In the year 1772 Fincastle County became the frontier county of Virginia, extending to the Mississippi it embraced all of what is now Kentucky, and a part of Southwestern Virginia. The county of Fincastle was dissolved by legislative enactment of the State of Virginia December 81, 1776 at which time a portion of it became Kentucky County, Virginia. In May, 1780, Kentucky County was subdivided into three counties: Fayette, Jefferson Lincoln.

Fayette County embraced all of that part of the present State of Kentucky east and north of the Kentucky River and its Middle Fork. The bounds of Jefferson County were "that part of the south side of the Kentucky River which lies west and north of a line beginning at the mouth of Benson's Big Creek, and running up the same and its main fork to the head; thence south to the nearest waters of Hammond's Creek, and down the same to its junction with the Town Fork of Salt River, thence south to the Green River, and down the same to its junction with the Ohio."

Lincoln County included all of what is now the State of Kentucky not embraced in the counties of Fayette and Jefferson.

Nelson County was formed from a portion of Jefferson in 1784, and was the fourth county formed in the state.

On May 1, 1785, Fayette County was divided into two counties, the northern portion being called Bourbon, and the southern portion retaining the name Fayette. Bourbon was the fifth county.

Mercer County was established by the State of Virginia in 1785 and was cut from Lincoln County. It was the sixth county formed in the state.

Madison County was the seventh county and was carved from Lincoln County and established in 1785.

On May 1, 1788, Mason County was formed out of territory taken from Bourbon. The new county embraced all of the territory in Eastern Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky to the mouth of the Licking River. It was the eighth county formed by Virginia.

Formation of Kentucky Counties

  1. Jefferson from Kentucky, 1780*
  2. Fayette from Kentucky, 1780*
  3. Lincoln from Kentucky 1780*
  4. Nelson from Jefferson 1784*
  5. Bourbon from Fayette, 1786*
  6. Mercer from Lincoln, 1785*
  7. Madison from Lincoln, 1785*
  8. Mason from Bourbon, 1788*
  9. Woodford from Fayette, 1788*
  10. Washington from Nelson, 1792
  11. Scott from Woodlord, 1792
  12. Shelby from Jefferson, 1792
  13. Logan from Lincoln 1792
  14. Clark from Fayette and Bourbon,1792
  15. Hardin from Nelson 1792
  16. Green from Lincoln and Nelson 1792
  17. Christian from Logan 1792
  18. Harrison from Bourbon and Scott 1793
  19. Franklin .from Woodford, Mercer and Shelby 1794
  20. Campbell from Harrison, Scott and Mason 1794
  21. Bullitt from Jefferson and Nelson, 1796
  22. Montgomery. from Clark, 1796
  23. Bracken from Mason and Campbell 1796
  24. Warren from Logan 1796
  25. Garrard from Mercer, Lincoln and Madison 1796
  26. Fleming from Mason 1798
  27. Pulaski from Lincoln and Green 1798
  28. Pendleton from Bracken and Campbell, 1798
  29. Livingston from Christian, 1798
  30. Boone from Campbell, 1798
  31. Henry from Shelby 1798
  32. Cumberland from Green 1798
  33. Gallatin from Franklin and Shelby 1798
  34. Muhlenburg from Logan and Christian, 1798
  35. Ohio from Hardin 1798
  36. Jessamine from Fayette,1798
  37. Barren from Warren and Green 1798
  38. Henderson from Christian 1798
  39. Breckinridge from Hardin 1799
  40. Floyd from Fleming, Montgomery and Mason 1799
  41. Knox from Lincoln 1799
  42. Nicholas from Bourbon and Mason 1799
  43. Wayne from Pulaski and Cumberland 1800
  44. Adair from Green 1801
  45. Greenup from Mason 1803
  46. Casey from Lincoln 1806
  47. Clay from Madison, Knox and Floyd 1806
  48. Lewis from Mason 1806
  49. Hopkins from Henderson 1806
  50. Estill from Madison and Clark 1808
  51. Caldwell from Livingston 1809
  52. Rockcastle from Lincoln, Pulaski, Madison and Knox 1810
  53. Butler from Logan and Ohio 1810
  54. Grayson from Hardin and Ohio 1810
  55. Union from Henderson, 1811
  56. Bath from Montgomery 1811
  57. Allen from Warren and Barren 1815
  58. Daviess from Ohio 1815
  59. Whitley from Knox 1818
  60. Harlan from Floyd and Knox 1819
  61. Hart from Hardin and Barren 1819
  62. Owen from Scott, Franklin and Gallatin 1819
  63. Simpson from Logan and Christian 1819
  64. Todd from Logan and Christian 1819
  65. Monroe from Barren and Cumberland 1820
  66. Trigg from Christian and Caldwell 1820
  67. Grant from Pendleton 1820
  68. Perry from Clay and Floyd 1820
  69. Lawrence from Greenup and Floyd 1821
  70. Pike from Floyd, 1821
  71. Hickman from Caldwell and Livingston, 1821
  72. Calloway from Hickman, 1822
  73. Morgan from Floyd and Bath, 1822
  74. Oldham from Jefferson, Shelby and Henry 1823
  75. Graves from Hickman 1823
  76. Meade from Hardin and Breckinridge 1823
  77. Spencer from Nelson, Shelby and Bullitt, 1824
  78. McCracken from Hickman 1824
  79. Edmondson from Warren, Hart and Grayson 1825
  80. Laurel from Rockcastle, Clay, Knox and Whitley, 1825
  81. Russell from Adair, Wayne and Cumberland, 1825
  82. Anderson from Franklin, Mercer and Washington, 1827
  83. Hancock from Breckinridge, Daviess and Ohio 1829
  84. Marion from Washington 1834
  85. Clinton from Wayne and Cumberland 1835
  86. Trimble from Gallatin, Henry and Oldham, 1837
  87. Carroll from Gallatin, Henry and Trimble ,1838
  88. Carter from Greenup and Lawrence, 1838
  89. Breathitt from Clay, Perry and Estill 1839
  90. Kenton from Campbell 1840
  91. Crittenden from Livingston, 1842
  92. Marshall from Calloway 1842
  93. Ballard from Hickman and McCracken 1842
  94. Boyle from Mercer and Lincoln 1842
  95. Letcher from Perry and Harlan 1842
  96. Owsley from Clay, Estill and Breathitt 1843
  97. Johnson from Floyd, Lawrence and Morgan 1843
  98. Larue from Hardin 1843
  99. Fulton from Hickman 1845
  100. Taylor from Green 1848
  101. Powell from Montgomery, Clark and Estill 1852
  102. Lyon from Caldwell 1854
  103. McLean from Daviess, Muhlenburg and Ohio 1854
  104. Rowan from Fleming and Morgan 1856
  105. Jackson from Estill, Owsley, Clay, Laurel, Rockcastle and Madison 1858
  106. Metcalfe from Barren, Green, Adair, Cumberland and Monroe 1860
  107. Boyd from Greenup, Carter and Lawrence 1860
  108. Magoffin from Morgan, Johnson and Floyd, 1860
  109. Webster from Hopkins, Henderson and Union 1860
  110. Wolfe from Morgan, Breathitt, Owsley and Powell 1860
  111. Robertson from Nicholas, Harrison, Bracken and Mason1867
  112. Bell from Harlan and Knox 1867
  113. Menifee from Bath, Morgan, Powell, Montgomery and Wolfe 1869
  114. Elliott from Morgan, Carter and Lawrence 1869
  115. Lee from Owsley, Estill, Wolfe and Breathitt1870
  116. Martin from Pike, Johnson, Floyd and Lawrence 1870
  117. Leslie from Clay, Perry and Harlan 1878
  118. Knott from Perry, Floyd, Letcher and Breathitt 1884
  119. Carlisle from Ballard 1886
  120. McCreary from Pulaski, Wayne and Whitley 1912

*Counties formed by State of Virginia