Greenup County, Kentucky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greenup County
U.S. county
Greenup County courthouse in Greenup
Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky
Kentucky's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Founded	1803
Named for	Christopher Greenup
Seat	Greenup
Largest city	Flatwoods
Area
• Total	354 sq mi (920 km2)
• Land	344 sq mi (890 km2)
• Water	10 sq mi (30 km2)  2.8%
Population  (2020)
• Total	35,962
• Estimate  (2023)	35,221
• Density	101.59/sq mi (39.22/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	4th

Greenup County is a special area in the state of Kentucky, located in the northeastern part of the United States. It sits right along the Ohio River. In 2020, about 35,962 people lived here. The county was started in 1803. It was named after Christopher Greenup, who was an important person in Kentucky's history. The main town where the county government is located is called Greenup.

Greenup County is also part of a larger area called the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area. This means it's connected to nearby cities in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio.

History

Greenup County was officially created on December 12, 1803. It was formed from a much larger area called Mason County. At that time, Mason County covered most of eastern Kentucky.

Over the years, Greenup County has had three different courthouses. The first one was built from logs. Later, in 1811, a new courthouse made of bricks was built.

Geography

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Greenup County covers a total area of about 354 square miles. Most of this area, about 344 square miles, is land. The remaining 10 square miles, or 2.8%, is water.

Features

Greenup County has many rolling hills and valleys, just like most places in eastern Kentucky. The land near the Ohio River is mostly flat. This flat area is where you'll find many businesses, factories, and homes. As you move away from the river, the land becomes hilly. These hills are part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Not many people live in the hilly areas, which are mostly used by farmers. You can find great spots for fishing in the Little Sandy River, Greenbo Lake, and Tygarts Creek. Most of Greenup County is still covered by forests.

The soil in Greenup County is very good for farming and raising animals. In the past, farmers grew a lot of tobacco and raised cattle. Today, some farmers are trying new things. They raise American Quarter Horses and even ostriches!

Major highways

A view of the intersection of U.S. 23, KY 10, and Ohio SR 253 near the Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge.

U.S. Highway 23 is the main road for traveling through Greenup County. It enters the county in the southeast corner. The highway then follows the Ohio River north along the eastern edge. It passes through several towns like Russell, Flatwoods, Raceland, Wurtland, Greenup, and South Shore. After South Shore, it crosses the Ohio River into Portsmouth, Ohio, using the U.S. Grant Bridge. From there, it continues north towards Columbus, Ohio.

The AA Highway starts at U.S. Highway 23. It connects to U.S. Highway 52 in Ohio by crossing the Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge. The AA Highway, also known as Route 10, goes west. It meets Route 7 and then leaves Greenup County, heading into Lewis County. This highway was finished in 1995. It makes it much easier for people in Northeastern Kentucky to travel to places like Maysville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Another important road is the Industrial Parkway (Kentucky Route 67). It ends at U.S. Highway 23 in Wurtland. This highway helps connect Wurtland and nearby towns like Greenup and Flatwoods to the EastPark industrial area. It also links them to Interstate 64 in Carter County.

Adjacent counties

• Boyd County (southeast)
• Carter County (southwest)
• Lewis County (west)
• Scioto County, Ohio (north)
• Lawrence County, Ohio (east)

Demographics

Education

Public school districts

• The Greenup County School District serves the towns of Greenup, Wurtland, South Shore, and the countryside of Greenup County.
• The Russell Independent School District serves the towns of Russell, Flatwoods, and Bellefonte.
• The Raceland-Worthington Independent School District serves the towns of Raceland and Worthington.

Library

The Greenup County Public Library helps people throughout the county. It has three locations. The main library is in Greenup. There are also branch libraries in Flatwoods and near South Shore (called the McKell branch). The library also has two bookmobiles. These are like libraries on wheels that visit parts of the county where there isn't a library building.

Communities

Places of interest

• EastPark
• Greenbo Lake State Resort Park
• Raceland Race Course

Notable people

• Billy Ray Cyrus – a famous singer and actor. He is the son of Ron Cyrus and the father of Miley Cyrus.
• Ron Cyrus – a politician, meaning he was involved in government and public service.
• Don Gullett – a professional baseball pitcher.
• Herb Roe – a mural artist, who creates large paintings on walls.
• John Stephenson – a professional baseball Catcher.
• Jesse Stuart – a well-known Kentucky Poet Laureate, which means he was recognized as a leading poet in the state.
• Clint "Hawk" Thomas – a baseball player for the New York Black Yankees in the Negro leagues.
• Richard Whitt - a newspaper journalist for The Courier-Journal. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1978 for his reporting on a fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in Southgate, Kentucky.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Greenup para niños