Georgetown, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
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| Nickname: G-Town | |
 Location of Georgetown in Scott County, Kentucky. | |
  Georgetown  Georgetown | |
| Coordinates:38°12′35″N84°33′36″W / 38.20972°N 84.56000°W /38.20972; -84.56000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Scott |
| Established | 1784[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Burney Jenkins[2] |
| Area | |
• City | 17.15 sq mi (44.41 km2) |
| • Land | 16.98 sq mi (43.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.17 sq mi (0.43 km2) |
| Elevation | 883 ft (269 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 37,086 |
• Estimate (2024)[6] | 40,518 |
| • Rank | US: 1054th KY:6th |
| • Density | 2,183.6/sq mi (843.09/km2) |
| • Metro | 517,846 (US:109th) |
| • Demonym | Georgetonian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 40324 |
| Area code | 502 |
| FIPS code | 021209 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2403689[4] |
| Website | georgetownky.gov |
Georgetown is ahome rule-class city[7] inScott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 37,086 at the2020 census.[5] It is thesixth-most populous city in Kentucky. It is theseat of its county. It was originally called Lebanon when founded by Rev.Elijah Craig and was renamed in 1790 in honor of PresidentGeorge Washington.[8] Historically, settlers were drawn to Georgetown for itsRoyal Spring.[9]
It is the home ofGeorgetown College, a privateliberal arts college. Georgetown is part of theLexington-Fayette, KY Metropolitan Statistical Area. At one time the city served as thetraining camp home for theNFL'sCincinnati Bengals.
The city's growth began in the mid-1980s, whenToyota builtToyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, its first wholly owned United States plant, in Georgetown. The plant opened in 1988; it builds theCamry, Camry Hybrid,Lexus ES, andRAV4 Hybrid automobiles.[10][11]
Native peoples have lived along the banks ofElkhorn Creek in what is now Scott County for at least 15,000 years.[8] At the time of European encounter, the historicShawnee people occupied this area.[citation needed]
Anglo-American exploration can be dated to the late colonial period and a June 1774 surveying expedition fromFincastle County, Virginia, led byColonel John Floyd. For his military service, he was granted a claim of 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in the area by the state of Virginia. He named it Royal Spring but did not settle it.[12] John McClellan was the first English colonist to settle the area and established McClellan's Station there in 1775, but the compound was abandoned following an Indian attack on December 29, 1776.[13]
In 1782, theBaptist preacherElijah Craig led his congregation to the site from Orange County, Virginia, and established a new settlement which he called Lebanon. This was incorporated by the Virginia legislature in 1784. At the time, Virginia claimed this territory under its colonial charter.[12] Craig established some of the firstmills west of theAppalachian Mountains along the Royal Spring Branch, where he also manufactured cloth and paper.[8] He also founded a distillery in 1789, as well as a school called the Rittenhouse Academy. This eventually developed asGeorgetown College.[14]
The city's name was changed to George Town in honor ofPresidentGeorge Washington in 1790. WhenKentucky became the15th U.S. state in 1792 and formedScott County, George Town became the county seat. Its name was formally changed to Georgetown in 1846.[12]
The county developed an agricultural economy, as it was part of the fertileBluegrass Region. Planters cultivated tobacco and hemp, and raised blooded livestock, including Thoroughbred racehorses, and cattle and sheep. During theCivil War, Kentucky stayed in the Union. Georgetown was raided byConfederate Gen.John Hunt Morgan twice, once on July 15, 1862, and the second time on July 10, 1864.[12]
Following the war, the town became a railroad hub, connected to theCincinnati Southern, theLouisville Southern, and theFrankfort & Cincinnati. The last was considered the "whiskey route" and carried much of the region'sbourbon to markets along the Ohio River.[12]
In 1896 a girl's academy was founded by the CatholicSisters of Visitation. The school closed in 1987, and was adapted as theCardome Centre. It previously served as a community center for the city of Georgetown, but was purchased by theCatholic Diocese of Lexington in 2019.[15][16]
Throughout the 20th century, Georgetown has been in transition from an economy based primarily on agriculture, to one mixing manufacturing, small business, and the family farm. During the 1960s, the construction ofInterstate 75 placed the city on one of the nation's busiest highways. The selection of Georgetown as the site ofToyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in 1985 has resulted in the greatest period of growth in the city's history.[17]
The historicWard Hall, now home to The Ward Hall Preservation Foundation, is located just outside Georgetown. Ward Hall was the summer home ofJunius Ward.[18] The home represents the height of theGreek Revival period of architecture in Kentucky and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP).[19]
The Georgetown business section has a historic district known as theOxford Historic District. It is also listed on the NRHP.[20]
Georgetown is located north ofLexington in theBluegrass region of the state. Major highways that run through the city includeInterstate 75 and US Routes25,62, and460. Numerous state highways run through the city. I-75 runs to the east of downtown, with access from exits 125, 126, 127, and 129. Via I-75, downtown Lexington is 16 mi (26 km) south, andCincinnati,Ohio is 69 mi (111 km) north. US 25 runs through the center of town, leading south to Lexington and north 22 mi (35 km) toCorinth. US 62 runs along the southern and eastern part of the city as a bypass, leading northeast 21 mi (34 km) toCynthiana and southwest 11 mi (18 km) toMidway. US 460 runs east−west through the town, leading east 17 mi (27 km) toParis and west 18 mi (29 km) toFrankfort, the state capital.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.85 square miles (41 km2), all land.
Georgetown has ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa), with warm summers and moderately cold winters. Precipitation is relatively well spread (although the late spring and summer months are typically wetter), with an average of 45.28 in (1,150 mm).
| Climate data for Georgetown, Kentucky | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 41 (5) | 46 (8) | 55 (13) | 66 (19) | 74 (23) | 83 (28) | 86 (30) | 86 (30) | 79 (26) | 68 (20) | 55 (13) | 44 (7) | 65 (18) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 25 (−4) | 28 (−2) | 36 (2) | 45 (7) | 54 (12) | 63 (17) | 66 (19) | 65 (18) | 58 (14) | 47 (8) | 37 (3) | 28 (−2) | 46 (8) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.20 (81) | 3.31 (84) | 4.07 (103) | 3.60 (91) | 5.26 (134) | 4.44 (113) | 4.65 (118) | 3.25 (83) | 2.91 (74) | 3.13 (80) | 3.53 (90) | 3.93 (100) | 45.28 (1,150) |
| Source:The Weather Channel[21] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 348 | — | |
| 1810 | 529 | 52.0% | |
| 1830 | 1,344 | — | |
| 1840 | 1,511 | 12.4% | |
| 1860 | 1,684 | — | |
| 1870 | 1,570 | −6.8% | |
| 1880 | 2,061 | 31.3% | |
| 1900 | 3,823 | — | |
| 1910 | 4,533 | 18.6% | |
| 1920 | 3,903 | −13.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,229 | 8.4% | |
| 1940 | 4,420 | 4.5% | |
| 1950 | 5,516 | 24.8% | |
| 1960 | 6,986 | 26.6% | |
| 1970 | 8,629 | 23.5% | |
| 1980 | 10,972 | 27.2% | |
| 1990 | 11,414 | 4.0% | |
| 2000 | 18,080 | 58.4% | |
| 2010 | 29,098 | 60.9% | |
| 2020 | 37,086 | 27.5% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 40,518 | [6] | 9.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[22] 2020 Census[5] | |||
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 29,098 people 10,733 households, and 7,452 families in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,836.4 per square mile (709.0/km2). There were 11,957 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 87.5%White, 7.0%African American, 0.3%Native American, 1.2%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 1.9% fromother races, and 2.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.3% of the population.
There were 10,733 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% weremarried couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.09.
The age distribution was 27.9% under 18 and 8.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31.7 years. The median income for a household in the city was $51,692. Theper capita income for the city was $24,376. About 13.9% of the population was below thepoverty line.
According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[23] the largest employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky | 10,019 |
| 2 | Scott County Schools | 1,219 |
| 3 | Adient | 743 |
| 4 | Toyota Production Engineering and Manufacturing Center | 740 |
| 5 | Georgetown Community Hospital | 460 |
| 6 | Toyota Tsusho | 413 |
| 7 | Kroger | 395 |
| 8 | Aichi Forge USA | 380 |
| 9 | International Crankshaft | 335 |
| 10 | Walmart | 335 |
Georgetown is home toToyota Stadium. Toyota Stadium hostsGeorgetown College's Football Team. The city used to hostLexington SC, of theUSL Championship before they moved toLexington SC Stadium.
Georgetown College is a private liberal arts college located in the downtown area of Georgetown.Baptist Seminary of Kentucky is a seminary in Georgetown.[citation needed]
Public education in Georgetown and Scott County consists of a preschool center serving special needs and economically at-risk students aged 3–5, nineelementary schools (grades K–5), threemiddle schools (grades 6–8) and twohigh schools (grades 9–12). These schools are all part of the Scott County Schools system. Plans had been in progress for an additional high school and middle school within the city limits during the 2010s due to the expanding population. The district chose not to build a new middle school, opting instead to expand one of its three existing middle schools, but opened a new high school and a new elementary school in 2019.[24][25] Elkhorn Crossing School, which had been a detached campus of Scott County High before the 2019 opening of Great Crossing High School, provides some sophomores and juniors at both high schools with a curriculum that integrates academic and career-based disciplines.[citation needed]
Public schools located within Georgetown and Scott County include:[26]
Private education in Georgetown and Scott County includes St. John elementary and middle school, Providence Christian Academy elementary and middle school, and Keystone Montessori elementary school.
Georgetown also has a lending library, the Scott County Public Library.[27]
Georgetown's newspaper, theGeorgetown News-Graphic, prints on Tuesday and Friday. Residents of the area commonly subscribe to this locally geared newspaper in addition to the largerLexington daily newspaper, theLexington Herald-Leader.[28]
Z-Rock 103.3 FM WXZZ Georgetown is a 24/7/365 classic rock/new rock radio station.
Georgetown has one hospital, Georgetown Community Hospital, operated byLifePoint Health.
UK HealthCare and Baptist Health Lexington have regional campuses in Georgetown. Georgetown also has many nursing facilities, including Signature HealthCARE of Georgetown, Windsor Gardens Retirement Community, Dover Manor Nursing Home, and Ashton Grove Assisted Living.[citation needed]
Georgetown has onesister city, as designated bySister Cities International:
Municipalities and communities ofScott County, Kentucky,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Municipalities with population over 10,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population 5,000-10,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 5,000 | ||
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| National | |
| Other | |
