Independence, Kentucky Facts for Kids

Independence is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It's a "home rule-class city," which means it has the power to manage its own local affairs. Independence is one of two places where the county government is located.

In 2020, about 28,676 people lived here. This makes Independence the third-largest city in Northern Kentucky. It is part of the larger Cincinnati metropolitan area.

History of Independence
Geography of Independence
Population of Independence
Economy of Independence
Culture in Independence
Parks and Recreation
Education in Independence
Infrastructure
See also

History of Independence

A mural showing the Kenton County Courthouse and Simon Kenton High School.

The area where Independence is now had a post office as early as 1837. It was first called "Everett's Creek," then "Crews Creek," and later "Bagby."

In 1840, Kenton County was created. It was formed from parts of Campbell and Boone counties. A local farmer named John McCollum gave land for the new county's government center. The name "Independence" was chosen to celebrate the freedom of people from Campbell County. The post office was renamed "Independence" that same year.

The town grew quickly and officially became a city in 1842. This was approved by the state government of Kentucky.

Most people in Kenton County lived near the Ohio River. Because of this, Independence had to share its role as the county seat with the bigger city of Covington. This also happened in Campbell County, where Alexandria shared its county seat status with Newport.

Geography of Independence

Independence is located in the middle of Kenton County. It shares borders with several other cities. To the northwest is Elsmere. To the north are Erlanger and Covington. To the northeast is Ryland Heights.

The western edge of Independence is next to Boone County. The city of Florence in Boone County is also near the far northwestern part of Independence.

The original center of Independence is in the southeast part of the city. This area is along Madison Pike. Kentucky Route 17, a major highway, runs just east of the city center. It goes north about 11 miles (18 km) to downtown Covington. It also goes south about 27 miles (43 km) to Falmouth.

Independence covers a total area of about 17.7 square miles (45.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. Banklick Creek is the largest stream in the city. It flows northeast and drains most of the city's area.

Population of Independence

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	182	—
1860	189	3.8%
1870	134	−29.1%
1880	165	23.1%
1900	193	—
1910	153	−20.7%
1920	153	0.0%
1930	260	69.9%
1940	253	−2.7%
1950	285	12.6%
1960	309	8.4%
1970	1,715	455.0%
1980	7,998	366.4%
1990	10,444	30.6%
2000	14,982	43.5%
2010	24,757	65.2%
2020	28,676	15.8%
2022 (est.)	29,326	18.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were about 14,982 people living in Independence. There were 5,181 households, which are groups of people living together. About 4,149 of these were families.

Many households had children under 18 living with them (44.9%). Most households were married couples living together (62.9%). About 15% of all households were made up of single individuals.

The population was spread out across different age groups. About 30.4% were under 18 years old. About 35.3% were between 25 and 44 years old. About 6.5% of the population was 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 31 years.

Economy of Independence

Several important companies have major workplaces in Independence. These include:

Balluff
Cengage Learning
Krauss Maffei
Mazak
Rotek

Culture in Independence

The city of Independence has a branch of the Kenton County Public Library. This library provides books, resources, and programs for the community.

Parks and Recreation

Independence has many parks and recreational areas for people to enjoy:

Lincoln Ridge Park
Bowman Field
Doe Run Lake
Memorial Park
Mills Road Park
Pioneer Park
Richardson Road Park
Sterling Staggs Park

Education in Independence

Independence is home to several schools, serving students from elementary to high school:

Beechgrove Elementary School
Community Christian Academy
Kenton Elementary
Simon Kenton High School
St. Cecilia Catholic School
Summit View Academy
Twenhofel Middle School
Whites Tower Elementary
Some students in the community also attend Woodland Middle School and Scott High School.

Infrastructure

The Independence Fire District provides fire and emergency services to the city.

Independence, Kentucky facts for kids

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