Washington County, Kentucky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Washington County
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Washington County courthouse in Springfield
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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 | 1792 |
| Named for | George Washington |
| Seat | Springfield |
| Largest city | Springfield |
| Area | |
| • Total | 301 sq mi (780 km2) |
| • Land | 297 sq mi (770 km2) |
| • Water | 3.9 sq mi (10 km2) 1.3% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 12,027 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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12,267  |
| • Density | 39.96/sq mi (15.427/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
Washington County is a place in the state of Kentucky, USA. It's like a big neighborhood or district within the state. In 2020, about 12,027 people lived there. The main town, or "county seat," where the local government is, is called Springfield.
The county is named after George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Washington County was the very first county created in Kentucky when it became a state. It's also special because the exact middle point of Kentucky's population is found here, in a town called Willisburg.
Even though the county generally doesn't allow the sale of alcohol, its main town, Springfield, does. This makes it a "moist county." There are also three wineries in the county that can sell their products. Did you know that Jacob Beam, who started the famous Jim Beam whiskey, sold his first barrel of whiskey right here in Washington County?
Contents
History
Washington County was created in 1792. It was formed from a part of another county called Nelson County. This made it the first new county in Kentucky after Kentucky became its own state, separate from Virginia.
The courthouse in Washington County was finished in 1816. It's the oldest courthouse in Kentucky that is still being used today! A very important record kept there is the marriage paper for Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. They were the parents of President Abraham Lincoln. This paper is from June 10, 1806, just before they got married.
Geography
Washington County covers about 301 square miles. Most of this area, about 297 square miles, is land. The rest, about 3.9 square miles, is water.
Nearby Counties
Washington County shares its borders with these other counties:
- Anderson County to the northeast
- Mercer County to the east
- Boyle County to the east
- Marion County to the south
- Nelson County to the west
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 9,050 | — | |
| 1810 | 13,248 | 46.4% | |
| 1820 | 15,947 | 20.4% | |
| 1830 | 19,017 | 19.3% | |
| 1840 | 10,596 | −44.3% | |
| 1850 | 12,194 | 15.1% | |
| 1860 | 11,575 | −5.1% | |
| 1870 | 12,464 | 7.7% | |
| 1880 | 14,419 | 15.7% | |
| 1890 | 13,622 | −5.5% | |
| 1900 | 14,182 | 4.1% | |
| 1910 | 13,940 | −1.7% | |
| 1920 | 14,773 | 6.0% | |
| 1930 | 12,623 | −14.6% | |
| 1940 | 12,965 | 2.7% | |
| 1950 | 12,777 | −1.5% | |
| 1960 | 11,168 | −12.6% | |
| 1970 | 10,728 | −3.9% | |
| 1980 | 10,764 | 0.3% | |
| 1990 | 10,441 | −3.0% | |
| 2000 | 10,916 | 4.5% | |
| 2010 | 11,717 | 7.3% | |
| 2020 | 12,027 | 2.6% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 12,267 | 4.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2021 |
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In 2000, there were 10,916 people living in Washington County. The population density was about 36 people for every square mile.
About 25.3% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age of people in the county was 37 years old. For every 100 females, there were about 96.6 males.
Education
Students in Washington County go to schools run by the Washington County Schools district. Here are some of the schools:
- North Washington Elementary School in Willisburg teaches students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. It has about 468 students.
- Washington County Elementary School in Springfield teaches students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. It has about 387 students.
- Care Academy, Inc. in Willisburg is for grades 6–12 and has about 65 students.
- Washington County Middle School in Springfield is for grades 6–8 and has about 206 students.
- Washington County High School in Springfield is for grades 9–12 and has about 626 students.
St. Catharine College used to be located near Springfield, but it is now closed.
Communities
Cities
- Mackville
- Springfield (This is the county seat)
- Willisburg
Other Communities
- Bear Wallow
- Brush Grove
- Fredericktown
- Manton
- Maud
- Mooresville
- Pleasant Grove
- Saint Catharine
- Thompsonville
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Washington (Kentucky) para niños
