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Christian County, Kentucky
Christian County courthouse Kentucky
Christian County courthouse in Hopkinsville
Map of Kentucky highlighting Christian County
Location in the state of Kentucky
Map of the U.S
Kentucky's location in the U.S.
Founded 1797
Named for William Christian
Seat Hopkinsville
Largest city Hopkinsville
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water

724 sq mi (1,875 km²)
718 sq mi (1,860 km²)
6.5 sq mi (17 km²), 0.9
Population
 - (2020)
 - Density

72,748 decrease
auto/sq mi (Expression error: Unrecognized word "auto"./km²)
Congressional district 1st
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website www.christiancountyky.gov

Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,748.[1] Its county seat is Hopkinsville.[2] The county was formed in 1797. Christian County is part of the Clarksville, TN–KY Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History[]

The county is named for Colonel William Christian, a native of Augusta County, Virginia, and a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He settled near Louisville, Kentucky in 1785, and was killed by Native Americans in southern Indiana in 1786.[3]

Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, was born in Fairview, Christian County, Kentucky (now part of Todd County) in 1808.[4] United States Vice President Adlai Stevenson I was born in Christian County in 1835.

The present courthouse, built in 1869, replaced a structure burned by Confederate cavalry in 1864 because the Union Army was using it as their barracks.[5]

The United States Supreme Court case Barker v. Wingo, 407 U.S. 514 (1972), arose out of a 1958 double-murder in Christian County, Kentucky.

In 2006 and 2008, tornadoes touched down across northern Christian County, damaging homes in the Crofton area.

In 2017, northwestern Christian County was the point of greatest eclipse for the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 that crossed North America. The center was in the Bainbridge/Sinking Fork area of the county, on the Orchardale farm.

Geography[]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 718 square miles (1,860 km2) is land and 6.5 square miles (17 km2) (0.9%) is water.[6] It is the second-largest county by area in Kentucky and the largest in Western Kentucky.

Adjacent counties[]

Demographics[]

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1800 2,318
1810 11,020 375.4%
1820 10,459 −5.1%
1830 12,684 21.3%
1840 15,587 22.9%
1850 19,580 25.6%
1860 21,627 10.5%
1870 23,227 7.4%
1880 31,682 36.4%
1890 34,118 7.7%
1900 37,962 11.3%
1910 38,845 2.3%
1920 35,883 −7.6%
1930 34,283 −4.5%
1940 36,129 5.4%
1950 42,359 17.2%
1960 56,904 34.3%
1970 56,224 −1.2%
1980 66,878 18.9%
1990 68,941 3.1%
2000 72,265 4.8%
2010 73,955 2.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9]
1990-2000[10] 2010-2020[1]

As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 72,265 people, 24,857 households, and 18,344 families residing in the county. The population density was 100 per square mile (39 /km2). There were 27,182 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 69.92% White, 23.73% Black or African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 2.23% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. 4.83% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. This number, however, was estimated to be around 4% for a 2006 Census Estimate, according to the United States Census Bureau.

There were 24,857 households, out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.00% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.20% were non-families. 22.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.30% under the age of 18, 15.80% from 18 to 24, 30.10% from 25 to 44, 16.00% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,177, and the median income for a family was $35,240. Males had a median income of $25,063 versus $20,748 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,611. About 12.10% of families and 15.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 13.50% of those age 65 or over.

Education[]

High schools[]

  • Christian County High School
  • Hopkinsville High School
  • Fort Campbell High School — physically located in Tennessee, but serving the entire Fort Campbell base, and a member of Kentucky's governing body for high school athletics, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
  • University Heights Academy (private K-12)
  • Heritage Christian Academy (private K-12)

Colleges[]

  • Hopkinsville Community College[12]
  • Murray State University (regional campuses in Hopkinsville and Ft. Campbell)

Politics[]

United States presidential election results for Christian County, Kentucky[13]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 15,080 63.19% 8,296 34.77% 487 2.04%
2016 14,108 63.89% 7,188 32.55% 787 3.56%
2012 13,475 61.38% 8,252 37.59% 228 1.04%
2008 13,699 60.14% 8,880 38.98% 199 0.87%
2004 13,935 66.31% 6,970 33.17% 110 0.52%
2000 10,787 60.69% 6,778 38.14% 208 1.17%
1996 8,285 50.95% 6,843 42.08% 1,132 6.96%
1992 7,737 47.50% 6,709 41.19% 1,842 11.31%
1988 9,250 61.63% 5,704 38.01% 54 0.36%
1984 10,708 66.06% 5,432 33.51% 69 0.43%
1980 8,209 52.92% 7,048 45.44% 255 1.64%
1976 4,964 38.44% 7,845 60.75% 105 0.81%
1972 7,414 63.34% 4,063 34.71% 228 1.95%
1968 3,788 30.03% 4,281 33.94% 4,545 36.03%
1964 3,882 30.74% 8,727 69.10% 21 0.17%
1960 5,251 43.31% 6,874 56.69% 0 0.00%
1956 4,963 43.18% 6,487 56.43% 45 0.39%
1952 4,858 41.62% 6,787 58.15% 27 0.23%
1948 3,242 31.85% 5,582 54.83% 1,356 13.32%
1944 4,506 41.72% 6,260 57.96% 35 0.32%
1940 5,566 45.69% 6,599 54.17% 16 0.13%
1936 5,370 44.64% 6,660 55.36% 0 0.00%
1932 5,235 40.52% 7,618 58.96% 67 0.52%
1928 7,069 55.35% 5,702 44.65% 0 0.00%
1924 7,192 51.77% 6,585 47.40% 115 0.83%
1920 8,743 54.45% 7,209 44.90% 105 0.65%
1916 4,594 55.11% 3,644 43.71% 98 1.18%
1912 3,520 48.96% 2,784 38.73% 885 12.31%
1908 4,618 59.03% 3,120 39.88% 85 1.09%
1904 3,870 58.17% 2,681 40.30% 102 1.53%
1900 4,473 57.46% 3,264 41.93% 48 0.62%
1896 4,525 57.87% 3,145 40.22% 149 1.91%
1892 2,868 49.38% 2,324 40.01% 616 10.61%
1888 3,481 58.46% 2,247 37.74% 226 3.80%
1884 2,818 56.12% 2,001 39.85% 202 4.02%
1880 2,844 54.87% 1,853 35.75% 486 9.38%



Communities[]

Cities[]

Census-designated places[]

Other unincorporated communities[]

  • Apex
  • Bainbridge
  • Bennettstown
  • Bluff Spring
  • Casky
  • Edgoten
  • Empire
  • Fearsville
  • Fruit Hill
  • Garrettsburg
  • Gracey
  • Hensleytown
  • Herndon
  • Honey Grove
  • Howel
  • Julien
  • Kelly
  • Mannington
  • Newstead
  • Saint Elmo
  • Sinking Fork

Notable people[]

  • Greg Buckner, former NBA player
  • Edgar Cayce, mystic (1877-1945)
  • Adlai Stevenson I, 23rd Vice President of the United States (1893-1897), was born in Christian County.
  • Whitney Westerfield, politician
  • Chris Whitney, former NBA player

See also[]

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Christian County, Kentucky

References[]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/21/21047.html. 
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. 
  3. ^ Rennick, Robert M. (1987). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 58. ISBN 0813126312. https://books.google.com/books?id=3Lac2FUSj_oC&q=cannon+ky&pg=PA58. 
  4. ^ Rennick, Robert M. (1987). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. pp. 97–98. ISBN 0813126312. https://books.google.com/books?id=3Lac2FUSj_oC&q=cannon+ky&pg=PA97. 
  5. ^ Hogan, Roseann Reinemuth (1992). Kentucky Ancestry: A Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research. Ancestry Publishing. pp. 215. ISBN 9780916489496. https://books.google.com/books?id=hAVlVS29NKIC&q=%22bell+county%22+1914+1918+1976&pg=PA215. 
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_21.txt. 
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html. 
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu. 
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ky190090.txt. 
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf. 
  11. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov. 
  12. ^ "Archived copy". http://www.hopkinsville.kctcs.edu/index1.htm. 
  13. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS. 

External links[]

Coordinates: 36°54′N 87°29′W / 36.90, -87.49


This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Christian County, Kentucky. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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