Fulton County, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fulton County
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Fulton County Courthouse in Hickman
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Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
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 Kentucky's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1845 |
| Named for | Robert Fulton |
| Seat | Hickman |
| Largest city | Hickman |
| Area | |
| • Total | 231 sq mi (600 km2) |
| • Land | 206 sq mi (530 km2) |
| • Water | 25 sq mi (60 km2) 11% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,515 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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6,338  |
| • Density | 28.20/sq mi (10.889/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Fulton County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Kentucky, with the Mississippi River forming its western boundary. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,515. Its county seat is Hickman and its largest city is Fulton. The county was formed in 1845 from Hickman County, Kentucky and named for Robert Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat.
Allied with Tennessee by trade and culture, white Fulton County residents were largely pro-Confederate during the American Civil War. Forces from both armies passed through the county during different periods of the conflict. Because of imprecise early surveying of Kentucky's southern border, Fulton County is divided into two non-contiguous parts. An exclave on the peninsula in the Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River can be reached only by road through Tennessee.
Contents
History
The rural county was not organized until 1845, from a portion of Hickman County. It was named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. Hickman, Kentucky was designated as the county seat. The county was developed for agriculture, which was originally dependent on slave labor. Area farmers had ties to Tennessee planters, and shipped produce down the Mississippi River, which formed the county's western border. They supported the Confederacy, while Kentucky maintained official neutrality as a Border State.
During the post-Reconstruction period, there was considerable racial violence by whites against blacks in Fulton County.
After the Civil War, some African Americans became landowners in the county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 231 square miles (600 km2), of which 206 square miles (530 km2) is land and 25 square miles (65 km2) (11%) is water.
About 11 square miles (28 km2) of the county is separated in a peninsula from the rest of the state by an oxbow of the Mississippi River, known as the Kentucky Bend or New Madrid Bend, after the city in Missouri on the north side of the river. Travelers going there have to pass into Tennessee by road (there is no bridge from Missouri) and then go north to reach the Kentucky Bend exclave. The lowest point in the state of Kentucky is located on the Mississippi River in Kentucky Bend in Fulton County, where it flows past Kentucky and between Tennessee and Missouri. It is expected that over time, the river will cut across the short neck of the peninsula, cutting it off entirely from Kentucky, with land gradually filling in behind it to connect it to Missouri.
Adjacent counties
- Mississippi County, Missouri (northwest)
- Hickman County (northeast)
- Obion County, Tennessee (south)
- Lake County, Tennessee (southwest)
- New Madrid County, Missouri (west)
National protected area
- Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge (part)
Major highways
US 45
US 51
KY 58
KY 94
KY 116
KY 123
KY 125
KY 166
KY 239
KY 307
KY 781
KY 924
KY 1529
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 4,446 | — | |
| 1860 | 5,317 | 19.6% | |
| 1870 | 6,161 | 15.9% | |
| 1880 | 7,977 | 29.5% | |
| 1890 | 10,005 | 25.4% | |
| 1900 | 11,546 | 15.4% | |
| 1910 | 14,114 | 22.2% | |
| 1920 | 15,197 | 7.7% | |
| 1930 | 14,927 | −1.8% | |
| 1940 | 15,413 | 3.3% | |
| 1950 | 13,668 | −11.3% | |
| 1960 | 11,256 | −17.6% | |
| 1970 | 10,183 | −9.5% | |
| 1980 | 8,971 | −11.9% | |
| 1990 | 8,271 | −7.8% | |
| 2000 | 7,752 | −6.3% | |
| 2010 | 6,813 | −12.1% | |
| 2020 | 6,515 | −4.4% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 6,338 | −7.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2021 |
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2020 census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
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| White | 4,566 | 70.08% |
| Black or African American | 1,433 | 22.0% |
| Native American | 13 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 17 | 0.26% |
| Pacific Islander | 11 | 0.17% |
| Other/Mixed | 324 | 4.97% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 151 | 2.32% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 6,515 people, 2,441 households, and 1,425 families residing in the county.
Education
- Fulton County School District
- Fulton Independent Schools
Media
- WENK-AM 1240 "The Greatest Hits of All Time"
- WWGY 99.3 "Today's Best Music with Ace & TJ in the Morning"
Communities
Cities
Census-designated place
Other unincorporated communities
- Bondurant
- Brownsville
- Crutchfield
- Jordan
- Kentucky Bend
- Mabel
- Miller
- Riceville
- Sassafras Ridge
- State Line
- Tyler
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Fulton (Kentucky) para niños
