Boyd County, Kentucky | |
|---|---|
County | |
 The Boyd County Courthouse in Catlettsburg, with a statue ofJohn Milton Elliott | |
| Motto: Unity and Progress | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofKentucky | |
| Coordinates:38°22′N82°41′W / 38.36°N 82.69°W /38.36; -82.69 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | 1860 |
| Named after | Linn Boyd |
| Seat | Catlettsburg |
| Largest city | Ashland |
| Area | |
• Total | 162 sq mi (420 km2) |
| • Land | 160 sq mi (410 km2) |
| • Water | 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) 1.3% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 48,261 |
• Estimate (2024) | 47,777 |
| • Density | 300/sq mi (120/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 4th,5th |
| Website | boydcountyky |
Boyd County is acounty located in theU.S. Commonwealth ofKentucky. As of the2020 census, its population was 48,261.[1] Thecounty seat isCatlettsburg,[2] and its largest city isAshland. The county was formed in 1860.[3] The county spans 160 square miles (410 km2), and is found at the northeastern edge of the state, near theOhio River andBig Sandy River and situated in mountainousAppalachia. Boyd County is in theHuntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metropolitan statistical area.
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Boyd County was the 107th of 120 counties formed in Kentucky and was established in 1860 from parts of surroundingGreenup,Carter, andLawrence Counties.[3] It was named forLinn Boyd ofPaducah, former U.S. congressman, speaker of theUnited States House of Representatives, who died in 1859 soon after being elected lieutenant governor of Kentucky.[4]
The earliest evidence of human habitation in Boyd County exists in the forms of numerous earthen mounds containing human skeletons and burial goods, giving evidence that prehistoricNative Americans inhabited the area. A 1973 archeological find revealed aserpent-shaped mound built of rocks dating to 2000 BC and stretching for 900 feet (270 m) along a ridge parallel to the Big Sandy River south ofCatlettsburg.
One of the early settlers in what is now Boyd County was Charles ("One-handed Charley") Smith, from Virginia. A veteran of theFrench and Indian War who had served under Col.George Washington in 1754, Smith received for that service roughly 400 acres (1.6 km2) aroundChadwicks Creek, where he built a cabin in 1774. Smith died in 1776, and in 1797, this land passed toAlexander Catlett for whom the town of Catlettsburg is named.
The Poage family arrived fromStaunton, Virginia, in October 1799 and formedPoage's Landing, later renamed the city of Ashland.[5]
The first courthouse built in 1861 was replaced in 1912.[6]
Members of the Poage family built the steam-powered Clinton iron furnace in 1832, the earliest industry in present-day Boyd County. A total of 29 charcoal-fueled iron furnaces operated on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, seven of them in present-day Boyd County.
The Kentucky Iron, Coal and Manufacturing Company was incorporated on March 8, 1854, and it laid out the town of Ashland, then within Greenup County. The company purchased thousands of acres of coal, timber, and ore lands throughout the county. It investedUS$210,000 in bonds of the Lexington & Big Sandy River Railroad Company, with the stipulation that the eastern division of that line extend into Ashland instead of ending, as originally planned, in Catlettsburg. The early presence of the railroad in Ashland was largely responsible for this city becoming the dominant municipality of the county.
Ashland furnace was sold toAmerican Rolling Mill Company in 1921, which developed into Armco Steel Corporation. In 1963, Armco constructed the Amanda furnace, one of the largest blast furnaces in the world. Armco later merged with Kawasaki Steel, becomingAK Steel; in 2020Cleveland-Cliffs acquired AK Steel. The industry remains a major employer in northeastern Kentucky.
Ashland Oil, Inc., at one time the largest corporation headquartered in Kentucky, was started in 1924 at Leach Station, south of Catlettsburg, byPaul G. Blazer.[7] Best known for theirValvoline Oil products, Ashland Oil relocated toCovington, Kentucky, in 1999, merged withMarathon Oil, and sold its remaining petroleum shares to Marathon in 2005, dissolving their petroleum division. The original oil refinery, located in Catlettsburg, is still in operation today and is currently owned byMarathon Petroleum Corporation.
Calgon Carbon constructed the Big Sandy Plant in 1961 and it has since become the world's largest producer ofgranular activated carbon. The facility produces in excess of 100 million pounds of granular activated carbon annually.[8]
On November 3, 2020, residents voted in favor of allowing full retail sales of alcohol countywide.[9] Prior to November 2020, Boyd County only allowed alcohol sales in restaurants that seated over 100 people and derived at least 70% of their income from food sales.[10] The one exception was three election precincts within the city of Ashland, covering the downtown area, where all retail alcohol sales were permitted.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 162 square miles (420 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) (1.3%) are covered by water.[11]
Boyd County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (Lawrence County in Kentucky and Ohio).--
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 8,573 | — | |
| 1880 | 12,165 | 41.9% | |
| 1890 | 14,033 | 15.4% | |
| 1900 | 18,834 | 34.2% | |
| 1910 | 23,444 | 24.5% | |
| 1920 | 29,281 | 24.9% | |
| 1930 | 43,849 | 49.8% | |
| 1940 | 45,938 | 4.8% | |
| 1950 | 49,949 | 8.7% | |
| 1960 | 52,163 | 4.4% | |
| 1970 | 52,376 | 0.4% | |
| 1980 | 55,513 | 6.0% | |
| 1990 | 51,150 | −7.9% | |
| 2000 | 49,752 | −2.7% | |
| 2010 | 49,542 | −0.4% | |
| 2020 | 48,261 | −2.6% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 47,777 | [12] | −1.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[13] 1790-1960[14] 1900-1990[15] 1990-2000[16] 2010-2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 48,261. The median age was 43.0 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.7 males age 18 and over.[17][18]
The racial makeup of the county was 91.8% White, 2.7%Black or African American, 0.2%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.6% from some other race, and 4.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[18]
76.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 23.8% lived in rural areas.[19]
There were 19,296 households in the county, of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 29.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]
There were 21,742 housing units, of which 11.3% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 67.0% were owner-occupied and 33.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.4%.[17]
As of thecensus[20] of 2000, 49,752 people, 20,010 households, and 14,107 families were residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 311 per square mile (120/km2). The 21,976 housing units had an average density of 137 per square mile (53/km2). Theracial makeup of the county was 95.97% White, 2.55% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. About 1.12% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.
Of the 20,010 households, 28.9% had children under 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were not families. About 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.86.
The age distribution was 21.80% under 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 25.60% from 45 to 64, and 15.60% who were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $32,749, and for a family was $41,125. Males had a median income of $35,728 versus $22,591 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $18,212. About 11.5% of families and 15.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 22.4% of those under 18 and 12.10% of those 65 or over.
TheFederal Bureau of Prisons operates theFederal Correctional Institution, Ashland inSummit,unincorporated Boyd County,[21][22] 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Ashland.[23]
Kentucky State Police Post 14 is located on U.S. 60 in Summit, next to Armco Park. In addition to Boyd County, troopers from Post 14 serve Carter, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties.[24]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1912 | 1,271 | 28.11% | 1,772 | 39.19% | 1,478 | 32.69% |
| 1916 | 2,883 | 50.20% | 2,738 | 47.68% | 122 | 2.12% |
| 1920 | 6,334 | 54.78% | 5,103 | 44.13% | 126 | 1.09% |
| 1924 | 6,062 | 55.55% | 4,079 | 37.38% | 772 | 7.07% |
| 1928 | 9,118 | 66.38% | 4,611 | 33.57% | 7 | 0.05% |
| 1932 | 6,853 | 44.67% | 8,315 | 54.19% | 175 | 1.14% |
| 1936 | 6,650 | 40.32% | 9,762 | 59.19% | 80 | 0.49% |
| 1940 | 7,322 | 42.41% | 9,868 | 57.16% | 75 | 0.43% |
| 1944 | 6,868 | 45.66% | 8,130 | 54.06% | 42 | 0.28% |
| 1948 | 6,707 | 41.98% | 9,006 | 56.38% | 262 | 1.64% |
| 1952 | 10,426 | 50.32% | 10,245 | 49.44% | 49 | 0.24% |
| 1956 | 11,502 | 57.28% | 8,546 | 42.56% | 34 | 0.17% |
| 1960 | 11,305 | 55.42% | 9,094 | 44.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 6,941 | 37.65% | 11,436 | 62.03% | 60 | 0.33% |
| 1968 | 8,632 | 45.43% | 7,914 | 41.65% | 2,455 | 12.92% |
| 1972 | 12,812 | 65.92% | 6,434 | 33.10% | 191 | 0.98% |
| 1976 | 9,106 | 44.51% | 11,150 | 54.50% | 203 | 0.99% |
| 1980 | 10,367 | 47.79% | 10,702 | 49.33% | 626 | 2.89% |
| 1984 | 10,925 | 52.98% | 9,601 | 46.56% | 95 | 0.46% |
| 1988 | 9,379 | 49.39% | 9,552 | 50.31% | 57 | 0.30% |
| 1992 | 7,387 | 34.93% | 10,496 | 49.63% | 3,264 | 15.43% |
| 1996 | 7,054 | 37.34% | 9,668 | 51.17% | 2,171 | 11.49% |
| 2000 | 9,247 | 48.21% | 9,541 | 49.74% | 394 | 2.05% |
| 2004 | 11,501 | 52.81% | 10,132 | 46.53% | 144 | 0.66% |
| 2008 | 11,430 | 55.30% | 8,886 | 42.99% | 354 | 1.71% |
| 2012 | 10,884 | 57.14% | 7,776 | 40.82% | 389 | 2.04% |
| 2016 | 13,591 | 66.45% | 6,021 | 29.44% | 842 | 4.12% |
| 2020 | 14,295 | 65.72% | 7,083 | 32.56% | 373 | 1.71% |
| 2024 | 14,363 | 68.56% | 6,291 | 30.03% | 297 | 1.42% |
Similar to many other Eastern Kentucky counties, Boyd County voted primarily for Democratic candidates at the presidential level before shifting hard to the right in the 2000s. However, local Democratic support remains strong, as DemocratAndy Beshear won the county by about 6 points over incumbent RepublicanMatt Bevin in the2019 gubernatorial election.
| Elected officials as of May 30, 2025[26][27][28] | ||
| U.S. House | Hal Rogers (R) | KY 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Ky. Senate | Robin L. Webb (R) | 18 |
| Ky. House | Patrick Flannery (R) | 96 |
| Aaron Thompson (R) | 98 | |
| Scott Sharp (R) | 100 | |
| Elected officials as of January 2, 2023[29] | |
| Judge/Executive | Eric Chaney (R) |
|---|---|
| Commissioner District 1 | James David Salisbury II (R) |
| Commissioner District 2 | Jeremy K. Holbrook (R) |
| Commissioner District 3 | Randy Stapleton (R) |
| Clerk | Kevin Johnston (R) |
| Attorney | Curtis E. Dotson (R) |
| Jailer | William Bill Hensley (R) |
| Coroner | Mark Hammond (D) |
| Surveyor | Larry C. Barker Jr. (R) |
| Property Value Admin. | Homer Jay Woods Jr. (R) |
| Sheriff | James "Jamie" Reihs (R) |
| Elected officials as of January 6, 2025[30][31] | |
| Commonwealth's Attorney | Rhonda Copley (R) |
|---|---|
| Circuit Court Clerk | Mary Hall Sergent (R) |
| 32nd Circuit, 1st division | George W. Davis III |
| 32nd Circuit, 2nd division | John Vincent |
| 32nd District, 1st division | Scott T. Reese |
| 32nd District, 2nd division | Devon Reams |
| Boyd County Voter Registration & Party Enrollment as of April 30, 2025[32] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political Party | Total Voters | Percentage | |||
| Republican | 16,272 | 46.68% | |||
| Democratic | 14,591 | 41.86% | |||
| Independent | 2,380 | 0.07% | |||
| Others | 1,380 | 0.04% | |||
| Libertarian | 193 | 0.01% | |||
| Green | 18 | 0.001% | |||
| Constitution | 16 | 0.001% | |||
| Total | 34,856 | 100% | |||
Ashland Community and Technical College, in Ashland, is one of 16 two-year, open-admissions colleges of theKentucky Community and Technical College System.Morehead State University also has a satellite campus located in Ashland.
The county has these school districts:[33]
Municipalities and communities ofBoyd County, Kentucky,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost town |
| |
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Principal cities |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Municipalities with population over 5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population 1,000–5,000 | ||
| Municipalities with population under 1,000 | ||
| West Virginia counties | ||
| Kentucky counties | ||
| Ohio counties | ||
| Counties | |
|---|---|
| Cities and towns Over 10k | |
| Cities and towns 5k-10k | |
| Cities and towns 1k-5k | |
| Cities and towns under 1k | |
| Statistical areas | |
| See also | |
38°22′N82°41′W / 38.36°N 82.69°W /38.36; -82.69
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
