June): A free outdoor festival with brass bands from all over the country. It also has picnics and other fun events.
- The Boyle County Fair (June): A traditional county fair.
- Kentucky's Governor's School for the Arts (July): A program at Centre College for young artists.
- The Kentucky State BBQ Festival (September): Enjoy great music and barbecue from top chefs.
- Harvest Fest (September): Main Street closes for a big celebration.
- Perryville Battle Reenactment (October): A chance to see a real-life reenactment of a Civil War battle.
- Bourbon Chase (October): A 200-mile running race through central Kentucky. Danville is a major stop.
Media and Books
The Advocate-Messenger is a newspaper that comes out twice a week. It covers news for Danville and nearby areas.
Danville also has several local radio stations:
- AM stations: WDFB-AM (1170), WHBN (1420), WHIR (1230)
- FM stations: WDFB-FM (88.1), WLAI(107.1), and WRNZ (105.1)
A book called "African Americans in Boyle County" was published in 2022. It shares the history of Black people in Danville and Boyle County.
The book "Vanguard" by Martha S. Jones starts with her family's story in Danville. Her great-great-great-grandmother, Nancy Belle Graves, was born into slavery in 1808. Nancy's daughter, Susan Davis, helped Black women get involved in voting and education. Susan's husband, Sam, fought in the American Civil War for the Union. He became free when he joined the army in 1864. After the Fifteenth Amendment allowed Black men to vote, Sam voted in 1870. Their daughter, Frances Harriet Williams, worked for the NAACP and advised presidents.
Sister Cities
Danville has one sister city:
- Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Famous People from Danville
Here are some well-known people who are from Danville:
- James G. Birney: An important person who worked to end slavery.
- John Boyle (1774–1834): A U.S. judge and representative. Boyle County is named after him.
- John C. Breckinridge (1821–1875): A U.S. Vice President and presidential candidate.
- Neal Brown: A college football coach.
- Jacqueline Coleman: An educator and the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.
- Speed S.Fry (1817–1892): A lawyer, judge, and army officer.
- Jordan Gay: A player in the National Football League.
- John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911): A U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
- Larnelle Harris (1947–): A famous gospel singer and songwriter.
- Robby Henson: A screenwriter and director.
- Ephraim McDowell (1771–1830): A doctor famous for a groundbreaking surgery.
- John Michael Montgomery (born 1965): A country music singer.
- Theodore O'Hara (1820–1867): A poet and soldier.
- Hugh L. Scott (1853–1934): A U.S. Army Chief of Staff during World War I.
- Isaac Shelby (1750–1826): The first and fifth Governor of Kentucky.
- Frank X Walker (born 1961): Kentucky's first African-American Poet Laureate.
- Phil Woolpert (1915–1987): A college basketball coach who won two national championships.
Images for kids
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Downtown Danville
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Flag of Danville
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Seal of Danville
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Logo of Danville
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Location of Danville in Boyle County, Kentucky.
See also
In Spanish: Danville (Kentucky) para niños
